J, our host and landlord, recommended the Queen Creek Wash Trail for our next outing, so we took his suggestion. A wash for those of you who are unfamiliar with cowboy terms - is a dry creek or river bed. No water and the ground is usually sand or rocky.
You park at the Desert Mountain Park. It is tricky because the equestrian lot is accessed from Ocotillo Road - not the main entrance. Once you get in there, there is plenty of parking for horse trailers. This looked to be a popular place with local equestrians as there were several trailers in the lot.
Ari got off his horse at one point in the ride to adjust his bridle. You ride under several overpasses, so if your horse is not ok with traffic noises or riding into dark places, it might be challenging. Our horses did OK.
The trail was deep sand, about 3" deep so the horses really had to work hard.
My horse was nervous and jumpy for much of the ride. When we stopped for Ari to take my picture, I saw why. A coyote had been tracking us and following us. I don't think the coyote was interested in us as much as what game we flushed out for him to eat. There were lots of cottontail rabbits and quail on the trail.
As we headed back to the trailer, my horse spooked and went into a gallop. I got him slowed down, but he twisted on the one rein stop. I lost my balance and fell out of the saddle. Luckily, I was wearing my Hit Air Equestrian Vest. This is the first time since I bought it over a year ago it actually deployed. It acts like an air bag and uses a CO2 cartridge to inflate the vest. I could feel the vest fill up with air and tighten around me as I left the saddle and when I hit the ground it felt like I landed on a life boat or air mattress. No broken bones, not even a sprain! I started laughing as soon as I hit the ground. I was so relieved that it actually worked. We had thought that when it deployed the cartridge might make a loud pop which would scare the horses, but it was more of a PHAH sound of inflation. Like exhaling a breath. It wasn't loud or spooky at all.
I had sand in places that usually only get sandy when you lie on the beach, but I was OK. Mercy had run off but he came back on his own while I was dusting myself off. Ari had dismounted and was checking on me.
We mounted up and finished the ride with no more mishaps. When we got back to our LQ, I re-assembled my vest with the replacement CO2 cartridge I bought (just in case I did deploy the vest), so I will be safe for the next ride. I am so happy I finally have a vest that actually works and protects me.
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