Sat, Feb 19 2011 - Winter Horseback Ride & Lunch (View Original Event Details)
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Sixteen of us gathered on a snowy day for a winter horseback ride.
The weather had been unseasonably warm the day before (+10 degrees!), so considerable amounts of snow had just melted. The day of our ride, however, the temperature dropped dramatically and with the wind chill, it felt quite cold. And while there was no snow left in Toronto, miraculously, just before we arrived at Wildwood Manor Ranch, it started snowing!
All of the changing weather meant that for our ride, we had fluffy snow overlaying a layer of ice.
It also meant that for our ride, the staff advised us not to let our horses get up to galloping speed, in case they slipped.
For this day's trip, after we signed waivers and got helmets clipped on, we were able to mount our horses. The staff at the ranch asked us individually our comfort level with riding, and whether we would prefer our horse to maintain walking speed for the journey, or whether we would want our horses to move a bit faster.
We all started off together in one large group, traveling single file through the trails in the trees. It was beautiful! A snowy, winter-y wonderland. Eventually, the group split into two, and the faster group could let their horses move up to a trot through the trees. It was a great ride, and most of us saw a group of deer!
In total, we were riding for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, and while everyone was bundled up against the cold, several shared that their extremities (fingers & toes) were quite cold by the end of the ride.
Happily, the staff had prepared a nice, warm lunch for us -- hot chocolate, warm rolls, and home-made soup. We warmed up next to the wood-burning stove, and enjoyed eating our lunches in the warm building. We were also able to engage in conversation, and get to know each other a bit more.
The original plan after lunch was to do more activities outside -- either skating, tobogganing, or a winter hike. Several felt it was too cold outside, though, and were no longer keen on doing outdoor afternoon activities. After a vote about what to do next, the consensus from most people in the group, was to stay warm and not go back outside at all! A few joked that we had become the Toronto "Indoor" Club! So, instead of venturing back outside, people lingered in the warm building, drank more hot chocolate, and socialized.
After some warmth and fellowship, the group was ready to head back home by mid-afternoon. The group also agreed that this would be a great outing to do again later in the year. Thanks to everyone for a great day!
The summary of finances for this day -- total donations collected: $16; total number of Toronto Outdoor Club patches sold: 3.
As a final note, we offer a warm welcome to several people for whom this was their first event with the Toronto Outdoor Club: Catherine, Christina, Eric, Kristina, and Suhail. Welcome to the Toronto Outdoor Club!
Have some photos from this event that you'd like to share in our photo album? Please forward them to Erik Sonstenes at photos@torontooutdoorclub.com. Please note that we prefer to receive the photos in approximately 640x480 or 750x500 pixels - do NOT send original high-res photos. If you have a LOT of photos, please submit up to twenty of your favorites (only) for a day event, or up to forty of your favourites for a multi-day event. Thank you.