Man let me tell you about today’s adventure – or should I say, my wild goose chase trying to figure out if those Texas Horse Park trails are actually open. Wasted my whole Sunday on this.
First things first, woke up thinking a nice trail ride sounds perfect, right? Grabbed my phone still half asleep, punched in “Texas Horse Park trail hours” hoping for a quick answer. Ha! Big mistake. Official site’s got less useful info than my grandma’s old cookbook.
The Calling Around Circus
Scratched my head for a minute. Okay, maybe just call them? Found a number online, probably outdated. Rang… and rang… and rang. Nothing. Zilch. Nada. Tried three more times feeling dumber with each dial tone. Absolute joke.
Threw on some clothes thinking maybe I can just drive over and wing it. Grabbed my keys, wallet, water bottle – feeling kinda hopeful again. Drove across town expecting a peaceful ride, only to find the parking lot packed tighter than a canned sardine. Like, did the whole city have the same dumb idea?
The Trail Mess & Annoying Discoveries
Made it past the crowded entrance, finally breathing actual air. Saw a sign: “NEW ACTIVITIES!” Okay, hook me. What’ve they got?
- Pony photo ops: Seriously? Just kids lining up next to bored ponies looking like they want a union rep. Boringest thing ever.
- “Junior Trail Guide” badges: Basically pay extra for a sticker that says your kid didn’t get kicked. Pass.
- Weekend sunset guided walks: Cool concept maybe, but nobody knew start times. Asked two different staff, got two different answers. How hard is scheduling?
Found the main trails eventually, but the maps are so faded you need Indiana Jones to decipher them. Got turned around twice near some old oak tree. Felt like a lost puppy. Saw a couple riders struggling with their horses spooking at squirrels. Whole place felt disorganized and kinda tense.
So, Were They Open? Did I Ride?
Well… technically? Yeah, the gates were unlocked. Did I actually have a nice, relaxing ride like I wanted? Not even close. The trails were open in the same way my broken shed door is “open” – you can get in, but it’s messy and nothing works right. Frustrating as heck. Rode maybe twenty minutes before I got annoyed watching other people’s kids pretending to be John Wayne.
Leaving felt like escaping traffic. Sun already setting low by the time I shoved back through the crowd to my truck. Exhausted, dusty, zero percent zen. Probably spent more time searching online, driving, and looking confused than actually on horseback.
Speaking of… got home still salty, decided to try one last call to the park. This time? Someone actually picked up. Asked about trail times. Sweet answer: “Hours vary depending… just check our website.” The same useless website I started with! Perfect end to a perfect day. Zero stars. Would not recommend unless you enjoy chaos and vague answers.
