Calendar 2008
- Saturday,
January 12, 4-6 pm – “Horse Disaster Planning”
– In light of the recent fires in Southern California and because
the Valley has seen many fires, planning what to do for your horses
and other pets should be a priority. This special event will feature
with Fire Department
Officials.
Also at this meeting,
the 10th Mountain Huts that are horse friendly will be
discussed and those interesting in summer riding at one of the huts can
plan their own events
This will be a pot luck appetizer/dessert event at the Aspen Farms Club
House (formerly Aspen Equestrian Estates) on Equestrian Way, ,just off
Hwy 82 and Catherine’s Store in Carbondale\
2. Saturday, April 12,
2007, 4-6 pm- "Getting Ready for Riding Season"
- What are people’s favorite trails, how to get your horse and
yourself in shape – Trail Etiquette – Emergency First Aid for you
and your horse – and what are your favorite munchies for those long
days in the saddle!!
This will be a pot luck
appetizer/dessert event at the Aspen Farms Club House (formerly
Aspen Equestrian Estates) on Equestrian Way, just off
Hwy 82 and Catherine’s Store in Carbondale. Mountain
Rescue Cards will be available for purchase.
3.
Friday, June 13 and Saturday, June
14 – Special Fun Riding Activities
Friday – Trail Rides –
Several different locations will be determined for 2-3 groups, varying
in rider/horse experience, location to be determined
Saturday - A Gymkhana type fun
riding event will be outdoors at Aspen Equestrian Arena or indoors
depending on weather.
4.
Friday, August 15 and Saturday, August 16
– Trail Rides
5. Early
October – “Poker Ride” – Stay tuned! This is a fun –
non-competitive event
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Right to Ride Legislation is Stalled
Thanks
to Lynn Kirchner for providing this important update
"Right-To-Ride Livestock on Federal Lands Act of 2005" has stalled in the
Senate because of low support from the horse world. The American Horse
Council, led by the American Quarter Horse Association, have launched a
campaign to GET ANYONE WHO RIDES, especially if they already ride in
national parks or wilderness areas-or think they might someday-to get
on the bandwagon to send off an already prepared letter of support.
Some details. . .
Last March, Rep. George Radanovich (R-CA) introduced the "Right-To-Ride
Livestock on Federal Lands Act of 2005" into the US House of Representatives,
and a month later Sen. Mike Crapo (R-ID) introduced an identical bill
into the US Senate. But nothing has happened since March, when the bill
was referred to half a dozen committees. This is due partly because
congressmen and their staffs are disappointed by the low level of
support their efforts have received from the horse world.
The easiest way to contact your senator or representative is to click on
http://capwiz.com/aqha/issues/alert/?alertid=7749306&type=CO
which takes you to an AQHA Action Alert. Once there, you enter your
zip code, fill in your name and address for verification as a constituent,
and a prepared letter of support goes to the congressional representatives
you designate. Of course, if you'd prefer to write your own letter, this
link also provides the bill's complete text.
The bill says in part "The Secretary of the Interior shall provide for the
management of National Park System lands to preserve and facilitate
the continued use and access of pack and saddle stock animals on such
lands, including wilderness areas, national monuments, and other
specifically designated areas, where there is a historical tradition
of such use. As a general rule, all trails, routes and areas used by
pack and saddle stock shall remain open and accessible for such use."
Please forward this message to any horse association or outdoor
organization that supports hiking and riding trails. This is a vital
letter of support that cements equestrian rights on a national level,
and safeguards riding on public lands for the future.
****************************************************************************************
Letter to
the Aspen Times Editor -
published in the Aspen Times Weekly, 9/16/05
Dear Editor,
I am writing this letter in response to the Aspen Times Weekly
article
“Collision Course.” The Times left out a major group of trail users who are
also
vitally interested in the future of the trails in the Valley – horseback
riders -
of which I am but one of hundreds here.
Equestrians use the trails with hikers, bikers, and mechanized
vehicle
users. We all need to learn to share the land safely. Besides determining which
trails can be used by which groups in environmentally friendly ways, we
all
must be educated about the trail etiquette for everyone’s equal
enjoyment.
What many people may not realize is that horses are not just big dogs,
they are “prey” animals not predators, and as such see everything
unusual
as a threat to their life. They may be 1000+ in weight, but to a horse, a
hiker
with a huge backpack could be a mountain lion in disguise.
A person on a vehicle riding up
behind is not “a person on a
vehicle”
but an unknown monster – horses cannot separate the person and the
vehicle
without many years of trail experience. The
result can cause serious injury or
even the death of the rider, the horse, a dog, or anyone else around. The
key
is for the non-horseback rider to stay visible, stop or move slowly and
“talk” so
the horse knows you’re a person. And trails that are wide enough for
bicyclists
and hikers may not be wide enough to accommodate a horse and rider at the
same time.
Importantly, equestrians can and
do serve as a valuable safety net for
others. Just recently, a few friends and I – all on horseback – rescued a
hiker
deep in the wilderness who had probably at least a torn ACL, but no cell
phone,
and really no way to get out for timely medical help. That is what sharing the
trails is all about – to help and assist each other.
New in our area is the Roaring
Fork Valley Horse Council, a non-profit,
all volunteer organization created to educate others and to insure access
to
our wonderful White River National Forests, Maroon Bells Wilderness,
Frying
Pan Wilderness and many other places. The Horse Council wants to work with
all the other recreational groups in the Valley – as we are working
already
with many of these local organizations.
Anyone interested in the Horse
Council can find out more by
logging on to www.roaringforkvalleyhorsecouncil.com
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Roberta McGowan
Missouri Heights
"Dear Trail Enthusiast:
Pitkin County Open Space and Trails wants to hear from you
about our trails.
We would like to know the "when, where and why"
of how you use our trail system,
so that we can have your use in mind when we manage our trail system.
We also want to know what type of surface you would like
for the Rio Grande Trail.
We have had a lot of public inquiry about whether we plan
to pave the soft surface
portions of the Rio Grande Trail, or keep it soft surface.
Please let us know
your preference.
So, let us know what you think.
Please take a few minutes to fill out an
online survey at http://riograndetrail.speedsurvey.com
If you don't have access to the internet, please stop by
our office
to fill out a survey, or send us a letter to:
Rio Grande Trail Survey
Open Space and Trails Department
530 East Main Street
Aspen, CO 81611
Thank you!"
Barb D'Autrechy
Pitkin County Open Space and Trails
530 East Main Street
Aspen, Colorado 81611
970/920-5232
970/920-5198 Fax
