A Collection of Madcap Escapades: Redux: Rainstorms & Rainbows

Dumping trail ride media for the sake of getting out of July.

July 29, 2026
Horseshoe Bend
5.64 miles
2h2m

Terra wanted to meet Max and I was overdue to see her. We agreed to meet up after work. Horseshoe Bend made sense because it's pretty much right between the two of us.

Originally, we were going to meet on Thursday, but Terra had some changes to her schedule so we met on Wednesday instead. Before we changed days, I pointed out the forecast to Terra. It was supposed to be beautiful on Thursday, but was looking questionable for Wednesday with a high chance of storms.

We agreed we were willing to get wet as long as there was no lightning.

Well, it sure did rain on my way to the park. The black sky opened up and sheets of water poured from the heavens. It was bad enough that I considered pulling over to let it pass.

Terra, who was coming from the opposite direction, texted, "I don't like the look of those clouds up there. They look like there might be heavy rain."

"There is. I'm in it."

Despite the damp start, the ride went well. By the time we tacked up, there was blue sky poking through the clouds.

There is a new trail that has recently been added to the park. Sandy and I got a sneak peek while doing NACMO set up. Terra and I headed that way and it was lovely.

As we crossed the road towards the main park, the sky darkened again and a few fat drops of rain splattered on our helmets. There were some distant rumbles. We decided to keep riding, but kept it close to the parking lot just in case.

In the end, we did five and a half miles with a lot of good conversation along the way. Here are the photos:

Blue skies to start.

Max says, "I could get used to moseying down the trail."

The new part of the park.

Max led most of the way on this ride.

Chestnut club!

Daily body condition photo after another power washing.

His neutral stance has gotten less giraffe-like.

July 30, 2026
Perryville to Finn Park
4.14 miles
1h46m

The next day, Max and I were back for more. We met Sandy at Perryville after work. This time we went in the opposite direction, making our way to Finn Park.

We did a leisurely four miles without much to report.

The theme for this ride was apparently rainbows. Sandy and I saw several different rainbows over the course of two hours or so. At one point, we even saw a double rainbow! It made for very pretty backdrops all evening.

One of many rainbows. Max is my pot of gold.

Recently, there was a trail obstacle challenge at Finn Park. The tire obstacle was left out afterwards. It's full of loose gravel, which makes it a little more challenging than a standard pedestal.

Of course, we couldn't resist the urge to play with it. This was the first time I asked Max to do something he didn't really understand and was reluctant to do. Still, he was a very willing pupil and figured it out in a few minutes.

It was fun to see what he does when he's confused or doesn't want to do something. The fact that he didn't get upset or escalate was really good news. I was already loving the brain on this horse less than a month in.

"You're a weird lady. You know that, right?"

"Ok. Now what?"

When we went through the park proper, soccer practice was in full swing. This was also an interesting moment. Max saw the playing fields and the ball and heard shouting and cheering. He pepped up, raised his head, and locked his ears in upright position. I think he thought he had found a polo match.

I chuckled, patted his neck, and said, "Don't worry. It's soccer, not polo."

Other than that, the only new thing on this ride was the boggy creek crossing behind the park. It is notoriously muddy and many horses dislike it. I was pleased when Max plunged right through, no questions asked.

We wrapped up the day with some hand grazing next to the trailers after I sponged Max for the first time. (He is not a huge fan of being sponged or bathed, but he tolerates it because he's a certified good boy.)

The rest is more photos.