Some people have an image of Phoenix as a cowboy town, where everyone has boots and a ten gallon hat, wears a gun while grocery shopping, and has a horse trailer in the driveway. C'mon folks -- the old west is history! Horse drawn buggies have been replaced by Hummers. Cowboys have been replaced by athletes (some tote guns, I hear). Those horse trailers have been replaced by golf carts. All this I swear is true, except, of course, when it's February in Arizona.

This seems like such a horsey month! The well-attended and highly acclaimed Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show and Auction is happening in north Scottsdale's WestWorld as I write this. Wickenburg recently celebrated their annual Gold Rush Days with several days of events and a rodeo. Scottsdale's Parada del Sol Parade is this weekend, and the Parada del Sol Rodeo is next week.

Since horses seemed to be popping up all over my calendar, I decided to go out and meet some. Laredo was my assigned steed during a visit to Saguaro Lake Trail Rides in Mesa. I took some photos of the trip, and gave it a review, in case you are considering arranging a ride.