Trail ride programs offer many riding opportunities
Hit the trail in 2005 with APHA

FORT WORTH, Texas—If you’re eager to get out the house and enjoy the great outdoors, consider saddling up for one of the many exciting trail rides being planned by the American Paint Horse Association (APHA).

Trail riders leave the hectic pace of city life behind when they embark on APHA adventures at several locations around the country. Hirez JPEG (3.35 mb) Hirez TIFF (10.9 mb)

APHA plans several rides this year around the nation. And, while you’re enjoying one of those rides, why not sign up for the association’s Ride America program? Through Ride America, participants ride at their own pace and record the hours they spend on horseback. Depending on milestones reached, valuable prizes may be earned, along with recognition patches. In addition, Ride America participants who hit the trail on one of APHA’s official rides will actually be able to log double hours in the program. All Ride America hours are logged on your horse’s permanent record at APHA.

Saddle up for with APHA for an outing with your horse and you will be part of a growing group of members with similar interests.

Last year saw the highest number of participants in APHA recreational riding programs, and by all indications, even more riders will hit the trail in 2005.

Approximately 400 people signed up for 10 trail rides across the nation last year, up 43 percent from the previous year, based on number of rides and outings. In addition, nearly 4,800 people from 49 states in the U.S., eight Canadian provinces and eight other nations were actively involved in recording their riding hours through APHA’s Ride America program. Also, enrollments in Ride America increased by 29 percent in 2004, compared to the previous year.

For the increasing number of participants in both of these recreational riding programs, here what’s in store for 2005.

More trails than ever before in 2005
APHA will host several trail rides this year around the nation. To accommodate recreational riders’ schedules, APHA has organized both weekend rides for those people who have limited time for a getaway and longer rides for those who desire extended outings.

Lloyd Johanningmeier takes his horse across one of the beautiful river crossings at the Natural Gait ride in Iowa. Hirez JPEG (4.33 mb) Hirez TIFF (10.9 mb)

“We noticed that our ride numbers doubled over the previous year for our weekend outings,” said APHA Ride Coordinator Cody Weirich. “A lot of our members are asking us to make weekend rides a part of our plan, and we are doing that. We’ll fit our 2005 ride schedule into a variety of timeframes and host them in many different areas. We just want as many people as possible to experience the thrill of an APHA trail ride.”

Following are confirmed rides for 2005. As more rides are added, they will be listed on the APHA trail ride Web site at apha.com/trailrides.

Visit this site also for more ride details, including specific information on accommodations and fees, and to obtain registration forms for all rides. For further information, you may contact Cody Weirich at (817) 222-6439, or by e-mail at trailrides@apha.com.

Bar Fifty Ranch
Bismarck, Ark.
April 1–3
Located about 20 miles from Hot Springs, Ark., the Bar Fifty Ranch is one of the most beautiful and well-managed horse facilities around. The ranch is situated on 200 acres, with horse trails that wind their way into the adjacent 20,000 acres of foothills of the Ouashita Mountains. The surrounding forest area bursts with vibrant colors in the spring. The rides dates were selected with this spring foliage splendor in mind.

Ash Canyon Ride
Broken Bow, Neb.
June 10–12
At the Ash Canyon Trail Ride near Broken Bow, Neb., riders will be traveling through the Nebraska Sandhills region. This part of the state covers an expansive area of sand dunes that stretch across the countryside. The Sandhills region contains about 95 percent of Nebraska’s rangeland. Some the sand masses are 400 feet tall and 20 miles long, making them the largest such formations in the Western Hemisphere. The terrain, once formed by blowing sands, is now held in place by grass vegetation.

If you long for wide-open spaces, the Ash Canyon Ride will be paradise.

The Natural Gait Trail Ride
Located near Marquette, Iowa
September 2–4
Known as “Little Switzerland,” the region of northeast Iowa, where this ride is located, features diverse terrain. Riders will make their way across crystal clear rivers and through trails that wind through heavy timber areas populated by deer, turkey and other wildlife.

Riders will travel up to some dramatic high bluffs, which offer beautiful views of the countryside. The Natural Gait is located on 400 acres. The ride will include trails into the Yellow River State Forest.

For those interested in traveling to nearby Harper’s Ferry, they can discover an area where the Eastern Woodland Indians built “effigy” mounds from around 500 B.C. until about the time they came in contact with Europeans. These effigy mounds, or carved representations in the earth, were constructed in the shape of mammals, birds or reptiles. The mounds are preserved and protected by the National Park Service at Effigy Mounds National Monument.

Fort Robinson Trail Ride and Ranch Horse Competition
Located at Fort Robinson State Park, three miles west of Crawford, Neb.
September 5–10
An annual favorite, the Fort Robinson trail ride combines history and outstanding natural surroundings. This year, a special 10th anniversary celebration will highlight APHA’s decade of involvement at Fort Robinson State Park. Located three miles west of Crawford, the park is rich in the history of the American West. Fort Robinson, a military outpost from 1874 to 1948, is located in the park at the heart of the rugged Pine Ridge region of northern Nebraska.

Crazy Horse surrendered here and was later killed at the fort in 1877, the U.S. Olympic Equestrian Team trained at the fort from 1935–1939, war dogs were trained here during World War II and the fort also served as a German prisoner-of-war camp.

Fort Robinson spans more than 22,000 acres, with outstanding trails that pass through tall grass prairies, breathtaking rock formations and Ponderosa pine forests.

A Ranch Horse Round-Up competition is again planned in conjunction with this year’s ride at Fort Robinson. This popular competition showcases the versatile talents of American Paint Horses.

Philmont Boy Scout Ranch Ride
Near Cimarron, N. M.
October 16–20
For the fifth consecutive year, APHA will host its trail ride in New Mexico at the Philmont Boy Scout Ranch, near Cimarron, in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.

Magnificent mountains, mesas, pine forests, lakes and streams can be found in every direction from the ranch trail head. This wide-open territory was donated to the Boy Scouts of America by philanthropist Waite Phillips in the mid-1900s. The territory spans more than 137,000 acres and APHA riders will see it from elevations as high as 8,000 feet above sea level.

The rugged terrain trails of this area have remained relatively untouched since legendary frontiersmen like Kit Carson carved them out in the mid-1800s. In fact, Carson’s wilderness residence is located just a few miles from the ranch and is open for tours.
The fall ride this year will offer a magnificent view of fall foliage in the region. A “Legends by Lantern” tour of historic Cimarron will also be conducted, with the tour guide lighting the way by an 1800s-era hand-held lamp.

Local wrangler and talented singer/songwriter Rod Taylor will provide musical entertainment throughout the week.

Ed Roberts enjoys the peace and serenity of an APHA trail ride. Hirez JPEG (3.56 mb) Hirez TIFF (10.9 mb)

Enjoy the best of both worlds through Ride America
Ride America participants who choose to attend an APHA trail ride will have the best of both worlds this year. Not only will they be a part of the great camaraderie of an APHA trail ride, but they will earn double hours in the Ride America saddle-log program.
Through the Ride America program, members earn rewards and recognition for their achievements riding an American Paint Horse.

For those who prefer to ride when and where they want, the program is tailor-made to their interests as well.

Once members enroll in the Ride America program, they simply log the hours they spend on horseback. They record each hour spent riding their American Paint Horse and as they move through several achievement levels, APHA records their accomplishments and rewards them with special patches.

There is no time limit for riders to achieve their hours, as long as their APHA membership remains active. Now, members can even log their hours on-line.

Ride America information may be accessed at apha.com/rideamerica, or call Amy Foerster, Ride America coordinator, at (817) 834-2742, extension 249. You may also send an e-mail to her at rideamerica@apha.com.

Free information for the trail
Wherever your trails lead in 2005, APHA wants you to be safe, prepared and informed. APHA’s Guide to Recreational Riding is being offered free to anyone who requests it. The 36-page trail riding guide is contains a wealth of useful information, from how to tack up your horse for the trail to how to tie him safely to a picket line. The booklet also contains valuable information on trailering a horse and general horsemanship.