trail savers. . . f ight ing the good f ight
Terri Folks, Associate Editor of Trail Blazer, from Edmond, Oklahoma, works tirelessly to help save our trails.
Would you like to see your horse group featured in this column? T en email
trailsaver@trailblazermagazine.us with information and photos, and you too could receive national recognition as a Trail Saver!
Panhandle Back Country Horsemen in Idaho Hold Successful Training Clinics As reported in a previous issue, the
Panhandle Back Country Horsemen held free workshops to train people in using compasses, maps and GPS. The catch? You had to join the chapter. The fi rst workshop had more than 50 in attendance. Many new members joined and some members who had not been active also came. Jim Kim- ball, Al Linscott and Bob Williams covered different types of compasses and maps in the clinics. After classroom time, practical experience came when attendees used their compasses and maps to go through a course in the park. After the navigating workshops, the
chapter held a chainsaw certification course. With 16 people in attendance, the group loaded up equipment and traveled to a location where George Miller gave an introductory lecture on chainsaw safety and procedures. Several stress situations with actual
trees were created to learn the right way to saw and a chance to see what happens when the wrong cuts are made. Those situations included side blinds, hang ups, across ridge tops and limbing. The Panhandle Back Country Horsemen
chapter members are ready now for trail rides and work days. For more information, visit
www.pbch.org.
Support Your Trail System by Developing a Trail Organization In the Winter 2010 The Resource
newsletter, published by the Equine Land Conservation Resource, an article by Dot Moyer points out the keys that were successful for her trail system and organization. Moyer says to recruit strong leaders.
“It takes committed, talented, positive people to make a trail system work,” Moyer said in the article. “Your board needs lawyers, fi nancial experts, insurance professionals, realtors, landowners, busi- ness people, donors, writers, etc.” She says it is important to choose people who share the vision and who can work together as a team and disagree without being disagreeable. Find your vision and stick to it. Make your landowners happy—it’s their land and nothing happens without their cooperation. She points out three main concerns from landowners:
Buff alo River Chapter Back Country Horse- men members in Arkansas work together at a recent meeting. T ey have learned how to successfully work with landowners.
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How will their land and the people and animals on it be impacted by riding? Why would they want to allow these people on their land? What is their legal liability?
She suggests using a combination of prevention, legal savvy and insurance to limit landowner’s liability: Prevention—if you reduce the likelihood of accidents, you can reduce liability. Good risk management is critical.
Legal Savvy—acquire the assistance of a qualifi ed lawyer. Insurance—good liability coverage in adequate amounts is expensive and diffi cult
to fi nd. See what that lawyer or insurance person on your board can do. Building a trail system and organization takes a team of committed individuals
who are passionate about their work and driven in their commitment to a success- ful venture, says Moyer. To read the entire article, visit
www.elcr.org/resources/Howtobuildatrailsystem.pdf.
Work Weeks Begin with Fiſt een Inches of Snow The Oklahoma Equestrian Trail Rid-
ers Association put in the equestrian camp and trails at Robbers Cave State Park in Wilburton, Oklahoma, about 35 years ago. The group still maintains the trails and each year hosts a spring workweek. Most volunteers come over one of the two weekend, and some stay the entire week. The fi rst weekend had
76 June | July 2010 •
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