After driving by it many, many times over the years and saying "wouldn't it be fun to drive on that track?"
meaning a real race horse track located near us and not far from Canterbury Downs our Minnesota race track, my husband finally stopped in and talked to the owner of the training stable and the horse trainer that works for her. To my surprise (and shock) they were NOT like many "big horse" people when it comes to minis. They were very welcoming toward us and very interested in what we do with our minis and told us we could come by any day after the T/B's are done being worked on the track which is from 5AM - 9AM. We went for the first time this weekend and the owner and the trainer hung around and watched us hitch up the horses and asked lots of questions and the owner even drove one of the minis herself. We had a great time and it was so much fun to get out on the race track and let the horses fly. We took two horses that do roadster classes and being able to just let them out and have the long (LONG) straight aways and big sloping turns was so cool. Both horses went faster than they ever have before and neither had a problem with breaking into a canter out of their trots. We'd taken the baskets off the carts so really felt like harness racers. We had fun doing a little bit of racing each other (my husband and I). The track is 1/2 mile around and very wide and I felt like a tiny dot on it and I can't even imagine what the horses were thinking though I do know both of them were very well behaved and did awesome. I also felt like they were showing off a bit for the thoroughbreds that were in turn out pens near one corner of the track because when we would come around that corner they both would speed up, lift their knees higher, arch their neck and adjust their headset and just step up their action. Most of the gigantic T/B race horses were crowded at the fence but seemed pretty scared of the minis and when we got close enough they would all run away snorting and blowing. We really worked hard and for longer than usual but even at the end when we really felt the horses had done enough they were still eager to go and it was obvious they had fun too. We talked to the owner again after we were done on the track and found out she owns 600 acres, much of it along a big river (with horse trails, of course) and next door to the Minnesota Renaissance Festival which is the same place they hold the Trail of Terror around Halloween time. What THAT means is that going along on the horse trails and dirt roads on the property you see all sorts of random stuff that stays on that property year round. An abandoned (haunted?) house, signs, scary stuff, bits and pieces of exhibits, displays, etc. To cool the horses down we went about a mile down a winding dirt road and saw all sorts of interesting stuff that was a little bit freaky to the horses.
I really wish we'd stopped to talk to the race track owner a long time ago when we first started driving. We'd talk about it but never did. We had a wonderful time and it sure beat going round and round in the arena. This race track is only about 1/2 hour from our house so not hard to load up a couple of horses and carts and go.
Goes to show, it doesn't hurt to ask if you see an opportunity like this in your area....you may get a "NO" but then again you may not. We've also talked to some of the big boarding stables about using their heated/air conditioned indoor arenas during off-peak hours. Some say yes, some say no.
I don't like staying in the arena when I don't have too, especially with my seasoned show horses - I want them to look forward to driving and have fun themselves, not be bored and I think it makes a big difference in their attitude and enthusiasm about showing. We will definitely continue going to the race track, plus I am going to keep an eye out for other places that might be fun for both us and the horses to drive at.
One thing I would LOVE to do that won't be happening is I'd love to drive along the ocean near the water's edge but being here in Minnesota it is too far and though we are the land of 10,000 lakes, our lakes shorelines are generally wooded, rocky or jagged. Not someplace you could drive.
Anyone else have other fun places outside of the arena or round pen they have worked or driven their horses? We also have some public wooded horse trails in our area in a park preserve that we have not taken advantage of that I think we need to try next whether we drive or just take them hiking.
meaning a real race horse track located near us and not far from Canterbury Downs our Minnesota race track, my husband finally stopped in and talked to the owner of the training stable and the horse trainer that works for her. To my surprise (and shock) they were NOT like many "big horse" people when it comes to minis. They were very welcoming toward us and very interested in what we do with our minis and told us we could come by any day after the T/B's are done being worked on the track which is from 5AM - 9AM. We went for the first time this weekend and the owner and the trainer hung around and watched us hitch up the horses and asked lots of questions and the owner even drove one of the minis herself. We had a great time and it was so much fun to get out on the race track and let the horses fly. We took two horses that do roadster classes and being able to just let them out and have the long (LONG) straight aways and big sloping turns was so cool. Both horses went faster than they ever have before and neither had a problem with breaking into a canter out of their trots. We'd taken the baskets off the carts so really felt like harness racers. We had fun doing a little bit of racing each other (my husband and I). The track is 1/2 mile around and very wide and I felt like a tiny dot on it and I can't even imagine what the horses were thinking though I do know both of them were very well behaved and did awesome. I also felt like they were showing off a bit for the thoroughbreds that were in turn out pens near one corner of the track because when we would come around that corner they both would speed up, lift their knees higher, arch their neck and adjust their headset and just step up their action. Most of the gigantic T/B race horses were crowded at the fence but seemed pretty scared of the minis and when we got close enough they would all run away snorting and blowing. We really worked hard and for longer than usual but even at the end when we really felt the horses had done enough they were still eager to go and it was obvious they had fun too. We talked to the owner again after we were done on the track and found out she owns 600 acres, much of it along a big river (with horse trails, of course) and next door to the Minnesota Renaissance Festival which is the same place they hold the Trail of Terror around Halloween time. What THAT means is that going along on the horse trails and dirt roads on the property you see all sorts of random stuff that stays on that property year round. An abandoned (haunted?) house, signs, scary stuff, bits and pieces of exhibits, displays, etc. To cool the horses down we went about a mile down a winding dirt road and saw all sorts of interesting stuff that was a little bit freaky to the horses.
I really wish we'd stopped to talk to the race track owner a long time ago when we first started driving. We'd talk about it but never did. We had a wonderful time and it sure beat going round and round in the arena. This race track is only about 1/2 hour from our house so not hard to load up a couple of horses and carts and go.
Goes to show, it doesn't hurt to ask if you see an opportunity like this in your area....you may get a "NO" but then again you may not. We've also talked to some of the big boarding stables about using their heated/air conditioned indoor arenas during off-peak hours. Some say yes, some say no.
I don't like staying in the arena when I don't have too, especially with my seasoned show horses - I want them to look forward to driving and have fun themselves, not be bored and I think it makes a big difference in their attitude and enthusiasm about showing. We will definitely continue going to the race track, plus I am going to keep an eye out for other places that might be fun for both us and the horses to drive at.
One thing I would LOVE to do that won't be happening is I'd love to drive along the ocean near the water's edge but being here in Minnesota it is too far and though we are the land of 10,000 lakes, our lakes shorelines are generally wooded, rocky or jagged. Not someplace you could drive.
Anyone else have other fun places outside of the arena or round pen they have worked or driven their horses? We also have some public wooded horse trails in our area in a park preserve that we have not taken advantage of that I think we need to try next whether we drive or just take them hiking.
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