Equestrians, working together and allied with supportive partners, make a difference in perpetuating riding trails. Here are some tips — and some easy-to-access online resources from ELCR.org

By Denise O’Meara / for Equine Land Conservation Resource

Here’s a question that you may ask yourself every time that you load up your horses to trailer to the nearest equestrian accessible trail — wouldn’t it be nice to ride out my back gate, get on a local trail and head out to the park, the woods, the shore or anywhere that didn’t involve a fill-up or two? Some of you are very lucky and have that situation. The vast majority of us are not.

Community Planning — Are You In or Are You Out?

Urban and suburban community members need to see and understand horses and their riders. Unless they learn how joyful and useful horses are to humans, and how they can interact safely with non-equestrians, these folks can help deny horseback access to trails and other equine facilities.

ELCR Vision

A future in which horse lands have been conserved so that America’s equine heritage lives on and the emotional, physical and economic benefits of mankind’s bond with the horse remain accessible to all.

The Issues

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, the U.S. is losing 6,000 acres of open land every day. Large open spaces and contiguous tracts of land are critical to providing the space we need to support our nation’s equestrian heritage and economy. With the current rate of loss we may not have enough land to support our horses and equestrian-related activities in as little as 15 years.

Upcoming monthly ELCR Topics in California Horsetrader

1. Planning for horses in your community
2. Conservation tools for horse lands
3. Equine access to public lands
4. Equine access to private lands
5. Best management practices and the benefits of horses in communities

Access the organization’s information, resources and tools that help horse people take action: http://elcr.org

ELCR Impact:

Since 2007, ELCR has assisted in the protection of more than 200,000 acres of land and more than 1,200 miles of trails. American Horse Publications and Pfizer selected ELCR as the 2012 Equine Industry Vision Award recipient.

Is your club or community organizing an effort to preserve its horse heritage? Let us know! Send your info to communities@horsetrader.com

San Juan Capistrano

The Non Profit San Juan Capistrano Equestrian Coalition is fighting to advocate and keep horses in SJC as well as Southern California generally. The SJCEC has launched the 100 Horsemen challenge, and it seeks another group to pair with in the fight at state and federal levels in regards to water run-off and other issues: https://sanjuanequestrian.org/100-horsemen-strong

Also check our the great maps, directory and events: http://sanjuanhorses.com

Competitors shine at SCRCHA Pot Of Gold Show

By SUSAN CARTER / for the Horsetrader

TEMECULA — Weather-wise, it’s always a bit of a crap shoot to hold a March show, but the Southern California Reined Cow Horse Association held its second 2021 show on March 13-14 at California Ranch Company.

The covered arena was a saving grace, as the previous week’s rain forced all classes into the indoor arena. Competitors held great attitudes with the decreased warm-up areas and smaller spaces. If 2020 taught us anything, it was “be grateful for the ability and opportunity to show!”

Numbers up as High Desert kicks off its 2021 season

From Horsetrader staff reports

PALMDALE — The High Desert Horse Show Association opened its 2021 season in the same way it wrapped up its 2020 campaign last fall — lots of entries, excitement and camaraderie.

The one-day HiDHA All Breed Show on March 21 featured a full slate of classes that attracted exhibitors from throughout Southern California for a chance to compete in their favorite English and Western disciplines.

“Our first show was the biggest we’ve seen in years!,” said Show Manager Heather Mathews. “I feel like people are just really wanting to just get out and spend time with their horse and enjoy time with their friends. We had a lot of new exhibitors which is great — as well as large groups of people who drove two or more hours to come show.”

Warm weather, hot competition greet WCRHA competitors

By Eileen Maxinoski / for the Horsetrader

CORNING — There was no “reining in the rain” at this year’s first show of the West Coast Reining Horse Association — as was often the case in previous years. Beautiful weather greeted a huge group of West Coast reiners who showed up with highly tuned reining horses for the annual NRHA-approved competition held at the Rolling Hills Equestrian Center on March 5-7.

By Sheryl Lynde | Horsetrader columnist

In my new book Riding from the Heart, I highlight the many parallels between the human and the horse, trying to take the mystery out of their respective behaviors. If we can draw from our own experiences, we may gain an insight into their reactions.

I should clarify that I am not referring to anthropomorphic terms — defined as “having human attributes.” There is a huge difference between looking at parallel behaviors and simply applying human attributes to a horse’s behavior. Horses may show affection and express emotions similar to humans such as fear, and aggression or lack of respect, but they are 1,000-pound animals with entirely different instincts.