What defines a trail ride as a trail ride? Is it a simple jaunt throughout the back pasture or a slow walk through the words? Is it merely trotting through someone's field or leaping over logs and cantering through rivers in the woods? 

When I rode with Sandy, I rode outside weather permitting.  Sandy didn't have an arena or indoor inclosure so I had to ride throughout her 22 acres, all fenced in I believe. After a couple weeks of lessons I was allowed and expected to saddle up Tasha and go. I'd ride in her fenced in section first then she'd open the gate and let me ride the perimeter of her back parsture. I couldn't go to far because her other horse would panic if I left his line of sight, but I rode outside. Sandy lives in Eaton Rapids,not too far from Kensington Park. A trail near her house leads to the park. She wanted to take a couple of her neighbors horses and have the two of us spend the day riding to an through Kensington Park. She wanted me to have the 'true trail ride' experience and actually ride. We didn't get the chance because her arthritis was bothering her, her knees were sore and we didn't continue working with her. Before we left she told me to make sure I found someone who could ride, had multiple horses and been on trails before and pester them about going to Kensington Park so I could get the chance to go on a true trail ride. While that has yet to ever happen(Oh, it will, when I finally get a horse we're hitting Kensington Park), I did wonder what made a trail ride a trail ride. 

Technically a trail ride is a ride on a designated trail for horses. At Wyn Farm they had a 'trail' that went through their cross country course(a few times I had Cody jump onto their four foot platforms and trot down their high hills,we also trotted through their knee high ponds,loads of fun). I often took Cody out on this 'trail' and we'd work on our trotting and communication with each other. At Sandalwood Julie and I went on their 'trail' throughout their back pasture, a lot of small hills greeted us and many tree branches. Sandy didn't have a trail but she still called it one. Just because you don't ride through a park, does it mean it's not a trail. In the end, isn't it about whether you had fun or not. I'll not forget riding with Erin at Wyn Farm on their trail, a flock of turkeys came out in front of us. All gobbling and taking their time to get out of our way. Cody stood still as stone, quivering beneath me, ears bent forward as he watched them all. When the turkeys left he looked at me as if to say, 'Wow!', and continued walking on. I also rode out there when a small herd of does went running through the woods, I didn't notice them until Cody stopped walking to stare at a doe that had also stopped to look at us. It was like they were trying to figure out what they were, but it wasn't important because both continued on soon after stopping. 

So I had my nature experience, jumped outdoor objects, trotted through water and avoided branches. Was that a trail ride? I think so. I had fun. I may not have been to Kensington but it was still a trail ride and I enjoyed it all. 

Ok, I'm done now, have a happy ride!