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View Full Version : Pics from trail ride at Laurel Hill WMA

FrogInABlender
11-13-2008, 04:24 AM
This past Saturday HaveFaith and I went to Laurel Hill Wildlife Management Area near Lawrenceburg, TN for a ride. The trails were just completed this past July and we'd never been there before so we went with a Cowboys for Christ group that was having their monthly ride there, just to get our bearings. The trails are gorgeous and well marked so we definitely plan on going back there on our own. They also have a good trail map on their website, plus I took my GPS and mapped it so we shouldn't have any problem the next time. We like to stop and take pictures and investigate things and it's kinda hard to do that with a big group. Plus they were mostly non-gaited and we like to move on a little faster than that. But it was fun and we enjoyed the company and we were thankful to be able to go with them.

Some parts of the trails were pretty steep, winding around through hills and hollows with creeks at the bottom...

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p22/FrogInABlender99/Laurel%20Hill%20WMA/IMG_0022.jpg

Other parts were gravel roads winding through the countryside...
http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p22/FrogInABlender99/Laurel%20Hill%20WMA/IMG_0023.jpg

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p22/FrogInABlender99/Laurel%20Hill%20WMA/IMG_0024.jpg

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p22/FrogInABlender99/Laurel%20Hill%20WMA/IMG_0025.jpg

There were several of these concrete fords across the creeks. They were a little scary because the rushing water was making the horses dizzy and they kept wanting to walk sideways with the flow of the water and we were afraid they were going to step off the downhill side. One guy's horse did. I didn't see it but I heard the big splash. It didn't hurt the horse though and the guy only got his boots wet so we were glad for that...
http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p22/FrogInABlender99/Laurel%20Hill%20WMA/IMG_0026.jpg

The smaller creeks were nice places to stop and let the horses drink...
http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p22/FrogInABlender99/Laurel%20Hill%20WMA/IMG_0027.jpg

And the lake was just gorgeous...
http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p22/FrogInABlender99/Laurel%20Hill%20WMA/IMG_0030.jpg

It's only about an hour and a half drive from my house so I'm looking forward to going back!
valleyrider
11-13-2008, 05:44 AM
WOW, beautiful, looks like a great trail ride. I would love to go on a group ride like that.. I usually ride alone. Right now it is hunting season so I stay out of the woods.
Dakota Sunrise
11-13-2008, 05:47 AM
That looks like a great place to ride! Nice pics.:)
~*Domino*~
11-13-2008, 05:49 AM
I am so jealous! That looks like a really good time! Great photos thanks for sharing them!!
WashingtonBay
11-13-2008, 05:52 AM
There were several of these concrete fords across the creeks. They were a little scary because the rushing water was making the horses dizzy and they kept wanting to walk sideways with the flow of the water and we were afraid they were going to step off the downhill side. One guy's horse did. I didn't see it but I heard the big splash. It didn't hurt the horse though and the guy only got his boots wet so we were glad for that...
http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p22/FrogInABlender99/Laurel%20Hill%20WMA/IMG_0026.jpg



HaveFaith's horse has brought a snack along to the Fjord ;)

That concrete does look like it makes it a little tricky.... slippery too?
Equine_Woman
11-13-2008, 05:57 AM
Wow!! Beautiful trails!!! I would worry like crazy about that concrete!! Won't it get slippery with time? Yikes!!!
FrogInABlender
11-13-2008, 06:16 AM
That concrete does look like it makes it a little tricky.... slippery too?

Didn't seem to be too bad. It looked like they had made a point to rough-up it's surface with grooves going cross-ways when they poured it, and it was pretty level. I didn't hear anybody's feet slipping.

I wouldn't want to try to cross it with a whole lot of water flowing over it though. I imagine it could sweep a horse's feet out from under them or wash a vehicle down stream.
FrogInABlender
11-13-2008, 06:18 AM
...Right now it is hunting season so I stay out of the woods.

Since this is a wildlife management area, they have a hunting schedule too, so you can only ride it on certain weekends. But at least they don't close it down completely for the whole season like a lot of other places do.
Gypsy Rose
11-13-2008, 07:12 AM
That looks like it would be so much fun! Thanks for sharing the pics with us!
gaited07
11-13-2008, 07:24 AM
Looks like a beautiful ride. Love all those tree's, water and GAITED HORSES!!