This was from a draft I made back in June. A lot has transpired since then, but I'm trying to catch up on the past couple months, so I'll throw it in now...

This has got to be one of the funnest things I've ever done!  

Katie has been going horse back riding with Paul quite a bit lately and has really fallen in love with it.  Friday night, Paul was over for dinner and invited Kelley and to go for a ride.

We met Paul at his parents home at the mouth of Hobble creek canyon.  Their place was absolutely incredible.  It reminded me of mum and daddy's yard only on a huge scale.

This was a rickshaw Paul has had forever and was going to fix it up to have the horse pull it.

While Paul was getting the horses ready, Kelley and I wandered around their yard. I mean who doesn't have a pond with a huge swan in it!  Also stocked with huge fish they caught in the creek that runs through their yard.  You can see them jumping in one of the videos.  Paul's dad came out and fed them and they were jumping and flipping all over the place.

When we were wandering around the yard, we ran into Paul's dad.  He took us in their house for a tour. Paul and his dad are avid hunters and have been all over the world hunting for  these exotic animals.  If it wasn't so cool, it would have been really creepy.

Their house was pretty incredible.  It sounds like Paul has done a ton of work on it for them.

Paul got the horses all ready and loaded them in the trailer, then we drove up Hobblecreek canyon a ways to get to the trail.  

He got all the horses out of the trailer and figured which would be the best horse for each of us.  He put me on one named Black.  He was such a good horse!  He held real still while I got on, (which was easier than I had imagined it would be....I was still having bad flash backs from our youth conference at Reed Ranch a few years ago...they had horses for everyone to ride and when I went to get on mine, he said " this one has been biting the other horses, so  if he does that, just steer him away from the other horse"  I was like "ummmm  I don't really even know how to steer a horse and haven't ridden one since I was a little girl"  He said he thought I would be just fine.  Well I wasn't just fine.  As soon as we started up the trail, my horse started biting the one in front of it's butt. So then that horse started  rearing up and running and my horse ran right after it!  I have never been so scared!  We were not on the trail anymore, but running up the mountain, through the trees, which were swacking and poking me (haha now I could see the wisdom of the helmets and life jackets we were all wearing!  it was so hot we were all dying in them!) Anyway, I was trying to steer my horse and pull back on the reigns to make him stop but he wasn't paying any attention to me at all.  It took everything I had just to stay on the horse.  Then out of nowhere, one of the guides came riding up next to us and went in front of my horse so he had to stop.  He led my horse back to the barn, cussing it all the way.  I was done with horse back riding.  But the next day, we were supposed to go riding again.  I said no thanks.  The guide wasn't having that though.  He insisted I try again on a more different horse.  I really didn't want to, but he wouldn't let it go. So I got on one called Mr. Darcy.  He moved so slow, I had to keep kicking him to even get him to move!  Ha!  It was much better though and I was glad I did it.)  So that was my last experience on a horse which made me a little big apprehensive, but Paul reassured me this horse was very gentle and I wouldn't have any trouble.

Anyway, Black stayed right with the other horses and would turn which ever way I led him. I was a little scared going up and down some steep trails, and through the river, but soon realized he was very sure footed and wasn't going to fall down.

After I was able to relax, I just had the best time!  It was so beautiful up there.  The trail went by a creek we had to go back and forth over several times and everything was just so green and pretty.  My horse had a gait that was very comfortable to ride on.  Even when he was galloping, it was really smooth.We stopped after a while to let the horses have a rest.

I can see why Katie has fallen in love with these horses!  They are so beautiful and smart!  The way they look at you makes you feel like they just know stuff.  I really just couldn't stop smiling the whole time.

 These were a few more shots from Paul's parents yard.  It was kind of magical and felt like a fairy tale.