The Christmas Trail Ride and Party at 7BarL was a great success. Fifteen members enjoyed the down-home comfort of the ranch and spent lots of time on the trails. Saturday morning part of the group headed out early and explored the riverside trails to the main Suwannee Spring recreation area. Of course the weekend would not be complete without Wildcat taking her traditional plunge, so Busta got that out of the way on Day 1! We rode about 3 1/2 hours and made it back to camp just as another group was going out for an afternoon ride. Everyone got in some good riding and then enjoyed some training time on the obstacle course. Marilyn could not quite convince Spirit that the horse-eating shower curtains would not crush her to death, and some of the horses were afraid of the bubbles, but overall, the afternoon provided some good training time for the horses (and riders!). Chef Cathy outdid herself and brewed up a tasty Low Country Boil with giant shrimp, sausage, taters, onions, and corn on the cob. The side dishes were equally outstanding and everyone probably ate way more than they should have. Following dinner, we shared quality time around a beautiful fire. We all retired with full bellies and heavy eyes, looking forward to another good day of riding. Sometime during the night, Antler Man tried to claw his way into Susan's trailer, and Pinky suffered some bruised knees during her escape. Sunday morning we enjoyed Marilyn's famous Christmas breakfast quiche and pastries. We headed out to the Mattair Springs trails and spent 4 hours enjoying the sights. Unfortunately, Pinky's horse Doc got a case of colic and had to see the local vet before going home. He has recovered from this incident and is looking forward to his next trail ride, just like all his other horse buddies. Thanks to everyone for coming and making this the best Christmas party ever!
