Horses I Meet on My Photo Walks

I Seem to Meet Horses Almost Everywhere I Walk

Horses seem to be everywhere I walk in my part of California. I see them on small farms and next to wineries. People buy horse properties to have them accessible at home. Even when I leave my county I meet them. They are all over rural California. California is horse country. Sometimes my horse encounters are completely unexpected, as in the photo below. Read more about the unexpected horse encounter in the photo below.

Miniature Horses I Have Met

Until I moved to Templeton, I had never seen a miniature horse. Since I started walking the country roads in areas with horse properties, I’ve met a couple of them. Here’s one of them,  trying to get his nose through the fence.

Here’s another, happily grazing.

It’s interesting to see horses of normal size interacting with a miniature horse friend. I was happy to capture a video of this interaction on one walk.

Horses at Work and at Rest

Sometimes I see horses at work, like these pulling the trolley shuttle in Solvang. The shuttles add charm to this laid back small city in the Santa Ynez Valley not far from Santa Barbara. Tourists come from north and south to shop here, have a meal, or just absorb the Danish atmosphere. It’s not hard to walk around the Danish town, but the trolley offers narrated tours.

Usually, when I see horses on my walks, though, they are resting. They sometimes run away when they see me, but sometimes they are curious enough to come check me out. The two below did not get very close. I had to use my zoom to capture them.

These quarter horses from Seven Chips in Paso Robles made a pretty picture with the blooming trees in the background.  I had to zoom in again since the equines weren’t close to the road. Later they did come closer.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this brief tour of California horse county. Here’s one last shot.

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