Sunny Sunday!

We started measuring out the 8-foot lengths between posts, cutting the cattle carpet, and did get the near corner gate post installed with a little concrete. We continued measuring all the way around to the bottom of the dry paddock, worked our way back up to the top for the other gate post. We got the auger back on the tractor, Tom started drilling and came to an impasse about 18 inches down. Darn it, rock solid-ish. Being Sunday, the rental place is closed, so we went for a ride!

Got the boys in the trailer and headed off to buy Diesel fuel in town, not knowing exactly where we were headed to ride. We ended up going to Little Bennett. Beautiful day, lots of trailers already parked there. Went for a short ride, didn't cross the road for the longer ride that we are known to usually do.

Along the way we came to a 'dry' crossing. I noticed a wooden mounting block, KC eyed it suspiciously. It was not there before! We guessed it was for Park Police because the parking lot there is closed to traffic. Across the wooden bridge is another one!

We continued on our way, down the steep paths and abandoned roadways of this park, meeting hikers and walkers with dogs along the way. Had good run - STAMPEDE! - up the Tobacco Barn Trail and the boys were just stellar.

The next dry crossing is an elevated bridge that has an angle in the middle as it goes across the ravine. There are no 'hand rails' on this one and it would be an ugly incident to fall over the edge of this bridge. There is a mounting block on the trail and I now realize that the mounting blocks are for the riders that can't get their horses to cross a bridge, and the rider is unable to get themselves back on their horse! KC eyed this block, too, but he'd rather go across any kind of bridge, even a shaky one, then get his feet muddy.

There is a sign next to this bridge requesting avoidance of the marsh at this point. In the past I have seen evidence of riders going around the bridge. Unfortunately, this is the main reason that horses are banned from parks everywhere. Our horses don't need to go around, we just need bridges to carry our weight. Horses don't weigh as much as the general population think. Even the State Trooper a few years ago wouldn't let us down a roadway that had a 5 Ton Limit - he thought that horses weighed about a ton a piece - yikes! These aren't elephants, they weigh roughly 1,000 lbs.