Take advantage of ideal late summer and early fall temperatures to set out on a trail ride adventure with the American Paint Horse Association (APHA) at four beautiful locations around the country.

Sign up soon for the following rides.

The Natural Gait Trail Ride
Near Marquette, Iowa, the APHA is sponsoring a trail ride at the Natural Gait Ranch Sept. 2-–4. Nicknamed “Little Switzerland,” the area boasts has a unique history, including nearby Harper’s Ferry, where the Eastern Woodland Indians built “effigy” mounds. These representations in the earth were constructed in the shape of mammals, birds and reptiles. They are preserved today by the National Park Service at Effigy Mounds National Monument. The Natural Gait also offers 400 acres of diverse countryside adjacent to the Yellow River State Forest.

Fee for adults 13 and older is $100, while the cost for children aged 4–12 is $50. All children 3 and under are free.

Facilities include stabling, in either on-site open or sheltered stalls. The ranch also has two large arenas, one indoors and one outside. There are also additional options, including RV hook-ups and extra lodging, which may be arranged privately through the Natural Gait.

10th Anniversary Fort Robinson Trail Ride
On Sept. 5–10, for the tenth10th consecutive year, Fort Robinson State Park will host the APHA Fort Robinson Trail Ride. Just west of Crawford, Neb., in the rugged Pine Ridge region, the fort was a military outpost from 1874 to 1948. Crazy Horse, Red Cloud and Walter Reed were just a few of the historic figures who helped carve its place in history.

Here, riders will visit an area rich in the history of the American West. The park spans over 22,000 acres, offering exquisite views and outstanding trails through tall-grass prairies, breathtaking rock formations and Ponderosa pine forests.

Rustic lodging and both primitive and modern camping are available. Lodging will be assigned as riders arrive on September 5.

Non-members 13 and older are welcome to participate for $500, while adult APHA members pay $400. Children 4–12 pay $200, and those three and younger are free. These costs include lodging, meals, stabling and grounds fee.

On-site stalls are available. Park facilities necessitate limiting each participant to one horse. Management will assign tack stalls.

Trainer Curt Pate will be the featured clinician at the event. The Montana native, who has worked on such projects as “The Horse Whisperer,” focuses on teaching basic common sense techniques that are often overlooked. He will stress safer horsemanship through practical knowledge.

To get more information on Fort Robinson and the trail ride, visit www.nebraskahistory.org/sites/fortrob, or http://www.apha.com/trailrides/fortrob05.html.

The Midwest Trail Ride
The Midwest Trail Ride, to be held September 16–18, will take place in Norman, Indiana. The area borders the Hoosier National Forest. The Ohio River flows just south of the forest, which encompasses 644,163 acres. The patchwork effect of small farms, pastures, cross-roads communities, and national forest gives the area a distinctive rural flavor.

For adults, it costs $100 to participate, while children 4-16 are only $60, and children 3 and under are free. Participants have access to and use of a campsite, water and electrical hook-up, a stall, bedding, firewood, meals, modern restrooms and shower facilities, and trail privileges. As an additional option, cabins that sleep four people may be rented for an additional fee per night.

Philmont Boy Scout Ranch Ride
The last APHA sponsored trail ride of the year is the Philmont Boy Scout Ranch Ride, to be held October 16–20 near Cimarron, New Mexico. The trail ride, which is in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, features spectacular fall foliage, and rugged scenery.

Frontiersman Kit Carson actually carved many of the trails in the area. This vast territory, much of which has remained untouched since the mid-1800s, spans more than 137,000 acres. Riders will see it up to 10,000 feet above sea level.

The registration desk will open at 3 p.m., October 16. Adult APHA members have a $325 fee for participation. Non-members aged 13 and up may participate for $425. Fee for all children ages 7–12 is $175, while all children 6 and under are free.

These fees include lodging, meals and entertainment. Large, steel-pipe corrals will provide overnight tie-ups for horses, as there are no individual stalls.

Enjoy cowboy music, historical tours, great food and more.

More Trail Ride Information
Don’t own an APHA registered horse? No problem. The trail ride is an all-breed event, allowing people with any breed of horse to participate.

Also, APHA members who ride a Paint Horse that is enrolled in the Ride America saddle-log program can earn double hours when on the trail rides.

Admittance to these trail rides is on a first-come, first-served basis, for a limited time only. To ensure your chance to participate in one of these outdoor adventures, please fax your reservation, along with credit card information, to (817) 222-8470. Time is running out—don’t miss your opportunity to enjoy America’s grandeur with your Paint Horse.

For more information, trail ride rules and a registration form, visit www.apha.com/trailrides. You may also call APHA directly at (817) 834-2742, ext. 413. Or send an e-mail to Cindy Grier at cgrier@apha.com.

Become a member of APHA and save
You can save money on select APHA trail rides by becoming a member of the association. Visit http://www.apha.com/join/index.html or call (817) 834-2742 for more information.