Calling all Midwestern trailblazers!
Do you constantly wonder where to trail ride? Do you go to the same location week after week? Want something different but don't know where to go?
Maybe you've never even been on a horse. Or maybe you want to start trail riding but don't know where to start.
That's where I come in. My name's Kelsey, and I'm going to be your trail guide. I started riding English when I was in the third grade. When I was in my junior year in high school, I got my first horse, Rusty.
Do you constantly wonder where to trail ride? Do you go to the same location week after week? Want something different but don't know where to go?
Maybe you've never even been on a horse. Or maybe you want to start trail riding but don't know where to start.
That's where I come in. My name's Kelsey, and I'm going to be your trail guide. I started riding English when I was in the third grade. When I was in my junior year in high school, I got my first horse, Rusty.
Rusty will be our primary escort and our mascot on these trail rides. When I bought him, we dabbled in a bit of everything, from western pleasure to barrels to equitation. Turns out my 12 year old Quarter Horse is only talented in two areas: trail riding and jumping. In one year, I trained Rusty up enough to go to a B rated hunter/jumper show where he jumped everything in front of him. He placed in many of his classes, and we were the only ones from our group to finish the hunter derby. Rusty was truly talented in the hunter classes and loved jumping. With a little training, I think he could have gone farther and higher, even if he doesn't have the greatest conformation and is only 15.3 hands (in comparison to those huge Warmbloods!).
Alas, a break in the top part of his hind tibia from a freak accident ended Rusty's jumping career. He's now my best trail horse, my best teacher, and my favorite companion.
My 19 year old Arabian will also be along for some of our rides. He's had trail and ring experience but has only been started back into work recently due to significant weight loss last year and finally finding a diet that works for him. Knight is almost a pony at 14.2 hands and prances through all the trails. In this picture from last year you can see his deterioration a bit even.
Last, but definitely not least, is my current show horse and a trail horse in training, Casper. He's 12 years old, has been ridden in an arena all his life, and is part Thoroughbred. This is his first year doing the trails, and he's definitely a handful. At 16 hands, I'll willingly admit it seems like a long ways down.
Look early in the week or maybe even on weekends for trails being covered. During the week, I will post different trail tips, horse tips, training updates, and maybe even stuff from you! Don't be afraid to drop me a line on here! I would love to hear from you, whether it be suggestions, tips, or just to say hello! You can also follow me on Twitter @anutterblonde.
Just a bit more on me: I'm a sophomore at Iowa State majoring in journalism and considering a minor in animal science. My home is in north central Iowa where most of the early trails will be featured. As springtime comes along, I hope to have destinations not only all over Iowa but in the Midwest too!
Happy trails,
Kelsey
