By Sonia Meyer

Calgary Regional Trail Riders Donate to Trail Supporter Program

The Alberta Equestrian Federation would like to extend their sincere appreciation to the Calgary Regional Trail Riders for their donation on September 25 of $10,685 to the Trail Supporter Program.

Calgary and horses go hand in hand, and the Calgary Regional Trail Riders follow that tradition. They are a diversified and dedicated group of horse riders involved in recreational trail riding. Emphasis is on trail riding techniques, good horsemanship, and the proper care and training of horses.
continue reading "Alberta Equestrian Federation November 2007"

by Rhonda Hart Poe

Part of what makes trail riding so attractive is the opportunity to commune with Mother Nature. Sometimes, however, her bag of tricks can make riding the trail miserable. If you don’t occasionally come home wet, muddy, dehydrated, bruised, or battered, consider yourself lucky.

In this excerpt from Trail Riding: Train, Prepare, Pack Up & Hit the Trail, author Rhonda Hart Poe provides us with some strategies to prepare for and cope with weather extremes and nasty surprises. Here’s how to be ready for whatever the ol’ gal can dish out.
continue reading "The Nature of the Trail"

In Trail Riding, Rhonda Hart Poe offers a complete manual of everything you need to know before riding off in the great outdoors. You’ll learn how to evaluate a trail mount, choose equipment, and pack up. You’ll discover ways to train your horse in everything from crossing rivers and encountering traffic to coming when called.

Whether you’re riding close to home or trailering and traveling far, camping out or competing, Poe’s expert advice will enhance your experiences.

Author: Rhonda Hart Poe
Publisher: Storey Publishing
ISBN: 1-58017-560-0
Price: $28.95 CAD
Soft cover / 325 pages /
b&w illustrations
To order: Contact Storey Publishing at (413) 346-2215,
write to 210 MASS MoCA Way, North Adams, MA 01247, USA,
or visit www.storey.com

by Audrey Pavia

Few equine activities are as enjoyable as a relaxing trail ride in the woods or out in the mountains. It not only helps you feel at one with the natural world around you, but also strengthens and deepens your bond with your horse.

You may already be enjoying the occasional trail ride with your horse, but would like to do it more often, for longer periods of time. Maybe you have friends that go out on week-long rides and want you to go along. Or, maybe you have thoughts of competing in competitive trail rides or even limited-distance endurance rides.
continue reading "Conditioning for the Trail"

by: Joel Martens

“I’m a thousand miles from nowhere … and no place I’d rather be …”

– Dwight Yoakam

OK, maybe not a thousand miles, or even a thousand kilometres, but there is no place I would rather be on this particular late fall day. Pulling into the Circle 6 Ranch in the Porcupine Hills of Alberta, you just know that you have found something special.

Nestled into a shallow valley, the ranch sits quietly waiting for guests to arrive. It’s our last day, for now, exploring the Porcupine Hills.

In case you are just joining us … the Porcupine Hills are located straight west of Claresholm. These foothills are chock full of cattle ranches, guest ranches, and good people. We’ve been given the opportunity to nose around a little.
continue reading "No place I’d rather be…."

By: Joel Martens

This is a fantastic time to plan ahead for your spring and summer rides. May I make a few suggestions?

Hummingbird Creek

Travel past Nordegg. Go south a ways on the Forestry Trunk Road. If you get to the South Ram Falls, you’ve gone too far. I absolutely loved this ride.

Our ride into this fantastic spot was in the fall. Leaves changing, blue green water splashing to white over the rough spots and flipping back to blue green again.

A couple of sharp cliffs and edges to ride along, but easy enough to handle for even an average rider. A great place for a novice rider to “get his feet wet” on a good horse.
continue reading "On the trail again…"

by Gail Praharenka and Bernice Niemeyer

In history there are some narratives that need to be told of a quest for freedom and of heroism which indelibly remain etched in our minds. These are true stories capturing the imagination with a blend of politics, crises and causes to fight.

Such is the crisis of the Nez Perce people and their flight on their Appaloosa horses to escape the onslaught of the US Army in the summer of 1877. The last battle fought was at Bear’s Paw in Montana where Chief Joseph surrendered 40 miles from the Canadian border with the famous words, “I will fight no more forever!”
continue reading "Nez Perce Ride to Freedom"