There’s a snake in my boot

I’m not horsing around when I say that Henderson offers some interesting excursions.

Casidy Jackson, Outdoor Recreational Specialist, is responsible for picking fun activities that HSU students might enjoy.

This past weekend, he took a group of seven students to go horseback riding at Lake Catherine State Park.

The pull-in was hidden and quite a few cars passed by and had to turn around.

An older man named Ray greeted us and smiled under his long, styled mustache.

We were offered helmets to protect our noggins.

The “cool” kids declined.

The “safe” kids accepted.

We were assigned horses varying in size and color.

Autumn Bailey, human services sophomore, had never been near horses so she was assigned a cute, old lady named Bessie.

We mounted up and headed into the backwoods.

AKA, a few beaten down trails winding through the area behind the stables.

While we were enjoying our time with nature, we witnessed Dogwood trees in full bloom, Whitetail

deer, and a group of oddly cute armadillos.

The ride wasn’t without adventure though.

It involved crossing creeks and maneuvering over fallen trees.

A sign reading “If you enjoyed your ride, feel free to tip your guide or kiss your horse,” greeted us as we came down the home stretch of our ride.

“I used to only listen to country music,” Bailey said, “Now I’ve lived it.”