Horse trail riding: Where suspicion and passion collide

Posted on April 6, 2011 by Merle

By Paul W. Jackson

Trail riding is a contentious issue in Michigan .

There are highways to hell and pathways of righteousness. There are bridges to nowhere and roads to the Final Four. But there is only one reason for a road.

The reason – the need to get somewhere -seems to be road kill to some horse enthusiasts these days. While everyone involved admits that a pathway of understanding and cooperation between Michigan ‘s impressive system of recreational trails and horse owners needs to be built, there is mistrust, accusation, disagreement and Continue reading →

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Right to Ride Bill Passes 3/25/2010

Posted on March 29, 2010 by Merle

LANSING, Mich.

PR Newswire

LANSING, Mich., March 25 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Today the Michigan legislature saddled up and passed a compromise version of the Right to Ride legislation. With concurrence, the measure now gallops to Governor Granholm. SB 578 and HB 4610 are tie-barred legislation to protect public access, use and enjoyment of state owned land in Michigan. The bills received overwhelming bi-partisan support in both the Michigan House of Representatives and State Senate. “Riders come from all over to enjoy Michigan’s scenic trails,” Senator Brown said. “This is no time to turn away tourists, or to turn our backs on years of tradition in which people of all ages explore our wondrous public lands on horseback. This legislation will bring much-needed transparency and accountability to trail access decision making.”

Together, Senate Bill 578, sponsored by Senator Cameron Brown (R-Fawn River Twp.), and House Bill 4610 sponsored by Representative Tim Moore (R-Farwell), give the equestrians a deserved voice through the Equine Trailways Advisory Sub-committee (ETAS). This new advisor group created within the legislation will work with the new Department of Natural Resources and Environment (DNRE) to develop a comprehensive statewide trail network for all recreational trail use, which will increase ridership and tourism spending in Michigan. Representative Moore stated that “Tourism and recreation are a strong part of our local economy and Michigan can’t afford to chase that business away.  We should be working to expand these types of opportunities in our state, not limit them.”

“As President of the Back Country Horsemen of Michigan (BCHM) – Pigeon River & Beyond chapter, the hard work over the past two years and tremendous bi-partisan support has made me humble and proud to stand alongside my members and team up to pass this legislation,” says Dick Kleinhardt. “The loss of trail access in recent years is a travesty for Michigan,” added Kleinhardt. BCHM represents 330 members and supports the interests of an estimated 80,000 recreational horseback riders in the state of Michigan.
The legislation lays out a timeline for the Department of Natural Resources and Environment to review specific access restrictions by pack and saddle animals previously imposed by the DNR in State Forests. The process begins with a review of the controversial restriction of trail access to riders in the Pigeon River Country State Forest imposed by the DNR in May of 2008.
CONTACT: Dick Kleinhardt, President BCHM, Ph: (989) 424-1172
SOURCE Back Country Horsemen of Michigan

Nanette White ~ Webmaster
Pigeon River & Beyond – Back Country Horsemen, MI
BCHMI.org@Live.com
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Building a Trustworthy Trail Horse

Posted on March 29, 2010 by Merle

Building a Trustworthy Trail Horse
Three seasoned trail riders offer strategies for overcoming the most common spoilers of the great-outdoor horseback experience.By Christine Barakat

Ah! A nice, relaxing trail ride on a pleasant summer day: What could be better to break the tedium of ring work and soothe the stresses of show training? Just head for the hills, the woods, the rolling meadows on horseback, alone or in congenial company, and all your troubles will melt away. Yeah, right… until your horse refuses to cross the creek or runs in terror from an innocent boulder or takes up a bone-jarring jig that puts you both in a lather for the duration of the ride.

When horses and their riders are unprepared for the out-of-arena experience, a simple walk through the woods turns into a series of frustrating or frightening confrontations. The disconnect between expectations and reality often begins with the choice of mount.

“Most people don’t select horses for trail riding,” says Montana horseman Dan Aadland, an avid backcountry rider and author of several books on the topic. “I get tired of hearing, ‘Well, she’s not good enough for the show ring, but she’ll make a good trail horse.’ Why should trail riding be relegated to a secondary job for a horse? If you want to trail ride exclusively, buy a horse who excels at it, not one who can’t do anything else.”

Compounding the problem, says Aadland, is a tendency to overlook the importance of a trail-riding education: “We train horses for very specific arena jobs but expect them to just automatically know how to handle the trail. Then we get frustrated when they don’t. Horses need to be taught to trail ride just like they are taught reining, roping or any other skill.”

In training for the trail, you’re up against powerful instincts that tell a horse to avoid danger and preserve his herd ranking. You’ll never entirely override instinctive behavior, but a well-trained trail horse learns to tolerate the unfamiliar, to heed your aids instead of his own urges, and to relax into the business of covering ground safely and efficiently. To help jump-start your trail training, Aadland and California endurance-horse trainers Donna Snyder-Smith and Kat Swigart share their insights into the four most common spoilers of safe, pleasurable trail outings. Along with explaining the reasons for the difficult behaviors, they suggest on-the-spot responses to resolve the immediate crisis and training strategies to avoid or overcome ingrained habits. Continue reading →
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