archives

Pre 2022 material from the old website

Series: Share Your Story—Emma & Maggie

Last Sunday I was manning the registration table at the BCHA Horse Fair and met two amazing young woman, Emma and Maggie. I was so happy that they were interested in sharing their stories with BCHA and its membership in our new series ‘Sharing Your Story.’ The Boulder County Horse Association (BCHA) is so exciting about following this group of teens on their journey with horses, from training to competition, and even a Mustang Makeover! We look forward to your comments and more exciting stories from Emma and Maggie. – LindaP Hello BCHA community members! We are a small group of teens who are very excited to share our stories with you. We are embarking on several different journeys in which we are documenting with video, photography, and blog entries. To begin, we would like to introduce ourselves. Emma Hello! My name is Emma, I’m 16, and attend New Vista High School in Boulder, Colorado. I was raised on a ranch near Hygiene, and started as a hunter/jumper with my small Hafflinger pony. I rode both English and Western before taking western riding up completely and learning the ways of the working cowhorse discipline, training with a new trainer and riding new horses. I love working with horses, and spending all the extra time I have with them. Current Project: The project that I am currently working on is training a horse named Drifter (pictured above). He is a stocky 15.5 hands mustang/quarter horse gelding, and tends to be very spooky with paper, plastic, tarps, and just about anything that can fly […]

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Happy Trails – Devil’s Backbone

By Suzanne Webel One of the newest and most exciting properties of the Larimer County Parks and Open Lands system opened to the equestrian public during the spring of 2002: the Devil’s Backbone. Although the trail within the park is only about 3.5 miles long, the scenery is forever. It’s absolutely worth the drive. Take Highway 34 west of Loveland. About four and a half miles west of Hwy 287, turn right at the sign for this park. (The former access, from Wild Lane just past the convenience store, has been eliminated). Restroom facilities and water (a drinking fountain and a hydrant for horse water buckets) are available here. The horse trail leads from the southwest corner of the trailer parking area (P-1) around a small meadow and then to the main trail. The trail will then cross the Louden Ditch, a large old irrigation canal built in 1878 to irrigate 12,000 acres of fields including a large hops farm. Other cultural features include several gypsum quarries, a plaster mill, and kilns in which fire clay was made into bricks. The trail passes gracefully from an easement across private lands to the public property at the south end of the cliffs. The Devil’s Backbone itself is a nearly vertical outcrop of 100 million year old Cretaceous Dakota Sandstone. Other, older rock units in the park include the Triassic Lykins Formation (red siltstone, pink limestone and white gypsum) and the Jurassic Morrison Formation (dinosaur-bearing mudstones). During the gypsum mining process several Cenozoic (much younger) mammal fossils were

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Happy Trails – Jack’s Gulch

By Suzanne Webel Having looked for some time for a campground designed for horses in the Roosevelt National Forest, I was rewarded to find a great one up north: Jacks Gulch.  There are five clean camp-sites in the horse loop, each with a pull-through to park your trailer, a picnic table, a flat space for your tent, and four pipe corrals for your horses.  Water and clean restrooms are nearby.  The cost is $31 per equestrian site at the time of this writing — per night, reservations accepted for two equestrian sites recreation.gov, 1-877-444-6777, additional fees and discounts may apply, after that it’s first-come, first-served.  We went during the week and had no problem getting a site; weekends might be a challenge. The campground is open from approximately May 26-November 6. Only certified weed-free hay is allowed (a list of certified hay producers is available from the CO Department of Agriculture). Dispersed camping with horses is also possible. From Longmont plan on taking two hours to reach the campground.  Travel 10 miles northwest of Ft. Collins on US Highway 287 to the junction of CO 14, at Ted’s Place. Proceed west 26 miles to the Pingree Park Rd (CR63E). Turn left and proceed another 6 miles (in first gear in many places) to the turnoff to Jacks Gulch. The horse-camping loop will be on your right, with other campgrounds to your left. After setting up camp, you can ride some old 4WD roads east of 63E, with lots of camp sites for, and heavy use by, four

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Happy Trails: Eagle’s Nest Open Space

By Suzanne Webel Imagine, if you can, an enormous new open space property… one at the scenic junction between mountains and plains, with a river running through it… one that contains a variety of wildlife including nesting golden eagles and Preble’s Meadow Jumping mice… one that was purchased in 2001 and opened to the public less than four years later, with more than five miles of new trails… one whose managers solicited equestrian expertise before building the trail system… one whose managers are carefully protecting wildlife habitat while simultaneously welcoming the public to experience its wonders. Yep, it’s probably hard for Boulder County residents to imagine, because things just don’t ever seem to play out that way in the People’s Republic. Indeed, most of our recent public land acquisitions are squirreled away quietly or were never intended for public access in the first place. Elsewhere, of course, public land managers have figured out how to balance preservation and recreation without subjecting the matter to endless and acrimonious debate, and they believe that the public is entitled to reasonable access to the lands it purchased. So, yep, you guessed it –you’ll have to head on up north of the border into Larimer County west of Ft. Collins to experience their latest sensation, the Eagle’s Nest Open Space. Proceed northwest through Ft. Collins on Hwy 287 to Livermore. Turn west on the Red Feathers Lakes Road (CR 74E), 0.3 mi to the Eagle’s Nest entrance road (after the fire station). The trailhead is about a mile down the

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French Creek Horse Camp: Custer South Dakota

If you have never been, this horse-only campground in Custer South Dakota is a must. A group of us reserved space at this stunning campground in 2014, and had to reschedule last year (VS outbreak) to go in 2015. Yes that’s right, if you want a space for your rig and/or a small cabin with bunks you need to think ahead at this lovely campground. You can arrive into the campground from two directions, and it is about a 6 hour drive from Boulder County. We headed up I-25 to Lusk and then North to South Dakota— it’s a pretty easy haul. Having had a late start we came in at dark. Winding through Custer State Park we passed a couple of buffalo off to the side of the road—they a big fellas. The stone work on the winding bridge roads is magical. We arrived at the campground around 9 PM got the horses quickly settled and tucked ourselves in, all excited about the next days adventure. French Creek is one of the loveliest places I have camped with horses. There is power to all sites, vaulted toilets throughout the camp, and one of the cleanest bath houses I have ever been in. Horses have pen groups placed near the rig sites and how easy is this—shovel your manure out the back side and they come by with a backhoe and place the manure in a large disposal carrier. Weed free hay is required and a water trolley is a good idea for moving water from the spigots or your trailer.

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Happy Trails – Gordon Gulch

By Suzanne Webel Here’s another “diamond in the rough” – a series of elegant stacked-loop trails in Roosevelt National Forest just north of Nederland. The reason I say it’s “rough” is that a bulldozer had coincidentally just preceded us, grading the old roads and clearing trees, to make this trail system work. When the dust settles it will be a spectacular place to ride! Even now, the trails and roads can be combined to make several loops, and they connect all the way up to the Switzerland Trail system. Some day, we might even be able to get from Gordon Gulch across the Peak-to-Peak Highway and onto the northern portion of Caribou Ranch. Park at the newly-renovated Gordon Gulch Trailhead (P-1), about 4.7 miles north of Nederland. There is room for several trailers here, with a kiosk that has a map showing designated campsites. There are more campsites than I can show on the trail log map, and some of them could be fine equestrian camping opportunities, but there is no water or other amenities so plan on bringing in everything you might need. Do not try to park at other access points to this trail system such as at Sugarloaf Rd or at Sunset – there just isn’t room, and please respect private property. From P-1, proceed along FS 226 for a short distance, then take the first right – on 314E. This old road makes a long descent through the piney woods. A short distance after the road enters a meadow, look left for

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Mt. Shavano and Raspberry Gulch

There are so many wonderful areas to ride here in the Salida area and we have been blessed with some outstanding local guides to show us around. This trip has been truly amazing. On Thursday we rode with a charming local gal, Kate and her wonderful mule on Friday. Kate showed us the Raspberry Gulch area and later on in the trip the Mt. Shavano area with her friend Elise. Raspberry Gulch is located in the foothills of Mt. Antero and Mt. Princeton. The terrain includes pine, piñon and meadows filled with wildflowers, simply breathtaking. On Friday Cheri arranged for us to accompany a local foxhound group. I have never been around foxhounds so I was really thrilled to have this experience and meet other local riders. We met in an area near Mt. Shavano, unloaded and tacked up. The hounds arrived soon after in the back of a horse trailer, they were radio-collared and released as we rode out. There were 17 foxhounds (two wanna-bees), the Master, three Whips and a Drag Rider. The hunt master let the dogs take care of their business and sniff around. Then they were gathered into a fairly tight back and any stragglers rounded up, it reminded me a bit of rounding up cattle. There were thoroughbreds and Irish warmblood crosses along with our Arabians, Azteca, and Quarter horse. Our position was at the end of the group. Mt. Shavano rose above us, and the sky was clear blue as we trotted across wildflower meadows and down dirt two tracks. We later meandered through aspens forests and rested with  the hounds as the horses sipped clear

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Girls Trip to Salida

It is the beginning of a week long trip with some fantastic mujeres (I am currently taking Spanish for a riding trip to Spain this fall) in the the Salida area. I was lucky enough to find an incredible VRBO with a “me gusta mucha casa” that overlooks the Collegiate Peaks in Nathrop, and talked them in to coming…wow! We arrived to meet out host Cheri who made us and our caballos feel right at home with fresh baked bread and eggs from the hens. The caballos got released into a nicely fenced pasture with a run in shelter and pens (if you just had to cage one in). Luckily all our boys are gentlemen and are having a blast. Last night we had Cheri over for dinner and got the skinny on the area and possible places to ride. Cheri is a semi-retired endurance rider and took us out the back gate this morning for a ride down to the Arkansas river. It is flowing too fast to cross right now (it is at 1100), 700 would be safe, she pointed out the crossing though, so we meandered along the river and did a loop back up and down some arroyos back to the house. We rode about three hours, it was a lovely morning with a sighting of a Yellow-headed Blackbird and Mountain Bluebird. Back in out cozy cabin, the afternoon storm just passed and the air is cool and fresh, we are catching up on e-mails, I am writing this blog, a couple are playing cards and we are planning our

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Watch Out! Vesicular Stomatitis (VS) is Back in Boulder County

STATE VETERINARIAN’S OFFICE (VS) – Positive Diagnosis in Twelve Colorado Counties
Tips for Livestock Owners and Veterinarians

The number of cases of Vesicular Stomatitis (VS) is increasing in Colorado, as is the number of counties where the disease has been found. Colorado has become the fourth state in the country to have confirmed cases of vesicular stomatitis (VS) in 2015. Previous positive cases of vesicular stomatitis this year have been diagnosed in Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.

“The primary spread of VS is thought to occur through insect vectors; the horses involved in these cases have no history of travel,” said State Veterinarian, Dr. Keith Roehr. “Vesicular stomatitis can be painful for animals and costly to their owners. The virus typically causes oral blisters and sores that can be painful causing difficulty in eating and drinking.”

A 2014 outbreak of VS created 556 livestock investigations in Colorado resulting in 370 quarantines with the final quarantines released in January 2015.

Livestock owners who suspect an animal may have VS or any other vesicular disease should immediately contact their local veterinarian. Livestock with clinical signs of VS are isolated until they are determined to be of no further threat for disease spread. There are no USDA approved vaccines for VS. While rare, human cases of VS can occur, usually among those who handle infected animals. VS in humans can cause flu-like symptoms and only rarely includes lesions or blisters.

New for 2015 VS Investigations:
A notable change in the 2015 State response to VS has come from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) delisting of VS as a foreign animal disease in horses; VS continues to be listed as a foreign animal disease for cattle and other livestock. This USDA procedural change will allow greater flexibility in how VS is managed in respect to equine cases. The primary change will now be that quarantines may be released as soon as 14 days after the onset of clinical signs of the last affected horse on a premises.

“Science has shown that the transmission of the virus is for a brief period of time after the initial clinical signs of VS. Our goal is to appropriately adjust our response to this disease to reduce the negative economic impact to the equine community,” continued Roehr.
With the delisting of VS as a foreign animal disease, Colorado veterinarians may now take a lead role in the management of the disease in equine cases. In earlier cases, CDA or USDA field vets were required to perform the disease investigations on horses; the delisting now allows local veterinarians to perform the initial investigations, collect samples, and collaborate with animal health officials regarding movement restrictions and quarantines.
The Colorado State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory has been approved to perform VS tests on horses in Colorado. This will provide a more timely response on test results.

Vesicular Stomatitis (VS) Signs and Transmission:
VS susceptible species include horses, mules, cattle, bison, sheep, goats, pigs, and camelids. The clinical signs of the disease include vesicles, erosions and sloughing of the skin on the muzzle, tongue, teats and above the hooves of susceptible livestock. Vesicles are usually only seen early in the course of the disease. The transmission of vesicular stomatitis is not completely understood but components include insect vectors, mechanical transmission, and livestock movement.

Tips for Livestock Owners:
Strict fly control is an important factor to inhibit the transmission of the disease.
Avoid transferring feeding equipment, cleaning tools or health care equipment from other herds.
Colorado veterinarians and livestock owners should contact the state of destination when moving livestock interstate to ensure that all import requirements are met. A list of contact information for all state veterinarians’ offices is available at: http://www.colorado.gov/aganimals.
Colorado fairs, livestock exhibitions, and rodeos may institute new entry requirements based on the extent and severity of the current VS outbreak. Certificates of Veterinary Inspection issued within 2-5 days prior to an event can beneficial to reduce risks. Be sure to stay informed of any new livestock event requirements.

Important Points for Veterinarians:
Any vesicular disease of livestock is reportable to the State Veterinarian’s Office in Colorado – to report call 303-869-9130. If after-hours, call the same number to obtain the phone number of the staff veterinarian on call.
With the delisting of VS as a foreign animal disease, Colorado veterinarians may now take a lead role in the management of the disease in equine cases. In earlier cases, CDA or USDA field vets were required to perform the disease investigations on horses; the delisting now allows local veterinarians to perform the initial investigations, collect samples, and collaborate with animal health officials regarding movement restrictions and quarantines.
In livestock other than equine VS is still considered a foreign animal disease, any case with clinical signs consistent with VS will warrant an investigation by a state or federal foreign animal disease diagnostician (FADD).
When VS is suspected in livestock other than equine the FADD will gather the epidemiological information, take the necessary blood samples, collect the necessary fluid or tissue from the lesions, and inform the owners and the referring veterinarian as to necessary bio-security and movement restrictions.

During the event, important VS disease prevention procedures include minimizing the sharing of water and feed/equipment, applying insect repellent daily (especially to the animal’s ears), and closely observing animals for signs of vesicular stomatitis.

For additional information, contact the Colorado State Veterinarian’s Office at 303-869-9130 or to view the current location of cases and other important updates and information you can visit: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/wps/portal/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth?1dmy&urile=wcm%3apath%3a%2Faphis_content_library%2Fsa_our_focus%2Fsa_animal_health%2Fsa_animal_disease_information%2Fsa_equine_health%2Fsa_vesicular_stomatitis%2Fct_vesicular_stomatitis.

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Half Finished: 24 New Equestrian Jumps in Place, Course Open to Public

Lory State Park is a great destination for trail riding, jumping or hiking. Plan a visit and have some fun! Plus…mark your calendars, the grand reopening and official dedication of the course is now scheduled for Saturday, September 19, 2015! I hope you will make plans to attend and ride with your equine friends! LindaP By Mick Syzek, Volunteer Coordinator In January of 2014, the Friends of Lory State Park with Lory Park staff and volunteers began to rebuild the more than 50 wooden equestrian jumps in the South Valley Loop area of the Park that were destroyed by the Galena Fire of March 15, 2013. Equestrians are already taking advantage of the new jumps! The Foundation for Colorado State Parks bestowed grant funds of $8,000 towards the reconstruction efforts. This allowed the Park to hire James Atkinson out of San Diego, a course designer and equestrian jumps builder with international experience, to help us construct portable replacement jumps according to specifications from the United States Eventing Association (USEA). Lory State Park was able to purchase finished and raw log lumber material from insurance monies received as a result of the fire. James and NOCO local Dan Michaels led several workshops throughout the year, culminating in placing the last of 24 finished jumps onto the field course in late August 2014. Volunteers organized and scheduled by the Friends of Lory State Park devoted many afternoons and weekends to construct, assemble, stain the jumps, help place them in the field, and weed-whack the approaches to the jumps. Key Volunteer Glen Akins kept track of

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