Keeping Horse Trails Open – As published in the June 2018 issue of Western Mule Magazine
We’re blessed. Our nation’s public lands are one of the America’s greatest achievements. Every year millions of horse owners across the U.S. visit our federal, state and local parks and other open spaces.
And nearly every visit has something in common—trails. Horse owners experience our public lands on trails—whether riding on short paths to scenic overlooks, or taking backcountry wilderness pack trips. Horse trails are such a repetitive theme woven through open lands that they can often be taken for granted. Please don’t.
Have you wondered how you can do more for your trails, even when off the trail? Here are three easy ways that you can help in keeping horse trails open now and into the future.
Click to find new place to ride and camp
#1 – Go on a Ride! Explore a trail “less traveled.” Observe and share the state of trails. If you’re not out and enjoying your trails, you won’t feel the strong appeal to save them.
We can all agree that without more hoof prints our trails will be lost. Please help others discover new places to enjoy and ride by and uploading your favorite trails to TrailMeister.com. Adding a trail area is easy and helps nearly 8 thousand people a day find new areas to enjoy on horseback.
Quinn Meadow Horse Camp in Oregon
For many people, your favorite horse trails and camps are already listed on TrailMeister. Make your voice heard on these areas by adding your ride notes. Ride notes are a way to share thoughts, pics, and even GPS tracks from your rides.
Here’s a link to add a new trailhead or horse camp – https://www.trailmeister.com/submit-a-trail/
Ride notes from North Carolina’s Anita Alta Horse Camp
#2 – Give your trails a voice. Be the squeaky wheel. I started TrailMeister over a decade ago to simply provide a reliable resource to help people find places to ride and camp with their horses. It has turned into a tool that gives horse trails a voice by letting people share their personal stories and thoughts about the places they love and enjoy.
Riding Idaho’s Heyburn State Park
QUICK TIP: Land Managers around the nation are using TrailMeister.com to see what people are saying about their horse trails and camps. By sharing notes from your rides, you are not only letting people learn about a trail, you’re helping new riders feel confident venturing into a new area, and even sharing the trail maintenance efforts of your organization. Giving your trails a voice makes a difference and helps these special areas become even better places to ride and camp.
Here’s a link to the trail directory page. Please look up your trails and add notes from your latest rides – https://www.trailmeister.com/trails/
#3 – Join a trails advocacy organization like the Back Country Horsemen or similar trails support group. Trails are the result of ride-minded people, and organizations who pledge their support at both the local and national level. Become a Back Country Horsemen member and join the only national effort to protect the places you love to ride and camp with equines.
Please remember when you’re enjoying a great trail ride and camping experience, much of the work of clearing and preserving the trails and camp maintenance is performed by volunteer members of the Back Country Horsemen and other advocacy groups.
A work party in Washington’s Pasayten Wilderness – Click for a video of the area.
Here’s a link to the Back Country Horsemen of America webpage where you can find a local chapter to join. https://www.bcha.org
Thank you for pitching together in keeping horse trails open! By simply sharing a trail, sharing a ride, and joining together with like-minded people you can help us protect horse trails across the nation, as well as set the tone for our beloved natural recreation areas. For more information on trail riding, horse camping and more visit www.TrailMeister.com. Enjoy the Ride!!!