December
2015

We’re Live

Wow, the year has flown by. On the TrailMeister side of the trail it’s been a busy year. Really busy. The 2015 TrailMeister trail riding seminars started in January at the Pomona Horse Expo in CA and the last chat wrapped up in mid September at the Washington State Quarter Horse Association event at the Flying Horseshoe Ranch in Cle Elum, WA.

Trail areas that we visited this year included a few visits into the Bob Marshall Wilderness from the Owl Creek and Benchmark trailheads, 8 days in the Pasayten Wilderness helping clear trails, and more visits to the McKenzie Conservation Area, Riverside State Park, and Rustlers Gulch areas than I can shake a stick at. I like wearing the nail heads off of my horseshoes; makes me feel like Iâve been somewhere.

In between talking, teaching, riding, and writing we’ve also been working on a present for YOU. A NEW website; WWW.TRAILMEISTER.COM. TrailMeister readers like you are the most important people in our world. We haven’t been pleased with the old website. Some of you weren’t either. We’ve been working since early in the year on a new TrailMeister website for you that fulfills your needs as trail riders. It’s ready for you.

The NEW TrailMeister is a place where you can:

Find all the pertinent info on new trail and horse camps to visit: directions, rules, maps, weather, and much more.
Share your favorite rides with friends through our completely revamped Riders Route feature.
Learn more about trail riding and camping with equines in our Tips area.
Read featured TrailMeister columns in leading equine publications.

Getting TrailMeister to where we are today has taken more time and effort than I can measure. It’s also taken hard work from many of our readers. In particular, I’d like to thank Ken C. from North Carolina for his meaningful and very helpful insights when going through the beta version of the new website. Thank you. Last but certainly not least, Pat Fish from California created our new logo. It’s a stunner! Thank you both very much!

In short www.TrailMeister.com is the resource for active trail riders. There are many other websites that like to say they’re da bomb but TrailMeister blows them all away with the width and breadth of our free information, tools, and resources for you.

		Great Rides The Circle E Guest Ranch in Belvidere, TN has loads to offer horsemen, and women, hundreds of miles of trails to explore, hundreds of campsites with all the creature comforts, and thousands of wonderful memories to be had. For more info on this spectacular horse riding and camping destination Continue Reading »

		Featured Review If you value peace of mind during a trail ride the Delorme InReach may be a tool for you. I used one of these high-tech devices throughout the summer and it came in handy. Really handy. From notifying my wife that I had lost my truck keys and arranging to have her bring them to a Bob Marshall Wilderness trailhead, to simple messages saying that all was well, wish you were here, the InReach did a great job. Thankfully I had no need to use the emergency SOS feature! Read more about why we like the InReach. Continue Reading »

		Featured Video A good follow-on to the review of the Delorme InReach is the video! You’ll enjoy this 4:35 video that gives the low down on the device in a humorous way that will have you laughing as you learn why we like this handy device. Watch now. Continue Reading »

		Riders Route of the Month TrailMeister reader NNAILS from NC submitted this route for the Moses Cone Memorial Park in Blowing Rock, NC. NNAILS uploaded the GPS file of his ride at Moses Cone and it looks like a fabulous place to ride! Many thanks NNAILS! Have you uploaded your ride? Every trail area has a Rider Routes tab where you can upload, download, print and share your favorite ride. Need more reasons to upload your routes? Continue Reading »

		Featured Article of the Month Getting Help When You Really Need it Western Mule Magazine Feb 2015 Suppose you’re riding and have an accident. How are you going to call for help if you’re out of cell phone range? In this article from Western Mule Magazine we discuss the various types of satellite communicators to help you determine what type of device may be best for your situation. From PLB to SMS hereâs what you need to know. Continue Reading »

		Featured Coming Events Jan. 16, 2016 – Icelandic Horse Congress, Portland OR Jan. 23, 2016 – Tack Trunk, Spokane WA Instead of just dreaming of the coming summer’s rides we can start planning and scheduling the year ahead. A great way to do that is to attend some of the many Equine Expo’s and learning opportunities that take place during this grey time of year. Heck, in the warmer parts of the country there’s even a good number of rides going on through the winter! Click here for the full Event Calendar Have an event that you’d like to share? Click on the Submit Event button and get the word out.