TRAP Tails Trail Rider Awards Program California State Horsemen s Assoc. Chair Chatter! How is everyone doing with the rain? My pasture was so wet the Boys were wearing snorkels and fins! However, it was perfect for us. You see Buddy only has one eye (because of an injury) and has water issues due to no depth perception (at least that s what he says!). So every winter I take advantage of the rain to practice our water crossings. He has gotten much better and will actually go into still water now but continues to have issues with moving water. Well, the sun came out for a couple days last weekend and my friend Bev and I took a trip to near-by Mt. Diablo. There is a trail there that follows a creek with lots of water crossings this time of year! The beginning of the trail was pretty muddy (kudos to my farrier!) but after that it was actually pretty nice. The water was running and Buddy was snorting! At the first crossing he decided he was going to back all the way to the trailer rather than cross that deadly water! Since there were some pretty good sized drop-offs on either side of the trail I had Bev ride her horse Cruzer across and Buddy followed, no problem. I guess he figured any water monster would grab Cruzer first. At the next crossing, more of the same. Now, I m a pretty patient person, don t ask the impossible, and certainly am not of an age to press my luck on a cranky horse so we again followed Cruzer. However at the next crossing, we had a real nice safe area to play in. I asked Bud to cross with a soft squeeze and he starts the Moon Walk again. So I just sat on him real relaxed and asked him to do several small fast circles and face the water again. Once he settled, I asked him to step forward, only needed one step! That s good cause that s all I got before we went into reverse, so more circles. It took about three more times before he was standing next to the water, but each time standing longer than before and stepping when asked. Finally, he just stepped into the water without my asking. I rode him back and forth a few times then Bev and I rode onto the next crossing. Bud was a little hesitant and kept looking for Cruzer (the sacrificial lamb) but he did cross - Success!! After that no, problem he was crossing like a pro. We probably crossed the stream 9-10 times on the way out and at one point the trail was actually part of the stream for about 1/4 of a mile. Then we turned around and rode back. No hesitations at the crossings! This is no guarantee that he is cured. We will have to continue to work on it but he has come a long ways and I m very proud of him. Riding down the stream trail! February 2010 Inside this issue: Chair Chatter 1 TRAP Renewals Reminder 2 Congratulations 2 Trails Database Updated 2 New TRAP Members 2 Italian Soup & Beer Bread 3 Trail Issues 4 The Flying Blond 5 Rider Profile Jayne Jones Excel Rider Logs 7 TRAP Website Upgrades Contact Information 6 7 7
Page 2 Trails Database Update The Trails Database has been updated with hours received through 1/19/09. So far a total of 13455.25 hours with 6,116 rides have been logged for 2009! I have even received some 2010 hours but have not started the database yet. Keep sending those logs in! Congratulations! Bev and Cruzer at one of crossings He s not concerned about water monsters! TRAP Renewals Reminder Thank you to those 80 riders that have already sent in renewals! You should have received your membership pins and carabineers. However, there are still a lot of you out there that have not yet sent in your renewals. This is the last reminder via the newsletter, I promise! If renewals are not received by February 15th, e-mail reminders will go out to those that have not renewed. If you are not sure if you have renewed, check your status by going to the TRAP website and clicking on the Members Hours button. Locate your name on your region listing, your membership will be noted. Congratulations to the following members achievements since the last issue! Drew Schultz, Region 12, 1,000 Hours 2009 Awards and Recognition: In 2009 we awarded 59 chevrons, 20 recognition plaques, and 3 Master Trail Rider Awards. Congrats to all! New TRAP Members Wow! January was a great month for new members! Welcome to everyone, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact either your Region or State TRAP chair. Mary Barber, Region 13 Evelyn Smith, Region 2 Kristina Muelrath, Region 1 Mike Muelrath, Region 1 Sue Plotkin, Region 5 Mary Homicz, Region 18 Jenny Bath, Region 14 Necia Bath, Region 14 Charlotte Johnson, Region 2 Rebecca Long, Region 1 Jerry Dominguez, Region 5 Theresa Dominguez, Region 5 Peggy Hetlage, Region 5 Kimberly Kouri, Region 1 Beth Roens, Region 1 Tammy Vukovich, Region 3 Chanter Johnson, Region 2 Heather Johnson, Region 2 Mary Shannon, Region 1 Sarah Chavez, Region 5
Page 3 What could be better on a cold rainy day than a nice hot bowl of soup and some warm from the oven bread? The following recipe was contributed by Rita Cassibba of Region 2. After hearing rave reviews at the January Quarterly I asked her to share! Italian Sausage And Pasta Soup 3 (14.5 oz.) cans Swanson Beef Broth 1 (14.5 oz.) can Del Monte Diced Tomatoes with Garlic and Onion 2/3 cup Perfection Small Shell Pasta 2 stalks celery, sliced 1 1/2 tsp. Italian Seasoning 1 lb. The Turkey Store Hot Italian Sausage Place broth, tomatoes, pasta, celery and Italian seasoning in a large saucepan; cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 25 minutes. Meanwhile, remove sausage from casings. Cook in a medium skillet, breaking up large chunks with the back of a spoon, until cooked through, about 10 to 15 minutes. Add to pot while broth mixture is cooking. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Makes 6 servings. And to accompany the soup try this! Beer Bread 3 cups self-rising flour 1/2 cup sugar 1 12 oz can of beer These would be great recipes for camping! Have any quick and easy recipes to share? Send them in! Mix together and put in a greased 9 x 5 loaf pan Dribble 1/3 cup melted butter over the dough Bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees Remove from pan immediately when done Allow to cool before cutting (use serrated knife!).
Page 4 Trail Issues The TRAP and Trails Programs have been working together the past couple years to promote equestrian trail access. Bob Gage, the 2010 State Trails Chair, has put together a plan to make CSHA more visible to the trails community. However, we cannot do it alone, we need your help. Be proactive in your area, if you hear of a trail or land use meeting, grab a friend and attend. You know your needs better than we do, so take ownership and be heard at the local level. If you need support or guidance, contact either Bob or Marie, we are willing to help where we can. Bob can be reached via e-mail at bobgage@wildblue.net Major Land Acquisition Vasco Caves East Bay Regional Park District Adds Major land acquisition to Vasco Caves Regional Preserve near Byron, CA. At their December 15, 2009 meeting, the EBRPD Board of Directors unanimously agreed to purchase 1,644 acres adjacent to Vasco Caves Regional Preserve in the Byron area of unincorporated Contra Costa County. The property, which is just north of Vasco Caves and east of Los Vaqueros Reservoir, is being acquired through a partnership with the East Contra Costa County Habitat Conservancy (Conservancy). This acquisition is the Park District s fourth joint project with the Conservancy, which was created to identify, preserve and restore high priority land areas with significant habitat for protected species. The Park District is acquiring the property from owner Vaquero Farms Conservation LLC for $2,924,000, its appraised fair market value. An option-to-buy payment of $500,000 has already been made, of which the Park District and Conservancy each provided $250,000. The balance of funding will consist of another $250,000 from the District and $2,174,000 from the Conservancy. The property includes rolling grasslands with intermittent streams and ponds. It is of particular interest to the Conservancy because of the potential for the creation, enhancement and restoration of wetlands and special status species habitat including the California tiger salamander, California red-legged frog and western burrowing owl. The property has several conditions which will affect its future uses and management particularly wind turbines subject to wind leases. Presently, there are also more than 190 wind turbines on the property, owned by Tres Vaqueros Wind Farms and North Wind Energy. Many of these are not working, but Tres Vaqueros is in the process of obtaining permits to remove all of its older, smaller turbines and replace them with fewer, larger ones. The turbine facilities are allowed under permits granted by the county in 1984 and 1985. The Park District will obtain no mineral rights, wind rights or turbine revenue from the deal, but Tres Vaqueros has agreed to work with the District to site the new turbines in such a way as to minimize avian deaths resulting from collisions, an issue about which Park District board members have expressed major concerns. Because of the wind turbine operations and sensitive wildlife habitat, the new property will be kept in land bank status, closed to the public, until made safe for public access. Proposed Upper Sacramento River National Recreation Area Bob Gage, CSHA State Trails Chair attended a meeting on Feb. 3rd. in the Cottonwood, California area. It was a Public Meeting, presenting a proposed National Recreation Area designation of BLM owned property along the upper Sacramento River. There is a desire to put this BLM property into a NRA, (National Recreation Area ) with a possible NLCS designation. (National Landscape Conservation System), there by providing funding, (taxpayer provided) to make the project possible. There is a desire to preserve this location for recreational experience. There were approximately 150 people in attendance, and it was presented by Tehama County Officials, & BLM Officials. Information on this project is available at the links below: http://www.co.tehama.ca.us/index.php? option=com_content&task=view&id=141&itemid=276 http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/prog/blm_special_areas/ NLCS.html Many local residents in attendance expressed concerns regarding the proposed plan in regard to the impact of increased visitors to the area. There was a seemingly unanimous desire to preserve the "Gem" of a natural area with unmatched resources for the future. How this is done and who does it seems to be the issue as well as the impact on the local residents. CSHA was represented at the meeting by: CSHA Region 2 members, Coral Kane, Tami Sandberg, Joyce Pickering, Graham Carter and Bob Gage CSHA State Trails Program Chairman 2010. Bob will continue to keep us updated on this issue.
Page 5 The Flying Blonde.. By Vicky Beelik, Region 9 Well, it s that time of year again. This year I am bound and determined to earn something from Trail Trials or NATRC. Let me give you some history. I bought Schnapps 4 years ago, than a very strong minded 6 year old spoiled rotten Haflinger. What I learned very quickly is that spoiled Haflinger s are also very smart and have realized how easy it is to pull their momma s around (under lead and when in saddle). I quickly earned the reputation of being the best dirt skier at our ranch. And Schnapps quickly earned the reputation for being the Flying Blonde. Two years ago, thinking we were ready to hit the competitions, I eagerly trained for his (not mine) first NATRC and started doing Trail Trails. It s always a hoot having a horse with lovely buddy issues that is much stronger than you. It wasn t surprising that we didn t do so well in Trail Trials. Then, I took him to NATRC. It was great that I had to use carrots and grain during the vet in, just to make sure he didn t run away (points deducted for unruly horse). Better yet, we started the event with a wonderful bolt and series of bucks, while my darling pony asked me, why are all these horses trotting past me and away from me? (More points deducted for yet again, an unruly horse). I also found out he could trot sideways at almost 6 mph. It made it very easy to talk to my friends. After almost 20 miles of riding, very good P&R s and riding a pony that could tromp through mud calmly, climb a mountain and pass a blanketed scary object, my pony scored 5 th out of 12 in Horse division and he brought me a 1 st place in Horsemanship. I think this was because the judges were actually amazed I stayed on. They also found humor in the fact that I found the most appropriate song for whatever antics my pony was doing at that given time. Hence the name carried on as the Flying Blond (amongst other names that can t be published). Schnapps learning to stop It was quite an accomplishment getting him to turn! Since then we ve been doing a lot of training and working on his issues. We ve also been hitting the trails. My next training program will involve trailering him out to other trails alone where he ll encounter many other equestrians but not ride with any. So, dear Marie, I will either really get some hours or I ll lose a few hours while recovering. At our last riding adventure, I got to work on long trotting, separation, scary objects and even course obstacles. After four years of chasing after my Flying Blonde, I may actually be ready, but I ll keep you all posted! Editor s Note: Thank you to Vicky for sending in this article, I will post updates as she sends them! Good luck and ride safe!
Page 6 Rider Profile of the Month Jayne Jones, Region 12 Name: Jayne Jones Region: 12 City: Newport Beach Age: adult TRAP Member Since: April 2007 Horse Info: # of Horses: 2 Rascal is a 16 year old Spotted Saddle Horse gelding. Peter is a 30 something pinto gelding. Ride Info: # Rides per Month: 10 Average Ride Time: 1-2 hours Favorite Trails: Back Bay loop in Upper Newport Bay, Newport Beach Santa Ana River Trail in Anaheim Peter's Canyon Regional Park Santiago Oaks and Irvine Regional Park all located in Orange County Riding Disciplines: Camping Jayne Jones and Rascal Limestone Canyon, Irvine Ranch, Orange Co. Interests: I enjoy Natural Horsemanship and Team Building Programs with Horses I live in an Equestrian Neighborhood in Newport Beach and belong to the Back Bay Equestrians. I enjoy trail riding my older horse Peter around the back bay. I ride Rascal several times a week around Orange County and have taken him camping at Casper's Wilderness Park here in Orange County and Rancho Oso near Santa Barbara. My goal is to continue riding several days a week and to visit more parks in Orange County and California. I enjoy logging my hours on trail because it helps me remember the places I have visited and the wonderful times I continue to have with my horses and friends. I meet the nicest people on trail and I feel very lucky and grateful to have such fantastic horses and friends to ride with every week! If you are reading this it means you like to trail ride too so I hope to see you out there enjoying nature, your horse and your friends. Happy Trails to YOU! Note: As of 12/31/09 Jayne has logged 603.75 hours.
Trail Rider Awards Program California State Horsemen s Assoc. Page 7 Mail Rider Logs and TRAP registrations to: Marie Grisham 663 El Centro Rd. El Sobrante, CA 94803 Phone: 510-304-1025 E-mail: cshatrap@yahoo.com Excel Rider Logs Thank you to all of you that use the Excel Rider Logs. It makes it much easier and faster for me to just upload the information to the Trails Database rather than typing it all in. Here are a couple tips to make it easier for you and me. 1. Be sure to move your previous log s Total Hours in Program to the Balance Forward on your new log. 2. Enter only one trail per trail cell. If you ride more than 4 trails add them on the next line. Thanks! Marie TRAP Website: cshatrap.org TRAP Website Upgrades Coming! The TRAP website will soon be upgraded to include postings of trail events and places to camp with your horse. Your input is what will make this work. If you know of an upcoming trail event, e.g. trail ride, poker ride, work day, camp out, send in the info. If you have a favorite place to camp, please complete the online form to provide info to other s. I hope to have the new features up in the next couple weeks so keep checking back!