In an article about low hanging branches, it tells how to get passed them.  Carry a small clipper and just clip the branch off. Only takes a minute to do. Someone has to clear the trails and that someone is us.  I hope that everyone stops and clips when the trail needs it.  I have spend many days clearing trail for myself and others.  Come on and help.  That's the only way that we will keep the trails that we have to ride.   I hope that the trails will still be there for my grandkids.

great post!  i belong to an eti corral in southern california.  they have a regular trail clearning day once a month.  i don't often make it out there to help due to my schedule, but i go when i can.  i also do trail maintenance through the sierra club.  i encourage all hikers and trail riders to consider doing the same.  it's the BEST way to give back. 

 and as long as i'm on my soap box...if you do belong to eti and you trail ride, join TRAP and make those trail hours COUNT!  eti sends the info the state agencies to raise the visibility of trail riding/equestrian use to the governmental level.

 jo

Finally someone answered my post!!  What is eti and what is TRAP.  I already sign in for National Forest and at the State Parks where I work on trails.  I wish that everyone would spend one or two days a year working on the trails that they ride.  What a difference that would make.  Here in Georgia we have an annual State Park Work Day in the Spring.  We have had very  good results with it.  We cover the five State Parks that have horseback riding trails.  I wish that more of the Parks had riding trails.  We are trying to convince the State to add the trails to three more.  Keep up the good work.  Every little bit helps.  Grandma Trail Rider!!

I don't know in which areas each of you reside, but in Oregon and Washington, there are organizations in which trail riding members volunteer their services and schedule the clean up of trails.  In Oregon, the group is called Oregon Equestrian Network.

I live in Georgia.  I belong to CTHA which has the mission of building and working on trails.  Also Backcountry Horsemen which also works on trails.  I'm glad to hear about Oregon Equestrian Network.  Can you give me some information about it?  We are always trying to get more volunteers.  Some work days we are lucky if 5 people show up.  How do you get people to volunteer?   CTHA has a frequent rider program and a work horse program.  If you work 10 hrs. and ride 20 hours than you earn a certificate and a patch (I think that's the numbers).  I don't work for the patch but I do work for my 6 year old granddaugther who has been riding with me since she was one and a half years old (do you think that she likes horses??).  If I don't work where will the trails be when she is older.  What I can't seem to convince people of is that we need to help or the trails will be gone.  Of course, I do feel real good about some friends of mine that help when they can.  Being retired I have more time and energy than someone who has to work 5 days a week but the other side of the coin is that I'm in my sixties and I don't know how long I'll be able to work. 

I have a goal of riding in all the states.  I have managed to get to the two hardest ones, Hawaii and Alaska.  Are there any ranches or places that offer pack trips in Oregon?  I have found that I really enjoy the pack trips.  Especially when a friend wants to know how much "stuff" I can take with me.  The last one was thrity pounds and I loved every minute of it.

Here is their webiste:  http://www.oregonequestriantrails.org/.  I'm sure you could browse their website or email them for more information.

I have never gone on a back woods pack trip, but I know there are ranches that offer pack trips in Oregon.  I googled "Oregon pack trips" and several sites came up.  Oregon, Washington and Idaho offer beautiful back country to ride if you have the opportunity.

I want to talk about trails.  I know that everyone is busy but I really would like to learn about trails in other states (I'm in Georgia).  Are there trail volunteers?  Do different groups work on different trails?  Is there a group that works with the State people?  Is Back Country Horsemen activitive in your state?  Do you have Saddle Clubs, Horse Associations, etc. that volunteer?? Have you volunteered to help on trails?  Let's have a discussion about trails!!

Grandma Trail Rider wants some feedback.  Come on, people! 

Here's ours:

 www.tetratrails.com

Texas Equestrian Trail Riders Association -- WE ROCK!!!

Tetra's Goals:

• Identify and improve equestrian facilities in Texas parks, promoting expansion into new areas.
• Continue to improve and extend existing equestrian trails, and open new trails on public lands.
• Provide documentation of existing equestrian trails in Texas.
• Promote and develop equestrian-use arrangements with private enterprises.
• Create a communication network to develop equestrian public awareness.
• Establish relationships with local, state, and federal trail management groups.
• Continue to educate public agencies and private landowners about the economic and environmental impact of equestrian activities.

Thanks for the information.  I've looked at the web site and it's very interesting.  I'm trying to get this information from as many states as I can and take it to my organization.  Sometimes we feel like we are working in the dark all by ourselves!!

Debbie Alley is our Region 10 (my region) Director, and she would be more than happy to help you if you need more information than is on our web site.

eti is a california-based organization (i think it's only calif., anyhow) that stands for equestrian trails, inc.  we are organized into corrals (i'm in the shadow hills "rough riders" - corral 20).  the org. has been around for a long time.  i belonged to another corral some 25 years ago, too.  different corrals emphasize different things.  some are more english related, some more western.  ours does a lot of playdays, trail trials (i have yet to compete in a trail trial), horse shows, gymkahnas, group camping trips, trail rides, and so forth.  our corral also does trail maintenance once a month.  each year there is a big state-wide eti convention at the los angeles equestrian center.  TRAP is a program sponsored by eti.  you log your trail hours, and they keep track, too, and send the info to govt. agencies to raise awareness of horse-related use of trails and so forth.  you get patches and stuff for participating.  i believe the aqha also has a trail use program.  i see it advertised in magazines.  the los angeles chapter of the sierra club is also very involved in trail building.  it's more hiking oriented, but they do a lot of business w/equestrian groups for trail preservation, and work together to keep mountain bikes off of single track trails.  hate bikes on hiking/riding trails.  i met my dh trail building w/the sierra club.  so did my mom, come to think of it!  there are many bike orgs (such as corba in calif) that purport to want to work "with" hikers and equestrians to build trails.  they just want to co-opt as many trails as they can.

 jo

My local Backcountry Horsemen chapter in Washington State is pretty active re cleaning up trails, etc.  I'm not yet a member so am not sure exactly what they do and how often they do it.  I wish the group's name were more inclusive, such as "Backcountry Horsepeople," or something.

Mary 

Thanks for the answer.  Back Country Horsemen was started so long ago that they didn't know about the equal opportunity of saying people. They are very equal when we are working.  We need people to take care of the trails and at this point, I'm not going to be concerned about the name of the group.  Don't let that stop you.  I'm sure that there must be other groups in your state that work on trails.

My CTHA association is more women than men and we work very hard for the trails.  I rode a trail yesterday that I worked on last month.  It was the first chance that I had to use it.  I love it.  As we were riding along, I was pointing out what we had done.  One of the women with me made the comment that she guessed that she had better help since if "you can do it, than I guess I can do it."  I guess my being 62 years old and helping to remove 30 trees from the trails kind of got her thinking. 

We are women hear us roar!!!  Grandma Trail Rider! 

Does anyone know if there is a website that you can post upcoming trail rides(besides the judges list)  We have a trail ride coming up and I would like to get the word out about it.  Our riding club has 2 open rides each year to raise money for our community charity causes.  If anyone could provide any links it would be greatly appreciated.  Oh it might help to tell you that  we are located in Georgia!!!!

many people on our sierra club trail crew are in their 70s and 80s.  they love it and do it until they can't any more.  my mom is 77 and still shows up for trail work every saturday!

 jo

p.s. can someone tell me which screen i go to to put a picture up on here by my name?  i thought i did that, but it doesn't show up.