Pictures from the drivers seat :)

[Leeana]

We have been doing some trail driving, now that I have taken up driving as a hobby! Over the weekend, I went trail driving with a couple good friends. The driving is really growing on me, at last we have a driving horse that is trained and sain enough to just drive and have fun with. Up until recently, we have mostly driven her in our pasture and yard and a small part of the road infront of our farm, so I am now trying to get her a little out of her comfort zone and exposed to as much as possible as there is a driving club here in Ohio I would like to join that does trail drives and I would like to join. So far so good, she is a little unsure about some things still (such as a herd of cattle at my friends farm - we had to overcome that one in the harness!) and deer peeking out of the woods at us driving down the road....but wanted to share some of the fall scenary here in Ohio on our recent trail drives... (these are just cell phone pictures, I think next time I will take my camera and do a video, we have some very pretty country backroads around here)..

Driving down our road..

A nice trail path going through field...

I loved driving down this road, it gets almost no traffic and passes by some nice farms and has some beautiful tree's along the way starting to change into fall colors.

Another nice little country road, the woods just up above to the right had a doe peeking out at us as we drove by.

Then, over the weekend we went trail driving at a friends farm and had a lot a fun.

Thanks for letting me share!!

 

[dreamlandnh]

great pictures

 

[hobbyhorse23]

I'm so jealous of your driving venues! I would kill for somewhere like that to drive....

Leia

 

[cathyjo76]

Fall is usually a beautiful time to drive in Ohio, but lately it has been more like Seattle....notice the last picture...dark clouds, wind and sprinkles.

Leia, that is Harley and I to the right of Leeana. It is really the best to be driving with friends no matter what the weather.

Jan Dunn sent pics of JJay, Jan and I driving at the National Drive but I can't open them to post. Lovely week, lovely weather, and great friends!

 

[hobbyhorse23]

Fall is usually a beautiful time to drive in Ohio, but lately it has been more like Seattle....notice the last picture...dark clouds, wind and sprinkles.Leia, that is Harley and I to the right of Leeana. It is really the best to be driving with friends no matter what the weather.

I saw Leeana had tagged you in those photos on FB. I hadn't realized you lived so close! She's got your hotter B-sized gelding now too, right? I still wish I had room and time to take him.

Your area is in no way like Seattle. You can't see clouds here this time of year- the entire sky is gray!

And if this were Seattle there would be far more traffic, an expresso stand on every corner, traffic, some Boeing planes overhead, the carriage drivers would have iPads and a cellphone headset jammed in their ears, oh, and have I mentioned there'd be more traffic and nowhere to drive?

Sorry, bitter.

My quiet little back road has become a freeway overflow during rush-hour, my neighbors just put up a giant fence taking up the entire shoulder of the road on a blind curve, the two-lane scenic highway a block away is in the process of becoming a four-lane thoroughfare over this winter and the main road at the end of my block has just been widened to three impassible lanes. I'm about ready to cry! I left for work this morning and discovered that overnight they have cut down yet another giant swath of old-growth forest I had no idea they were axing and I can't even imagine what they are going to try and do with that poor hillside they were on. It's all such a darn waste!!

*deep breath* It's all right. It's okay. Who needed trees to prevent flooding and erosion anyway? It's not like the trees are why we live in the NW or anything. *sigh*

Leia

 

[Shari]

Looks like a beautiful place to drive!

 

[cathyjo76]

AAAHHHHH the sun is finally shining after 5 days of rain. This is probably peak for fall color. Hope to get some driving time in today or tomorrow.

I am lucky as I have dead end country roads and some trails I cut in my limited woods. But the best is driving with friends no matter where!

Here are pics Jan took at the national drive a few weeks ago. JJay and Platinum, Jan with Leggs ( grey) and me with Sailor(black pinto) . Sailor will be my primary VSE..did well at the Indiana CDE. Leeanna sold Rogan for me....right person to promote since I don't show AMHR. He is going to an awesome show home. Harley is back in my barn after a year with another family.....he is right where he belongs!

 

[paintponylvr]

Leanna -

What beatiful pictures - I am sooooo jealous! What fun.

Where is Green Springs, OH and how close/far is it from Millersburg, OH? I think we may have driven thru it, but not sure... I didn't map out our trip or do the driving and spent quite a bit of my time braiding in the backseat...

We don't have that no traffic effect here. While it's not bad, people here don't slow down and often will pull up and either honk horns or throw trash/objects at your driving beastie. A couple of times, I've wished for a "james bond" kinda cart or one of those "mad max" type driving thingies - w/ spikes to pop out of the hubs or better/slightly nicer - a paint gun that I can press a button on side of my seat and have it spray the side of their "noisome" vehicle!

eidt to add - That said - a local facility just 14 miles from us has re-opened under new ownership. It's been closed for more than 2 years - the last time we rode there was in 2008. When originally set up or rather when I found out about it when first moved up here in 2004, the trails were wide enuf and maintained for full size horse hitch wagons to use the trails. When I last rode there, the owner had been ill for some time and a lot of maintenance had fallen by the wayside. The trails were badly eroded and I'm not sure I'd have wanted to try taking a green pony with a single cart much less a full size wagon on them... I havne't ridden at all this year, so will have to take carts w/o a trial first... Can't wait to try out some of the trails!! $10/horse or pony & rider...

If anyone comes to NC - this now makes two camping places w/ bathrooms/showers, water & electric available on grass with trails available for riding and driving just 45 miles south and west of Raleigh NC... I believe there are a couple of other areas now available (further away and I havne't checked into full facilities available).

 

[paintponylvr]

cathyjo76 -

I hate to steal Leanna's thread - but I'm still very much a "newbie" - both to posting on forums and to driving - so please bear with me. Are those Pacific Smart Carts you are all 3 driving? OR???? Whatever they are - they are sweet looking and look really nice to drive...

I'm looking around at various options. I want something I can trail drive (not sure I'm going to be doing/into CDEs) AND if at all possible at least do lower end breed shows - ASPC (MAYBE AMHR). One of those Champagne taste/beer budget type things - can't have too many individual vehicles for all the different disciplines I'm interested in...

 

[Leeana]

Paula, I am about 2 1/2 hours North west from Millersburg

. I bet you drove through Greenville on your way to Millersburg

.

Going driving agian today! Can't wait! Have a couple new path's I would like to try!

 

[cathyjo76]

Yep, At the national drive, 2 of us had Smart Carts. I found mine through a list member selling hers. They are very nice!

I have driven it at an AMHR event, but I had a feeling it was not well accepted by the judges although it shouldn't matter.

I keep searching and have bought most of my carts used.....I currently have a Jerald that I found on Lil Beginnings and also found a way for it here through lists. Be patient and keep looking. My friend says carts do not need feeding!!!!

Going driving today about an hour south in a park.....more pics from Ohio soon!

 

[cathyjo76]

drove yesterday at a park that is a reclaimed landfill. Nice trails through the woods and lovely ponds. I had never been there and it was worth the gas!

The pics does not do the tree colors justice....last few nice days of fall.

 

[Leeana]

That looks SO neat Cathy! Will need to hit that trail one time