In which Fiddle has an urban park horseback riding experience

I haven't been here in a long time!

Jim and I brought horses here for an event in 2007,
and I don't think I've been back since then!

Also:  we haven't ridden with Anne-Marie and Rifle for (I think) three years!  

Anne-Marie and Rifle were featured on this blog in 2017.

Time to fix all that.

Despite some truck-based trepidation*  the Dragon and I headed down south to Bridle Trails State Park this morning, to meet up with Anne-Marie and Rifle for a ride.

*The truck wouldn't start last week, and had some weird glitches yesterday. 
Jim did a troubleshooting session with it this morning before I left home.

Although "State Parks" around here are usually located in wilderness areas (or at least wild-ish areas), Bridle Trails is located squarely between two urban centers:  Redmond (home of Microsoft, among other things) and Kirkland (home of Costco, among other things).

This photo is for lytha:  this is fashion here at the Big City Trailhead!

In fact, the only thing that seemed "state parkish" about the trailhead was the parking permit requirement.

Everything else is distinctly urban, from the city kids who needed coaching about proper behavior around horses

"Thank you for putting your weird flying toy into your pocket.  Would you like to feed the horse a carrot?"

...to the real restrooms (no porta-potty!) and the mounting block ditch.

I have to step up higher to get into my Honda!  This is awesome!

The trails are well-groomed and maintained.  Most are wide dirt, with gravel and astonishingly little mud.

There was some mud, of course.  We are still in the Swamp.

Rifle had a terrible stifle injury several years ago that ended his career as any kind of endurance athlete, but Anne-Marie has carefully rehabbed him very slowly.  He walked out soundly for our entire ride, which is a tribute to her good care and faithful following of veterinary instructions.

But, because of the extensive time in rehab, Rifle is still essentially a "green" horse.  He tries really hard to be good, but he is a sensitive, reactive horse who hasn't had much exposure to the outside world.

Auntie Dragon is happy to help "baby horses" learn to be grown-ups.

Sometimes Fiddle would lead, and sometimes Rifle would lead.

Fiddle always loves to see new terrain

We rode the perimeter trail together, and then separated for a little while so Fee could zoom around solo on the powerline trail.

(the "video smoothing" function on my phone makes my horse look lame, but if you
listen to the footfalls, they sound properly even)

When we met back up again, Rifle was calm but happy that his Auntie Dragon had returned.

He is finally remembering that he's half Quarter Horse!

Back at the trailhead, more urban oddity:

These ladies were doing a photo session near our parking lot,
and were delighted to have their picture taken.

Rifle, a true city horse, sees nothing out-of-the-ordinary here.

Thanks for the fun, Anne-Marie and Rifle.  Let's do it again--and not wait so long next time!