The last time I rode a horse, it did not end well. And my last visit from a horse was “Charley,” alerting me to a blood clot in my calf after foot surgery! Being a determined person, however, I am making a vow to once again “horse around!” Carolyn McFarland, Manager of the Equestrian Center, doesn’t know this yet, but she will be an important participant in my overcoming a fear.

Living in Texas as a young girl, I owned a Welsh cross, while my best friend owned a quarter horse. If you aren’t familiar with horses, mine was like a VW Bug compared to her more powerful, larger, Cadillac SUV. The population of Pottsboro, the tiny town in which I lived, was 436, and the horse population well outnumbered the people. Riding often meant galloping through neighbors’ yards. Back then, hanging clothes out to dry was a common sight. One hot, dry Texas day, I decided to ride my friend’s horse. Not remembering that hers was much taller than mine, I ducked the clotheslines, as I had done many times prior on my little Welsh, only to be…you guessed it…clotheslined! I don’t remember anything else until waking up on the sofa in my home.

As an Air Force brat, my family moved to Florida shortly thereafter, and horses naturally became a distant thought. Fast forward 30 years, and here I am at Lake of the Woods. I must admit that the Equestrian Center wasn’t a huge draw when deciding to make the lake my home. Now, however, I am determined to take advantage of ALL of the incredible amenities we are so fortunate to have right here, right inside the gates!
In preparation for Ann Cameron Siegal’s visit to LOW to write the story on our community for the Washington Post, I decided that I should learn more about the Equestrian Center in order to be a proper resource. So I visited with Carolyn at the Center and even discussed a gorgeous trail ride (palms sweating) through the Wilderness Battlefield Park on a fall day at the peak of the leaf-changing-season. I was cautiously looking forward to it. As fate would have it, though, the microburst hit the lake, and I was “saved,’ as the number of downed trees forced the trail to be closed.
Being friends with Carolyn on facebook, and seeing how passionate she is about the Center and the horses, I decided it was time to face my fear. I decided that Carolyn was just the person to help me. I met with her again…and with the horses. Did you know that the Center offers pony rides, pony parties, horse camps, jumper shows, hunter shows, trail rides, and even held the first annual Dog Show this year?
I want to jump on this bandwagon of activity! I want to be able to tell my clients to whom I’ve sold homes first hand how great a trail ride is! So this fall, hopefully I won’t (fall)! I will pull myself up by my bootstraps and face my fear; I will “jump back up on the horse” and take a trail ride with Carolyn by my side. By the end of October, I am determined to have once again “horsed around!”
Until next time…it’s another beautiful day at the lake!
Pat Licata, REALTOR
Licata on the Lake