Sunday, 13 October 2013 09:35
A Story of a Prairie Girl & a Mountain Boy
Life-long horse enthusiasts and long-time BCHBC members, Patsy (87) and Earl Hobenshield (86) still sit tall in the saddle! For their 40th wedding anniversary did a riding trip in the Spatsizi. For their 65th wedding anniversary they did the Great Caribou Ride. For Earl’s 85th birthday this year, he got a new horse! They just keep doing what they love to do! By Carol Larson - Northweat Chpater BCHBC On October 31, 1927, a baby girl was born in Mazanod, Saskatchewan, a rural prairie location only known as a township. Her name was Patsy Parker and she was the daughter of a schoolteacher and farmer/war veteran. Not long after, a baby boy was born to a logger and his wife at Wrinch Memorial Hospital in Hazelton. His name was Earl Hobenshield. Some 20 years later their paths would cross and they would begin a…
Sunday, 13 October 2013 08:58
EC Manning Park Volunteers Building Bridges
By Rose Schroeder – Abbotsford Chapter Like Isaac Newton said, “we build too many walls and not enough bridges!” The Back Country Horsemen of BC (BCHBC) use that theory to build bridges and partnerships to help preserve equestrian access to trails around BC. As you might recall from previous stories, the Headwaters Corral Equestrian Campground project is a partnership between BCHBC, Manning Park Resort and BC Provincial Parks. We will never forget all our generous sponsors and volunteers who have donated their time, equipment, materials, expertise and cash to see this project keep growing. You see… there is more involved than just building a safe place to camp with horses and mules. There have to be trails to ride too, right out of that camp. As of September 15, 2013 the following list shows the designated horse trails in EC Manning Park and their status. This can change…
Sunday, 13 October 2013 08:26
BCHBC 2013 Trail Projects Funded
At the Back Country Horsemen of BC's (BCHBC) October 2011 Fall Board of Directors Meeting it was decided to set up a Grant for trails and access projects across BC that registered Chapters could apply to. Available funds are be allocated to projects at the Selection Committees discretion. If your chapter has a project in mind, click here to review the application guidelines and download the form. Projects that received funding in 2013: (Note: *RST = Recreation Sites and Trails ,part of the Ministry of Forest Lands and Natural Resource Operations. 1. Aldergrove Chapter – South Langley Regional Trail - funded $2,000. First phase construction of a section of trail that will join two Regional parks. Total cost of the project approx $450,000. Funding Partners: Township of Langley, BCHBC and Horse Council BC No formal signed agreements but working in cooperation with the Township of Langley. 2. South…
Monday, 30 September 2013 14:02
Bones are the Mane Attraction at NVI Event!
Gillian Higgins, a champion rider in the United Kingdom, came up with this novel idea for showing people how a horse's bones move. The North Vancouver Island Chapter of BCHBC is pleased to present an Anatomy & Movement Clinic Saturday, November 9, 2013 @ 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. Come and see four live-painted horses and learn why some horses fly over jumps while others do great sliding stops. Our speakers will explain how anatomy affects movement and function. Guest speakers: CHRIS KIPPEL, Chiropractor TEG HARPER, Trainer Dr. YAELA GLEUSTEEN, Veterinarian This is a joint fundraiser for Comox Valley Therapeutic Riding and Back Country Horsemen of BC's North Vancouver Island Chapter. Cost $20.00 per person. Tickets at the door, please pre-register so we have a head count. Therapeutic Riding will also have soup for sale and a tack table. Location: Therapetuic Riding's Barn B (formally Stonehenge Stable - Corner of Headquarters Rd and Condensory), Courtenay, BC.…
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Sunday, 29 September 2013 18:03
Rendezvous 2014 Dates & Location Announced!
Hey! Want to come ride with us? We're headed for fun at Rendezvous 2014! Rendezvous 2014 will be held in Maple Ridge, BC and is co-hosted by the Aldergrove and Yarrow Chapters of the Back Country Horsemen Society of BC! Learn more on the Rendezvous page of this website!
Thursday, 19 September 2013 11:54
Horsemen Help Regional District Build a Bridge
By Terri Perrin In was a big – and dirty job – but someone had to do it! this summer (2013), volunteers from the North Vancouver Island Chapter of the Back Country Horsemen of BC (BCHBC) gave generously of their time to assist the Comox Valley Regional District with the re-making of a bridge on the historic One Spot Trail. “The original bridge, located opposite 5150 Condensory Road, is the connection between the One Spot and Wildwood Forest,” says the Comox Valley Regional District’s Brian Allaert. “It was installed in 1995 by Bob Webb and other volunteers who wanted to see the Comox Logging Grade opened up as a trail. The bridge needed replacing because the stringers supporting it were rotting and BCHBC had asked the Regional District to upgrade the bridge decking which was slippery when wet. BCHBC offered input on the design of the railing and surfacing…
Sunday, 08 September 2013 09:45
BC SPCA launches educational program for horse owners
The British Columbia Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (BC SPCA) is proud to announce a series of educational talks for horse owners and interested members of the public as part of an ongoing effort to improve horse welfare in B.C. The BC SPCA’s Dr. Bettina Bobsien, equine veterinary specialist, will visit communities across B.C. to provide information on Canada’s new Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Equines. Topics include: An overview of the industry-supported process to create a new Code of Practice for the care and handling of equines in Canada. Nutrition, health management, breeding, housing, humane training and other requirements and recommendations included in the Equine Code of Practice. The BC SPCA’s approach to preventing and addressing situations of horse abuse and neglect. Horse Council BC representatives will also be on hand at the events to speak about the importance…
Sunday, 25 August 2013 20:23
Putting Our Muscles (and Machinery) Where Our Mouth Is!
Aldergrove Chapter BCHBC members hard at work with Al Neufeld from the Township. Story by Sheila Sowerby. Photos by Hugh Martell. Sometimes horse people are not seen in the kindest of lights. Other user groups see us as seeming to feel elite or entitled as we sit perched upon our magnificent, prancing steeds on the multi-use trails trying not to squish a baby buggy or bicycle. Those of us who own horses (or mules) know that it ain’t that glamorous but we do what we have to do (skip vacations or the odd meal) because we love to ride. We love our trails and sometimes rally in great numbers when a trail or our “right to ride” is threatened. The South Langley Regional Trail was never threatened but was never finished. Construction began in 1995 heading east out of Campbell Valley Park. It is often referred…
Sunday, 11 August 2013 14:56
Bowen Island Remind Drivers to Slow Down and Pass Wide
From Horse Council BC's August 2013 e-newsletter: Kat Beaulieu of the Bowen Island Horse Owners and Riders Association (BIHORA) would like to send a big thank-you to all Bowen's thoughtful motorists who slow down and pass wide when they see a horse on the road. However, she notes that there are still a number of vehicles that don't slow down enough when they're passing an equestrian. To address this concern, BIHORA has purchased four new road safety signs that have been installed this week. "Most of Bowen's drivers do exactly the right thing when they see a horse and rider on the road." Kat says, "They slow down and offer a wide berth to the horse and rider. The new signs target newcomers and visitors who may not have the same level of understanding of how unpredictable horses can be." Paid for through membership fees and fundraising, the new signs have been purchased by BIHORA and…
Monday, 29 July 2013 20:18
New Horse Camps a First for Vancouver Island
July 29, 2013, Campbell River, BC – Saturday, July 20 was a day to celebrate for members of the Back Country Horsemen Society of British Columbia (BCHBC) and all equine enthusiasts who enjoy trail riding on Vancouver Island. On this day, more than 25 BCHBC members from across Vancouver Island, along with an additional 40-plus dignitaries and guests, gathered to celebrate the official grand opening of the Memekay River site of the Salmon Brewster Equine Campsites and Trail Corridor Project near Sayward, BC. BCHBC worked with Recreation Sites and Trails BC in Campbell River to have the first Vancouver Island Crown Land equine-friendly public recreation campsites and trail designated. “This wonderful facility is an example of what can happen when people have a vision, when they work in a spirit of community collaboration, and they put in hundreds of hours of volunteer effort in order to see that vision become…
Monday, 29 July 2013 20:15
Horse Manure (friend, not foe!)
Manure Management - Composting Workshop Hosted by the Fraser Valley Watersheds Coalition When: Saturday September 14th, 2013, 8:30 am - 1 pm. Where: Multipurpose room at Yarrow Community School - 4595 Wilson Road Chilliwack BC Cost: Free! (Thanks to the financial contribution from Vancouver Foundation and RBC BlueWater) The workshop will teach hobby farmers and equestrians about manure management including composting basics (with or without machinery), information on building a composting system (to fit each person’s need), pasture management and rotational grazing. Participants will gain hands on experience to create their own composting system, learn how to save money (by reducing or eliminating fees for hauling manure away), improve their pastures and ensure our local waterways remain healthy. We will also talk about the manure link website, that helps connect horse owners with gardeners who would love to have some fabulous fertilizer for their gardens! There will be a…
Wednesday, 24 July 2013 21:27
Opening Work Bee Weekend at the Headwaters Corral Equestrian Campsite
EC MANNING PROVINICAL PARK Like everything we plan, it is always a good idea to keep your options open! So it was with our 4th annual opening of the Headwaters Corral Equestrian Campsite in EC Manning Park. The Campsite opens for the season the first weekend of July each year. Headwaters Corral was built in partnership with BC Parks, Manning Park Resort and the Yarrow Chapter of Back Country Horsemen of BC (BCHBC). The opening weekend usually involves many volunteers pitching in to clean up the 7 parking pads, roofing the manure bin, installing signs, pulling weeds and chopping firewood. Volunteer crews also go out with Park Rangers to fix bridges and clear trails that are designated for horse use. It takes a lot of volunteer help and donations to keep this project thriving. This year our major contributors were Emil Anderson Maintenance (EAM) and Horse Council BC (HCBC). EAM…
Wednesday, 17 July 2013 19:28
'Leave No Trace' Training Class in Hope BC
Scott Denkers, Hope Mountain Centre, Hope, BC, is hosting a 'Leave No Trace Trainer Class' (LNT) in September. People affiliated with the Back Country Horsemen of BC (or other outdoor types) are welcome to attend. This is a 'train-the-trainer class' that results in trainer certification from LNT Canada and is taught by LNT Master Educator Connie Denkers. Connie was heavily involved as the Washington State representative for Leave No Trace organization before moving to Canada and would like to help spread the word about the Seven principlesof LNT in this corner of the world. The cost of the class is $215 per person that includes 16 hours of training, an overnight backpack, some nice "bling" and trainer certification. One evening, September 6 and the two-day overnight camping trip Sept. 14 & 15. For more information visit: www.hopemountain.org.
Saturday, 06 July 2013 12:37
More on Road Riding and Safety
A Victoria Times Colonist newspaper columnist has a thing or two to say about safety for riders and drivers. Read this great article on-line: http://www.timescolonist.com/steve-wallace-horses-and-cars-can-get-along-on-the-road-1.313683. On behalf of the many equestrians who ride the roads... THANKS Mr. Steve Wallace for helping spread the word to keep everyone safe.