After 50-plus years’ experience, here is a saddle-maker’s insight

By COLIN DANGAARD / for the Horsetrader

Mules Are different, in more ways than ears.

The biggest difference is something not visible to the human eye. It is wrapped up in their spirit. For example, you can put a horse in a trailer and go down the highway and have a wreck and you manage to get the horse out, but from that day forward you will have trouble loading that horse into a trailer.

Have the same wreck with a mule, and he will never forget that YOU put him in the trailer. Thereafter he will have a different view of YOU. Over time, this feeling might vanish. And it might not.

How trail easements support equestrian access

By LAUREL A. FLORIO / Courtesy ELCR.org

So many aspects of equine activities, such as sport horse training, ranching, or recreational riding, rely on large areas of land — be it for grazing, riding arenas, turn-out or, to a smaller degree, trail access.
Sometimes land-locked areas provide fabulous multi-use opportunities for riders to enjoy the trails. However, access often is restricted to trailer parking gateways, so the need for trail access over privately-owned land is essential to equine use. The lack of this access can minimize trail availability.