22/ JUNE 2014 THE RIDER 2014 Ontario Trail Riders Association Board of Directors
President Janice Clegg 519-940-1445
pineriverranch@gmail.com
Vice President / Regional Rep Coordinator/ Chapters Karen Plume 519-323-4653
kp59ca@gmail.com
Secretary/ Store Joan Patterson
joanpatterson@xplornet.com
Grants/Ontario Trillium Council/ OEF/ Equine Canada Bonnie Simpson
equestriantrails@hotmail.com
Memberships Wendy Downer 705-322-0287
appy1714@gmail.com
Treasurer Jan Belanger Elmvale, ON L0L 1P0 Home: 705-322-2027 Email:
janbel@csolve.net
Newsletter Elaine Wiesner
elaine.a.wiesner@gmail.com
OTRA: Box 3038, Elmvale, ON L0L 1P0 •
www.otra.ca
in 1970, is an equestrian organization which promotes recreational trail riding and the creation, development, preservation and safe use of trails.
The Ontario Trail Riders Association Inc, established
Trade Shows/Booth/Facebook Cathy Togeretz
cathytogeretz@sympatico.ca
Education Darlene Sharpe
dsharpe@uoguelph.ca
Event Calendar Sonja Wyss
info@barefoot-saddlecanada.ca
with the Ontario Trails Council, Ontario Equestrian Federation and Equine Canada. We welcome your membership to help sup- port the voice of OTRA on your behalf. For more information please visit our website at
www.otra.ca
OTRA 2014 Event Calendar
Multi-Use Trail Association Website. One of their members spoke to us at Can Am and the finished trails look amazing. From the website “Come and explore the pristine beauty of our boreal forest. The trail leads
a lovely Sunday clearing some fallen trees from the Dufferin Main Tract so the trails are ready for our Fun-D Ride. Check out the French River
Major Forest have 74 km of Multi-Use trails that are open to equestrians. They are in the area of Brock Road and Uxbridge- Pickering Townline. I haven’t ridden there yet but it is on my to do list for this summer. Six OTRA members spent
ed on this website and all the county forests in both Dufferin County and Simcoe County are open to equestrians. Dufferin County has twelve forest tracts totalling almost 2,600 acres. Simcoe county has over 31,000 acres of county forest. The largest Dufferin tract is the Main Tract, just north of Mansfield. This Main Tract joins a large Simcoe County forest tract at the townline, which is an unopened road allowance. OTRA hosts serveral rides in this forest each year, which is a perfect opportu- nity for you to become aqainted with this tract. Walker Woods and Glen
were asked at Can Am All Breeds Equine Expo? Where can I trail ride? One source of information is the Ontario Trails Council website. You can find a list of equestrian trails in Ontario. Not all the trails are listed here so if you know of any incorrect information, please let them know. County Forests are not list-
Number one question we
wildlife. Trailer parking is avail- able at the trailhead access on Trout Lake Road. For more information on the trail and trail conditions or local equine accommodations, please call Denny Sharp at (705) 898- 1204.” Don’t forget to join us on
of third party liability insurance to each ride and be prepared to sign a waiver.
40 Tips for the Trail Rider Preparation
• Before hitting the trail, you and your horse should have mastered basic skills in an arena, such as stopping and turning, as well as having control at all gaits. • Make sure the distance and duration of the trail ride is with- in your horse’s current fitness level. • Keep tack in good condition to prevent anything from breaking on the trail. • Groom your horse thoroughly before trail riding. • Put protective leg/foot wear, such as polo wraps or boots, on your horse. • Use insect repellent for both you and your horse. • Remember to check the weath- er before you ride and dress accordingly. • Riders and light-skinned hors- es should use sunscreen to pro- tect against harmful UV rays. • Before leaving the barn, trailer or campsite, make sure your horse’s shoes are tight and tack is fitting properly. • Plan your route and stick to
Facebook Make sure you bring proof
you past undeveloped crown land lakes, breathtaking Canadi- an Shield lookouts with many opportunities
to observe
equestrian-approved paths. • If you plan to stop and tie your horse, take a halter and lead rope with you. • Make sure you let someone know where you are going and when you expect to be back. Also let a friend or family mem- ber know where the keys to your various vehicles are. They should be accessible in case any- one is injured. On the Trail • Never hit the trail without a buddy, and never leave the buddy behind. • Wear a certified helmet that fits snugly and always buckle the chin strap. • Always carry a fully charged cell phone or satellite phone, first-aid kit,flashlight, water, hoof pick, map, compass and GPS receiver. Take advan- tage of the technology available to you! • Carry an ID and put identifica- tion information inside your hel- met. Be sure to include your name, address, phone number and emergency contacts. • Be prepared to confront com- mon problems that can go wrong with your horse such as lame- ness, laceration, colic, tying up and snake bite. • Know how to monitor your horse’s vital signs and be able to administer first-aid to both horse and human. • Make sure to rest and walk after periods of trotting. Don’t over do it! • Use your manners! Be friendly to other people you encounter on the trail. • Leave one horse length between horses, two if trotting. • Pass on the left at reduced speed after giving the person you are passing a verbal heads up.
• Always be aware of your sur- roundings and think ahead so you don’t put yourself or your horse in a dangerous situation. • Be a proactive rider. Avoid riding on footing that can be hazardous to your horse such as roots, holes and debris. • Change positions within your group and do transitions often. This will help the horse wanting to be at the front all the time, as well as keep the horse concen- trating on you and not the out- side environment or other hors- es. • If your horse spooks on the trail, it is OK to get off the horse to address the spooky obstacle. It is safer to deal with a sticky spot on the ground than under saddle. • To encourage your horse to be willing and obedient on the trail, be his leader! This means you, the rider, are always in control. Move your horse the opposite way he wants to take you. If he goes left, go right; if he goes right, go left; if he backs, go forward; if he goes forward without you asking, stop and back a few steps. This works the horse’s mind and reminds him that you are the leader. As your horse’s leader, he will trust you! • When approaching new obsta- cles that might frighten your horse, stop and let your horse address them in a safe manner. Let him swing his head to see it from both eyes and let him smell it. Take your time. Once your horse learns to trust you, the next obstacle you address will take less time to accept. • If your horse gets too close to a tree or obstacle and might hit it, slightly turn his head point- ing his nose toward it and use
your inside leg aid (leg closest to the obstacle) to yield him away from the obstacle. If you use too much rein aids, you will actually turn him more into the tree. • Use your body position to help maintain your horse’s balance while traveling uphill (tilt upper body forward, extend arms up the horse’s neck to give him his head) and downhill (lean upper body back, push feet forward in stirrups so legs are in front of the cinch/girth, and hold reins approximately three to four inches higher than usual). • At a water crossing, pond, river or lake, stop and offer the horse water. • Try to know the depth of a water crossing before attempt- ing to cross it. • Always remove a tie-down or martingale before crossing a water obstacle in case you encounter a deep spot. These devices restrict your horse’s head so much that he won’t be able to swim. • Socializing on the trail with your friends can be fun, but remember to always pay more attention to your horse and his body language than to a conver- sation. • Always have your horse walk on the way back to the barn to prevent him from learning to rush home. After the Ride • Make sure to cool your horse down properly to relieve and prevent lactic acid buildup in the muscles. • Check to see if your horse sweated evenly under the saddle pad to make sure your saddle doesn’t have any pressure points that can make your horse uncomfortable or cause long- term problems. • Rinse or hose off sweat and always offer fresh clean water. • Do a visual and tactile evalu-
ation of your horse. Check his legs for swelling or any cuts he might have from the ride. Treat accordingly.
Trailering information from Maple Lane Equestrian Trail- ers:
fused about when an Annual Safety is required? Here is the quick and dirty- if you tow your horse trailer with a truck, then truck and trailer should be safetied annually (that’s the Yellow safety sticker). Typical- ly the Vehicle Weight Rating (VWR) of a truck + the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of the towed trailer, when added together, will be equal
“Commercial Vehicles” under the Ontario Traffic laws- and are subject to those regulations governing their use. If you are towing your horse trailer with an SUV, mini-van or mid-size car- the rules for Commercial Vehicles do not apply. There- fore towing with a non-com- mercial vehicle (car, SUV or mini-van) means the annual safety process does not apply to you.
cle and your trailer checked annually to ensure it is safe for transporting you and your hors- es? YOU BET!!! Brakes, Lights, engines, coolants, latch- es and wheels/tires all in good working order is always impor- tant.
reference!
http://www.mto.gov.o
n.ca/english/trucks/regulations/a nnual.shtml
Happy Trails! Please note that you must be a member of OTRA to
participate in the events. Remember to carry your current membership card with you to the events! Date / Location July 19/20 - Vivian Forest Aug 30/Sept 1 - Algonquin Park Sept 5,6,7 - Huron County Forest Sept 12/14 - Dundas Valley Sept 26/28 - South Algonquin Oct 3,4,5 - Algonquin Park Oct 11,12,13 - York Region Forest All participants will be required to complete and sign an OTRA waiver at each ride.
Please RSVP the Ride Host before attending any ride. Ride Changes and cancellations appear here as soon as infor- mation is available. It is your responsibility to contact the host for last minute changes before traveling to the ride location . If you would be interested in hosting an OTRA event, please contact our Event Calendar co-ordinator -
pineriverranch@gmail.com
website
Here is a link to the MTO as
a Should you get your vehi-
10,000lbs...or more. This when the Annual Safety Inspection is triggered. Trucks are considered
to 4500kg or Living in Ontario and con-
OTRA and its members represent the equestrian trail user
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