archives

Pre 2022 material from the old website

North Table Mountain Trail in Jefferson County

Our neighbor to the south, Jefferson County Open Space, has recently completed a multi-use trail system at the North Table Mountain Open Space. The new trailhead is located off Highway 93 (just north of Golden), and offers a nice parking lot with space for seven horse trailers. There is currently a total of 14 miles of trail, arranged in several stacked loops, so you can choose how long you want to ride. Pat Holgate, Anne Davidson and I explored most of the new trails in mid-February and suggest that it “rides” best in a clockwise direction from the trailhead. This enables you to climb up the steep parts instead of descending them. Be prepared for some narrow, steep, and rocky parts; deer, mountain bikers, and spectacular views in every direction. The top is pretty exposed—so you probably don’t want to be up there on a very windy, stormy, or a very hot day. All in all it’s a unique ecosystem and it’s much more interesting than it might appear from down below. A Bit of Geology: Table Mountain was formed by a volcanic basalt flow about 60 million years ago, so you get very familiar with igneous rocks on this ride. Happy Trails Suzanne Webel

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Colorado Unwanted Horse Alliance (CUHA)

By Pat Jarvis “Last year over 170,000 horses were abandoned in the U.S. and this year it seems more and more horses have met that same fate. Even our wild horses and burros are being rounded up by the BLM only to be held in holding pens or sent to slaughter.” – Annie Oden, President, Horse Protection League The more I learn about the Colorado Unwanted Horse Alliance (CUHA) and one of the rescue organizations, the Horse Protection League (HPL), the more I admire, and am in awe of the people who have dedicated their lives to helping the “unwanted horse”. CUHA’s statement is “Horses are a cherished symbol of our Western heritage and an important part of our culture and economy. Today, Colorado’s horses are facing a new threat due to the tightening economy, over breeding, loss of farmland to development, and increased costs of feed and care. The American Horse Council defines unwanted horses as those whose current owners no longer want them because they are old, injured, sick, or unmanageable, or fail to meet the owners’ expectations. The CUHA added a further component: an owner’s inability or unwillingness to continue to own and care for a horse.” The CUHA is a not-for-profit corporation which works to reduce the number of Colorado’s unwanted horses and to promote public and private collaboration and education concerning their welfare, ownership, and disposition. Some of the CUHA’s programs are Equidopt, Grants, Research and Tax Write Off. You can learn more about these programs at counwantedhorse.org. Through the CUHA

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Trailride at the newly rerouted Homestead Trail

January 23, 2013 Suzanne Webel, Anne Davidson, Joe Juckas, and I rode the newly rerouted Homestead Trail starting from the South Boulder Creek West trailhead. There is very nice trailer parking assigned for two rigs.  It was a beautiful 60 degree day, the horses great, and the scenery incredible! Spain has nothing on us! – Pat Holgate Note: The horse (right) with the pink leg wraps is an ex-racehorse, a Standardbred from New York who had never been out on a trail until this fall.  What a trooper!  – Suzanne

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USDA Adopts Animal Disease Traceability Program

Introduction The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has instituted its Animal Disease Traceability Program (ADTP) to improve its ability to trace livestock, including horses, in the event of a disease outbreak.  The new system applies to all livestock moving interstate. Under the new federal regulations, horses moving interstate must be identified and accompanied by an Interstate Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (ICVI).  The new system is built on methods of identification and movement documentation that are already employed in the horse industry, e.g., written descriptions, digital photographs, brands, tattoos, electronic identification methods, and interstate certificates of veterinary inspection. The person or entity responsible for moving the horse interstate must ensure that it has an ICVI or other document required by the new rule. The ADTP will be administered by the states with federal support. The new rules also apply to movements to and from a Tribal area.  In those cases, the Tribal authorities are involved in the system. Background The horse industry has been dramatically affected by serious disease outbreaks in the last ten years, which have halted or restricted the movement of horses and the commerce surrounding the horses.  The new program is intended to help the Department, state authorities and the horse industry better deal with such disease outbreaks and to minimize disease effects on horses and economic effects on owners and the industry. This new rule is based on the previous National Animal Identification System (NAIS), which was the original voluntary system proposed by USDA to deal with disease outbreaks and traceability.  Since the

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Baby it’s cold outside, but we’re riding anyway!

Yes it’s winter, yes it’s cold but we’re riding anyway. Some easier trail systems in Boulder County are great to ride this time of year. The girls got together a few weeks ago and did a Chili ride on the Niwot Loop trail system. We met at the open space lot on 83rd off Niwot Road. There is room for a few trailers here and it also has a covered picnic area. This ride was organized by my friend Peg who lives in this area. We rode a great loop that is more an “urban” ride. There are areas that are open to trotting out and cantering on nicely surfaced trails. After our ride Peg drove over to her house and picked up a crock pot of hot chili and all the fixins! It was a fun day for all including the ponies. Thanks Peg for putting this one together. The next month my friends Ann and Russell organized a ride out at Teller Farms, we all met at the Valmont lot and rode north to the Heatherwood area (by the way you can connect to the Niwot Loop trail from here) then rode back to her house, turned the ponies out for some R & R and had a lovely homemade potato leek soup (I was instantly transported to France) on the back patio. Ann and Russell that was a great day…thank you! These food rides are really a fun way to explore the trails in the area and enjoy some great food! Let’s plan more of

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A Bit of Info About Horses in Boulder County

Did you know that there are more horses than cows in Boulder County? In fact, there are approximately 15,000 cows (H. Lovins / Nat Cap Solutions 2011), and approximately 15,330 horses (Deloitte Touche/American Horse Council, 2005; and National Agriculture Statistics Service, 1999). Boulder County ranks fourth in the total number of horses in Colorado, with 6% of the state’s horse population (NASS, 1999). The horse community contributes approximately $94 million to the GDP of Boulder County every year (Deloitte Touche/AHC and NASS). This annual economic contribution includes hay and grain purchases, tack and supplies, trucks and trailers, tractors and equipment, veterinarians, farriers, horse trainers, lessons, breeding, horse sales, horse shows and clinics, therapeutic riding programs, and many other categories. The market value of all farm products in Boulder County is $34 million (Cropland Policy, p8). The market value of horse hay in Boulder County is $8 million (Lovins’ estimate of 21,319 acres in forage x ave. yield of 3T/ac /2 (half to horses, half to cattle) x $8/bale average price.Thus the market value of horse hay alone is 25% of the market value of all farm produce. A large proportion of Boulder County farmers produce hay and other forage for horses, in addition to other crops. Selling horse hay is a huge source of economic security for local farmers. Horse people maintain undeveloped (“open”) land throughout Boulder County as grazing land and for hay production. Many horse owners manage their horses on 40 acres or smaller parcels, whereas it is difficult to manage cattle on small

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BCHA Adopts the Switzerland Trail at Caribou Ranch!

“Our” trail is officially called the Delonde Trail, named after one of the families that homesteaded the area in the 1800’s and whose classic wood house still stands today in a meadow at Caribou, in mute tribute to their hard work making a living from this high mountain valley. Our initial commitment lasts two years, during which time we need to put in a minimum of four trail days. We agree to remove trash along the trail, monitor weeds and erosion, note missing or vandalized signs, benches, and picnic tables, and look out for other hazards and problems. In addition, BCHA has earmarked funds for future trail construction at Caribou Ranch, and has a firm relationship with the Roundup Riders of the Rockies’ Heritage and Trails Foundation which has agreed to provide additional funding should Boulder County request it.

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Community Profiles – Tom and Kristin Lopez

Get Acquainted with Tom and Kristin Lopez, our 2010 Fling Hosts at Lone Hawk Farm By Pat Jarvis The setting for this year’s Horse Lovers’ Fling is classically romantic. We arrive at Lone Hawk Farm via a country road with views of the Front Range, an expansive 360 degree view of Potato Hill, and the nearby foothills. The topography drops away southward below the barn, giving a feeling of having lots of room to roam. There is a wonderful drive-through barn, which adds to the charm and stately appearance of the farm. “How long have you been at Lone Hawk Farm?” I ask the delightful owners, Tom and Kristin Lopez. “I’ve been here since 1975, and Kristin since 1980,” Tom replies. “In the beginning many people asked to have events here. They wanted a place where they could enjoy an indoor/outdoor setting in a country atmosphere. The owners of the West End Tavern were the first people to get married at the farm. We’ve been doing weddings here for more than 18 years now.” We enter the main venue for the Fling festivities via a pair of large wooden doors, into a world that reminds me of the Italian countryside. The structure consists of unique “arch ribs” of curved laminated beams, with a stage inside at one end. Tom explains that when the indoor arena at Autumn Hill was being built, a strong wind knocked the partially-erected beams over and some of them splintered. The owners of Autumn Hill started over and put the salvageable beams

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Community Profile – Philip Armour

In Greek, the name Philip means “lover of horses”—fitting for the editor of a cowboy magazine. Since hiring on with American Cowboy www.americancowboy.com in 2009, he has led the magazine and website through successful redesigns that have broadened the appeal, while staying true to loyal readers. The magazine’s paid circulation now approaches 100,000. American Cowboy was founded in 1994 and reports on “Western lifestyle, travel, and people.” It is part of the Equine Network at Active Interest Media www.aimmedia.com, which publishes 60 percent of the horse-oriented magazines and websites in the U.S., including Horse & Rider, Practical Horseman, and Dressage Today. “My career has followed my passions for the outdoors, the environment, and being physically active,” says Philip. He is drawn to horses, in part, because, “Horses are calming and call forth empathy and physical skill sets. A relationship with a horse is subtle and requires patience—not to depend on a quick fix. ”Getting a masters’ degree in literature led to journalism and a seven-year stint editing for Outside magazine, which he also published internationally. Philip’s freelance career has included launching a magazine for Forbes and editing custom publishing photography book for Toyota, called Working America. He also served briefly as the outdoor reporter for the Colorado Daily. Before getting into journalism, Philip was an Outward Bound instructor and ski patroller. The Armour family is settling in to a farm north of Boulder, where his wife, Amanda, is developing an equine-facilitated psychotherapy program. She grew up riding English and is now reining on her adopted roan

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