Riding Guiterrez Canyon

 

On Thursday, I hiked Guiterrez Canyon with my kids…..and then on Friday, I rode Guiterrez Canyon on my Apache mare!

 

And I invited my friend Barb to come ride with me, too! Here she is on her mare, Alex.

 

Barb came by and picked up me and my mare, on the way to Guiterrez Canyon. When we got the horses unloaded at the trail head parking lot, I had a bit of a scare when my mare turned away from me when she backed out of Barb’s 2 horse straight-load trailer, and I wasn’t able to grab my mare’s lead rope! I did grab her tail, though, which in hindsight was probably a stupid thing to do, considering how I was kicked in the face by her 3 years ago. But somehow, holding her tail did give me a sense of security as Apache walked away from me towards the trail head gate. Thankfully, she stopped after about 20 feet of walking, and I was able to grab her lead rope and I led her back to the horse trailer and got her tacked up.

About 100 feet away from the main path leading into the Open Space, is an Automotive Repair and Tire shop, and I was a little nervous about the loud noises coming from over there. But Apache wasn’t concerned at all as we headed downhill to get onto the main trail.

 Since we both knew that the loop trail is only 2.8 miles long, we stayed at a very relaxed, slow pace and mostly walked.

 

We didn’t have a lot of time to ride, so we were just happy to be out on our horses enjoying nature and riding with a good friend. 

 

The Guiterrez Canyon Open Space Loop Trail is a perfect place to get out and ride if you don’t have a lot of time, but you want to ride a trail that isn’t boring, flat without any pretty scenery. The loop trail is wonderfully interesting with diverse terrain, and has lots of pretty vistas and nature to enjoy, too. 

 

Barb enjoys taking photos from horseback almost as much as I do!

 

Barb and her mare Alex led for most of the ride, but I like to give Apache a chance to lead, too. So we moved out in front about halfway through our ride and I enjoyed the wide open trail views from between my mare’s ears.

 

Apache and I stopping to pose in front of the Sandia Mountains, in the distance behind us.

 

Apache is funny in that most of the time she doesn’t mind leading. But she prefers to lead when there is a visible trail to follow. When we ride in areas without visible trails, Apache sometimes turns her head around to question me, ‘is this is really the way that we should go?’ She will go where I ask, but just when there are no trails to follow, she just likes to check in with me from time to time to make sure I know what I’m doing. *grin*

 

Apache was a little bit leery when we got to a section of the trail bordered by two fairly deep arroyos on either side of us. She kept switching her gaze to both sides, even as she moved forward calmly. I don’t blame her for being cautious as this area is known to have bears and mountain lions and they probably use the arroyos to move down the mountains to find water and food.

 

I really enjoy riding with Barb and her mare Alex. This was only our second time riding together, but our style of riding is very similar. We just enjoy being out on the trail with our horses. Alex is still a young horse under 5 years old, but Barb has taken her to many new places and exposed her to lots of different experiences, so it’s really helped in making Alex a safe, reliable trail horse.

 

Apache really seemed to enjoy our ride and was ears forward and interested in everything around us, while still taking good care of both of us.

 

I am so grateful to live so close to such easily accessible and beautiful places to ride. And I’m thankful for good friends to ride with, too. But most of all I am very thankful for my wonderful, brave, calm, sure-footed Apache mare, who takes such good care of me, and enjoys trail riding and going to new places as much as I do.

 

I love trails that twist and turn and that don’t reveal themselves all in one glance. I love not knowing what is around the next bend or over the next hill.

 

 I also enjoy trails that challenge you a little bit and that take you out of your comfort zone while testing your skills and bravery. I think most horses enjoy that, too. 

 

I am impressed by our horses for riding through this deep arroyo, because it takes a lot of bravery for a prey animal to ride beneath tall walls of dirt that could be hiding a mountain lion which could easily jump on their backs from up there.

 

Both of our horses were calm and relaxed. And they trusted us to take care of them through this section of trail. I am very proud of them both. 

 

I really enjoyed this section of trail, being surrounded by tall walls of dirt with the trees growing above our heads. Of course, you would never want to ride through here if there was a heavy rain……

 

But heavy rain is pretty rare here in New Mexico. We have over 300 days of sunshine and blue skies. In fact on this day it was 68F degrees and we were wearing t-shirts…in March!

 

When we got about 3/4 of the way through the arroyo we realized there was a group of horseback riders riding up behind us. They covered the ground very quickly as they were all riding gaited horses.

Apache wasn’t all that comfortable about having this group of strangers coming up behind us so quickly, and she kept trying to turn her head to check them out, while I kept asking her to keep moving through the arroyo so we wouldn’t block the other riders.

 

When we got through the arroyo and reached the trail head, we had the pleasure of meeting this group of 4 riders, all riding gorgeous prancy, fancy Paso Finos. They had ridden up and over the ridge, from their neighborhood, on the other side of Guiterrez Canyon, to have dinner at Ribs Restaurant, in the shopping center just on the other side of the trail head. How awesome is that?

This lady’s name is Leigh, and she is riding her Paso Fino mare that she bred and raised. In fact, her mare’s Father was tied up on the hitching rail, just on the other side of Apache and I in this photo below. We were all riding mares that day, and it was obvious that the stallion was very excited about that fact!

 

In this photo below, I was talking with Leigh’s husband Lee and getting their phone number to plan some future rides. Barb had already ridden Alex to her horse trailer, parked beside the Post Office, so Apache was acting a bit impatient about standing there at the trail head gate. But after trying to move forward and then backwards a couple times, she finally gave up and stood calmly like a good girl. 

 

When we finally went through the trail head gate, Apache was a very good girl and walked calmly to the trailer.

 

We had a wonderful ride and can’t wait to head back there again to explore some of the high ridge trails, too.

Apache says, “Hurry up and get my saddle off and stop taking photos!”

 

                                        Life is Good!