My horse friend and I went riding again this week, this time to some new equestrian trails that are being developed five miles northeast of Shenandoah, Iowa. The Pierce Creek Recreation Area is a beautifully serene park with ten miles of well-developed trails for horseback riding. Some of the local riders have done a lot of work at the park to make it more horse friendly, and we chose a beautiful evening for a ride.
My husband had researched local horseback riding trails a few years ago, and had found an online brochure listing equestrian trails in Iowa. Pierce Creek was one of the closest parks listed, and so we drove down to look around and see if it looked like a good place to go riding. It did look like fun, but for some reason we never got around to actually trailering the horses there for a trail ride. 
One of my friends had invited me to be a member of the Pierce Creek Facebook page. It lists information regarding trail conditions, updates being made, fundraisers to help with trail maintenance, and special events held at the park. So I knew that more horse enthusiasts were gathering there, and I was really excited when my horse friend Joann suggested we try out the Pierce Creek trails. 
We arrived around 6pm, and met up with a few other riders. The equestrian part of the campground had many improvements. There were several hitching rails, a large area for trailer parking, several pipe-fenced stalls for keeping horses overnight, a round pen, and a trail obstacle course. It looked very welcoming for any type of horse and rider.
I rode my buckskin mare Penny again, and Joann rode a pretty chesnut Morgan mare named Ruby. We started out on the first trail towards the lake, which was a widely-mowed grassy trail with an easy slope through low timber. Our horses were eager to go, and it was easy riding. The trail opened up at the lakeside, led across the dam that held the lake, and around the far side of the lake. There was plenty of wildlife, birds, flowers, and pretty scenery. Some of the trails led deeper into the forest and were a little more steep and rocky, but nothing that a beginner couldn’t easily handle. It was perfect for a few hours’ ride.
We turned back towards the campground as the sun went down, and we passed an elderly couple sitting at a campfire roasting marshmallows. I thought that next time we go to Pierce Creek I should bring along my seven year old daughter and another horse, because the trails were easy enough for her to enjoy. It makes me think maybe someday when the kids are a little older we should take all our horses and a tent and stay overnight there. It’s really a beautiful place.
A short video I took while horseback:
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