Walking around Fort Pierce – Cracker horses in Ft. Pierce

When in Fort Pierce we walk almost every morning. Or at least as often as we can get out. Not Kermit. He is usually sleeping. But two or three women we met. Judy Hechtkopf from One September for sure. Occasionally Joy Pankey from Jim’s Joy although she doesn’t come out too often. Dorie Arrington from LIberdad a few time. And a new friend, Judith Montgomery from Tres Bien out of Peterborough, Ontario.

We talk and walk for between 30 and 60 minutes at about 8am. Sometimes we walk over the bridge to Hutchinson Island. Sometimes we walk south along the water to this really cool park commemorating the first fort in Fort Pierce. Other times we walk around the arcade or zig zag through the streets in the old town. Sometimes I walk alone just to clear my head but I walk longer and farther when I am with someone else.

Judy and I are best matched because she walks really fast and despite her short height we have the same pace. Walking with Judith is really funny because she has short legs so I have to slow down a little but she has a lot of stamina so I walk slower and longer with her. It is a good way to get exercise!

This is the cracker horse

Judith also gets a lot of company. Her better half, Gordon, spent the winter in Ontario so Judith had a lot of friends stopping by for weeks on end. Usually her friends preferred to sleep in so we went early before they got up.

You never know what you are going to see that early in the morning while walking around. We see lots of boats and pretty sunrises over the bridge. We met some interesting dogs and a few cars for sale when we got south along the coast. We watch the trains when we cross the big bridge over the tracks just south of the old town. On Saturday we always end up at the huge Farmer’s Market that takes up over 2 square blocks by the marina.

One morning when we crossed the big bridge to the south of town we saw horse trailers pulling up into the empty lot along US 1. As we walked closer the folks started unloading some of the most beautiful horses. Evidently we stumbled on a horse parade about to happen later that morning at the Farmer’s Market.

These are cracker horses. Not all of them but a few of them. These folks come all the way from Bradenton, stopping every night to rest the horses after riding through towns across the state. Later when we were talking about it, folks we know where stalled while the horses slowed traffic as they traveled.

But we just enjoyed the show! You never know what you will find.