Fort Braden Ride – January 20, 2024

Temperature predicted to be maybe 40 by noon and 10-12 mph
winds – who in the world would ride in that weather??? Turns out –
lots of us!! We had a total of 12 riders: Sharon on Beau; Nancy S. on
Rebel; Wendy on Eli; Donna on Doc; Beth on Whiskey; Alice on
Maisy; Lena on Scooter; Joyce on Blue; Don on Magnum; Sandy on
Pearl; Linda on Blondie and Chris on Farley. What a great turnout!!
A big welcome to 2 new members, Don and Beth. We rode for 3
hours in 3 separate groups, slow, fast and medium speeds. Only 2
calamities: a breast strap broke; and Linda was riding along and
noticed something different – she had lost a stirrup. So other than
that, we had a perfect day and a few of us stayed afterward sitting in
the sun catching up. If you didn’t make it, you missed a great ride!
Sharon

STA Workday at Phipps Park – October 27, 2023

Our STA workday at Phipps Park on Friday was a huge success.  We set out to clear a new trail teaming up with North Florida Back Country Horse Association (NFBCHA) members. 

After doing some preliminary scouting and routing, Robert Steele, City of Tallahassee, lead the way from the Gate A entrance parking area cutting the trail with his equipment.  Then our crew followed, cleaning up debris and splitting up logs, cutting branches and installing new signs where appropriate.

We zigzagged our way to the Gate B parking area, crossed the Gate B entrance road, then continued to create a loop amongst the pines and oaks eventually connecting to the existing STA equestrian trail. 

Because one area was too dense for his machine, Robert will go back next week with some heavy-duty equipment to finish clearing that area of the trail.  We plan to have one more workday finishing up the approximately 1.5 miles of new equestrian-only trail. 

Thanks so much to our crew:  Sharon and Herb, Nancy, Linda, Maria, Wendy and Laura. 

J.R. Alford Greenway – May 20, 2023

What a great day for a ride! The temperature was 73 degrees when I left the house with Quia to go to the trailride. When I arrived at Alford, Laura C. was already there with Jewel and then Nancy S., a new member, came in with Rosie and brought a guest, Marilyn M., with Bruin. Next to arrive were Sharon and Herb H. with Beau and General, then Paulie P. came in with Image. The last to arrive was Kathleen D. with Jett. I went down to close the exit gates and on the way back I heard a loud “boom”, like someone shooting a gun. I thought this couldn’t be happening in this area and when I got back to the trailers, I learned that Nancy had a tire blow on her horse trailer just sitting in the trailhead! How’s that for a bizarre event? We decided to call for help after we were on the ride so we would be there when help arrived.
Knowing the temperature was going to rise, the route we took utilized the single track trails and the shaded multi-use ones. We ran into several bikers and folks walking with their dogs.
At one point, we talked with a couple who had two dogs and Kathleen discovered the guy was an attorney who spoke to her as she is a retired Judge. She then learned that Marilyn is also an attorney so they had a nice conversation, too. The county has been conducting fires for maintenance on the greenway so we stayed away from the first access to the trail along the railroad as they had a sign up asking trail users not to use it. We rode on the edge of the fields and said goodbye to Kathleen, who had to leave us, until we had another chance to access the single track along the railroad. There was a slight breeze and Nancy and Marilyn had not ridden the single tracks so it was a nice experience for them. We stopped along the way for Sharon to call U. S. Rider for Nancy’s flat tire and then continued on the single track. When we came to the split to access the new multi-use “single track” we took it and crossed over the only bridge on the greenway which is near the return to the trailhead. We then arrived safely back at the trailhead from the two-hour ride. As I left, Nancy had a short wait for tire help and company from Sharon and Herb. Also, the temperature was 83 degrees! A true blessing for a nice day to enjoy riding with friends!
Submitted by Sue N.

Coldwater Equestrian Campground at Blackwater River State Forest – April 13-16, 2023

Several members (Maria Morales, Joyce Papp, Jessica Mauer, Brandi Enfinger, Lora Kibler and John Pemerton) made it to Coldwater on Thursday, April 13th, but we (Becky Day, Liz Rich, Alice Shannon and my friend, Joanne Zang) decided to go on Friday, April 14th and return on Monday, April 17th. We arrived after 6 hours on the road, due to a blow out on our flatbed trailer that was hauling a golfcart. Little did we know, golf carts are not allowed at the park. Lesson! Friday we all got together for our potluck dinner and shared stories sitting around the fire. The next morning, we decided to ride out at 10am on the pink trail, which starts on the other side of the bridge, so we split up into two groups. One slow group of mostly quarter horses (Maria Morales, Joyce Papp, Jessica Mauer, Brandi Enfinger, and Brandi’s friend, Samantha Baggett) and one fast group with mostly walking horses (Liz Rich, Becky Day, Alice Shannon, Lora Kibler and John Pemerton). Alice tagged along behind our fast-walking horses with her quarter horse, Shine. The trails were very well marked and were a mixture of pines and hardwoods. We arrived back at camp after 1pm and decided to take a dip in the creek. Now I know why they call it Coldwater! Then shortly after 4pm the rain started followed by strong winds that knocked out power to our camp. I just knew I was going to lose my awning, but it survived. It was a little scary! Our power was out for at least 4 ½ -5 hours. When the rain finally tapered off, we were able to check to make sure everyone was OK. Sunday turned out to be a beautiful day and we took advantage of it. While other members were packing up to leave, we saddled up and the three of us (Becky Day, Liz Rich and Alice Shannon) decided to take the yellow trail. It is mostly pines but has several creek crossings which is refreshing for the horses. Overall, we had a wonderful time and the weather was great (except the 3-4 hours of rain Saturday evening). We will definitely be going back again.
Liz

Apalachicola National Forest Cleanup Day – Feb 25, 2023

The day dawned cool but quickly warmed up. Orientation was at 8:00 AM sharp presented by Sharon Gray. We had the BEST ever STA membership turnout with 17 members coming to pick up trash. Present were Jessica Mauer and her husband Brandon, Stephanie Gallegos and her husband Richard Fiesel, Katrina Ward, Doelle West, Ron Tuttle, Joelle Maclyn, Jan Early, Nancy Stephens, Linda Vause, Susan Wilson, Twila Wilson, Pam Freeman, Liz Rich, Sue Noyes, Joyce Papp and 2 non-members who volunteered under the STA banner, Janice Smith and Deb Stone, 19 all total. Awesome turnout! My apologies if I misspelled anyone’s name.
Some brought their UTV’s and we all brought empty feed sacks for the garbage. We have found that the feed sacks are much stronger than plastic garbage bags much to the surprise of the other volunteers. It also shows the community just how many equestrians were there helping out. After orientation, we split up into groups, some headed to Forest Road 362 off Springhill Road and the rest of us cleaned the trails at Rivers Road. All met back at Rivers Road trailhead around noon for an awesome lunch provided by Sharon Gray and the Forest Edge Neighbors. 2023 results are not in yet, but the cleanup results for 2006 – 2022 are 240.5 tons of trash.
Groups participating in the Forest Cleanup this year included Tallahassee Mountain Bike Association (TMBA), Southern Trailriders Association (STA), Forgotten Coast Jeepers, GD Off Road, SEDRA, Back Country Hunters and Anglers, North Florida Back Country Horsemen, Pi Lambda Phi, Phi Alpha Delta, Red Hills Chapter of Quail Forever, Rainbow Group, Tallahassee Fellowship Church, iHeart Media, and the Forest Edge Neighborhood.
Thank you, STA, NFBCH & SEDRA equestrian members and non-members for coming out and helping to keep the forest clean!
Joyce

Fort Braden Ride – Saturday Feb. 4, 2023

It started out a bit chilly this Saturday morning at about 38 degrees, but the sun was out bright, and it turned into a perfect day for a ride. Ten brave riders showed up dressed for the weather and by the end of the ride, we were shedding layers. Those that rode are: Sharon on Beau; Wendy on General; Laura on Jewel; Lena on Scooter; Chris on Rose; Sue on Quia; Nancy on Rebel; Alice on Shine; Kathy on Jett; and Katrina on Bandido. Thanks to Herb for helping me get sign ins and taking pictures. Most of us rode the west loop and somewhere down by the lake we all heard a bird call, that no one has ever heard before. Sounded like we were in the tropics for a minute. If you haven’t ridden the west loop in a while, you should. It’s not as hilly as the east loop but is still beautiful and definitely worth riding especially viewing from a horse’s back. Nancy and Lena checked out the east loop. Afterwards, we hung out at the pavilion enjoying our lunches with some brownies and cookies for dessert. Doesn’t get any better!


Sharon

Phipps Ride – Saturday, January 7, 2023

Oh, to be 7 years old again……. Herb, Wendy, Nancy, Lena and I met the park manager of Phipps Park and his 7 year old daughter at Phipps on Saturday for a ride. It had been many years since Robert had ridden and those weren’t great experiences, so he was a bit nervous. Kate had only ridden a few times, but was extremely excited to ride a horse again. So Herb and I cleaned out our 3-horse LQ trailer, normally ready for camping with the 3rd stall used for storage, and made room for 3 horses to transport to Phipps. We also packed up tack, etc. for 3 horses. Well I forgot how much work that can be…..whew! But when we pulled in to Phipps and saw Kate peeking out from behind her dad with a HUGE smile on her face, the thought of the workload faded quickly. We saddled up our 3 boys (Beau for Robert, General for Kate and Cricket for me). We tried to shorten the stirrups to fit Kate’s legs…..failed at that, but did manage to make her helmet fit. She was a sport and so happy to be up on General, she didn’t care that she couldn’t reach the stirrups. We got Dad up and settled and off we went for about an 1.5 hour ride, me leading General with Kate. One thing I wanted to do was give Robert a different perspective of those trails and that I did. While riding, Robert agreed seeing the trails this way was very different and very enjoyable. I told Kate that General really liked to be petted on the mane occasionally while riding. It was so cute, when I looked back and caught her small hand patting General’s mane. Like I said, oh to be 7 again……
Interestingly enough, we came up on an SUV that was trying to drive down our trail. Was basically lost trying to get out of the park from a Gulf Winds Track Club meet. We also passed a biker with his dog off-leash. Other than that, all hikers and bikers were very considerate and almost all were happy to stop and admire the horses. On the way back to the trailers, I asked Kate if we were going to have to drag her off General and she quietly said with a grin “maybe”. It was a perfectly beautiful day and everyone really enjoyed the quiet ride through the woods. Needless to say I was really happy to get two people back in the saddle again. Something worth thinking about….. if you have the opportunity to reintroduce a child or adult to horseback riding, do it. It has multiple benefits and is quite fulfilling for yourself.
Sharon

Phipps Ride – Saturday, October 29, 2022

The day was cloudy but with a nice breeze, it was a great day to be riding. Those who came to enjoy the day were: Herb, Sharon on General, Gaye with Max, Nancy S. on Rebel, Nancy I. on Ginger, Wendy on Arrow, Linda on Blondie, and Joyce on Blue. All the horses were on their best behavior, and we all enjoyed a good ride. Since the only one that showed up dressed up (if you could call it that) was me with my pumpkin beanie cap on, so I won my own prize of horse treats. General was pretty happy about that! Afterwards we pulled out our chairs and just hung out for a while, solving the problems of the world…..or actually talking about our horses and their challenges. What else would we talk about? Fun day and looking forward to the next one.
Sharon

Rivers Road – Saturday, October 22, 2022

What a great day for a ride! The weather was not too cold or too hot. When I pulled into the trailhead with Quia, there were four horse trailers already there. Wow, I thought, we’re going to have a good ride today! Alas, they were not going on the STA ride. I then wondered if this was going to be my second “ride of one”. But…I was not disappointed because Maria M. came in with Trovi so it made my first “ride of two” official STA event!
Ron T., my husband, Frank, and I had spent 3.5 hours on October 12 doing much needed maintenance on the Orange Trail to remove downed trees and trimming the sides of the trail to remove brush. We decided to take it because it would be clear. The woods were pretty quiet as we rode along but we chatted a lot and I gave Maria some history on how the trail came to be and some of the interesting things we learned while establishing it. After we had ridden for quite a while, we came upon a hunter who popped out on the road in front of us. We had an opportunity to talk with him briefly and expressed that we hoped we had not ruined his hunt. He said “no” that he was leaving but his truck was parked in the road a ways down and he hoped we wouldn’t have any problem getting around it. We said it wouldn’t be a problem and asked his name. We then explained to Ryan that we have marked trails in the area and if he is interested in knowing where they are, we have trail maps at the Rivers Road Trailhead. He was unsure where that was as he entered the forest off of Spring Hill Road, so we explained how to get to Rivers Road and find the trailhead. We then went on our way and maneuvered around his truck to continue our ride. I showed Maria where we had put in a by-pass trail years ago because a hurricane came through and blew over a LOT of sand pines on our trail making it impossible to traverse the area. We continued on the trail and when we reached the point where the bypass would bring you back to the trail, I pointed that out to Maria, and we discussed how the Spring Hill blue trail out of FR 362 has a long and short route. We decided to bring this up at the next board meeting to see if it would be feasible to restore the bypass route so that riders who may have a problem or want a shorter ride could get back to the trailhead faster. The rest of the ride was quiet, and we chatted more about our own histories with horses and our lives. When we arrived back at the trailhead, three of the other riders were just coming back so we talked with them for a few minutes. All in all, it was a really good 2.5-hour ride!
Sue N.

Wakulla Springs – Saturday, October 15, 2022

We had a lovely ride with perfect weather this morning. The ride was 7 miles and about 2 hours and 20 minutes. In attendance were Sue, Joyce, Wendy, Susan W. and myself.
The parking lot was still the same as our pre ride day, I don’t believe the Springs staff went back to mow it as promised. Other than that, we had a wonderful morning with our ponies.
Maria

Miccosukee Greenway at Crump Road – Saturday, October 1, 2022

What a great day for a trail ride! There was a great cool breeze requiring the need of a jacket while tacking up the horses. Regine K. and I arrived with Sadie and Quia followed by Maria M. with Trovi. Sharon H. came in next and brought her new horse, Beau, a gorgeous Quarter horse. Last to arrive was Esther D. with Dana. Ester, Sharon and I were part of the crew that trimmed the single-track trail on August 27, so we were anxious to see how it looked. (After that workday, I had cleared the firebreak out of the trailhead of overhead branches, so we rode that first to see what it was like.) After we crossed Miccosukee Road, we headed for the single-track trail and were impressed with the work we had done. The trail was still pretty clear, but we noted that the underbrush is really thick in places and trying to encroach on the treadway. There was also a huge tree that had fallen across the trail during one of the storms we have had since our workday. We rode all the way to the gate where the single-track ends and then took the main trail to the grassy area that takes you around to the road crossing leading to the Thornton Road Trailhead. We decided to ride to Thornton Trailhead and discovered the flashing light at this crossing is not working. (We have made several attempts to get it fixed but may need to meet the crew to show them what the problem is.) We were able to get across the road ok and noticed there were a lot of rocks on the main trail. It caused some problems for Sadie, who is somewhat tender footed, but she was able to use the sides and avoid a lot of them. We arrived where the trail goes along Miccosukee Road and under I-10 and Regine, Maria and I then rode under I-10 while Sharon and Esther waited for us. When we started back, Regine was worried about Sadie as she was slightly limping on her right front because of the rocks. She finally got off and checked all her feet and removed a few smaller rocks. I explained she probably had gotten a bruise because when she got off the main trail, she was much better. We rode the single track back to stay off the main trail and after crossing the road again, we headed down the main trail for a short way until we could take a trail through the woods back to Crump Trailhead. All in all, it was a good 3-hour ride with good weather, good company and good horses!
Sue N.

Miccosukee Greenway Workday with Horses – Saturday, August 27, 2022

When I arrived at the Crump Road Trailhead with Quia at 8:20 a.m., it was 80 degrees. I was glad about that as I figured it wouldn’t be a bad heat-filled day to be clearing a trail! Esther D. was the next to arrive with Dana. She is a NATRAC rider and travels all over the country for competitions but happened to be here this weekend! Linda V. was next with Scarlet and then Sharon H. showed up with General. This was our mighty team that set out to clear our single-track trail after you cross Miccosukee Road. We actually started clearing on the way to the crossing and remarked about the high humidity. Once we arrived at the single-track trail, the real “fun” began. This trail was so overgrown we had trouble finding it in spots. The pictures with this write-up will give you an example of the severity of need for maintenance as it was truly impassable. We were really taken back by the amount of growth we experienced as we noticed the county had conducted a prescribed burn and it must have really encouraged growth. We soon realized we would have to work from the ground, so Sharon and Linda started it off and Esther and I held their horses. Later on, Esther joined the ground crew with Linda and Sharon held her horse. I went on ahead and cleared the overhead branches when the underbrush had cleared out. We could not have accomplished the clearing without Sharon’s Super Saw, a small four-inch electric chain saw. I was amazed when she was able to cut through a fallen tree that was at least 8 to 10 inches in diameter. When we saw that tree, we thought we’d have to call it a day! It was tough going for most of the way, but we were able to clear the underbrush as well as the overhead branches and vines all the way to where the trail joins back up with the main trail. Needless to say, we all felt accomplished with the work we were able to do on this 3.5-hour workday! As I left the trailhead, the temperature was 91 degrees.
Sue N.

Phipps Park – May 14, 2022

The weather was pretty nice for this 1 3/4 hour ride that brought together some old friends and a new friend. Sue brought Quia and also Sadie for Jan. Much to our surprise old friends were already there…Connie with Camsoix and her sister, Debbie , with Truffles. Then a trailer we had not seen before arrived and it was Rick with Quirt. Rick lives in Georgia and it was his first ride with STA. To round out the group, Wendy came in with Arrow and Joyce arrived with Blue. We started out on the trail next to Miller Landing Road and took the first trail to get over to the power line. We then took the single track trail along the soccer fields. The ride leader switched often during the ride but the pace was slow enough for everyone to be able to talk with each other. There is a new recreation manager for the City of Tallahassee and he has done a great job of getting the trails cleaned up and ready for enjoyment. We stuck to the perimeter and enjoyed riding next to Lake Victoria and the bat house that never seems to have any occupants. Rick was interested in the permanent jumps that are used for the Red Hills Horse Trials as he had never seen them before. We rode near Lake Jackson and then took the single track horse trail up near the pines along Miller Landing Road before heading back to the trailhead.
Submitted by Sue

Fort Braden Equestrian Trails and Quarterly Meeting – April 9, 2022

We had a record turnout for the ride with the parking lot and entrance packed in with horse trailers. Wendy and Arrow lead the “fast ride” that included myself on Majik, Becky on Smoke, Chris on Rose, Chris’s granddaughter, Bella, who just turned 11 years old, on Shake and some other riders. We decided to take the east side trail backwards for a change of scenery. The “slow” riders also took the east trail but went the right way. This was Bella’s first trail ride at Ft. Braden and proved to be a little challenging for her, especially at the creek crossings. But she managed to tackle the trails with her trusty steed. Halfway through the ride we ran into the other riders heading in the opposite direction. After the ride, we congregated at the Pavilion by the parking lot. STA brought sandwiches and we had plenty of side dishes and desserts. After lunch, we began our quarterly meeting and we provided some updates on the various trail projects that we have going on:
o Aenon Church Road – Wendy said the contact person for this trail is difficult to reach. Nancy Stephens will contact someone who can help. Sue and Suzanne offered to meet Wendy there to check on the current condition of this trailhead.
o Rivers Road – Sue and Ron Tuttle are working to get the sandy area under the power lines altered to prevent trucks from getting stuck.
Continued on next page
Fort Braden Equestrian Trails and Quarterly Meeting – April 9, 2022 (Cont.) o Ft. Braden – Leatha said that the state forestry had installed two new directional signs, but she felt they still needed some changes as nothing indicates “To Trailhead” (as she had discussed with Bin Wan). She will contact Bin and provide details of the changes requested. A workday is needed for this trail.
o Econfina River – Nancy said NFLBCHA will be meeting to discuss improvement of this trailhead.
o St. Marks Rail Trail – Joyce said we may have lost this trail due to overgrowth and non-use. The area is more industrialize since it was first created and therefore a noisy trail to ride.
o Torreya – Joyce said the State is now able to focus on this trailhead since the damage of Hurricane Michael, but it is not in their current management plan to incorporate an equestrian trail like it was before the storm.
o Wakulla Springs, Ferrell Tract – Joyce said this trail will be nice once it is established. It is in the UMP.
o Bald Point – Nancy Stephens said there are plans to install an equestrian campsite at this trailhead.
o Bluffs of St. Teresa – Nancy Stephens said there is no parking or trails at this location, but it is stated equestrians are allowed to ride there.
o L. Kirk Edwards – Linda said a marked loop will be created that crosses the river.
o Econfina Creek, Pine Ridge – Nancy Stephens said this is a nice area with 4 primitive camp sites, room for corrals and miles of trails.
We will continue to provide updates as additional information becomes available. Overall it was a beautiful day for riding and congregating with others.
Submitted by Liz R.

Phipps Park – February 12, 2022

We had a nice turnout and great weather. Those that rode were Sharon on Cricket, Herb on General, Lena on Scooter, Sue on Quia, Jan on Sadie, Donna on Magnum, and Wendy on Arrow. Sadie lead the pack at a fast walk and that seemed to set off Quia and Arrow……all the way through the single track near the soccer field. Finally, Sue put Quia in front, followed by Sadie, then Arrow. The pace slowed a little, but not enough until Arrow was next to Quia, blocking Sadie. Ahhh, the order we must keep amongst our horses to keep them happy. After an hour the group really took a deep sigh and was at a relaxed walk….. until we entered the single track approaching Lake Victoria. There was a small hill that Arrow decided he wanted to canter down and pass everyone. Wendy corrected him and guided him back to repeat the hill 3 times until he took it at a slow walk. While this was going on, a man and his dog were visiting with the group. Yet another dog on the trail that had never seen horses before… Not much happened after that, but we did cover some ground as the entire loop was done in 1.5 hours. I’d say that was a pretty quick ride.

Sharon, Herb and Lena took it slower and had to stop early on. But that gave Lena a chance to ride a loop alone with Scooter – first time for them. She was smiling when she got back, because Scooter behaved himself like a perfect gentleman…a new found confidence in his abilities. It evidently was a day for building confidence in our horses, because Donna said Magnum did very well on the trail….I think she even likes him a bit more than she did before 🙂 We of course stayed around for a bit and caught up. Great day with our horses.
Submitted by Sharon

JR Alford Greenway – January 23, 2022

When I pulled up my driveway with Quia, the temperature was 38 degrees. Not bad, I thought, because it was supposed to be colder. As I got to the electronic gate, I see Linda V. and Scarlet go flying by. Good, I thought, at least I won’t be the only one there! After Linda and I pulled in the trailhead, Vickie J. and Angie S. pulled in with Sol and Gizmo. I noticed a little dog in the truck and asked why they had brought it. They found it running back and forth across SR59, south of I-10 so they stopped and picked him up. He was really scared. Angie called her husband and he came and picked the little dog up and took him home. I asked Vickie what they were going to do with him and she said she was going to see if her husband would let her keep the dog until they could determine who owned him.. After this happened, Suzanne L. came in with Cracker so this was the group for the ride! When we mounted up, the temperature was 43 degrees…not bad, I thought! We started out to the east to do the perimeter trail but shortly, Angie started having trouble with Gizmo and decided to go back to the trailhead. Suzanne said she would be glad to ride him for her but we couldn’t find a bench to use as a mounting block for Angie so she and Vickie departed, much to our disappointment. The rest of the ride was very enjoyable. We ran into many walkers, some with dogs, and some bike riders, all who were courteous. All in all it was very enjoyable. We took two of the multiple use single track trails as Suzanne had never been on them and ended up with a 3-hour trail ride!

Fast forward a few days…I was talking to Jan E. about the ride and mentioned the dog they picked up. She said that on Facebook a girl posted her being in Lloyd to visit her grandmother and her dog got out of the car and she couldn’t find it. I gave Jan Vicki’s phone number, hoping this would be a great reunion. Come to find out, the dog the girl lost was a female…same coloring and everything, but the dog Vickie has is a male! (This told me she talked her husband into keeping the dog until someone can prove they are the true owner.) So, beware….if you go on a ride I lead in the future, you never know what will happen!!!!!
Submitted by Sue N.

STA Youth Ride – February 2, 2022 at Equistarre Horsemanship

What a wonderful day we had! Fifteen riders braved the chilly air to meet at Equistarre Horsemanship for a two hour ride in the Apalachicola National Forest. This ride was geared toward the riding youth. We had five youths riding and by all accounts, everyone had a great time. The air was crisp and a few of the horses were feeling a bit frisky. One horse was a bit too exuberant and temporarily lost his rider. But all was well, horse and rider were reunited and the ride continued. As we rode, it did warm up a bit and by the time we got back to Equistarre, it was closing in on 50 degrees.

Time to fire up the grill! Hotdogs, chips, cookies and water were the lunch of the day. Our intrepid grill masters had the dogs in their buns ready for the hungry riders. After lunch, Equistarre riders entertained us with some mounted drills. Hot fresh popcorn was also provided for the spectators. Everyone had such a great time, they were asking when the next youth ride would be taking place.
Submitted by Ester D.

St. Marks Headwaters Ride – December 4, 2021

The weather was perfect for a nice ride on a beautiful greenway! Seven riders participated and three of them had never ridden there. I was the first to arrive with Jan and we brought Quia and Sadie. The horses really like this park and were excited to know that’s where we were riding. Linda and Chris were the next to come in and had Blondie and Farley, then we had two members from Cairo come join us, Jessica and Brandi and they brought Tequila and Dollar. The last to arrive was my new neighbor Paulie with Image. Since we had “newbies” to this greenway, I took the time to explain the layout of the park and explained we would be riding all the way up to Buck Lake Road first. We started out of the trailhead and took the half circle cutouts from the main trail until we hit the one to go to Buck Lake Road. The trail was very nice but when we rode along the fence line at Buck Lake, it had not been mowed and it was probably because it had been under water. We made the turn-around ok and I explained we would backtrack to the first trail heading west, This takes you to the location for the trailhead for the general public which will be off Buck Lake Road. (The reason there is no access directly down the fence along the road is because of a wetland and I understand there will be a bridge built in that area which will not accommodate horses.) We then headed south and came to Michael Crowley’s place and saw his cows. The horses always love to encounter them! At this point we headed east along his fence line and when you get to the corner, if you turn south, you will be on a road with LOTS of rocks which is difficult for horses with tender feet, so we continued east and crossed a canal that had a little water in it. We soon ended up in the main area of the greenway and headed down toward the railroad track. We explored another trail that took us west, but it had not been mowed either. It was an “in and out same way trail” so we then came to the railroad trail and took it so everyone would know where you end up if you had taken the “rock road”. We then returned and made our way to the big oak area. This is a special place on this greenway, and I gave everyone the history of the fairy houses that appeared in the area after the COVID lockdown went into effect. They stayed there for quite some time and people would leave “additions” to them which made it very interesting. They have since been removed by the county which has disappointed a lot of people who were interested in seeing what new “gifts” had arrived! All in all, it was a great 2.5 hour ride.

Sue

Otter Lake Ride – November 13, 2021

What a wonderful day to ride. The weather was perfect for an outdoor excursion. When the trail ended, the temperature was touching 70 degrees. There was nothing but sunny blue skies, for the entire two-and-half-hour trek, through the St. Marks’ National Preserve, Panacea Unit, (AKA Otter Lake). A panacea of a day, for sure! Seven equine enthusiasts with their special steeds enjoyed traversing sandy white two-rut roads, which lead through a Hallmark Greeting Card picturesque landscape. The mind clearing therapy that is obtained by meandering through natures beauty via horseback and shared with friendly fellowship is priceless. It was a joy meeting Stan riding Bailey and Teresa riding Tater. They are new to the area and recently relocated from Iowa to Havana. They enjoy camping as well as horseback riding and Stan offered to assist with trail maintenance. It was truly a delight getting to know them. While on the trail, we met up with two friends Harry riding Duke and Melodie riding Molly. They live near Otter Lake and subsequently joined our party. It’s always nice when you encounter friends on the trail. Current STA members who dared to brave the 70-degree blue sky day for a ride in the park: Sabrina riding Giddeon, Susan riding Bravo, Jill riding Buddy and yours truly, David riding Bell.
At the close of the ride, Stan, Teresa, Susan, Jill and I set around and got acquainted more with each other. Stan and Teresa are a friendly couple with many tales of their previous Mid-Western adventures. I won’t go into details here, but if the opportunity arises for any of you to meet them, take it. As Stan said, their camping mishaps could have come from the movie RV. According to Teresa, she had never heard of a “two-rut” road until moving to Florida! She got to ride on some nice ones today. Until next time happy trails to all!


David

November 6, 2021 – Florida Caverns State Park, Marianna, FL

I was supposed to be down at Camp Boggy creek this past weekend for an endurance ride. Unfortunately, my truck kept acting up so I had to turn back around. Later that evening when I was all sad faced, Linda invited me to a slower, shorter ride with old friends. I said heck yeah I want to go! Can you pick Farley and I up??
With gal pal Linda behind the wheel, hot cocoa and 3 ponies in the box, we headed west to the newly reclaimed horse trails at the Florida Caverns State Park. After a little touristy view of all the winding roads within the park we made the right turn into the equestrian camping/parking facility where STA President Joyce met us. Shortly thereafter STA members Herb and Sharon and the Kremkau’s pulled in making us a little ride party of 7. The park equestrian campsite has big stalls and a few small paddocks along with 3 hook up sites, a pavilion and a very clean bath house. When the sites are full, the RV campsite is just down the hill where you can also hook up. Your horse can still use the barn and you are allowed to bring them to your trailer to tack. Cleaning up behind your manure maker is requested. This would be a great place for camping weekend or a stop over from TX or LA when heading to other parts of Florida. Ride the trails, explore the cavern, go tubing or kayaking down the Chipola River then check out Marianna and the little towns surrounding the area. The forest continues to recover from Hurricane Michael (10/2018). What was once a heavily wooded area is less so these days. Our small but merry group rode the 2 mile red trail 1st which led us past a sink hole and easy trails though the remaining tree canopy and new growth. It was a nice lollipop route which brought us back to camp and back out to the orange trail. The orange trail was a 6 mile course with open grass pathways which were nicely mowed and easy to maneuver. Our day was gloriously beautiful with azure blue skies. Not a single cloud, no bugs and a little breeze kept us comfortable in the saddle. While on the 6 mile loop, Joyce pointed out a house that was built over a cave. I would love to take a tour! While Joyce marveled at having your personal storm shelter in place; I was thinking more like personal wine cellar. Tomato – tomaahto. Emergency flashlight for my friend, a bottle of vino for me. Life is good! From there we headed to a pond where the horses took a big gulp and made bigger splashes. “We’re going down” almost came to a big splash event. Luckily for the rider, the big dip didn’t happen. While on this trail we passed different flora and fauna including lots of dill weed, thistle and what looked like mini black-eyed Susans. The horses seem to always know the go back trail and we picked up a little speed thus making our average speed just under 4 mph per Joyce’s trail app. Woo-Hoo! No matter the speed, any day spent with friends on horseback is a good day indeed! Though I am making a little joke about the speed, this really was a lovely ride that any horse and rider can do. The trails were marked as if Stevie Wonder along with the Lighthouse for the Blind marked them. We ended the day with a pot of chicken chili prepared by Linda while the horses enjoyed the lush grass around the facility.
A big thank you to STA President Joyce, the BOD and everyone else that put the effort in to reestablishing this trail.
Happy Trails! Chris