LOS ANGELES — For over 25 years, Atwater equestrians “land-locked” by the Los Angeles River have been asking for a bridge to access the trails in Griffith Park.

In 2012, Atwater home owners finally were promised a new equestrian/bike bridge, and it seemed like the long-awaited structure was within reach. Despite a philanthropic boost from Morton LaKretz, who had set up a fund of $5 million to build the bridge, there were many setbacks to construction over the years. It remained in limbo as the delays — and the price of the bridge — kept growing.

Recently, L.A. Councilman Mitch O’Farrell came up with a cost-effective pre-fabricated bridge concept, perhaps not as elegant as the previous designs, but still approved by the equestrian community as functional and safe for horses. Another parallel pre-fab bridge would go alongside for bikers and hikers.

According to the American Hiking Society, there are 2,802 miles of trail across the nation, and it’s aiming to improve them on June 2.

That first Saturday in June is the organization’s annual National Trails Day, a day set aside for all types of trail enthusiasts — hikers, equestrians, bike riders and others — to participate in planned activities, ranging from just having fun to helping with maintenance.

For Bill Krzyston, Manager of Rancho Oso in Santa Barbara, it’s a chance to open the door to his resort’s 310 acres, surrounded by the Los Padres National Forest, to share and engage with those who use his facility and the popular trails it touches.

The California Department of Food and Agriculture announced April 29 that a 9-year-old mare from a quarantined barn at an Orange County facility, displaying mild neurological signs, had tested positive for Equine Herpesvirus-1.

Previously, on April 24, the CDFA had reported that a febrile horse which initially had tested negative was resampled and confirmed positive for EHV-1, followed two days later by two additional confirmed cases.

WASHINGTON, D.C.– When is a commercial driver’s license required for transporting horses? What should you do or say if you are hauling your horses to a show and stopped by a federal safety official?

Those are the types of questions that the American Horse Council wanted answered by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) after a recent meeting in response to the AHC request for clarification. On Feb. 26, the FMCSA published two documents to promote understanding of the regulations and also how to discern whether or not a carrier can be excluding from the commercial driver’s license requirement.

Susie and Woody soaring high and fast.

Photo courtesy Susie Hutchison

SAN DIEGO — Twelve years to the day after his passing, Samsung Woodstock, the chestnut gelding who won scores of show jumping honors and the hearts of fans worldwide, received the California Professional Horseman’s Association Equine Lifetime Achievement Award.

The presentation, made to his career-long partner, Susie Hutchison, was a highlight of the Jan. 5 Awards Banquet held this year at the Manchester Grand Hyatt on San Diego Bay.

“There was never a course I walked that looked too high or too wide — that I didn’t know we could do it,” said Hutchison, who is competing at the HITS Coachella circuit.

Her first win on the 16-1-hand “Woody,” in the 1987 Derby in Pebble Beach, came just days after the German-bred Westphalian had arrived from Europe. Their final victory at the 1997 Los Angeles National Grand Prix capped a career that featured 20 grand prix wins, plus qualifications for the World Equestrian Games and three World Cup Finals, the 1990 PCHA Horse of the Year Award, and the 1992 AGA Rider of the Year honor. In 1997, Breyer Animal Creations issued the Samsung Woodstock model horse.

SUNLAND — The trauma of December’s wildfires — and subsequent mudslides a month later in some areas — is far from forgotten in communities from San Diego County to Central California, and in many places, victim needs still outstrip supplies. But signs of recovery are appearing, slowly.

While the toll of the terrible trio — the Lilac Fire in Bonsall, Creek Fire in Los Angeles and Thomas Fire in Ventura County –is still being calculated, groups are forming both formally and informally to mutually support and educate neighbors in respective communities.

Deer Springs Equestrian in San Marcos, a few miles due south of the Lilac Fire, conducted a two-hour equine microchip clinic on Jan. 13, where Dr. Emily Sandler of Pacific Coast Equine Veterinary Services micro-chipped and registered horses.

The local advocacy group, the Twin Oaks Valley Equestrian Association, sent out a comprehensive self-evacuation guide that could be a difference-maker in preparation for a future event. The guide is rooted in the Cal Fire Volunteers in Prevention campaign after the June 2008 Lightning Strike Fires in Tehama County. (A link to this guide is at the end of this article).

In the area struck by the Creek Fire in Los Angeles, equestrians are working together to educate, plan and communicate using lessons learned from the Dec. 6 firestorm, which devastated longtime equestrian centerpieces in their community like Middle Ranch and Gibson Ranch.

A wreath brightens the bleakness of a gutted stall.

Sarah Williams photo

SUNLAND — For decades, Dale Gibson has been among the first to hitch his trailer and evacuate horses threatened by wildfires in the Los Angeles area. In fact, he would safely stage the animals at his Gibson Ranch until the smoke would clear — which is exactly what he was doing the morning of Dec. 6 when the Creek Fire ignited. When fierce winds shifted flames rapidly toward his facility, his crew and volunteers raced to remove 130 horses — 45 evacuees and 85 of his own — before the fire eventually consumed it. All animals made it out, including cattle used in his popular team sortings.

Gibson announced recently that he will rebuild “on the shoulders of awesome people”, including friends,volunteers, and vendors like Castlebrook Barns, with a proposed reopening Jan. 15.

MORE ONLINE: Http://bit.ly/801-gibson

Now here’s an opportunity that will send you spinning! On Feb. 10, the California Reining Horse Association will host a FREE Reining Clinic at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center with five top championship reiners, including Tom Foran, Brenda Brown, Mike Berg, Monica Albair, and Daphne Foran. Space is limited, and reservations are required. Contact the CRHA office via email at CRHAsecretary@aol.com or visit http://bit.ly/8clinic to access the entry form, release form or to register for vendor space during the event. This will be a day to remember for both participants and spectators. Reserve your spot today!

The CRHA was formed in 1993 and is an affiliate of the National Reining Horse Association. The Southern California-based group promotes reining in the region with events throughout the year and offers its members a variety of opportunities to compete for year-end buckles and awards, as well as a saddle for the coveted “Reiner of the Year”.

Dr. Kent Fowler of the California Department of Food and Agriculture returned to Los Angeles April 17 to address horse owners about the Equine Herpes Virus-1 (EHV-1) , a health threat that became intimately familiar to the area after an outbreak last fall. The “all-clear” was issued months ago, but knowledge of the virus’s detection, treatment and mitigation are invaluable going forward wherever horses reside. Equine Herpes Myeloencephalopathy (EHM) is the designation given to a horse showing neurologic dysfunction caused by the EHV-1 virus.

If you’re in the mood to shop for the cutest clothes, jewelry, boots, and hats on the planet, then just don’t save the date, tear the Big Horse Feed and Mercantile ad out of this magazine and put it on the fridge. Friday and Saturday, June 23-24, marks Big Horse’s 19th Annual Anniversary Sale, and you’re in for some real deals. Hailed as the go-to event of the year, you’ll find savings in nearly every department and have the opportunity to talk directly with manufacturer reps of some of your favorite products, meet up with friends and have a great time. Home décor? Got it! English and western riding gear and helmets? Got it! Saddles and tack? Got it! Handbags and purses? Got it! And the fun just doesn’t stop there. The first 100 customers each day will receive a free gift — there will be hourly drawings for great prizes, and you can enter to win the grand prize drawing of a $200 gift card. As you’re heading out the door, don’t forget to grab the ad on the fridge! With it, you’ll receive a 30 percent discount on one of your favorite items with a $50 purchase (exclusions apply). See you at Big Horse for sizzling summer savings for you, your home, horse and hound!