Tamarack Stables

This morning I had the amazing privilege of going to Tamarack Stables with some of my friends for a trail ride. As I hadn't ridden a horse in, shamefully, over like two years, I was immensely excited. The van couldn't go fast enough down the highway.
   When we drove into the country-like-atmosphere of Tamarack, I felt butterflies flutter around in my stomach and a smile crept onto my face. To the right was a paddock with several horses in it. Browns, grays, whites, chestnuts, appaloosas. I was on cloud nine.
   We parked and got out of the van.
   The first thing you notice going into Tamarack is the smell. A mixture of horse and cleaner. But somehow I don't mind it. The smell of horse has always attracted me, rather than the opposite. To immediate right the moment you walk into the open barn is the office, and to the left is a storage room. There's a small hallway-type area for ten or so footsteps, then to the left and right are the stalls. If you continue on passed the stalls you'll walk right into the training arena. Galloping horses and riders wiz passed the entrance, and it's all you can do to not fill your mind with jealousy.
   After signing release forums, that basically say that if we get hurt we won't sue and all that lovely legal stuff, and picking out our hard hat (which I wasn't too thrilled about wearing, actually), we followed a staff member out into the training arena to the horses.
   I couldn't wait to see which one I'd ride.
   We lined up in a row against the wall and one of the Tamarack trainers pointed at us and told us which horse we were going to ride.
   "White Shirt." he called me. "You'll ride this one. His name is Don't Know."

Me and Don't Know

   Don't Know stood about sixteen hands high, maybe. Might have been fifteen. Don't know. ;P ... Anyway, the stallion was an appaloosa colored horse. While he was mostly a creamy white color, there were light brown flecks all over his body as well. His nose was my favorite. It was pink with black molten spots all over it. So cute. :)
   Does love at first sight exist? I think so.
   What's cool (besides the very fact that I got to ride a horse) is that the saddles were English style. I've only ever ridden western and bareback, so the new touch was sweet. I have to say, I enjoyed the saddle difference very well.

There were at least three Tamarack "tour guides" walking next to us as we rode through the forest. The main guide introduced himself as "Mr. Blaise". To make it all more hilarious, the guy was like 12 or 13. Seriously? Mr. Blaise? I got a kick out of that. But in any case, they were all good. I didn't get the feeling (too terribly that is) that they thought of us as inexperienced riders.
 

Group picture.

The trail was really nice. It wasn't your typical flat-ground forest trail with wide trails and cooperative horses. Because of the recent downpours of rain, it was quite muddy and there were several steep hills. Both upward and downward. Don't Know was a really fun horse to ride. While he wasn't completely rebellious, he wasn't your just-sit-back-and-let-the-horse-walk-because-he's-done-it-all-his-life type of trail horse. He was awesome. :)

I was really sad when it all ended. I could have ridden all day.

Tamarack Stables is definitely in my future. :)

There was this hugely fat goat there.
He was really sweet, despite the fact that he tried to eat Mr. Tate's release forum. :)

Kaitlyn on Sisco

Amie and Annabell

Dad and Lincoln