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**Welcome Wagon:  pony carting  |
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naglehaus
Farmgirl at Heart
4 Posts
4 Posts |
 Posted - Aug 18 2005 : 11:26:20 AM
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Hi All,
Stumbled across this wonderful website while doing a search for Tasha Tudor's upcoming tour. I have always had one foot living out in the horse country while commuting to a suburban area for work. Now I am full time out in the country and do not miss 'professional endeavors' in the least.
We are dividing our time between a horse farm in Michigan and a more remote place down in the horse country of north-central VA. We are from Maryland and east coast areas and are not big fans of grey Michigan winters. That said, I have enjoyed dog sledding, x-country skiiing and the rather unique microcosm of rural living up north. Despite being within 70 miles of a city, we have dirt roads, miles of horse trails, hills, winding mysterious roads to explore and a feeling of 'somewhere in time' as I drive my pony cart slowly down these dirt roads. I have found very few places that offer such an experience with the natural beauty of woods, swamps and horse farms all around. It resembles parts of Vermont without the larger mountains, just smaller hills. I discovered such a place in Virginia but it is not quite as 'pony cart friendly' despite having larger farms. I look forward to learning about all your experiences living further out, with special interest in those of you who live very remotely. |
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KarenP
True Blue Farmgirl
666 Posts
Karen
Chippewa Falls
Wisconsin
USA
666 Posts |
Posted - Aug 18 2005 : 4:21:09 PM
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Welcome,
Enjoy the forum!
KarenP
"Purest Spring Water in the World" |
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WisGal35
True Blue Farmgirl
99 Posts
Cathy
Kenosha County
WI
USA
99 Posts |
Posted - Aug 18 2005 : 4:53:50 PM
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Your Michigan place sounds ideal to me! Welcome.
Our country roads in SE Wis. are paved, lots of traffic -- but that doesn't stop a neighbor of mine, who drives his two ponies all over the place, literally, on wagon train reenactments. He's written five self-published books about his adventures, complete with pictures, and has lots of fun selling them off the back of the pony cart.
He keeps offering to teach me to drive, but I barely have time to ride, so it's on my 'things to do' list :)
My uncle has a place near LaCross, Wis., with the same type of gravel road, 50 miles from town. He loves it, and plans to retire there. His biggest issue is keeping the hunters off his land, which adjoins a preserve of some type. |
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naglehaus
Farmgirl at Heart
4 Posts
4 Posts |
Posted - Aug 18 2005 : 6:35:06 PM
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Thanks for your responses and welcome. Yes, somehow dirt roads seem to lend a totally different feel to a country place. A paved road allows for speed,is associated with cars and is hard and unyielding. A real dirt road is of a different era, allows footprints, hoof prints and contact with the earth. There is a hushed quality to it, a coziness of sorts that is so hard to define.
However we were all ready to pave them this past spring. Our roads were almost impassable, the pock marks were deep and we had to go less than 5 mph. I have never seen them so bad. I truly think a hummer would have had trouble. Had a vote been taken at that time we all would have gone for the asphalt. But now we are back to normal and love the winding, quiet lanes as our horses clip clop along, not minding the dirt on our cars when we go to the city. In fact I always gained some stature with the kids down in the suburbs who thought I did off-roading. Little did they appreciate that all I did was drive home. |
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**Welcome Wagon: pony carting |
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pony carting
