Had a nice ride yesterday at the Willamette Mission State Park just north of Salem, OR on the Willamette river. The park has 7 miles of horse trails, a HUGE parking area for stock trucks, plus 4 horse campsites with corrals. It is a multi-use park with several very large picnic areas, campsites, boat launches, a dog park, and paved bicycle trails, and pedestrian trails.
The equestrian trails were well-maintained and meandered through cottonwood forests, along the riverbank, through meadows, alongside alfalfa fields and hazelnut orchards, and through flood channels. My fiancee rode his trusty gray steed, Thunder; I rode Peach and ponied Shelly. I threw the pack saddle on Shelly to get her used to the breechin' and the double cinch. This was probably the longest distance she had walked in her life! She tried pulling back on the rope a few times but Peach doesn't even hesitate a step when that pony line is dallied to the saddlehorn.
The biggest challenge was riding Peach alongside live irrigation pipes! They made funny noises with the water pumping through them!
Osprey nesting on the power line that runs the irrigation pumps
my handsome cowboy!
