STA Youth Ride – February 2, 2022 at Equistarre Horsemanship

What a wonderful day we had! Fifteen riders braved the chilly air to meet at Equistarre Horsemanship for a two hour ride in the Apalachicola National Forest. This ride was geared toward the riding youth. We had five youths riding and by all accounts, everyone had a great time. The air was crisp and a few of the horses were feeling a bit frisky. One horse was a bit too exuberant and temporarily lost his rider. But all was well, horse and rider were reunited and the ride continued. As we rode, it did warm up a bit and by the time we got back to Equistarre, it was closing in on 50 degrees.

Time to fire up the grill! Hotdogs, chips, cookies and water were the lunch of the day. Our intrepid grill masters had the dogs in their buns ready for the hungry riders. After lunch, Equistarre riders entertained us with some mounted drills. Hot fresh popcorn was also provided for the spectators. Everyone had such a great time, they were asking when the next youth ride would be taking place.
Submitted by Ester D.

St. Marks Headwaters Ride – December 4, 2021

The weather was perfect for a nice ride on a beautiful greenway! Seven riders participated and three of them had never ridden there. I was the first to arrive with Jan and we brought Quia and Sadie. The horses really like this park and were excited to know that’s where we were riding. Linda and Chris were the next to come in and had Blondie and Farley, then we had two members from Cairo come join us, Jessica and Brandi and they brought Tequila and Dollar. The last to arrive was my new neighbor Paulie with Image. Since we had “newbies” to this greenway, I took the time to explain the layout of the park and explained we would be riding all the way up to Buck Lake Road first. We started out of the trailhead and took the half circle cutouts from the main trail until we hit the one to go to Buck Lake Road. The trail was very nice but when we rode along the fence line at Buck Lake, it had not been mowed and it was probably because it had been under water. We made the turn-around ok and I explained we would backtrack to the first trail heading west, This takes you to the location for the trailhead for the general public which will be off Buck Lake Road. (The reason there is no access directly down the fence along the road is because of a wetland and I understand there will be a bridge built in that area which will not accommodate horses.) We then headed south and came to Michael Crowley’s place and saw his cows. The horses always love to encounter them! At this point we headed east along his fence line and when you get to the corner, if you turn south, you will be on a road with LOTS of rocks which is difficult for horses with tender feet, so we continued east and crossed a canal that had a little water in it. We soon ended up in the main area of the greenway and headed down toward the railroad track. We explored another trail that took us west, but it had not been mowed either. It was an “in and out same way trail” so we then came to the railroad trail and took it so everyone would know where you end up if you had taken the “rock road”. We then returned and made our way to the big oak area. This is a special place on this greenway, and I gave everyone the history of the fairy houses that appeared in the area after the COVID lockdown went into effect. They stayed there for quite some time and people would leave “additions” to them which made it very interesting. They have since been removed by the county which has disappointed a lot of people who were interested in seeing what new “gifts” had arrived! All in all, it was a great 2.5 hour ride.

Sue

Otter Lake Ride – November 13, 2021

What a wonderful day to ride. The weather was perfect for an outdoor excursion. When the trail ended, the temperature was touching 70 degrees. There was nothing but sunny blue skies, for the entire two-and-half-hour trek, through the St. Marks’ National Preserve, Panacea Unit, (AKA Otter Lake). A panacea of a day, for sure! Seven equine enthusiasts with their special steeds enjoyed traversing sandy white two-rut roads, which lead through a Hallmark Greeting Card picturesque landscape. The mind clearing therapy that is obtained by meandering through natures beauty via horseback and shared with friendly fellowship is priceless. It was a joy meeting Stan riding Bailey and Teresa riding Tater. They are new to the area and recently relocated from Iowa to Havana. They enjoy camping as well as horseback riding and Stan offered to assist with trail maintenance. It was truly a delight getting to know them. While on the trail, we met up with two friends Harry riding Duke and Melodie riding Molly. They live near Otter Lake and subsequently joined our party. It’s always nice when you encounter friends on the trail. Current STA members who dared to brave the 70-degree blue sky day for a ride in the park: Sabrina riding Giddeon, Susan riding Bravo, Jill riding Buddy and yours truly, David riding Bell.
At the close of the ride, Stan, Teresa, Susan, Jill and I set around and got acquainted more with each other. Stan and Teresa are a friendly couple with many tales of their previous Mid-Western adventures. I won’t go into details here, but if the opportunity arises for any of you to meet them, take it. As Stan said, their camping mishaps could have come from the movie RV. According to Teresa, she had never heard of a “two-rut” road until moving to Florida! She got to ride on some nice ones today. Until next time happy trails to all!


David

November 6, 2021 – Florida Caverns State Park, Marianna, FL

I was supposed to be down at Camp Boggy creek this past weekend for an endurance ride. Unfortunately, my truck kept acting up so I had to turn back around. Later that evening when I was all sad faced, Linda invited me to a slower, shorter ride with old friends. I said heck yeah I want to go! Can you pick Farley and I up??
With gal pal Linda behind the wheel, hot cocoa and 3 ponies in the box, we headed west to the newly reclaimed horse trails at the Florida Caverns State Park. After a little touristy view of all the winding roads within the park we made the right turn into the equestrian camping/parking facility where STA President Joyce met us. Shortly thereafter STA members Herb and Sharon and the Kremkau’s pulled in making us a little ride party of 7. The park equestrian campsite has big stalls and a few small paddocks along with 3 hook up sites, a pavilion and a very clean bath house. When the sites are full, the RV campsite is just down the hill where you can also hook up. Your horse can still use the barn and you are allowed to bring them to your trailer to tack. Cleaning up behind your manure maker is requested. This would be a great place for camping weekend or a stop over from TX or LA when heading to other parts of Florida. Ride the trails, explore the cavern, go tubing or kayaking down the Chipola River then check out Marianna and the little towns surrounding the area. The forest continues to recover from Hurricane Michael (10/2018). What was once a heavily wooded area is less so these days. Our small but merry group rode the 2 mile red trail 1st which led us past a sink hole and easy trails though the remaining tree canopy and new growth. It was a nice lollipop route which brought us back to camp and back out to the orange trail. The orange trail was a 6 mile course with open grass pathways which were nicely mowed and easy to maneuver. Our day was gloriously beautiful with azure blue skies. Not a single cloud, no bugs and a little breeze kept us comfortable in the saddle. While on the 6 mile loop, Joyce pointed out a house that was built over a cave. I would love to take a tour! While Joyce marveled at having your personal storm shelter in place; I was thinking more like personal wine cellar. Tomato – tomaahto. Emergency flashlight for my friend, a bottle of vino for me. Life is good! From there we headed to a pond where the horses took a big gulp and made bigger splashes. “We’re going down” almost came to a big splash event. Luckily for the rider, the big dip didn’t happen. While on this trail we passed different flora and fauna including lots of dill weed, thistle and what looked like mini black-eyed Susans. The horses seem to always know the go back trail and we picked up a little speed thus making our average speed just under 4 mph per Joyce’s trail app. Woo-Hoo! No matter the speed, any day spent with friends on horseback is a good day indeed! Though I am making a little joke about the speed, this really was a lovely ride that any horse and rider can do. The trails were marked as if Stevie Wonder along with the Lighthouse for the Blind marked them. We ended the day with a pot of chicken chili prepared by Linda while the horses enjoyed the lush grass around the facility.
A big thank you to STA President Joyce, the BOD and everyone else that put the effort in to reestablishing this trail.
Happy Trails! Chris

October 30, 2021 – Maclay Gardens State Park

On a somewhat cool Saturday morning, Sue on Quia, Nancy on Gypsy, Herb on General, and I on Cricket began our ride out. We encountered several hikers and bikers, almost all of them were really nice and friendly. One couple stopped to video us for his brother. Another fellow told us that he had seen the trailers and was so hoping he would see us. He was very happy and admired each one as we passed. Because I don’t ride this trail frequently, I always forget how beautiful the trails are there. It made me appreciate how lucky we are to have the gorgeous trails that we do. Weather was perfect, the company was very enjoyable too and I think all of our ponies enjoyed the day out too.
•Special note: We did encounter an older man on a bicycle who obviously doesn’t understand the need for slowing down when encountering horses on the trail. He barely slowed down the first time he passed us and the second time he ended up between my
horse and the horse behind me. Fortunately, my horse is not a kicker. I tried to explain to him that we were trying to find a wider spot for him to be able to pass us, but I believe it was falling on deaf ears. So beware of this individual. Feel free to report him to the gate entrance people with a picture if possible. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a picture, but I did report him and the gate attendant was very disgusted with him and will report his behavior.
Submitted by Sharon

October 23, 2021 – JR Alford Greenway

I was concerned about what we would find at our trailhead parking area since someone wrapped one of the gates around the pole and the other gate has been removed, leaving it accessible to the general public. Jan and I were the first ones to arrive with Sadie and Quia so I backed the trailer up to the fence so I would be heading out in case someone unknowingly parked and blocked us in. I had all the other participants park the same way for protection. Paulie, with Image, is my neighbor and followed me to the trailhead as she is new to the area, having moved here from South Carolina. The next to arrive was Lena with Scooter, then Sharon and Herb arrived with Cricket and General and last was Wendy with Arrow. I decided to take everyone on the shady route as I have had folks say it’s too open and hot to ride here. We left the trailhead to the east and the weather was really nice. We took the trail that runs in back of the homes and heads to the lake. As we rode down the regular trail, we ran into some walkers along the lake and experienced some pebbles on this trail, too. We took the trail down to the railroad track and rode it. I explained I was told the track had been sold and trains don’t run on it very much. After the trail turned away from the lake, we saw two girl bikers ahead of us and stopped, but then saw they were trying to move a dead tree that had fallen over the trail. They indicated they thought we could get by it, so Jan and Sadie led the way. Jan caught the tree with her ankle and pulled it with her until it snapped but didn’t break off. One of the bike gals was Super Woman as she pushed on it until it broke off. We thanked them for making the trail passable! After this episode we just enjoyed the trail and each other’s company and came back on the new single-track trail with the bridge on it. When we got off it and headed toward the trailers, a walker and her dog stopped to watch us go by. All in all, this was a good safe 2 hour ride.
Submitted by Sue

October 16, 2021 – STA Anniversary Celebration ride at Rivers Road

The day started cool but ended up a little warm and humid but by then we were already back at the trailers. We had hoped for a large turnout and were going to have 2 groups of riders, fast & slow. As it turned out, we had 9 riders show up, so we just had 1 group led by Sue on the Orange Trail. This was my first ride on the orange trail and it is a really nice ride winding and twisting through the National Forest. We rode just over 2 hours at a leisurely pace enjoying each other’s company and stopping every now and again for Sue to fill us in on the history of the trail. When we arrived back at the trailers, Wendy and Sharon were there with a table set up to sell STA T-shirts. Of course, I had to buy 2. After more socializing we “broke camp” and headed home. A very nice ride, with good friends! Sue, Jan, Linda, Ron, Ellen, Maria, David and Suzanne. You should have been there too!
Submitted by Joyce

October 9, 2021, Miccosukee Greenway – Crump Road Trailhead

When I arrived at the trailhead, there were a lot of cars in it and I was concerned about where we would park, but everything worked out ok as we only had five trailers. Jan came with me so Quia and Sadie both got a day out in the woods. Next to arrive was Joyce with Blue, then Suzanne with Wyatt, followed by Linda with Scarlet. The last to come in was Rocky with Flicka and Michelle with Bindi. I explained to everyone that I would like to ride all the way to Thornton Road Trailhead so we could go on to the church and see what the State Historical Division has closed of the single-track trail because of a newly discovered cemetery. We started for the single-track trail out the back way of the trailhead and found the entrance blocked so we made our own path across the small creek and worked our way to the trail. It was in good shape, so we hugged the fence line and rode over to the crossing at Miccosukee Road. The caution lights worked well, and we had no difficulty crossing. As we rode on to the entrance to the next single-track trail, I noticed that it was overgrown and made a note to schedule a workday to clean it up. Sadie and Jan were leading at this point as Sadie is a really good trail horse. After we had gone through some downed trees someone yelled “bees” so we sped up for a short distance and then I saw Joyce off Blue and she was swatting at the wasps on him. She was the only one to get hit. Soon we were on our way again going around downed trees and ducking under limbs with grape vines. The single track was like this until we got near the portion that follows Miccosukee Road where it cleared up and the ride was very nice. When we got to the crossing to go under I-10, the equestrian light wouldn’t work but we had no trouble crossing the road. Going under I-10 was chaotic as we had several horses who had not been under it but we managed to stay safe. When we arrived at Thornton Road Trailhead, Richard and Lena were arriving and several of us spoke to them. We then crossed the hayfield to the entrance for the single-track trail and had to wait on Suzanne who then brought Lena and Richard along. The area that has been closed is quite large and forces us to use the main trail for a distance. (The Friends of the Miccosukee Greenway is evaluating this situation and will determine if a reroute is feasible to recommend to the county and state.) At this point the group split up as Suzanne, Joyce and Linda decided to ride with Lena and Richard and the rest of us headed back. When we got to the first road crossing, the equestrian light worked so I guess it’s just the equestrian button on the south side that’s bad. (We will report this to the authorities.) We decided we would stay on the regular trail to return to Crump Road. The footing is not very good for horses with tender feet because of small pebbles so we will also bring this to the attention of the new management for the park. All in all, everyone had a good time, and we rode for 3.5 hours.


Submitted by Sue

JR Alford Greenway – June 5, 2021

The weather was tolerable, I thought, as I pulled into the trailhead with Quia. It was 82 degrees. I wondered who would be participating and was surprised to see a couple of trailers already there. A couple of other trailers showed up and I said “this will be a good ride”. Megan with Gus and Carol with Breeze were the trailers who arrived after me, and then Linda came in with Blondie. I went to the trailers who were there when I arrived and discovered they were Fox Hunters and wouldn’t be riding with us BUT they really appreciate all the work STA does to provide access to beautiful trails to ride. I thanked them for their nice words and told them to enjoy their ride. So, here STA was with 2 Paso Fino riders, one quarter horse and a TN Walking Horse! I said, this would make a very interesting ride. I explained to our group that because of the heat, I would like to ride the perimeter trail so we could stay in the shade. Everyone was in agreement with that, so we headed east for the single track trail that takes you behind neighbor’s homes. We proceeded to the trail around the Arm and encountered a few walkers who were glad to see horses. As we proceeded toward the major portion of the lake a couple of deer crossed the road to the interior in front of us. We were excited to see them and wondered if we would view them again. When we got to their crossing place, we looked in the woods and THERE THEY WERE, JUST STARING AT US! They were young and curious and we enjoyed sharing a few minutes with them. We headed down to the railroad track single track trail. (I was told some time ago that the track had been sold and that probably is the reason we don’t encounter many trains anymore.) When we got to the point where the single track comes out on the wide greenway corridor, Megan suggested we exit the single track to use the Pine Tree Multiple Use Single Track Trail, so we decided to do that! We rode it from the back side and wondered if we would encounter bikers since it is one of their favorite trails. It is also the first trail that was completed as a result of a grant the county acquired. The Paso girls got out in front and started “doing their thing”. Quia was wanting to keep up with them so Linda offered for me to get behind her so I wouldn’t wear my hands out trying to keep her under control. That worked out great! This trail is very windy and we would see Megan and Carol way up in front of us and wave at each other. Quarter Horses don’t move as fast as Pasos, so we continued on the trail and wondered when we would meet up again. Well, we finally did at the other entrance and all the horses were relaxed so we got back on the single track trail and took the new one toward the trailhead. This part of the trail has a bridge on it. Quia knew where she was and was stepping out, knowing we were getting close to the trailers. When we came to the bridge (which she has been over many times), she stopped and looked at it like it was something new. I told her she had been over it many times before and she proceeded very gracefully, across it. From that point on, all the horses knew where they were and that they would be back to the trailers very soon. We encountered several bike riders and they were all very courteous and friendly. All in all, this was a great 2 hour STA ride!
Sue

Phipps Park Ride – May 22, 2021

On Saturday, May 22nd, Sharon on Cricket, Herb on General, Sue on Quia and Cindy on Feather met at Phipps Park to ride. After some juggling around and deciding what to do with Cindy’s keys (which is a funny story in itself), we rode out at 9:35 and headed down the trail. There was a wonderful breeze on us the whole time, making our ride really pleasant. As you can see by the pictures, it looked like we were riding black and white triplets. In one picture it looked like I was following a mirror image with the very similar black and white markings. And then there was me on my trusty sorrel, almost feeling like a misfit with all these paints. Cindy, Herb and I stayed afterwards to catch up and munch on snacks while the horses happily munched on hay. Great day and a great ride!
Sharon Haughton

Memorial Ride – May 15, 2021

The weather was absolutely perfect for a gathering of friends and family at the Rivers Road TH in honor of the memories of two unforgettable STA members and our dear friends, Jud Curtis and Lyn Grant. 30 riders started to pull in as early as 8:15 filling the parking slots available. And fill they did! We safely parked 3 rigs in each slot and also had a few others parked under the powerlines and road. Groups of riders headed out on the various trails available where they were blessed with abundant sunshine with no bugs to swat. On a sweat scale of 1-10, this was a very pleasant 5.

Following the ride, we met at Sharon and Neil Grays lovely shaded front yard. Linda and Jeannette brought photo albums and pictures of Lyn and Jud bringing fond memories back to life. Sharon H. made Baklava from Lyn’s recipe box and Sharon G. made her “to die for” banana pudding which was enjoyed by all. Our fellowship included current and past STA members and Lyn’s son “Boo”. He has his mother’s sense of humor and good looks. However, he admitted that he did not inherit her fondness for horses or dogs.

Many stories were shared, a tear or three dropped and laughter reached to the heavens above, giving Jud and Lyn a happy smile on the cloud they share.

Until we meet again, happy trails!

Chris

Springhill Forest Road 362 – March 27, 2021

It was a pleasant spring day with mild temperatures. The wild flowers were in spring bloom as we meandered along a slow moving creek. The winding trails took us through planted pines, oak hammocks and around a natural pond. As if that wasn’t enough, it was all viewed from atop a stately equine with five lovely ladies and five other majestic horses. 

Anytime one of my single male friends asks, “where can I meet a nice lady?” My answer is the same; Buy a horse.  Hey, it worked for me.

Saturday’s team participants were Wendy and Arrow, Sharon and Cricket, Lauren and Jollie, Corine and Ziggy, Alaina, welcome to STA, and Gino, and of course Bell who had to tolerate me.

A very fine and pleasant day, to be sure, it was! 

David

Wakulla Springs State Park – March 20, 2021

The day dawned cool and somewhat cloudy and as I loaded Blue and Kasha into the trailer.  I thought to myself, “not too many people will come ride in this weather.”  HA!  Was I ever wrong!

Seventeen riders (including myself) showed up to ride.  We had 14 members, 1 guest and 2 girls from the neighborhood across the highway that saw all the horse trailers and decided to join us.  15 horses and 2 mules set out as the clouds began to clear and the temperature rise.

As always, the gaited horses took off leaving the rest behind.  Maybe someday, they’ll actually let others take the lead and teach their horses how to walk slower?  For the most part, the trails are wide enough to ride side by side with a stretch at the north end that is single tract winding through the woods.  Normally this is an out and back trail with a small loop at the southern end near the trailer parking area, but for this one ride we had permission to use the service road at the north end and were able to make a loop and head back instead of straight out and back.  Special thanks to Amy for allowing this to happen.

We were out about 2 ½ hours winding through beautiful ancient magnolias, HUGE pines red buckeye (great for hummingbirds), flowering dogwood and upland forests.  We crossed 2 concrete bridges on the main road without any trouble, even though I’m sure some of the horses smelled the “horse eating Trolls” that live under the bridges. 

These trails are worth traveling to during the Fall & Spring and possibly Summer months, but I’m sure by the time the Summer heat comes, so will the bugs.  Thanks again to the Florida Park Service for providing beautiful trails to enjoy the real Florida from the backs of our best friends.

Joyce

Miccosukee Greenway (Crump Rd),Saturday,March 6, 2021

Well, our scheduled Saturday morning ride at Miccosukee-Crump Road was looking like a rain out, but we postponed the ride until 1:00 and it turned out to be a perfect day. The sun popped out and the cool breeze felt wonderful. Jennifer (a guest and new to the area) joined us with her horse Jag, along with Linda and Blondie, Sabrina and Captain, Kathy and Sunny, and myself on General. Since we all agreed we wouldn’t mind moving on out a bit, Kathy took the lead (of course with a bit of instruction from Sharon & Linda). We moved on through the trails at a walk, slow gait, and sometimes speeding up to a more fast gait. At one stretch, my General was moving on, but Linda’s horse just extended her legs out and sailed right past me looking like she intended to win the race. As we were riding toward the I-10 overpass, I commented to Linda that I hadn’t ridden under that with General before and would like to sometime. “Well”, she said “you want to now?” and I said “sure”. So we all gathered and went under as a group. Turns out I wasn’t the only newbie at this – Sabrina had never ridden under it with her horse either. Captain and General got a little antsy, but they did awesome. Coming back was great conditioning too because, as we went under the bridge, a bike went speeding by on the road next to us, along with road traffic, not to mention traffic overhead continually moving. All horses were very alert, but behaved perfectly.
I think everybody enjoyed the fun – I know I did. I haven’t ridden General that fast in quite a while and I think my old man was getting into it keeping up with those younger horses. Horses never cease to amaze me – I guess that’s why I love them so much.
Total ride time was about 2 – 1/2 hrs. Total talk time after the ride? Awhile…..but who’s counting??
Submitted by, Sharon

Fort Braden Trails, February 7, 2021

It was a very chilly Sunday morning and we only had two brave the weather besides me. I was riding Spirit, Chris on Rose and Joyce on Blue. Me and Chris were on walking horses, and Blue was trotting behind. We started on the West trail and enjoyed a leisurely ride down the trail. The breeze along the lake was bearable behind the trees, but when we arrived at the pavilion, the cold breeze instantly froze us. So we decided to only stop for a brief photo or two and then head back to the trailers. Me and Chris were out front just chatting away with our walking horses and Joyce was behind us. Joyce was trying to get our attention and finally shouted to us that there was a deer, white as snow, in the woods. I was able to get a glimpse of a snow white deer that disappeared in the trees! We also ran across several hikers on the main road back to the trail and relayed the sighting. When we got back to the trailers, the parking lot was full with several cars, most likely hikers, and two other horse trailers. All in all we had a good 2 hour ride!
Liz