Clare Tone

Rabbit Mountain Open Space

By Suzanne Webel Prologue, written in October 2017. Recently I’ve spent a lot of time (again) learning about elk, this time in the context of Rabbit Mountain. In the past few years a growing herd of elk has decided that Rabbit Mountain is a great place to hang out. In spite of Boulder County Parks and Open Space’s mission of providing a haven for wildlife with no hunting, Colorado Parks & Wildlife (CPW) has decided there are too many elk. So they imposed an elk hunt that will close the park to the public for half of every week, for half of every year, so that two hunters a week can have the entire park to themselves while they “harvest” a couple dozen animals a year. The theory is that hunting will inconvenience the elk into migrating off Rabbit Mountain. Whether trails actually inconvenience wildlife seems to be a perennial debate. Over the years we have asked for new trails on many BCPOS parks, and been told repeatedly that trails inconvenience wildlife so we can’t have more trails. Here, we suggested that staff should build at least the trails that have already been approved, especially if the goal is to inconvenience the elk. The first Rabbit Mountain management plan was written in 1984, when the park consisted of about 560 acres, and the plan promised some really nice trails. One short trail was built. By 1995 when the next management plan was written, the park had grown to more than 2400 acres, and more trails were […]

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Add a Serving of Caution to that Tender Spring Grass

By Dr. Juliet Getty Spring is almost upon us in most of the country, so it’s time to revisit that critical topic: spring grazing. Transitioning a horse from hay to pasture must be handled with care; this point is non-negotiable. For every horse, a gradual change from hay to grass is required to allow the digestive system to adapt, but for the insulin-resistant horse, grazing time and duration can make the difference between soundness and a disabling condition like laminitis. This time of year can be a test of patience for horse—and owner. The horse may be pawing at the gate to get to the first taste of tender spring grass, yet the owner must pay close attention to making the transition safe and healthful. The first spring sprouts are actually lower in sugars and starch (non-structural carbohydrates—NSC) because they use all that energy to promote their own rapid growth. As the leaves form, the overall sugar and starch content increases, making it especially tempting. Regardless of the growth stage, quantities should be monitored because horses crave fresh grass and will eat volumes of it, making their overall NSC consumption really high—dangerously high for horses who are overweight, cushingoid, or who have experienced insulin-related laminitis. Temperature and sunlight play a major role in the amount of NSC accumulation. To be safe, here are the rules: When the night temperature is below 40 degrees F, the grass is too high in NSC. Once it gets above 40 degrees F at night, the lowest NSC level is before

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Happy Trails – Picket Wire Canyon

By Suzanne Webel This trail had been on my bucket list, for just about ever. It was reported to be enormous and gorgeous, with dinosaur tracks, prehistoric rock art, a Spanish Mission, and a historic ranch….. But it was always a bit too far, too remote, and too … well, just too unknowable. And then there was the small matter of the US Army declaring it wanted to expand its Fort Carson Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site (PCMS) by taking over the entire 400,000 acre Comanche National Grassland — including Picketwire Canyon — and turning it into a bombing range. Starting in 2003, the plan would have condemned an additional 6.4 million acres of land owned by private citizens, making the total project area three times larger than any other military base in the United States, larger in area than the states of Maryland and Massachusetts combined, and displacing more than 17,000 residents. Sight unseen, I figured that was a pretty bad idea, so I joined up with other trail advocates, geologists, archaeologists, and ranchers to oppose the Army’s expansion plans. After a decade of pitched political battles, on 25 November 2013 the U.S. Army announced that its plan to expand the Piñon Canyon Maneuver site had been cancelled. So, naturally, by early spring of 2014 I had organized an equestrian expedition to check it all out. Warnings: Picketwire is a very long drive from Boulder County, approximately 5 hours. The area is next to a bombing range There is no designated horse camping and no water

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Tips for Driving a Horse Trailer on Mountain Roads and in Other Adverse Conditions

By Suzanne Webel After almost 40 years of driving a horse trailer on our mountain roads I hardly ever give it a thought any more. But the other day, when I suggested to a riding partner that we meet at the top of Flagstaff Road and she demurred, it occurred to me that an essay on “Driving a Horse Trailer on Mountain Roads” was long overdue. And then I thought, heck – why not also compile a bunch of ideas about safe driving “In Other Adverse Conditions.” So here are some tips gleaned from my own experience and that of a few other folks. The disclaimer: I am not a professional, and I am not an attorney. Drive at your own risk. Know your rig and its limitations, and have it checked frequently by a qualified mechanic. Don’t drive alone, unless you know where you’re going. Let someone else know where you’re going and when you estimate you’ll be back. When in doubt, just don’t do it. But if you decide to go for it, enjoy the ride. Plan Ahead Defensive driving requires all drivers to plan and to think ahead. As the driver of a large rig, you must be continually aware of the other traffic around you, because you will need to make wide turns, you will be driving more slowly than others, braking takes longer, and you need more space in traffic. Try to avoid narrow roads during rush hour traffic. If you are driving in an unfamiliar area, ask someone (possibly a

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Share Your Story: One Wild Ride #4

The One Wild Ride mustang group wishes everyone a Happy New Year! Recently the discussion of trucks have come up. Every cowgirl or cowboy knows the importance of a good truck for your special horse, as well as a good trailer. Junior year is usually the year in which a high schooler starts driving, and as soon as we turn 16 many of us are on the roads. As of Winter Break, Maggie has gotten her first truck, a cherry red F-150, complete with a trailer hitch to pull a bumper pull horse trailer. My work with Drifter has been paying off. A few weeks ago, he was having trouble with transitioning into a lope, and would tend to bolt. For the smaller girls that ride him, this was a complication. Upon the arrival of the 110th National Western Stock Show, I proposed the idea of riding in the Kick Off Parade. With just three weeks to spare, we rounded up a group of 10 riders, and created a few formations to be able to wow the crowd. I was nervous, due to the fact that I was riding Drifter, and even though he had been riding better, this was his first parade. Most people choose to have the first parade for their horse be a small town gathering, with just a few groups of people on the sidelines, a few flags and parade floats, definitely not the National Western Stock Show Parade, harboring over 60 groups of riders, hundreds of horses, flags, and cheering people. As

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Bison Back Home on the Range in Larimer County

If you have never had the opportunity to visit this Open Space in Larimer County either by foot, horse or bike you should. Rich in PaleoIndian history, with a Clovis site and buffalo kill site, this is a true open space gem. On November 1st an iconic species, buffalo, was returned to the prairie. Ten bison, carrying on the valuable line of genetics from the Yellowstone herd but without the disease brucellosis, now roam 1,000 fenced acres of the Red Mountain Open Space and Soapstone Prairie Natural Area. The buffalo are only visible from the roadway near the Soapstone Prairie access. For photos and more visit the Larimer County Facebook page. To support the herd and help fund fencing, supplies and veterinary staff you may donate to advancing.colostate.edu/BISON. LindaP

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Do Horses Spread Weeds Along Trails?

A follower, Randy W, recently sent me this article for Horse Science News. This issue has been under discussion many times in the Boulder area and here is a recent study that disproves the old question: Do horses spread weeds? Do Horses Spread Weeds Along Trails? By Liz Osborn, HorseScienceNews.com Horses have been blamed for scattering unwanted weeds across the landscape as they travel down public trails. This accusation has now been scientifically investigated. The results reassure trail riders that horses in the United States are not guilty as charged. Research probed from several different angles the possibility of horses causing non-native plants to take root alongside trails. The raw material examined was horse hay, manure and hoof debris. Samples were collected at endurance riding events in five states: North Carolina, Kentucky, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Michigan. The study investigated whether weeds would germinate from the material when carefully cultivated in pots under ideal conditions. Researchers also looked at what grew from the horse debris left alongside trails. They found that only a tiny portion of the potted hay samples actually sprouted any non-native plants. Meanwhile, no exotic species emerged among the cultivated manure or hoof debris. Alongside the horse endurance trails, nearly 300 plots of hay, manure and hoof debris that got left behind were monitored to see what plants they produced. Only three of these plots sprouted anything, and all were native plants. By the end of the second growing season, no plants had survived in the trailside leavings. A third angle of this study compared plant

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Nod from Boulder board blazes way for western connector trail to Joder Ranch

Nod from Boulder board blazes way for western connector trail to Joder Ranch By Alex Burness Camera Staff Writer Boulder’s Open Space Board of Trustees have given the nod to the construction of a trail connecting north Boulder to the Joder Ranch. At consecutive study sessions on Wednesday and Thursday, Boulder’s Open Space Board of Trustees sifted through close to 10 hours worth of details that they will use to inform a recommendation to the City Council in March about the North Trail Study Area Plan. Late Thursday night, a straw poll of board members suggested support for a plan that favors, among other things, the hotly debated construction of a trail on the west side of U.S. 36, connecting north Boulder to Joder Ranch. The plan, referred to as the North TSA, represents the ongoing development by Boulder’s Open Space and Mountain Parks of a vision for a 7,700-acre portion of the city north of Linden Avenue and northwest of the Diagonal Highway. OSMP’s trustees are tasked with directing a plan that improves experiences for hikers, bikers, equestrians and other visitors, while increasing the sustainability of trails and conserving natural resources. They are expected to offer guidance to the City Council on the North TSA March 9, in a conversation that will continue March 10 if necessary. Between now and then, OSMP staff will return to the drawing board to refine the plan supported by straw poll Thursday, but that takes into account a host of smaller recommendations made throughout the two-day session. The trustees

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In the Name of Freedom

Wednesday, January 13, 2016 6:30 PM Lyons Regional Library 405 Main Street, Lyons, CO Free. No registration required. Join Carol Walker, author of Galloping to Freedom, a photographic documentation of the plight of wild horses in Wyoming. Walker’s book documents the Checkerboard Roundup of 2014 and follows the journey of a few horses that end up in a Wyoming sanctuary against all odds. Come learn about what’s happening to wild horses in Wyoming this January as she presents over 200 vivid photos of these wild horses. Learn more about Galloping to Freedom in this article published in the Boulder Weekly December 23rd.  

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Share Your Story: Meet Alex

Hi, my name is Alex Schoenberger and I am 15 years old. I go to Centaurus High School in Lafayette Colo. I began riding at Shiloh Farms with my cousins Kayla and Lauren, and I would ride their horse Nugget every once in a while. This soon started me on the path of loving and respecting horses the way I do now. I later moved to a new barn, the Flatirons Equestrian Center, and it was a perfect fit! This is where I soon met some of the best friends I have ever had: Emma, Maggie, Maddy, and Marguerite. In the 4th grade I started loosing all of my hair due to an autoimmune disease called alopecia, and horses were the only thing that could take my mind off of it. I ended up riding with Trish for three years before an 18-year-old appendix quarter horse gelding, Tazz, went up for sale at my barn. My grandma Elaine heard about him and went to great lengths to get him for me. This was my dream horse, he was an ex-eventer and was fully trained, the perfect first horse. I owned him for four years before I got one of the hardest calls I could ever imagine, Tazz was colicing. I stayed with him until 5:30 in the morning before he passed away. I was heart-broken and the only thing that really taught me to let go was a little eight year old, 15 hand Palomino pony name Macaroni that I had been working with before Tazz

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