A Fresh Start to Spring

As I look out my window the Apricot tree is in full bloom, and a late Spring snowfall is slowly melting away. The Crocus and Grape Hyacinth's are emerging to remind me it is finally Spring in Boulder, Colorado. 

The late snow got me busy indoors going through my saddle pack and refreshing first aid supplies. I recently took a NOLS Wilderness First Aid class. This two-day class made me feel more capable of handling accidents that may occur either in the backcountry or on a local trail—whether on foot or on horseback. I have been wanting to take this class for some time. A horse camping accident last year got me motivated, so when I saw this class come up through REI I jumped on it. I recommend you find a class near you.

The next on my to-do-list was cleaning out my trailer, checking tires and getting ready for trailering this year. Saddle cleaning and finally letting go of that extra tack like saddles, girths, and bridles that I no longer use. First I tried listing one of my saddles on a horse-related website and sure enough I was contacted, but by a scammer who kept insisting I use their delivery service. This is a Red Flag. So be aware that if you are selling anything online to use your delivery service and payment service like PayPal. After trying to sell my endurance saddle myself, and running all over the town, I decide to go with a local tack shop, Saddle Up in nearby Longmont, Colorado. Yes, they take a percentage, but all the time and gas involved in saving a few dollars makes it worth it.

While I was at Saddle Up I found a grooming tool that I had heard was perfect for shedding winter coats. It is called the Groom Ninja. Not only is is great on small animals and horses, but also horse blankets, and it comes in three sizes. You will love this tool!

Have a lovely Spring
Linda

Late Summer at Vedauwoo

We always plan a late summer horse camping trip to one of our favorite areas in Wyoming. It is the time just before hunting season opens, and also a time we clean up after the campers who use this area and care little for the environment.

This trip was perfect except for some smoke brought in for the Montana fires to the North. The leaves were on the verge of color change and the spring still had some water flowing at the source. You can never tell about the water there, but with global warming the spring can be dry this late in the season.

After setting up camp we took a walk about to see how others have been treating the surroundings. We were saddened to find toilet paper left in the woods along with used sanitary products within a few inches from a water source. We put on our gloves and cleaned this up along with trash left in fire pits. Primitive camping requires respect for the ecosystem. Please consider bringing a portable toilet, fill a screw top bucket with a bag and some pine shavings or kitty litter — remember to pack out what you pack in, and take care of the planet you live on.

Later in the day we did a few of our favorite trails and took in the late season riding. On the last morning around 6 AM I awoke to the horses spinning in their pens. After taking a look around I saw a black animal off to the side of the pens. Thinking it might be a few stray cows I got a bit closer. Well hello, a beautiful bull moose and his girlfriend were just passing through. What a lovely surprise!

Our last ride revealed more trash, beer bottles and cans piled high in fire pits then covered with rocks throughout the area and new fire pits created in poorly chosen locations. Later today I will write the forest management area to alert them that users are mistreating this beautiful place. Please spread the word and pack out what you pack in, maybe refrain from a fire and please take care of these wild places.

- LindaP

Lady Moon

Spring is here and Mary and I were up for leaving Boulder County for the day and riding somewhere new. We contacted our friend Rose, who lives up in Larimer County, and decided to meet her at the Lady Moon trailhead near Red Feather Lakes.

There are over 20 miles of trails in this area, with only a couple well developed. The remainder are old roads and stock/game trails that have become recreational trails through local use. Private parcels surround this Roosevelt National Forest system, and boundaries are well marked. Signage is poor and trails can be hard to follow in some places, so keep your eye out and a compass or GPS on hand—we were lucky to have Rose who knew this area well.

We arrived late, traffic in Fort Collins (if you can avoid driving through town). We had a nice breeze as we set out on the trail—the footing was perfect! The trail wound through Pasque flower covered valleys with lovely rock formations, pine forests and small water crossings. The trail that day followed moose droppings, so keep your eye out so as not to be surprised by one. We had to do a bit of bushwacking around fallin trees here and there. Note: these trails are not consistently maintained, though Rose spoke of a local couple that do a bit of trail maintenance in that area—thank you.

Some other trail information:
The trailhead is on the south side of Larimer County Road 74E near Red Feather Lakes at approximate 8200 feet. Opposite this trailhead, on the north side of 74E is the Mt. Margaret trailhead. The trail offers meadow and mountain views as well as connecting Molly Lake and Elkhart Creek trails.

To get there:
Take Hwy 287 north of Fort Collins to Livermore, turn left on County Road 74E. Travel 22 miles to the the trailhead.

- The trail system is open year round.
- There are no parking or day use fees.
- Trails are open to horses, hikers and bikers and dogs are also allowed.
- Mountain biking is not allowed from December 1 through June 30th.

So who was Lady Moon?
I found this interesting article about Catherine Lawder Grattan Moon after I found myself wondering how this trail got its name.

Lady Moon left riches-to-rags story in Fort Collins
Published by Barbara Fleming for the Coloradan

She was “loud and crude” but had a generous heart and took in strays of all kinds without hesitation.

The personal life of Catherine Lawder Grattan Moon was rocky, to say the least, and her turbulent life ended in 1926 as the age of 61.

Lady Moon, as she was known, left behind a detailed and revealing will that tells us much about the woman behind the public exterior. Her ex-husband, Lord Cecil Moon, to whom she had once paid alimony, received nothing. The ranch they had once jointly owned was in the care of her former foreman — what remained of it, in any case.

At one time the proud owner of race horses and a fine herd of cattle, Catherine Moon had fallen on hard times. The ranch buildings had burned and she had lost some rental properties she had formerly owned in town.

Her foster son, Frank Potts, had been a large disappointment to both Catherine and Cecil; he received nothing. Her horse, Lady West, went to a man named Joe Gray. Her foul-mouthed parrot — which had once sworn richly at Father Guillame LaJeunesse of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church — went to a woman named Mrs. S.J. Oliver, who, we presume, was unfazed by the parrot’s vocabulary.

Stories abound about this colorful character, who emigrated from Ireland as a young woman and landed in the nearby mining town of Manhattan, which flourished for a time in the 1880s. She was always proud of having wangled an audience with Queen Victoria when she and her then-husband went to England to claim his inheritance and title. She also liked to boast that her favorite horse at the time, Moses, traveled across the Atlantic with her.

She was known to tipple a bit and said to have secreted liquor in the folds of her skirts when she came to town —as well as a pistol, which she once used, the story goes, to retrieve her husband from the clutches of his latest lady friend.

But her heart was at her ranch, and when she died, having had to abandon it, she had little left to give. She designated a few cash gifts to friends — of which she had many — and named recipients for her gold-plated cane, a gold belt and two leather chairs.

The bulk of her estate, such as it was, went to St. Vincent’s orphanage and school in Denver, which received $500 — leaving historians to wonder about her own childhood in Ireland and what caused her to come to America.

She specified that she wished to be interred above ground at Mount Olivet Cemetery in Denver, so her remains rest there in a vault. That fact notwithstanding, Catherine Moon left an indelible legacy in her adopted home of Fort Collins.

Misty Morning Ride at Heil Ranch

It has been a pretty dry March so far here in Boulder, and plans were set earlier in the week to trailer
over to the Heil Ranch Open Space, just a few miles from Boulder Vally Ranch. To all our surprise we woke up to a wet and misty day—rare here in this part of Colorado.

After some confusion about our time to leave the ranch, a low tire (thank goodness Bob was around to get the air compressor up and running) and a balky-loading horse we finally got under way.

The four of us ventured out and were transported into a misty world. The smell of creasote from a earlier controlled burn scented the airas we ascended up the fire road and into the mist. I had the song Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin in my head the entire ride. We stopped to let a flock of wild turkeys cross the road, and were watched carefully by herds of does in no rush to get anywhere.

Up, up and up we rode, walking and trotting—the footing was perfect (but hoof protection is recommended). This trail system is a great way to start conditioning your horse, as it steadily climbs and descends on the return. It also is designed with trails for bikers and hikers so you have dispersed use. On a clear day the canyon views are quite astonishing, but for today we had the turkeys, does and mist-filled forests all to ourselves.

Returning back to the barn we all felt refreshed and at peace—less one hub cap off my trailer. Maybe I will come across it on Highway 36 one day.

- LindaP

Fall Riding In Colorado and Wyoming

It's been awhile since I posted to this blog, and it's been a very dry October and November in the front range and most of Colorado. The horses have grown long winter coats as the daylight hours become night, I was not quite ready for that and neither were the horses. Trying to ride in these warm temperatures makes them uncomfortable, sweaty and need I say dirty dusty ponies.

Some fun rides we did in early to mid fall were Red Mountain in Larimer County (pictured left from the Rim), a quick "I can't believe it's this warm in Vedauwoo", lets go camping at the last minute trip, and Caribou Open Space in Nederland.

Today, finally snow has fallen. It made me so happy and the feeling of cooler temperatures at ease.
Hopefully more snow will fall soon and I will head up to Copper Mountain for a few turns. I love riding in fresh powder whether its on my beloved furry pony or on skis!

May the holidays bring you together with friends and family—both near an far—and 2017 bring peace and love to the world.

Linda and Nico

It's Spring & Mud Season

It has been some time since I have written on this blog. I was busy writing and managing the Boulder County Horse Association Nicker blog. As a new Board of Directors brings a fresh look to the Association and its website I have decided to get back to my TravelsByHorse blog.

It has been a wild Spring here in Boulder, Colorado. Winter brought piles of snow to the mountains—great for us skiers—and a few piles here in the front range—not so great for us riders! Trees and fruit blossoms were a bit stressed and tree crews had a lot to clean-up. With the winter thaw, and the arrival of spring, so comes the mud and intermittent trail closures on our area open spaces.

What is arriving: Pasque flowers, wild asparagus, Bluebirds, Meadowlarks, and yellow Goldfinches to name a few. Their songs fill the fields and they line up on the fences—what a pleasure after such a long winter.

As the grasses begin to grow along with daylight I have gone into the shed and pulled out my grazing muzzle, cleaned my brushes and tack, and continue to make good use of my shedding blade on both my horse and my dog. Last week was the spring shot clinic at our barn and Mark Fitch made it quick and easy. This friday it’s off to get the trailer serviced at Scott Murdoch’s in Loveland.

It has been stop and go on starting conditioning Nico. But it looks like the weather may start cooperating a bit more. We started intervals of trots, and up and down hills. For me, I continue with Pilates and now interval training at a local Orange Theory here in Boulder.

In the meantime keep your eyes peeld for wild asparagus and colorful birds as spring bursts forth with all its wonderful surprises here is Boulder!

Grilled Asparagus Recipe
- peel stalks
- brush with a mixture of balsamic vinegar and olive oil
- place on hot grill (in basket)
- when done sprinkle with flaked sea salt and parmesan cheese

Winter Riding

Nico in Winter at Boulder Valley Ranch

Winter is here in Boulder, Colorado and I find myself a bit off my usual schedule—riding after work
(darn that daylight savings time) is down, and weekend trailering to local trailheads too. I just pulled my front shoes to give Nico's feet a break. I think it is important for the hoof to make contact with the earth for a few months, so this is the time I do that too.

As my body grows a bit stiffer, I stay on my Pilates schedule to keep my lower back moving, my inner thighs in shape and my body flexible.

Here is a list of some of my favorite local winter rides:

Heatherwood:
The trailhead is accessible in from the Heatherwood neighborhood off 75th Street in Gunbarrel. Most users of this trail system access the trails from Valmont or Arapahoe, but I love the convenience of the wide street for parking and less bikes from this Northwest access point. The soft footing does not require hoof protection, and the grasslands and undulating terrain allows you to get in a few good gallops and also work your horses hind end climbing up and down the small canyons. There are no bathrooms here, you can find one at the Arapahoe trailhead, and no water sources. Also as a courtesy to the neighbors please pick up your manure at your trailers!

Boulder Valley Ranch:
I board here so these are my home trails. This trail system does have a lot of user groups (so good for desensitizing your horse to bikes, dogs and cross country skiers in the current winter snow),  but the trail system is big enough that you can spread out. The trail system offers equestrian/hiker only trails too. There are water sources and a bathroom at the Longhorn Road access point (beware not enough room to park a horse trailer at this location). The trailhead off Neva Road has plenty of parking, but  the bathroom is near the Beech Pavilion not in the parking lot. Another great parking area is off Highway 36 near the septic tank area. It is an in and out, so head down towards the parking lot that had the tunnel under 36, drive past and park near the cement septic tanks. There is a gate there to access the Hidden Valley area of Boulder Valley Ranch, then you can simply take the left back out to Highway 36.


Marshall Mesa:
Now that the brand new tunnel has been completed there is a lot of terrain to cover here. It is a heavy bike use area but worth riding in the spring, fall and winter. Trailhead parking is available on the Southeast side of Highway 93, Dowdy Draw off Eldorado Road, or Flatirons Vista on the west side of Highway 93. There are bathrooms at all locations except for Dowdy Draw. The area can be rocky so hoof protection might be a good idea on this trail system.


Bear Lake State Park in Morrison:
I like this trail system to work on water crossings—there are a lot of them here. There is a fee of $7 to access this Park but it is a nice riding area just a short distance from Boulder. Parking at the corral area also lets you do some arena work. The trails range from wide open and flat, to beautiful tree lines streams. In winter the North facing hill climb can be icy so beware!


Rabbit Mountain: You will find this trailhead off Highway 66 in Lyons. There are bathrooms and designated trailer parking sites. A steady climb out of the parking area takes you to more open trails where you can trt out and open up into some nice canters. You also can take side trails and do some loops. These side trails tend to be rocky so hoof protection is recommended.

Hope to see you out and about this winter! Linda P

It's been a while!

It has been a while since I have posted on Travels by Horse. It's been a long, windy winter here in the Front Range and our trail system is recovering from the infamous 1,000-year flood. It seems every time I want to get out and ride the weather goes wild or a trail closes because of bad conditions. For me spring can't come fast enough, and it will take some time getting my horse back in shape.

I have had my hands full helping with the Boulder County Horse Association (BCHA) Board and blog, BCHANicker.org. If you live in the Boulder County area this is a wonderful organization to support. You do not have to be a horse owner, you can join and get involved even if you simply love horses and want to see them thrive in Boulder County. The City of Boulder Open Space surveys consistently show that people just love to see and interact with horses on trails around Boulder. They are wonderful creatures to watch and herds have complex and interesting behaviors. Most riders will even stop and let you visit with them and their mighty steeds—simple ask.

This April, BCHA will be holding its second annual BCHA Horse Fair and Annual Meeting at the Boulder County Fairgrounds in Barn A, Sunday April 13th, from 10 AM to 5 PM. What's going on?

• Mingle and reconnect with other horse lovers.
• Attend our educational seminars. Learn about camping with your horse from the Northern Colorado Backcountry Horsemens Association and Conditioning your horse presented by Cheryl and Randy Winter.
• Do a bit of shopping we will have some great vendors.
• Learn about horse breeds. This year we will have a live horse breed exhibit. Rumor has it more then 20 beautiful horses will be on display. 
• Do some to -tapping. The Wallpaper House Band featuring Anne Gifford will play from 1 PM - 5 PM. 

For more information and updates on the BCHA Fair please click here.

Happy travels, Linda P

South Boulder Trail Ride

A hiker was nice enough to take our photo.

We had a lovely trail ride on Sunday on the South Boulder trail system to the west of Highway 93 on Sunday.

Now that the road from Boulder Valley Ranch was clear of ice and snow, and recently graded,  I thought it would be nice to get out of dodge, so to speak. Nico and I hauled out to meet the gals in South Boulder. We saddled up and headed down Marshall Road to the crossing on Broadway (Highway 93) to access the wooded trails off the Mesa Trail.

This system is fairly rocky so if you are not shod hoof protection, such as Easy boots are recommended. The trails were snow packed so the pace was no more then a walk. We meandered through the pine forests enjoying each others company and the horses had a few gradual climbs to work their hind ends.

As we crossed the last meadow towards home we came upon a lovely herd of very healthy does, they seemed to enjoy our company as they traveled along with us.

Thanks Nico, Mary and Spear, Peg and Cinch, and Freddie Nemo.

Audit or Ride a Buck Brannaman Clinic?

I had the opportunity to audit the Buck Brannaman Clinic at the Boulder County Fairgrounds this past summer. A couple of my friends were riding in the clinic, for the steep fee of $600+.  These are my observations:

1. Seemed like way too many riders for one man.
2. Riders did a lot of sitting on their horses, or some standing while holding their horses.
3. So many of these novice riders with green horses could better benefit from one-on-one instruction (let's do the math, assuming a lesson is about $50).
   Wow! That would give them 12 lessons.
4. Helmets, saw many riders "duded" out on their horses but no head protection.
   It's alive, it has a flight instinct, and it is over 1000 lbs...dah!
   My friend Dr. Murray would say "all those riders are paying off my school loans".

From my perspective audit one of his clinics and search out a qualified trainer in your area.
The $25 audit fee (free if you are over 65) was the best deal in town that day.
I took notes, learned some pointers and met up with some old friends. It might be great to attend one of his clinics if the size was smaller and you could get his full attention, but in my opinion save your money and work one-on-one with an exceptional trainer in your area.

Aspens are changing at Hermit Park

A few of us decided to ride Hermit Park this past Sunday to escape another hot Sunday in Boulder. Their was a bit of road bicycle dodging on Highway 36 and in Lyons as the Venus de Miles race was gearing up but we made it to the trailhead, saddled up and headed down the trail. I love this area, as I have stated in previous posts and am glad to report that the horse campground is underway. Stakes are in the ground and hopefully the new campgrounds will be open in Spring of 2013.

We were surprised to see the smaller aspens changing color this early, but it has been a long, hot and dry summer here in Colorado. A gradual climb to the first Homestead and Spring was lovely as we explored the forests and meadows. We trotted the horses out and climbed through the forest stopping at a lovely meadow to have lunch. After, we picked up a trail towards another homestead which later revealed the Twin Sisters looming towards the west. As we turned for home the horses picked up the pace and we had it all to experience again.

Note: Entrance fee $6.00
Speed Limited: 10 MPH and they mean it!
Parking: 3 trailers at trailhead, other areas available if full.
Cabins: port-o-potties and propane stoves available (no horses allowed)
Camping: Small RVs and tent
Horse Campground: (Spring 2013)
Dogs: leashed until you reach the boundary
Water: spring at first homestead, small drainage if flowing

It's finally cooling down in Boulder

South Boulder Trailhead

It has been a long  hot summer here in Boulder, starting with fires, and record temperatures. This past weekend the temp's finally cooled down so a group of us decided to meet at the newly remodeled trail head in South Boulder off Broadway in Marshall. The new trailer parking sites were easy to pull into and out of (thank you City of Boulder Open Space).

We arrived around 1:30 pm and tacked up the horses. Today's ride was with two younger riders and green horses, their trainer Lauren Carver and my good friend Lee. We checked in with our horses with a bit of in-hand ground work, mounted and then headed west towards the Mesa trail. We turned off early onto a new link trail to check it out, and some of the greener horses had to learn to cross some small bridges, it was a good learning experience for both horse and rider. The link trail led us to the Shanahan Ridge housing community so we  decided to bushwack west to the gate that allowed us to access the trails higher up.

The afternoon we did some wonderful trotting and cantering on wide open trails, and also explored deeper into the woods on single track trails. Some more challenging then others.
There are steep steps for your horse to work on—some man-made some natural. All in all you can make this trail system as easy or as challenging as you would like.

NOTES:
Shoes: recommended.
Trailer parking: designated, can hold about six, medium size trailers doubled-up.
Bikes: Not-allowed
Dogs: Some trails require leash, bear and deer in this area so suggest you leave them at home.

Vedauwoo:
One of my favorite places

Nico chowing down
in the pens at Vedauwoo.

Just a couple of hours from Boulder is one of my favorite places to ride, camp and hike. The fires were still burning in Colorado, and the temperatures high so getting out of town was a great idea. From our campsite looking south to Colorado you could see the plumes of smoke from the High Park fire, 11,000 acres and growing. Fortunately the winds were not blowing in our direction, but Cheyenne looked to be getting some smoke. 

The horse camping and riding in this area of Wyoming is endless—whether you stay on a road, trail or simply head off cross country. We were fortunate to get the pens (total of 10) for the duration of our trip. It is a first come, first serve campsite so be prepared if the site is full when you arrive to find another gorgeous site and tie to your trailer, picket line or set up your own corral. The nice thing about this designated site is the spring and cattle tank, but this time around the tank was dry because of a broken valve and connection. So I set up a drip bucket at the main line to collect some water.

Cheryl, Mary, Lee and Camy smoke
from the High Park fire
in the background.

I arrived Thursday and had the site to myself, two other horses were there and their owners had their RV nearby. The site shows some wear and tear but the pens have been nicely maintained by the Backcountry Horseman's Association (thank you). After settling in Nico and I went for a lovely dusk ride and came face to face with a handsome antelope buck. That evening after dinner I relaxed in my hammock as the darkness revealed a cosmic wonder of stars. Friday morning was perfect, I tacked up Nico and off we went exploring. My goal was to discover some new routes through the aspens to the Beaver pond, we succeeded! Later that day my friends Lee, Cheryl, Mary, Hal and Pete joined me at the site, and later that evening a local couple, Crystal and Billy (Lee and I met them here a couple of years ago). Bill managed to fix the tank, thanks Bill, I am sure all the other day and overnight riders, along with the cows, moose and other critters will appreciate that! 

Saturday after breakfast we all saddled up and rode out for another great ride. Crystal and Billy knew all the trails from years of riding in the area, she ponied her 1 1/2 year old filly, what a cutie she was (you too Crystal)! Climbing up gently to Devils Throat and dodging the ghosts in the Haunted Forest was all part of the fun ride.

Sunday morning a moose passed through camp and Mary got a good shot of it. I was sound asleep, missed it again! The girls tacked up and explored more trails to the South. Rolling grasslands, aspens and some bogs were part of the ride before we packed up and headed home to Colorado.

TIP: go during the week for less crowds, and have a water tank in your rig just in case!
NOTE:  This is a popular area for locals, so don't think you will be alone up there on weekends.
It can be somewhat crowded with RV/ATV use (designated roads only), but there are plenty of places to ride your horse without feeling too much pressure from other users.

Love to trail ride and feeling competitive?

Love to trail ride and feeling competitive?

Try a NATRC Competitive Trail Ride.

This past Memorial Day weekend a few of us decided to head down to the NATRC Region 3 One-Day Competitive Trail Ride at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. A short haul for us from the Boulder area. I myself had never ridden there and heard the trails were wonderful. Myself and Nico, and Mary and Spear registered as Novice. This entailed a 17 mile total mileage day on this one-day ride (often these are two-day rides). My other friend Jill and Goldie have been doing this for years and they rode Open which entails about 27 miles in one-day. To prepare for this ride we just put in the miles and the hills for a few weeks. Condition....condition...condition. We arrived Saturday afternoon and set up camp (horses must be tied to the trailer) then a Vet check in which involves trotting out your horse and lunging to access gait and any lameness. A fun potluck that evening with about 70 other competitors and volunteers, a briefing and to bed early. Up at 5:30 AM to feed and get the horses ready for a start at 7:30 AM.

So how does the judging go?

Competitive trail is a bit different then Endurance—you are judged not only on time (getting to points on your map), but also on horsemanship and horse. During the competition you will be judged by both a Horsemanship and Veterinary Judge. The Horsemanship Judge will have prepared obstacles such as logs and side passes, off-side mounts, in-hand work, crossing water, etc. They are also looking on your body position while going up and down hills. Are you off your horses back or grinding your butt into the saddle? Sore backs on your horse will cause you to lose points. Along the way you will also come across the Veterinary Judge and Pulse and Respiration (P+R) stops to access other aspects of you and your horse. P+R stops are usually placed at the top of a good climb. When you arrive you should receive a card with your arrival time. At this point you should calm your horse and loosen your girth a bit. After 10 minutes a volunteer will take your horses pulse and respiration and record it on the card. Good conditioning leads to good numbers and no points lost.

The two-mile mark.

The two-mile mark is the last place to access your time. You must arrive in camp at the finish within a designated 15-minute window of the time recorded on your divisions map. So you may need to slow your pace or speed it up to make this happen. Once in camp you settle your horse back at your trailer, clean him/her up and wait for the car horn in order to do the check-out Vet check. The Vet checks for any back soreness or lameness issues. Be prepared to trot along a line, and teach your horse to lunge it saves you from running (you are pretty tired at this point, especially on a two-day ride). 

One thing I learned at this check was that I should have left the saddle and/or saddle pad on Nico for about 10 minutes prior to removing. His back developed a temporary, non serious, edema (heat bumps). I did not lose points but learned how to avoid this in the future.


TIP: a good way to learn about the sport and see if it is right for you is to volunteer to help on a ride in your area, they always need help. I helped manage two rides in Granby at Snow Mountain Ranch before I decided to compete. And when I did at the Grand Mesa ride we placed (awards are given for up to six positions and breed)!


To view pictures of the ride please click here.
For more information on Competitive Trail, upcoming 2012 rides, and more information on this fun sport please visit NATRC.org or NATRC3.org.

Custer, South Dakota

Nico and Linda enjoying a wooded trail just off camp.

This is the second time I have been to the Custer area to ride and I just love it! In late September of 2011, the girls headed off to Custer, South Dakota to ride and see the Custer State Park Buffalo Stampede. For late September the weather turned out to be spectacular and no bugs! We booked ahead to stay at the Broken Arrow Horse Camp just four miles outside the city of Custer. The location was perfect. Nice covered pens kept the horses happy, and a wonderful bathroom and shower kept us clean. There are all levels of sites with full hook-up, fire pits and water, and very nice cabins for those who do not wish to sleep in their rigs. The owners thought of everything, even golf carts to easily transfer tack and feed.

Razzles of wild turkeys wondered through camp along with deer just off in the woods behind our site. There is plenty of riding trails right from camp so you don't have to travel far to get in miles of good riding. The trails from camp are all treed, with lovely high canopies, sunlight beaming through onto tall grasses. and lovely rock formations, mica and quartz. The footing on most trails was just perfect. The map supplied by Broken Arrow was not the most accurate, so be aware of where you are as you travel along.

The day of the Stampede we unhooked and drove out early, lots of traffic getting into the park, wild burros stopping traffic and lone buffalo along the way, including lots of people (about 10,000 in fact) come to see this event. The Longriders round-up the buffalo and drive them over the hills into holding pens where they innoculate, cull out some for sale and castrate the young bulls. It was fun, worth seeing once, but most likely I would not sit in the traffic again.

Custer State Park is huge, lots to see and do, and next time I think I will just haul over and strike out in a direction. The very friendly rangers we spoke to said you can just pull over most anywhere and head off for a ride. I have also rode to Mt. Rushmore, that is a fun ride, and in other lovely areas around Custer. It is surely worth a look!

Travel Information: Easy 6-7 hour haul from Boulder, Colorado

Bear Creek near Morrison

For a nice ride, sometimes urban, other times wooded trails along a meandering creek is Bear Creek Park near Morrison, CO. A few of us headed over there last Sunday to get 'outta' Boulder. A small $5 fee gets you into the Park. There are several locations to park your rig and plenty of space to turn around. We went over to the arena near the stables (closed for the season) and accessed the trail system from there. The arena is also a nice place to warm up or do some work. Cleaning up your manure is also made easy there is an area contained by railroad ties just next to the port-o-pottie.

We saddled up and headed out, the footing was perfect fro trotting and cantering. Keep in mind there is one big hill that you might want to avoid in the winter, it's north facing slope can be iced over. Early in the season we found some icy spots but crossed safely. Looping back to the trailers we passed by a golf course, several creeks, ducks, runners, hikers and cyclists. There is also and area of large logs to work your horse on. Back at the trailers we got the horses settled and heated up some hot cocoa. Shared a few more stories and loaded up back to Boulder.

Check it out, its a nice spring, fall and winter ride in the front range.
I have been there later in the winter and the creeks can crisp over with a so light of an ice sheet.
Some horse find the sound a bit unsettling when crossing.

Try a Cow Clinic

Peeling out a calf, the white one was fiesty!

Looking for something fun and interesting to do, try a cow clinic. Nico and I thought it might be interesting to learn a bit more about moving cattle. Not only is it good for your horse, by desensitizing them to cattle, but it also improves your horsemanship.

We headed over to Marty Martens place early Sunday morning for something different. Jody Marken, Marty's main squeeze, greeted us and directed us to the parking area. The clinic began with Marty and Rich Scott, and about eight other participants with a brief introduction about cattle, and what we could expect for the next three hours. We also practiced the basic movements involved in turning your horse, side passing and backing up. The goal was to influence the movement of cattle without stressing them. Simple movements, perhaps just a step by your horse one way or the other was enough to direct them. We also learned to identify Learning the "bounce point" to which they react and when to back off from the cattle. We tend to think we need to charge at cattle to get a reaction, and we also tend to get too close.

Horsemanship is also very important, your horse should know how to side pass and back up. The rider should understand how to ask their horse for these movements. I noticed many of the individuals participating in this clinic needed to work on these skills. They did not understand how to use their sit bones, crossed their hands over the center line of the horse, twisted their upper bodies and also lifted their legs instead of weighting their feet into their stirrups and pressing with the lower leg and rolling the upper thigh. In order to teach these movement to your horse you need to know the basics of these movements and how to use your body correctly. There is always something to work on!

All in all a fun time, peeling out a cow or two, leading them out and around the group and into openings was a fun time. For more information on these clinics and other obstacle clinics offered please contact Marty and Jody at 720 201 4363 or 720 494 9898.

Veedawoo

Well it was late June and the girls were off on our annual trip to Veedawoo with the horses. Mary and I left Thursday to try and get a couple of backcountry pens but when we arrived they were already full. We decided to camp just South of the spring and set up camp. Mary had one of those portable electric fence contraptions (don't waste your money on one of these) so we set it up but could not get the electric to work. We put Nico and Spear in the corral all day and kept an eye on them to see how they would do. They seemed just fine and content.

We went for a nice ride in the afternoon exploring the rolling meadows filled with Indian Paint Brush and baby antelope. Late that afternoon while we were in the trailer, one of our camping neighbors spotted the Bull moose, his route was just to the South of camp. We missed him but heard he was magnificent. As Mary and I were getting ready to hunker down for the evening we discussed whether we should tie the horse to the trailer overnight or leave them in the temporary corral. We opted for the corral since they seemed to be respecting the boundary lines.

My exhausted Abanico!

Early in the evening, before dusk, one of those wild Wyoming storms arrived with wind, electric and hail. We put the horses in the trailer and rode that one out. After the storm passed the wind continued but we put the horses back on the pen and checked them throughout the night. I think my last check was about 3:30 am and about 5:30 am I got up to take care of business and peeked out to a trampled corral and no horses, something must have spooked them, we guessed "Bullwinkle".

Those naughty boys escaped and were no where in site. I woke Mary, who at first thought I was joking, and we began to track the horses by foot. We realized that we needed a plan so we went back to camp, grabbed water, snacks and unhitched the truck. We reported the lost animals to the area Forest Service and proceeded to search and wait for other campers in the area to wake so we could leave our phone number and contact information in case someone sited them.

Mary found some tracks so we began driving the two tracks and climbing hills to get a better view with our binoculars. We discussed heading into Laramie to fill the tank with gas and decided to search a few more minutes than head out. On the way we saw one more camp and stopped to leave numbers with them. They hadn't seen the horses but were going to ride around in their truck later and said they would keep an eye out. We asked them where the road went where they were camped and they replied, "out to Happy Jack", so we decided to take it. It was a gorgeous two track which followed a creek and low gully, we spotted two set of hoof prints. I asked Mary to stop and I climbed up out of the gully. There he was, my beautiful, naughty grey gelding Abanico standing magnificently on the far ridge like a wild horse on the horizon. Spear was no where in sight. I whistled his call, his head turned and Spear ran up behind him. They were both safe, not a scratch, we breathed a deep sigh of relief. Three hours later and about four miles from camp they were found and we ponied them back to camp from the pickup.

The corral group saw us and come over to offer us one of the larger pens, they could double up. That was so generous and enabled us to get a good nights sleep the next night. The horses hung there heads, exhausted from their "all nighter", as we were from ours.

My suggestion: Don't waste your money on one of those portable pens. Get a Spring Tie and attach it to your trailer, it is more secure and the horse can move around even lay down. If you must have a pen get a sturdy metal portable one. Have binoculars, they were invaluable, don't panic have a plan of action and search methodically. Call in and report a description of the animals to the Forest Service in the area.

Ho Hum

It's June and the Western states are still recovering from the EHV-1 outbreak and facility quarantines that have been in place. From large boarding facilities to backyard horses we have all been extremely compliant with state and local veterinarian recommendation so as not cause this outbreak to explode. As summer is unrolling we are all going stir crazy wanting to get on the trail, out camping and showing, and for those that run shows—on with the business. Everyone in my area of Colorado has been using caution and limiting trailering to other areas.

If you are going to be showing or traveling with your horses here are some simple things you can do to prevent the spread of any disease:

Before traveling check your horses temperature. A normal body temperature is 99-101 degrees F. Environmental factors can cause a horse temperature to vary by 3 degrees. Horses tend to have higher temperatures in warm weather and during/after exercise. If your horses temperature is over 102 F. degrees you should call your veterinarian.

Bring your own buckets for water. Don't let your horse drink from tanks at other facilities. Find a hose and fill your own buckets. Provide a secondary bucket at your facility for others to use to fill buckets. This keeps the fill tank from becoming contaminated.

Instead of using stalls at fairgrounds when traveling tie your horse to your trailer. To make your horse more comfortable you can also look into a device called a Spring Tie which bolts into your trailer frame and allows your horse to move about freely and lie down.

Even thought being social on the trails is nice, keep your horse from touching others.

Keep your horse from grazing along the sides of trails, move off the trail a bit where it is less likly another horse has been.

Let's stay healthy!

Hermit Park

Helen and her Mustang Moon

It was going to be a balmy 75 degrees in Boulder on Saturday and since the horses still have their winter coats, Helen and I decided to head to the mountains to Hermit Park. A lovely area purchased by Larimer County a couple of years ago from Hewlett Packard. The word is that there are plans to add  overnight horse camping facilities but no one seems to know when (I ask every time I visit). So this is currently only a day ride location.


Hermit Park is a short drive from Boulder on the way to Estes Park.  After you pay the entrance fee you drive in  a couple of miles on a dirt road to the horse trailer parking area.  The trail accesses Roosevelt National Forest and the back side of Lion’s Gulch. The footing is a mix of old two track roads, single track through wooded areas and a bit of rocks here and there. There are two historic homesteads, one has a spring so you can water your horses there, and an old historic Saw Mill to explore. With an altitude of about 8,500 feet and a mix of climbing and flats this is a good place to get your horse conditioned.


As early as it was, we only hit a few patches of snow here and there. Most of the area was dry and the footing just right. The area has some pine beetle mitigation and slash piles that hve been burned. As you travel the loops through the forest and meadows you will enjoy views of the high snow-capped peaks.


Entrance fee: $6.00
Currently you can rent small, one room cabins with bunks that sleep 8 (includes a propane stove with port-o-potty outside), or camp in your tent in the camp sites. 
Note that this is a much better access point then Lyons Gulch for horses, better footing and a lot less crowds — I might see two or three people on foot.