a steed indeed

how long have i lived here without knowing you can go wine tasting by horseback?!  

one weekend when i pulled into work i saw ten horses saddled up and ready to go.  i thought, "i want to do that!"  professional research, after all, means i need to experience it in order to tell tourists about it after all, right?

so i signed up!  

it was just the guide, a couple from Pennsylvania, and me.  what fun we had riding through the vineyards while learning more about the local terrain.  

my horse's name was whiskey and she was great.  my biggest challenge was keeping her from eating the tree and grape leaves.  

today i learned that a steed is a horse used for riding.  in adventure stories set in the middle ages, the noun steed is a very old-fashioned way to say 'horse'.  in middle english, a steed was distinguished as 'a great horse', as opposed to a palfrey, ordinary everyday horse.  (thank you, alert reader for this interesting tidbit!)

i highly recommend this adventure (for locals), when you visit, or if you have something like it in your area.  for more information, you can visit:  equestrian wine tours