Bluerocket
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Had to share -- my husband and I (and our driving mini, Platinum) had a wonderful weekend at Harrodsburg KY at the Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill. http://www.shakervillageky.org/
We belong to a local ADS/CAA driving club Spokes and Spurs and they had organized a recreational drive at this beautiful facility (tourist location).
For some people this was a 2 night, 3 day vacation trip with carriage and horses. For us it was a Saturday Day trip and dinner with the club.
For the Saturday morning drive they held something like a hunter pace. A member had driven (and marked) a set of the carriage trails (about 3.5 miles of them) and had determined an "optimum pace" for the distance to be traversed. Then each participant set out in his/her carriage following a map and trail markers and we all met up at the edge of the village at noon. We then did a "demonstration drive" through the village for the tourists to enjoy seeing the various carriages and hitches. Followed up by a drive back to the barn (about 1 mile the short way), a picnic lunch and later that evening, a group dinner at the facility restaurant.
The carriage trails were beautifully maintained and took you across varied terrain. We crossed a creek at a ford and went up/down some gently sloping hills (and some that weren't quite so gentle) - on grass, pavement and tiny gravel paths. We drove through open fields, woods and wildflower fields as well. We were very fortunate that the weather was perfect! Low humidity and cooler than it had been for a while.
I drove our mini Platinum and my husband was a navigator for a friend who drives a 4 year old Percheron mare. The rigs in this drive included a 17 hand Thoroughbred, a Belgium, a Fjord, a Morgan cross, a pair of miniature donkeys and my mini. Several other members arrived Saturday afternoon and participated in the "drive at will" on Saturday and Sunday.
I could not get over all the beautiful trails - over 10 miles of them maintained for carriages (as well as riders, and hikers).
Unfortunately we did not take any pictures -- but it was fun! Next year we are hoping to participate in the entire weekend. But will have to plan ahead and arrange for a farm sitter. Shaker Village is about 50 miles from our farm.
We also plan to participate in the ADS National Drive at the Kentucky Horse Park in October. The Carriage Association of America held one there earlier this summer (we weren't able to go on that one) and several other driving clubs in the area (from IN and OH) have had recreational drives there as well. Another place the club went to (we were out of town) was Masterson Station here in Lexington --
Anyone else do these sort of recreational drives in their area?
And Platinum and I are competing in our first CDE in Indiana on Labor Day weekend - single training level VSE -- if it is too hot/humid we will not do the entire CDE (12 KM for training marathon) but rather will do Dressage and Cones only. Please wish us luck! Now to get another mini trained to drive so my husband can drive at the same time (and eventually a pair with a 4 wheel carriage).
JJay
We belong to a local ADS/CAA driving club Spokes and Spurs and they had organized a recreational drive at this beautiful facility (tourist location).
For some people this was a 2 night, 3 day vacation trip with carriage and horses. For us it was a Saturday Day trip and dinner with the club.
For the Saturday morning drive they held something like a hunter pace. A member had driven (and marked) a set of the carriage trails (about 3.5 miles of them) and had determined an "optimum pace" for the distance to be traversed. Then each participant set out in his/her carriage following a map and trail markers and we all met up at the edge of the village at noon. We then did a "demonstration drive" through the village for the tourists to enjoy seeing the various carriages and hitches. Followed up by a drive back to the barn (about 1 mile the short way), a picnic lunch and later that evening, a group dinner at the facility restaurant.
The carriage trails were beautifully maintained and took you across varied terrain. We crossed a creek at a ford and went up/down some gently sloping hills (and some that weren't quite so gentle) - on grass, pavement and tiny gravel paths. We drove through open fields, woods and wildflower fields as well. We were very fortunate that the weather was perfect! Low humidity and cooler than it had been for a while.
I drove our mini Platinum and my husband was a navigator for a friend who drives a 4 year old Percheron mare. The rigs in this drive included a 17 hand Thoroughbred, a Belgium, a Fjord, a Morgan cross, a pair of miniature donkeys and my mini. Several other members arrived Saturday afternoon and participated in the "drive at will" on Saturday and Sunday.
I could not get over all the beautiful trails - over 10 miles of them maintained for carriages (as well as riders, and hikers).
Unfortunately we did not take any pictures -- but it was fun! Next year we are hoping to participate in the entire weekend. But will have to plan ahead and arrange for a farm sitter. Shaker Village is about 50 miles from our farm.
We also plan to participate in the ADS National Drive at the Kentucky Horse Park in October. The Carriage Association of America held one there earlier this summer (we weren't able to go on that one) and several other driving clubs in the area (from IN and OH) have had recreational drives there as well. Another place the club went to (we were out of town) was Masterson Station here in Lexington --
Anyone else do these sort of recreational drives in their area?
And Platinum and I are competing in our first CDE in Indiana on Labor Day weekend - single training level VSE -- if it is too hot/humid we will not do the entire CDE (12 KM for training marathon) but rather will do Dressage and Cones only. Please wish us luck! Now to get another mini trained to drive so my husband can drive at the same time (and eventually a pair with a 4 wheel carriage).
JJay
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