Horse Whisperer: Alisa Waxman’s Horse Trails In Rockdale County

ArabiaAlliance.org - Full Story

For a decade, Alisa Waxman has volunteered her time to maintain, expand and create new equine riding experiences throughout South Rockdale Community Park.

Published : March 30, 2023
by Jeff Dingler

For as long as she can remember, Alisa Waxman has wanted to be around horses. “As soon as I knew what a horse was, I was infatuated and in love with them,” said Waxman, who owns Stockbridge’s Ahavah Arabian Adventures, LLC, which provides personalized horse rides, lessons, and other equine experiences. “I begged my parents to buy me a horse and put it in our backyard.”

Though she got to ride horses at summer camp growing up, Waxman didn’t own her first horse (an Arabian) until she was 30. Since then, she’s become quite the skilled equestrian, not only founding Ahavah Arabian Adventures to share her love of horses, but also expanding and creating new horse trails in South Rockdale Community Park...

Read more here:
https://arabiaalliance.org/featured/horse-whisperer-alisa-waxmans-horse-trails-in-rockdale-county/

Trail Etiquette and Safe Passing Plans When Encountering Equestrians

ELCR.org - Full Article

December 7, 2022, by ELCR

Recognizing that the community of trail users continues to grow at an exponential rate, ELCR joined an unprecedented consortium of trail user groups that came together to create the public awareness campaign “Trails are Common Ground (TaCG)” in early 2021. The campaign elevates the importance of respectful, inclusive, safe, and enjoyable experiences on trails. Both ELCR and Back Country Horsemen of America represent the equestrian community on the TaCG Steering Committee. For more information and how you can support the campaign go to https://trailsarecommonground.org/

Equestrians are inherently at more risk of injuries compared to other trail user groups because they are in a sitting position on live creatures which can be spooked or startled upon sudden and unexpected encounters with other trail users. A startled horse can be a risk to not only themselves and their riders but other trail users in their vicinity.

It is important to understand that as a prey animal a horse reacts differently to its environment than a human or dog. Horses also have anatomical differences which provide for their keen senses such as vision and hearing, resulting in them perceiving their environments very differently than other species. As prey animals, horses can naturally be afraid of unfamiliar people, objects, and sudden movement, and may react to a perceived threat with the natural “flight” response of a prey animal...

Read more here:
https://elcr.org/trail-etiquette-and-safe-passing-plans-when-encountering-equestrians/

Trails for tomorrow

EquusMagazine.com - Full Article

Now more than ever, your help is needed to maintain and preserve the open land and trails that are the backbone of the horse industry.

By Alana Harrison | July 8, 2020

For nearly a decade, Elise Backinger explored the trails of Salida, Colorado, aboard her Quarter Horse gelding, Pep. Salida calls itself the “Gem of the Rockies,” and Backinger’s memories of her rides there are tinged with awe. “There is something deeply profound about the solitude and tranquility you experience riding out in nature. It’s just you, your horse and the land,” she says.

Backinger and her husband have since sold their hay farm and Pep is now a semi-retired therapy horse, but the horsewoman remains grateful for the bond she and her gelding developed on the trail. Their outings, she says, “taught both of us valuable lessons—from encountering unexpected wildlife to negotiating rough terrain to building confidence and endurance.” To ensure that future generations will have the same opportunity to enjoy nature with their horses, Backinger volunteers for the Central Colorado Conservancy, giving presentations on local trails and wildlife areas.

The challenges before trail advocates like Backinger are great. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimates that 6,000 acres of the country’s open land are lost every day due to the increasing demand for urban and suburban development. And for horsepeople, these statistics can translate into real-world hardships: Open land is the backbone of the equine industry, fundamental to feeding, riding, showing and caring for our horses. If open land continues to be consumed at the current rate, we could start losing the resources we need for our horses in as little as 15 years...

Read more here:
https://equusmagazine.com/horse-world/trails-for-tomorrow/

Equestrians Win Big in Santa Barbara Court Fight over Trail Access by Hikers and Bikers

Independent.com - Full Article

By Nick Welsh
Tue Dec 13, 2022 | 9:18am

Efforts by the Santa Barbara County supervisors to allow hikers, joggers, dogs, and cyclists to co-exist with horseback riders for the first time on the Live Oak Trail — located on the north side of Lake Cachuma — took a major fall last week in Judge Thomas Anderle’s courtroom, when Judge Anderle ruled the county violated the state laws governing environmental review and awarded the equestrians who sued $300,000 in legal fees for their pain.

Anderle, by far the most experienced Santa Barbara judge when it comes to environmental law, shredded the county’s argument that the project was exempt from environmental analysis because it fell within the purview of a major planning document on Lake Cachuma and its environs authored 12 years ago...

Read more here:
https://www.independent.com/2022/12/13/equestrians-win-big-in-santa-barbara-court-fight-over-trail-access-by-hikers-and-bikers/

Take A Fall Foliage Trail Ride On Horseback At Warden Station Horse Camp In Alabama

OnlyInYourState.com - Full Article

October 12, 2022
by Jennifer Young

When it comes to the outdoors, there are many beautiful places located throughout Alabama awaiting your visit, especially this time of year. One of these places is Warden Station Horse Camp. In addition to Warden Station Horse Camp being such a beautiful place that belongs on everyone’s outdoor bucket list, it’s also one of the best places to go on a horseback ride in Alabama. For more information about Warden Station Horse Camp, take a look below.

Warden Station Horse Camp is located within the beautiful Talladega National Forest in Fruithurst, Alabama. The drive getting there is just as beautiful as the area itself, especially during the fall season...

Read more here:
https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/alabama/fall-foliage-horseback-ride-in-al/

Who has the right of way on trails? What happens when bikes, hikers and horses meet

Corey Ohlenkamp/Star Press

MSN.com - Full Article

Kelley V. Phillips - Jul 6

There’s nothing like a quiet trail. Just you and your thoughts traveling down a sun-dappled path as the wind ripples the leaves in a soft applause.

For many people who enjoy the outdoors, that solitude is a treasure. At some point though, you’ll end up sharing the trail with fellow enthusiasts also taking a deliciously satisfying hiatus.

Whomever you end up meeting — hikers, cyclists, or even horses — there are general guidelines so everyone has the peaceful experience they are looking for.

Trails, especially those in more natural areas, tend to be narrow. Trail etiquette takes into consideration momentum, maneuverability and inertia. How fast are you going? Can you turn? Are you able to stop?...

Read more here:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/tripideas/who-has-the-right-of-way-on-trails-what-happens-when-bikes-hikers-and-horses-meet/ar-AAZg5yA

Nevada: Horse owners protest design of fences at Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument

8NewsNow.com - Full Article

by: Greg Haas
Posted: Aug 5, 2022

National monument angers longtime residents over trail access

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — They say that good fences make good neighbors, but apparently the kind of fence is just as important to horse owners who live along the border of the new Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument.

An informational meeting Thursday night about how to make suggestions for the budding park bogged down in a debate about the National Park Service’s fence design. The meeting played out at the Clark County Shooting Complex at the north end of Decatur Boulevard, with a handful of vocal residents sitting alongside volunteers from a group called Protectors of Tule Springs...

Read more here:
https://www.8newsnow.com/news/local-news/horse-owners-protest-design-of-fences-at-tule-springs-fossil-beds-national-monument/