TRAIL MIX January 2014 The Official Publication of the Indiana Trail Riders Association, Inc. ITRA GOLD NUGGET CORPORATE SPONSOR The Annual Brown County Freeze Out November 28, 2013 By Yvette Rollins Did I say Freeze Out? Yes, it was mighty cold at Brown County and the park had a lot of cancellations but many members and non-members alike showed up in great force to help remove all the trees and trash from the trails. Brown County had a tornado that went through a couple of weeks before the cleanup that blew down a large number of trees on the trails and in the campground. The chainsaw crew cut and stacked the wood from the fallen trees in the campground so there are several campsites with firewood to burn this winter. The Adopt a Road cleanup crew showed up on Friday and then again on Saturday to clear the road of trash. The trail cleanup crews worked several days picking up trash and still found more every time they went out. You can work those trails backwards and forwards and still find trash. This year a lot of trash was off the trail and so it required more effort to get to but the results were great. Total hours for Trash Road Crew, Chainsaw, Campground Cleanup, F Trail work, trail cleanup was a fantastic 351 hours. Let me spell that out - three hundred and fifty one hours and this figure does not include travel time, mileage and skilled labor costs. The plan for Saturday was to work on the new section of the H trail to get it officially open. That did not happen because of the frozen ground and the difficulty in getting in because of the ruts so we moved to plan B. Plan B was moving to trail F and deberming, putting in grade dips and hauling more stone to reinforce the work that we did in August. We had one spot that didn t get any geotech because we ran out before we got all the way up the hill. You could already see that the horses were punching holes in the ground. We reinforced the area with more rock with a huge thanks going to Jody and Bruce Weldy and their 4-wheelers and Alice Hedrick with her red thing. I called it a Gator and she informed me that it was not green it was RED and was a Polaris All Terrain Ranger. Not to be confused with our Pulaski hand tool that we made good use of as well. 1 Paul Cronin built a custom rock lined drainage ditch at the top of the F trail right before it turns to go down the hill. We signed up several new members. Roger and Kathy were not members and I worked them like borrowed mules but it did not scare them off so they joined up at the end of the day at the pitch-in. Special thanks to the crew that helped on Saturday with the H Trail. Paul Cronin, Kathy and Roger Bockhop, Gracie Rollins, Jody and Bruce Weldy and Alice Hedrick and Barb Ferguson, photographer. Thank you to Scotty and Dave for setting up the shelter house for the pitch-in and putting up all the pretty lights and to Bob and Deb for the wonderful hams and to all the members who brought such great food to share. Doug Baird, Property Manager and Kevin Snyder, Assistant Property Manager along with his wife and two beautiful daughters joined us for the meal and they did not walk away hungry. The dinner was followed by our usual board meeting and cleanup and the sadness that goes with saying goodbye to everyone until we meet again. A very special thanks to all those brave ITRA members who endured the cold and to all the great horses that carry us around. Kathy and Roger Bockhop, Yvette and Gracie Rollins Gracie Rollins, Kathy Bockhop, Paul Cronin. Spreading rock on F Trail
The legendary feast after a day of work THANKS FOR GIVING at Thanksgiving By Ranger Bob Yvette and Roger inspecting Paul s custom drainage ditch A Pre-Thanksgiving Celebration Event happened at O Bannon Woods State Park and Harrison-Crawford State Forest from rd th November 23 to the 27. Almost 20 ITRA volunteers banded together to spend a VERY COLD but productive week at the O Bannon Woods working to make the Park and adjoining Forest a better place. What were we celebrating: The opportunity to give back, to help and to continue to improve the horse riding and driving experience for all to continue to enjoy. The opportunity to build a stronger partnership and true friendship between ITRA and our local park staff. The opportunity to have all our park recreational users, park visitors, local & regional community leaders, and IDNR staff to witness another very successful volunteer event. What was accomplished? Blue River Bluff Trail Improvements included rehabbing and construction of an old homestead road connection that will allow for gravel to be further moved and deposited on erodible surfaces of the trail. (Trail Improvement length 500 feet). Blue River Blue Trail improvements also included moving 250 tons of #2 and #73 aggregate stone, depositing the stone in trail wet spots and erodible areas. Trail was graded, drained, armored with gravel, and finished graded. (Trail Improvement Length - 3 miles) Trail Construction Connector trail from Brook s Pass to Old Cole Homestead House, cleared, graded, drained and marked. Old barbed wire homestead fencing was removed from the trail edge by a very efficient work crew of horseback riding volunteers! (Trail Improvement length 1 mile) Trails cleared of fallen trees, debris, and hazards: Blue River Bluff, Iron Bridge, Ridge Top, Nature Center, Fox Hollow, Idlewild, Potato Run, D-Trail and others. (Trail improvement length approx 40 miles) Campground Improvements: Section D and Horsemen s Hideaway had all fire rings cleaned of trash and litter. Hitching rails cleared of manure and hay. Felled hazard trees were processed for campfire wood. What made it possible? Equipment use loans from Parks South Maintenance Crew, Patoka Reservoir, Clifty State Park, Charlestown State Park and Falls of the Ohio State Jody on 4 wheeler with Yvette and Paul staying out of the way Bruce Weldy on his 4 wheeler with gravel bags Lyndall Montgomery clearing a tree off the trail 2
Park provided the extra logistic support to allow the volunteer event to make a true difference. Park paid staff workers and park staff volunteers operated IDNR vehicles and dump trucks. IDNR Parks allowed volunteers to operate park equipment, with required operator and safety training. IDNR equipment used by experienced and skilled ITRA volunteer operators included the 550 bulldozer, bobcat skid steers, farm tractors, 6x Polaris Rangers, Mule 4x UTV, Polaris ATV 4x, chainsaws and wood splitters. Allowing trained and approved volunteers to use IDNR equipment provided the extra manpower needed for this project s success and a substantial amount of real work to be accomplished. What extra fun we had! Saturday night we all had a wonderful evening at Scout Mountain Lodge on the Blue River; a fireplace crackling with heat, Missi s Sicilian Island secret Italian sausage meal, desserts and best of all good cheer! ITRA folks know about campfire cooking, nobody visits and goes away hungry Campfire circles always begin and end each day, always with lots of laughter and friendship building. Who do we appreciate? Thanksgiving Volunteers to thank include: Greg and Hillary Hersberger; Rob, Nancy, John Brunnemer, Ron Crouch, Chris and Max Lowe, Jamie Cardiff, Kyle Farr, Irene Hagerman, Jim and Maggie Pitser, Rheba Montgomery, Russ Boyer and all the others whom I may not have listed. What we offer to volunteers: Free camping & free firewood during the duration of your stay Opportunities to make real, worthwhile and lasting improvements to the horse trails for the riding community An opportunity to become a true and valued part of what makes O Bannon Woods a great destination for all to enjoy and you become part of the park family. Time during any work event to get out and enjoy what everyone has worked so hard to improve. A good ride thru the Woods and Forest is always there for the taking. What we need: More volunteers willing to train on park equipment and willing to work independently after instruction More fun events like this last one! O Bannon Woods contacts are: Ranger Bob at bsawtelle@dnr.in.gov; Stanley Baelz at sbaelz@dnr.in.gov Harrison-Crawford State Forest contact: Dwayne Sieg, Forest Manager at dsieg@dnr.in.gov Chris Lowe supervising Greg and Max laying gravel Maggie Pitzer and Irene Hagerman cleaning fire rings Jim and Maggie Pitzer working with log splitter Max Lowe laying gravel 3
An Adventure in the Smokies By Cheryl Rager Living in an equine community like we do, when there s a neighborhood get-together, our favorite topics are horses and trail experiences. The one I m about to tell didn t happen to me (thank goodness). This happened to some friends of a neighbor/friend. I wish I knew more of the details so I could make a better story out of it, but I don t, so here it is in a brief version. We know from personal experience that many of the trails in the Smokies cut across the sides of mountains and are narrow with no place to turn around. It s pretty straight up on one side and pretty straight down on the other side. On to the story... This couple was riding on one of those trails when they came to a downed tree. There was no way over, under, or around it. One end was way up on the steep mountainside, and the other end was down the mountainside. They were in a real fix, and to make matters worse, it started to rain. They had no choice but to try to turn around. They dismounted and tried turning their horses in that impossible space. One horse tumbled and fell down the mountainside, landing belly up in some brush. They could tell the horse was still alive, but because of its position and being tangled in the brush, it couldn t get up. As much as they hated to, they had to walk back to camp without it. So she rode and he followed on foot. Back at camp, a horse rescue organization in that area was called. It took them 3 days to get back to the horse with a bulldozer. Miraculously, the horse was still alive, and they were able to walk it back to camp. What an ordeal for horse and humans! President s Report By Bob McPheeters Adding electricity to the Versailles horsemen's campground is progressing. The site has been flagged for burying wire and equipment is in place. John Allen has purchased orange safety vests for volunteers working on the trails with the Indiana Trail Riders at Work" logo on the back. They will be available on workdays for volunteers and can be purchased at the Annual Meeting on March 15, 2014, at the Hamilton County Fairgrounds. The vests were worn by volunteers at the Brown County cleanup with very good reviews. Positive feedback and new membership applications were the direct result of folks seeing our well-identified crews out working. Good idea, John! A big "Thank You" to all the volunteers who braved the weather Thanksgiving week to work on the trails. A lot of trash was removed all week long. The chainsaw gang covered many miles of trail, clearing downed trees. Yvette Rollins and her crew weren't able to work on the "H" trail, as planned, due to terrible rutting caused by the deer hunters' vehicles. Her team repaired a damaged area of "F" trail instead. We had a great turnout in spite of the cold nights! Everyone worked hard and played hard, too. Thanksgiving dinner was outstanding. The Saturday night pitch-in was great, as it always is. Dave Maksymczak and Scotty Eskridge set up the shelter house with light, heat and all the comforts of home. Thanks for all the hard work, good food and great companionship. A final thanks goes out to Bob Sawtelle and O'Bannon Woods State Forest, who provided ALL the firewood for ITRA the entire week we were at Brown County! Horses as Partners By Sydney Good I ve been involved with horses for 58 years and have had many wonderful experiences. My first stallion has been inducted into the Pinto Hall of Fame. I ve shown two stallions to four Supreme Championships and been high point amateur in the nation. I have trail ridden in Nevada, Wyoming, South Dakota, Tennessee, North Carolina, Illinois, Indiana and Michigan. What has remained the most special to me is the relationship that I have had with these horses. I showed the two stallions for twelve years each; and they were still enjoying the experience. If they did not perform their best at a particular show, I always figured there was another show. They were not expected to be perfect each time; and I made it a point to treat them as my partner and not just something to be used to reach my own goals. I tried to make sure they enjoyed the experience as much as me so that both of us would go on to enjoy the experience another day. Too often horses are used by people to promote themselves without regard to what it does to the horses. They demand perfection each and every time out, which causes great stress to the horses. Horses are just as much our partners when we go trail riding. As our partners, they enjoy the experience as much as we do. When used as tools solely for the personal enjoyment of people, they no longer enjoy the experience. I ve seen horses pushed past their level of conditioning and ridden with ill- fitting tack that causes them discomfort. I was at Brown County several years ago when I watched four kids in the camping spot next to us force their horses through the creek beating the horses as they desperately tried to get a drink. They were tied to their hitching rails with no water while the kids piled into the back of a pick-up truck to go swimming. A friend and I carried water from the creek to all four horses that were desperately thirsty. They were used solely for the enjoyment of their owners and were not partners in the relationship. I ve heard instances of horses dying while being used without consideration for their welfare by their owners for their own pleasure without regard to the fact that the horse should be considered a partner and not an object to be used. These same people are not considerate of others as well as I experienced at O Bannon Woods this year when someone left their hitching rail with days worth of manure for the next person to clean up. When I trail ride, I sometimes let my horse choose the direction we take at various trail intersections. I have had two different trail riding partners that, when given the choice, would frequently choose the trail that went away from camp indicating they still wanted to ride some more. I even had to tell one of my mares that it was time to go back as it was getting dark. Our horses feel pain, hunger, thirst and become tired just as we do. It is our responsibility to honor their needs as well as our own and treat them as partners and not as objects to be used for our own purposes. That does not mean that they do not need to mind us; but they do deserve the respect that a partner would receive. Throughout all of my horse endeavors for all these years, it has been the partnership that I have cherished. While the majority of people do treat their horses with kindness, there are still the few who cannot recognize what it is to be a partner with their horses. Send articles for the Trail Mix to: Marsha Berry 70417 C. R. 13 New Paris, IN 46553 mlberry@bnin.net Deadline: February 10,2014 4
Bikes VS Horses By Kim DImmick Never take for granted what can happen on the trail, especially when you have a young, inexperienced horse. We have mountain horses, BB is a 3 year old mare and Romeo is an experienced 9 yr old gelding. Our first camping trip with BB 09/07/13-09/08/13 at Tippecanoe River S.P. went like this. Saturday morning we headed out on the longest trail loop there which is #2, and she did great, they took turns leading. There aren't too many hills there, but lots of sand. BB and I were leading when we started to head up the hill to the fire tower. We heard people up there, but you usually do, as there are hitch rails, a mounting block and folks climbing the fire tower. I didn't think much of the noise until we started around the slight bend in the trail before it goes up. Good thing we were still on the flat, because all of a sudden two 9 or 10 year old boys on bikes were coming head on at us. Now I would like to say BB only jumped in place, but that wasn't the case for either horse. She was so scared she didn't know whether to rear or bolt, so she started lunging. I was trying to get her in a circle and stop her so I could get off and get her calmed down. The saddle was just loose enough I started to slide, so I just let myself roll off her before she took me into a tree. Romeo was doing a hard spook and twirl also, and Bill came off, but was able to hold onto him. I had let BB go, figuring she wouldn't go too far and she didn't, she ran up to some riders who were behind us and saw the whole thing. They caught her up for me and held her, while 2 very scared, crying boys got a very stern lecture about trail etiquette. Bill was already chewing on them, but I finished and sent them packing back to the family camp. Their adults / parents appeared to have left them on their own for the day / afternoon. Bikes are not allowed on the trails, just hikers and horses. We walked up the hill, and got on at the mounting block and I was impressed, she didn t appear to be nervous or afraid (neither horse was). I ended up with the tendon separated from the bone on my left ring finger and Bill had a couple bruises. I got to thinking how much worse it could have been, green rider, kids on horses / ponies, spookier type horses, or if the bikes had hit us, or came at us on the hill. I'm not happy it happened but it could have been worse. We spoke with Jason Hickman the Asst. Property Mgr. at Tippy and he filed an incident report. He also had the head security guy, Mike, get with us to identify the kids. My husband Bill went with him to the family camp, and found the kids still on their own. The security guy went back to lecture the kids and finally found adults there. So they all got a lecture and a Courtesy Card, which means they caused a problem by breaking a rule. We were happy that the issue was addressed by park staff, and disgusted that people would leave kids that age unattended that long. So make sure your girth is snug, your helmet is on and work on those jump in place spooks. You never know who might disregard the trail use rules. Spring Trail Fund Raising Ride O' Bannon Woods State Park By Nancy Brunnemer Let this trail maintenance fund ride be your first big ride for the year 2014. Indiana Trail Riders Association, Old Capital Saddle Club and O'Bannon State Park are partnering to provide this fun weekend ride. The event is March 28,29, 30, 2014. The cost is $12 for primitive and $15 for electric. Cash 5 or checks only. There is also a $10 donation per person for the weekend that will be collected by ITRA. Activities are *Campfire Social on Friday evening at Horseman's Hideaway Campground *Guided trail rides on Saturday starting at 9:30 at Horseman's Hideaway Campground *Pitch in dinner at 5:30 Saturday evening at the Horseman's Hideaway Campground. Fried chicken will be provided by ITRA. *Dance on Saturday evening from 7:30-11:00 at the Horseman's Hideaway Campground Call in your camping reservations to the O'Bannon Woods State Park Office. 812-738-8232. Nancy Brunnemer, Patty Nichols, Michelle Smith, Rob Brunnemer and Ron Crouch riding along the NEW trail at O'Bannon where the Blue River meets the Ohio River Covered Wagon Ranch By Cherri Cronen Paul and I have been considering hauling our horses to Montana to ride next summer. While doing a bit of research, I found a dude ranch somewhat near the area we were thinking of riding. That gave me the bright idea of going to the dude ranch for a short time, and exploring possible camping options from there. About every other year, a group of friends asks us to plan a hiking/sightseeing trip out west. I thought I could kill two birds with one stone. After several calls, the ranch we chose was Covered Wagon Ranch near Big Sky, MT. The selling points for Covered Wagon were: not necessary to stay a week, reduced rates for non-riders, an optional short pack trip available. It had excellent reviews on Trip Adviser. We hiked in Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone for a week before we arrived at Covered Wagon. Paul and our older son had climbed Grand Teton Mountain several years ago with a guide, and we'd taken the children to both parks a few times in the past, so we had a good background. When we arrived at Covered Wagon Ranch, we were pleased. But let me skip to the pack trip. It is just a short trip that they offer guests, Tuesday morning thru Thursday evening. They need to see you ride on Monday to make sure you ride well enough. They had cancelled the riders the week before because they didn't think they could handle it. (Later I would find there were two areas of the trail on the pack trip that made me think maybe I couldn't handle it, but when the other wranglers say to you, "Oh you're going on the pack trip?
You'll love Snow Slide" with a twinkle in their eyes, you should take note.) So we were assigned our horses on Monday a.m. and went for a half day ride up and down a mountain. Really pretty scenery. REALLY nice string of horses. The owner and some of the wranglers rope on a few of the guest horses at local rodeos. Tuesday morning we went to the corrals to help/watch the loading and weighing of the packs. There were two wranglers going with us, Austin and Keaton, 21 and 18 years old respectively. At first I balked at this. Paul, me, and two young whippersnappers, out in the mountains of Montana, in nylon tents side by side. UGH. Isn't there anyone any older, wiser, more experienced available?? Did I mention that the "restroom" meant taking a small shovel, a roll of toilet paper, and an extra large can of bear spray and finding a spot away from camp, but not TOO far away from camp? But as we watched them prepare the loads, and later pack the mules very carefully, my apprehension lessened. Time to load the 4 saddled horses, a draft packhorse, and two really pretty mule sisters from Kentucky into the stock trailer. I looked at the trailer and said to Paul, "Holy cow. I can't believe all these will fit in that." Well, they did. They were packed so tightly that no one could have fallen if they tried. We hauled about an hour away to our departure point. After unloading, the two wranglers took great care in packing the panniers onto Millie the draft, and Ida and Elsie the two pretty mules. The horses and mules had been carefully chosen. The two mules were "mothered up" with two of the horses going, Millie and one of the wrangler's mounts. That meant the mules would stay with those horses no matter what. We began the trip up Red Canyon, a gorgeous ride. The pack string wrangler with 3 animals in the string, in front, the other wrangler next, and Paul and I bringing up the rear. We stopped for lunch in a meadow overlooking Hebgen Lake. While we ate our wonderful sandwiches, our horses were tied, but Keaton ate his lunch while sitting on his horse, holding the pack string while they grazed. Lunch was only about 10-15 minutes long. I got such a kick out of watching the pack string. When we'd come to a narrow spot in the trail, maybe where a tree or rock was really close, Keaton would call out to the string, "Millie, Ida, Elsie, pay attention, girls." (I would hear that in my sleep for days.) And they would delicately step around the obstruction, taking care to not scrape the panniers. After lunch we continued up the mountain. We gained about 1,000 ft in altitude. Just as we came into a meadow adjacent to our camp, we saw a mother grizzly bear and her twin cubs. She ran away from us, toward our camp, and thru it. Believe what the experts say about how fast a huge grizzly bear can travel. It was surprising. We rode into our camp, a lovely clearing on the edge of a vast meadow, with large trees and ample area for tents. The wranglers keep a cache of equipment and tents pulled high in the trees for the summer pack trips. We set up camp and pitched our tents, turning the horses loose with their halters and dragging long leads in the meadow to graze. At night they were put into a solar powered electric fence, very large. However, two horses were always kept on a highline. The mules would be turned loose the entire 3 days; they stay in camp because they would not leave the two horses they are attached to. In fact, a lot of the time the mules would voluntarily choose to stand near the horses on the highline, instead of grazing. They were really attached. The wranglers told us that letting the mules roam around the camp and meadow at night would go far in protecting us from the bears. There was a LOT of bear scat, some quite fresh, all around and in camp. We were cautioned to not go anywhere without 6 the bear spray. After collecting and filtering water from a fresh, flowing creek nearby, we cooked dinner, then retired to bed. Our tent was on a slight incline and my (provided) sleeping bag and ground mat kept sliding down to the bottom of the tent. I clawed my way back to the top several times each night. The temperature overnight was in the 30s. I was glad to sleep in long underwear and wool socks. The wranglers advised us to put our clothes for the morning in the bottom of our sleeping bags, so they'd be warm the next morning. Good advice. The next morning we had coffee, tea, and breakfast cooked over the fire. The wranglers rode two horses bareback to the creek for water, the others following. After breakfast we rode to the top of Red Mountain. Another beautiful view. We spent the rest of the afternoon reading and relaxing. Very peaceful. Our last morning we broke camp, spending quite a while wrapping all the gear to cache in tarps, then using a horse with the rope to pull the very heavy mass up high into a tree. Then we were off to summit Monument Mountain. To get there, we had to cross a section of the mountain called Snow Slide. It was a trail along the side of the mountain with almost a 360 degree view, and nothing to stop you from falling over the side for about...oh, a few thousand feet. I am really afraid of heights (yeah, I know...what was I thinking? Well, I've also done the overnight Grand Canyon mule ride twice and lived thru it. I just want to see stuff so badly that I cowgirl up). Crossing Snow Slide was ok...as long as I kept my eyes on my horse's ears, glanced up at the view from time to time, and remembered to breathe. No problem. Austin sent me a video of crossing Snow Slide he had taken on his phone, so I didn't really miss anything...haha. Then we made the top of Monument Mountain, 10,000+ ft, and above the tree line. (In MT, tree line is a lot lower than in CO.) So the rest of the day was spent descending 4,000 feet, thru really breathtaking views, back to the ranch. It was a terrific trip, just a taste of what a real pack trip into the wilderness would be like. I'll add one funny side note. Paul has a great book on bear attacks. Accounts of different attacks, as well as advice on how to survive an attack. One important thing is to not have any food in your tent or on your person (actually bears can be attracted to something as simple as lip balm, Chapstick. Geez). The first evening in camp, after we'd hoisted the cooler with our food in it high up into the trees a bit of a distance from camp, as we got ready for bed, I realized I had a couple of cheese sticks in my shirt pocket. OH NO!!! Paul took the cheese sticks, and good Scout that he is, tied them in the end of one of the ropes hanging from the hoisted cooler, threw it around a high branch, and lifted my cheese sticks high into the trees near the cooler. They looked so funny hanging up there, just two little cheese sticks on the end of a rope, hanging from a high branch. The wranglers got a big kick out of the next morning when they went to fetch the cooler. But...no bears in our tent that night!
new horse camp at Versailles. The guys told us the main issue had been the hold up of the Engineering Dept. They did commit to us having 15 primitive sights in place by spring so hopefully the weather will cooperate and they can make that happen. Hopefully we will be able to have the camp completed by the spring of 2015 or with luck, maybe by the fall of 2014. Other discussions were about all the turnover we will see in the DNR in the next 5 years as many of our old friends will be reaching retirement age. We have lost quite a few people the last couple of years and some I m sure will be missed greatly. There is a possibility that ITRA and the HBCH, with the help of the IHC and their trail committee chairman Jerry Fruth, could be getting a Ditch Witch to help us build and maintain trails in Indiana. We were happy to have the attendance of the DNR officials at the Board of Directors planning retreat that was held this year and will be held again next year with the board of HBHC also joining us for joint and separate sessions. We also discussed that we were going to be having additional workdays at O Bannon Woods to coincide with our Fall Cleanup at Brown County starting at O Bannon woods on the weekend before our cleanup at BC and the fact we needed some extra equipment at O Bannon to move stone to harden a trail and to make a hill accessible to safety equipment. Steve had been told of the workdays and had arranged for more machinery brought in and we worked plenty hard during those workdays. We saved our most contentious discussions till last and it was about the mountain bikers continually encroaching onto the horse trails and the displeasure of many riders with this and some of the safety issues and accidents that have happened across the state when there has been riders that have had interaction. They did say that if there was any way possible they would keep horse trails and bike trails separate. We do have an issue on trail C in Brown County where it runs through the Nature Preserve where there isn t a way to expand the access through that area to connect the bike trails in front of the park to where the Forestry division has purchased the girl scout camp for the mountain bikers to use. We will continue to work with them to try our best to keep the horse trails completely separate from the bike trails. We will let you know when and how this is worked out with the DNR. Overall it was a very productive meeting and we will be having another one before spring to work on these and other issues we have. ITRA Meets With DNR By Greg Hersberger Wilderness Resort By Barb Ferguson I must say we would never have known where to go if it were not for The EDGe Yahoo group where I posted questions about Big South Fork Wilderness Resort horse trails. ITRA member Cherri Cronen posted back and then emailed me privately with 5 pages of the best directions to drive and the very best trail descriptions and where to go. A HUGE THANKS to Cherri. My husband Dennis and I finally planned a short vacation late this fall to Oneida Tenn. to Wilderness Resort for a 4 day, 3 night stay in a cabin with a 4 stall horse barn and turnout pen. We left late Monday due to my having a terrible headache (I have allergies). The drive down to Oneida was about 4.5 hours from our house. We arrived at Wilderness Resort about 4:30 PM. The road to our cabin was gravel and we traveled about 3 miles and there was a sign reading Sweet Gum Falls. As we turned into the lane I remembered the cabin manager, Kathy, and ITRA and EDGe member Cherri Cronen, had told me several times to go up the hill to the barn On Nov 7th The DNR committee of the Board of Directors met with DNR representatives at the State offices of the DNR. The DNR was well represented by Deputy Director John Davis, Director of Parks and Reservoirs Dan Bortner, Asst Director for Parks and Res. John Bergman, Southern District Supervisor for Parks and Res. Steve Lemmon, Brown County SP manager Doug Baird, State Forester John Seifert, and Asst Director for Forestry Dan Ernst. DNR Director Cameron Clark did join the meeting for a good while. We do appreciate all of these guys taking time out of their busy schedules to meet with us and discuss issues with us. Directors and Officers in attendance were Jody Weldy, John Allen, Barb Ferguson, Larry Sidell, Yvette Rollins, and Greg Hersberger. President Bob couldn t attend as he had a prior commitment on the day scheduled for the meeting. We met from around 1:30 till 4:30 discussing many issues that we re dealing with in the state. Our first discussion was about the rate of progress on the 7
first before going to the cabin. As Dennis pulled into the lane I said Kathy said to go up the hill before going to the cabin but we had never been there and did not know where the barn was so he kept on driving and we reached the cabin first with a very small circle driveway with trees everywhere. The barn was on the road we came in on. We unloaded the horses and walked them up a very steep hill to the very nice barn. We bedded their stalls, turned Dusty out to get some exercise and put the other horse, Bunny, in a stall with a window where they could see each other and have hay and water. We then slid/walked back down to the cabin and unloaded food, clothes etc. Dennis started the truck and the circle driveway was so small we had a devil of a time getting it back out of there and back to the barn where we should have gone in the first place. It was getting dark and we had a nice dinner, watched TV and, being very sleepy, off to bed we went, excited about riding on Tuesday. Well early Tuesday morning it started raining. It poured and rained and rained. Dennis forgot his raincoat so we got in the truck about 11:00AM and headed out to see Bandy Creek Stables and the campground. We then headed on to Jamestown to East Fork Stables Tack Shop so we could get Dennis a raincoat. They did not have one he liked so we went across the road to Rim Riders Tack Store and got one. We then drove to Rugby for a quick lunch and it finally quit raining about 2:30PM as we were headed back to Wilderness Resort. We hurried up and saddled the horses and took off from the barn. The trail was very sandy with very little rock. We rode to Station Horse Camp and by that time it was getting dark. It was very cloudy and by the time we started back it was pitch black and you could not see anything in front of you. We finally arrived back at the barn and put the horses in their nicely bedded down stalls with hay and water. We walked down the hill to the cabin and grilled steaks, baked potatoes and fixed a salad for dinner. The hot tub was really nice after a cold rainy day. On Wednesday morning we fixed breakfast and then packed a lunch for our ride. We loaded the horses in the trailer and drove to a day parking lot closer to the River Crossing and had a wonderful ride to Chariot Creek. This is a secluded motel for guests and horses. Chariot Creek is very old and rustic with no electricity. They have rental rooms, a snack bar and restaurant that is open for reservations on busier weekends. After we had a break and ate lunch we rode a very nice trail back to the river crossing and on back to the horse trailer. Sadly on Thursday we had to leave and be out of the cabin by 11:00AM. We started packing and loaded horses and headed back to southern Indiana. Dennis was impressed with Cherri s information and the trails are very well marked. When we go back, and I really hope we can, I want to be there for several more days. the tops for firewood that heat our home and cook our food. God did all this when he made the tree renewable and has been since the beginning of time! Thank you Lord for the tree. The tree that you created when the carpenter went out and cut it down to form the cross that your Son so willingly laid down his life upon so that we might have eternal life. God, you saw the tree that sprang up out of the ground that would some day grow and be cut for that beautiful, terrible, Cross. Yes Lord, thank you for the firewood, but most of all thank you for that old rugged Cross. That Cross that reaches to a lost and dieing world that so needs you, more than firewood, more than RR ties and pallets, more than wealth and riches. You have given all to us. Thank you. I love you Jesus! Pastor Dean Manuel Horsemans Christian Camp Outreach, Brown County IN. I can be reached at Hcco Horsemans camp Face book 7595 Bob Allen rd Freetown IN,47235 Or hcco25@gmail.com What Were They Thinking! By Nancy Brunnemer I'll bet you have seen this before! Someone left cans and bottles in the fire rings. WHAT?? WHY?? Firewood, I like it. By Pastor Dean Manuel When I go out on the back porch and see a nice supply of firewood, all nice and stacked up, it makes me feel good. To know that our house will be warm this winter is a good feeling. Or maybe be down at the park sitting around the campfire and cooking or just visiting. That Wood started out as a tree that God made and maybe we harvested it for a landowner or sawed it in one of our mills that God has so graciously let us run and provides for about five or six different families. Yep, I like firewood. We can take a tree and saw lumber to build a house or saw lumber for a railroad tie or pallet material so trains can run and factories can ship their product. Then use Isn't this an attractive look on our trails? 8
Did you ever pull into camp and find a mess like this around the hitching rail? I believe that we all want to clean up someone else s manure and hay. NOT! Thank you to all the trail riders who do a thorough job of cleaning up their camping areas before departing the campground. Thank you to the following members who have stepped up to the plate to run for officer or director positions. Please Note!!! Your official ballot is in this issue. You will be responsible for mailing that ballot in or bringing it with you to the annual meeting in March. You must be a member for 1 year to run as an officer. Bob McPheeters - President - Running for President I have really enjoyed serving the ITRA as President this last year. It has been a personal challenge to help lead this great organization, and I wish to run for re-election and continue serving this fine organization. I have been a member of the ITRA for 13 years, serving wherever needed for the promotion of our sport. I have owned and ridden horses for several years, mostly as a trail rider. Although I still enjoy other forms of equine recreation, trail riding is my primary passion. Currently my wife, Debi, and I ride Indiana trails as often as possible, whether its right around home or at any one of our many equine trails scattered about the State. When we re not riding, we enjoy driving our red & white TWH that is also trained as a harness horse. Since becoming a member of ITRA, I have helped with trail clean up and maintenance, helped set up and man the booth at the Hoosier Horse Fair, and helped at the Fall Ride. I have also been on the committee for the Delaware Greenway's Giddy-Up. I am a lifetime member of the ITRA. I support the great causes of the organization, and I am proud to be a member. I have been involved with the local 4-H Horse & Pony program in Madison County, and I am also a member of the Madison County Equestrian Club, where the local kids enjoy showing off their stuff. I have been involved with several community and church functions where my horses have been available for all to enjoy, thus helping promote the joys of horse-related activities. I look forward to continuing my volunteer work with the ITRA. 9 Arlene Smoot-Vice President Running for Vice President I have served ITRA as director, treasurer, secretary, vice president and president and am very dedicated to helping ITRA continue to work for the trails and campgrounds in Indiana I am a life member of Indiana Trail Riders Assn., Indiana Horse Council, member of Hoosier Back Country Horsemen, serve on the board of the B & O Rail Trail organization and as treasurer for Red Hats and Purple Chaps. My husband Don and I live on a mini farm in Hendricks County. We have two horses, a beautiful Peruvian Paso and a very interesting grade gelding. Erin Maksymczak Secretary - Running for Secretary Hey guys! I enjoyed being secretary so much, I thought I'd run for re-election. I am a Registered Nurse living in northern Hamilton County. I have been a member of ITRA since my preteen years and officially became a lifetime member this year. Sorry but I'm here to stay ; ). My family has been very actively involved with ITRA for many years and I plan to continue the family tradition. I frequently attend workdays with ITRA and hope to be able to attend even more things in the upcoming year (my first year of home ownership was a little eye opening, but I think I have it figured out now). I am a 4- leader, board member for Hamilton County Horsemen's Club, and help run stallion row at HHF. I would really appreciate a chance to continue to serve this organization that I love so much. Jody Weldy Treasurer Running for Treasurer My name is Jody Weldy, my husband Bruce and I live in Elkhart, Indiana, the land of lousy trail riding! As far as I can recall, I have been a member of ITRA since its inception. I held the office of treasurer for three years starting in 1984. I have also been president for 3 years, and have been a director for another three years. I look forward to serving again. John Allen Director Running for Director I am retired from Eli Lilly and Company where I worked in the financial division and currently work part time for Lowe s Home Improvement. I am married to my wonderful wife and we have 3 grown children and four beautiful granddaughters. Our hobby is trail riding and caring for our 3 horses, two dogs and cat. During the past year I have thoroughly enjoyed the privilege of serving my fellow trail riders as a director. I have also been impressed by the dedication of my fellow directors and therefore I am again offering my name for a directorship in ITRA. In the past year I have worked to increase the association s membership by designing a downloadable membership campaign flyer that is available on our Face book site. Members can print and distribute it wherever they are trail riding. I believe it is important to highlight the good work we do on the trail. I have worked to increase our visibility by coordinating the purchase of reflective logo safety vests that can be worn by ITRA members on workdays. I welcome the opportunity to continue my service and help ITRA build and preserve our Indiana trail heritage. Nancy Brunnemer Director Runnning for Director My name is Nancy Brunnemer. I have been involved with ITRA for several years and as a director in recent years. My husband, Rob, and I enjoy traveling and riding in many of the parks in Indiana. We also love venturing to other states. Being a director has been very rewarding. It is nice to work with the DNR and fellow volunteers. I have been involved in the upcoming development of an overnight horse campground at Versailles State Park. Hopefully we will see the
campground opened this coming year. Also, I have worked with Ranger Bob the last couple of years on the Spring Trails Maintenance Trail Ride in O'Bannon State Park. My family and friends have spent many days volunteering on the trails by cleaning up trash, cutting trees, graveling horse pads, even mowing grass. I plan to continue to help our parks be great places to ride. ITRA is the best! Greg Hersberger Director Running for Director Having served as director and chairman of the board of the ITRA, I have met so many great people and have had so many wonderful experiences. There is such a great legacy of the past officers and directors and I feel we have kept the association on the path of being one of the premier trail riding advocacy groups in the nation. It is my pride and pleasure to serve the ITRA in the positions I ve held. We live near Portland, In., on a small farm with our 4 horses, 2 pygmy goats, numerous barn cats and 4 dogs. I ride Blaze, a Bay MTF, the world famous trail horse, and normally have Wimpy, the world famous trail dog, with me. My wife Diana rides or drives her Haflinger mare D and our daughter, Hillary, usually rides with us on her palomino mare Faith. We have ridden at most of the places in the state that have public horse trails and camps. Serving for the ITRA I have worked in most of the parks and forests in the state and I am one of the ITRA members that have taken the trail design, construction, and maintenance crew leader training and I organize the chainsaw crews for the ITRA. It would be my pleasure to continue to serve on the Board of directors of the ITRA and ask for your support in doing so. Larry Sidell Director Running for Director I'm Larry Sidell, my wife Tammy and two kids, Kathryn and Ben, live outside of Batesville, In. Our equine bankruptcy began Christmas of '96 when we gave the kids a horse. We've enjoyed every penny going belly up. I currently am seeking my 4th term as Director for the ITRA in S. E. Indiana. I do truly enjoy helping to do what's needed to help keep what we all enjoy open and available. Our efforts to get overnight horse camping at Versailles State Park is moving forward. We started off with a big BANG, our first work day had almost 60 volunteers, with several pieces of equipment and lots of chainsaws. We have had 5 other work days. We have had several meetings with various members of the DNR. The land is currently partly cleared for the first 15 sites; we are waiting now for a blueprint from the DNR so we can move forward. Gayle Vautaw Director Running for Director I have been a horse lover since I was a small child. As a child my heroes were Roy Rogers and Fury. I got my first pony when I was eight years old. As I got older and got married I was away from horses for a number of years. I didn't have a place to keep horses but found myself still riding horses whenever the opportunity arose. During this phase of my life I raised, showed and trained dogs. I belonged to several kennel clubs and actively participated on the board of several clubs including a national dog club s health foundation working for the betterment of the breed. Volunteering has also always been an important part of my life that continues today. As I got a little older I told my husband how much I missed the farm life and the horses. He said, well what do you want to do about it? That question led to horses being an active part of my life for the last eight years. One of my favorite horse related activities is trail riding, which led me to my new project at Tippecanoe River State Park. Along with many of you, I worry about losing our horse trails and hope in a small way I can help prevent that from happening. The opportunity to help trail riders continue to utilize public lands is a task close to my heart. 10 Congratulations to Jody Weldy for winning a free 2014 membership to ITRA for referring the most new members in 2013 We re starting a new contest for 2014 and hope that more of you will encourage people to join ITRA. Round 2 It Ranch presents Trail Rider s Equipment 5 Star Wool Pads Parker Nylon Equipment Garroutte Leather Products Schutz Bros. Leather Products Select the Best - Joint Supplements 10734 N. 800 E Ossian, In 46777 260-639-6657 round2it@onlyinternet.net Once again, Scotty Eskridge s Chili and Ham & Bean supper was a huge success. Lots of folks showed up hungry and everyone brought a dish to share. Signed up a couple of new members and met some new folks and renewed some old friendships. Weather was a bit on the chilly side and I was very disappointed that the park officials did not make people shut off their noisy generators at quiet hour but they didn t and sleeping wasn t easy with all that noise going on. Would be nice if Tippy had electric. The sign at the entrance said both camps were sold out but there were a few empty ones in the horse camp and I m sure the chilly weather kept a few people home. Scotty Eskridge Tippy Annual Chili Supper By Jody Weldy
Christmas Horse Story The young couple had made their usual hurried, pre- Christmas visit to the little farm where dwelt their elderly parents with their small herd of horses. The farm had been named Lone Pine Farm because of the huge pine which topped the hill behind the farm, and through the years had become a talisman to the old man and his wife, and a landmark in the countryside. The old folks no longer showed their horses, for the years had taken their toll, but they sold a few foals each year, and the horses were their reason for joy in the morning and contentment at day's end. Crossly, as they prepared to leave, the young couple confronted the old folks. "Why do you not at least dispose of "The Old One". She is no longer of use to you. It's been years since you've had foals from her. You should cut corners and save where you can. Why do you keep her anyway?" The old man looked down as his worn boot, scuffed at the barn floor, and his arm stole defensively about the Old One's neck as he drew her to him and rubbed her gently behind the ears. He replied softly, "We keep her because of love. Only because of love." Baffled and irritated, the young folks wished the old man and his wife a Merry Christmas and headed back toward the city as darkness stole through the valley. So it was, that because of the leave-taking, no one noticed the insulation smoldering on the frayed wires in the old barn. None saw the first spark fall. None but the "Old One". In a matter of minutes, the whole barn was ablaze and the hungry flames were licking at the loft full of hay. With a cry of horror and despair, the old man shouted to his wife to call for help as he raced to the barn to save their beloved horses. But the flames were roaring now, and the blazing heat drove him back. He sank sobbing to the ground helpless before the fire's fury. By the time the fire department arrived, only smoking, glowing ruins were left, and the old man and his wife. They thanked those who had come to their aid, and the old man turned to his wife, resting her white head upon his shoulders as he clumsily dried her tears with a frayed red bandana. Brokenly he whispered, "We have lost much, but God has spared our home on this eve of Christmas. Let us, therefore, climb the hill to the old pine where we have sought comfort in times of despair. We will look down upon our home and give thanks to God that it has been spared." And so, he took her by the hand and helped her up the snowy hill as he brushed aside his own tears with the back of his hand. As they stepped over the little knoll at the crest of the hill, they looked up and gasped in amazement at the incredible beauty before them. Seemingly, every glorious, brilliant star in the heavens was caught up in the glittering, snow-frosted branches of their beloved pine, and it was aglow with heavenly candles. And poised on its top most bough, a crystal crescent moon glistened like spun glass. Never had a mere mortal created a Christmas tree such as this. Suddenly, the old man gave a cry of wonder and incredible joy as he pulled his wife forward. There, beneath the tree, was their Christmas gift. Bedded down about the "Old One" close to the trunk of the tree, was the entire herd, safe. At the first hint of smoke, she had pushed the door ajar with her muzzle and had led the horses through it. Slowly and with great dignity, never looking back, she had led them up the hill, stepping daintily through the snow. The foals were frightened and dashed about. The skittish yearlings looked back at the crackling, hungry flames, and tucked their tails under them as they licked their lips and hopped like rabbits. The mares pressed uneasily against the "Old One" as she moved calmly up the hill and to safety beneath the pine. And now, she lay among them and gazed at the faces of those she loved. Her body was brittle with years, 11 but the golden eyes were filled with devotion as she offered her gift-because of love. Only Because of love. For this time of the year,,,,,happy Holidays... Glossary of Horse Terms: Hock: Financial condition of all horse owners. Stall: What your rig does at rush hour in an unfamiliar city on the way to a big trail ride. A Bit: What you have left in your pocket after you ve been to your favorite tack shop. Fence: Decorative structure built to provide your horse with something to chew on. Horse Auction: What you think of having after your horse bucks you off. Pinto: Green coat pattern found on freshly washed light colored horses left unattended for 2 minutes. Well Mannered: Hasn't stepped on, bitten, or kicked anyone for a week. Rasp: Abrasive metal tool used to remove excess skin from ones knuckles. Lunging: Popular training method in which a horse exercises their owner by spinning them in circles until dizzy. Gallop: Customary gait a horse chooses when returning back to the barn. Nicely Started: Lunges, but not enough health insurance to even think about riding him. Colt: What your mare gives you when you want a filly. Easy to Load: Only takes 3 hours, 4 men, a 50lb bag of oats, and a tractor with loader. Easy to Catch: In a 10x10 stall. Easy Rider: Rides good in a trailer; not to be confused with "ride-able". Endurance Ride: End result when your horse spooks and runs away with you. Hives: What you get when receive the vet bill for your 6 horses, 3 dogs, 4 cats, and 1 donkey. Hobbles: Walking gait of a horse owner after their foot has been stepped on by their horse. Feed: Expensive substance used to manufacture manure. Dog House: What you are in when you spend too much money on grooming supplies and pretty halters. Light Cribber: We can't afford to build anymore fencing or box stalls for this buzz saw on four legs. Three Gaited Horse: A horse that. 1)Trips, 2)stumbles, 3) falls Chain Letter for Horse Owners Dear Horse Owner: Are you experiencing too many second and third finishes behind inferior horses at horse shows? During a trail ride, does your horse forget everything he was bred to do? Well, this simple chain letter is meant to bring relief and happiness to you. Unlike most chain letters, it doesn't cost any money. Simply send a copy to six other horse owners who are dissatisfied with the way that their horse is behaving. Also, bundle up your horse and send him/her to the horse owner at the top of list, and add your name to the bottom of the list. Do not use a return address or the post office may try to contact you. In one week you should receive 16,436 horses, and at least one of them should be a keeper. Have faith in this. Do not break the chain. One owner broke the chain and got his own horse back. Good luck!