Hobart Road

I found out at 1am Wednesday that there was work for me in Menlo Park that night if I could make it, so I'm away braiding again now. BUT, I refused to let that stop my planned ride with S Wednesday morning. It meant we'd have to keep it to less than 3 hours, but I figured that'd be perfect for our first shot at Hobart Road.

Open to hikers, bikers, horses, and dogs, Hobart Road also serves as an access road to Hobart Reservoir and the irrigation systems for properties below, including the ranch where I board Finn. From the trail head, it is 4.9 miles to Hobart Reservoir with an elevation gain of nearly 2,500 ft. In short, it's quite a climb! I'd like to ride to the Reservoir this year, but I think it might be best if we build up to that over the course of a few rides.

This time, we rode out about an hour and then back. Unfortunately, we don't know how far we went... it was definitely slow going, but boy was it worth it! The views from the trail were positively glorious!

Looking down over Miss Me Not Farm, where I board Finn.

Breathtaking!

Taking in the view of Carson City before turning around.

Finn was absolutely stupendous for the whole ride. He felt super grounded and relaxed from the moment he got off the trailer. In fact, he unloaded REALLY well. Although he has been loading and riding really well all summer, he had still been sucking his front feet off the trailer quickly instead of calmly stepping off. Not so on this ride; he stepped off like a true old pro.

I don't know what else to say about him, other than he felt about as much like a seasoned trail horse as any horse I've ever ridden. It was really nice to be able to just get on and go... we didn't do much by way of grounding or connecting exercises, we didn't have to. I was so thrilled and thankful for how wonderful he was, and I'm happy to say I passed those feelings to him freely with lots of praise, loving, and the occasional grass snack.

I was definitely aware throughout the ride of my ignorance of exactly HOW much I was asking of him in terms of physical exertion. He barely broke a sweat and his breathing never seemed too labored, but I'm sure each step was an effort! When I turned him back out after the ride, he exuded tired. Which is not at all a bad thing, I just wish I was more knowledgeable about how to avoid over-doing it.

Anyway, S and I plan to return to this trail frequently. Besides the fact that it's a lovely ride, we are both stoked about the fitness benefits for our ponies. Ultimately, I look forward to a nice ride up to the reservoir, including a picnic lunch and maybe even a swim!

Intrepid horse and rider in the foreground; Washoe Lake in the background.