The Boulder County Horse Association promotes, protects and unifies the equestrian community of Boulder County through education, recreation and legislation.

BCHA serves as an umbrella organization for all horse-related interests in Boulder County. We are a clearinghouse of information and we present a united voice for all horse enthusiasts. Our members' equine interests encompass breeding, showing, training, pleasure, ranch activities, and trail riding for competition as well as recreation.

BCHA has been incorporated since 1971 as a Colorado non-profit corporation. In 1998 we obtained our 501(c) 3 status from the Internal Revenue Service, enabling contributions to the organization to be tax-deductible. BCHA's bi-monthly newsletter, "The Horse's Mouth," educates our members about horse-related issues. Articles include upcoming events, potential legislative impacts affecting our interests, trail descriptions, and useful tidbits about caring for our horses. Seminars and clinics are presented throughout the year. BCHA initiated a volunteer Mounted Search and Rescue unit which subsequently came under the supervision of the Boulder County Sheriff's Department. We offer both organized and informal trail rides, which are a great way to learn about local ecology, history and land stewardship.

 

Photos: Patricia Jarvis Images

BCHA promotes the acquisition of open space and parks, and supports an interconnected system of multiple-use trails.
In 1986 BCHA adopted and built the Doudy Draw Trail near Eldorado Springs for the City of Boulder Open Space Department, and we have conducted annual maintenance on this trail ever since. We have participated in several National Trails Day projects, and our members are active in State and Federal trail-policy planning forums. We are an organizational member of the Boulder Area Trails Coalition and the Colorado Horse Council. BCHA has been deeply involved in working with Boulder County to formulate a set of horsekeeping guidelines in the Land Use Code which would "work" for most horse owners, yet enable the County to enforce reasonable regulations should the need arise. We are especially proud of our recent accomplishments in this arena, and we hope that BCHA will be recognized as a resource for horse- related expertise in the future.