Safety & Trail Etiquette

SAFE & ENJOYABLE RIDES REQUIRE ALL RIDERS TO DO THE FOLLOWING:

• Take responsibility for YOURSELF and the way YOU ride. (don’t blame your equine or someone else!!!)
• Be cognizant of how YOUR behavior and that of YOUR equine impacts others.
• Leave a minimum of 2 horse lengths between each equine. If you can’t see the shoes on the back feet of the equine in front of you, you are too close.
• Be considerate. Be aware other riders may be less experienced than you are. Stay at a walk. If you take off, all the horses behind you brace themselves for LIONs you are fleeing. If you whiz past horses in front of you, they figure LIONs must be nearby, so they’d better RUN for their lives. Don’t let your equine take you back to the trailhead at his speed.
• HAVE FUN and ENJOY, stay positive and calm. WSCSC is a sisterhood to support each other on our equine journey.

BEFORE A WSCSC RIDE OR CLINIC YOU MUST:

If you are not a member, you must fill out and sign the WSCSC Trail Rider Waiver and the Colorado Liability Waiver. You can download, fill out and print the waivers here. They will be provided  at the trail head from the designated trail boss at the first ride you attend. You will only be required to provide these two waivers one time per calendar year. Only currently enrolled members can invite a guest(s). Guests will be required to fill out the waivers. They are not required to be members. If you have any questions about details of a specific ride or need to contact the Trail Boss, please visit our Rides & Events page.

New and existing members – the waivers are included in your 2024 membership form. If you have not renewed or joined, please visit this page.

2024 Trail Rides & Clinics

As we begin the 3rd year of WSCSC’s SAFE & ENJOYABLE TRAIL RIDES, the ride committee realized we had to make some adjustments. In 2022 we started out with Safety as our focus and have maintained that focus. We have been very fortunate all of our club rides to date, have been SAFE. No members, guests or equines have been injured. A few mishaps/mistakes could have turned out differently, we have been lucky. The Ride Committee decided EDUCATION was the KEY to keep members and guests safe. We need Members to HELP keep each other SAFE and make the rides ENJOYABLE for everyone.

As always, safety while riding is our #1 goal. With that in mind, this year will see a focus on trail riding clinics. There will be 4 public clinics and 2 clinics for members only on trails. See 2024 Schedule HERE. The focus is to improve skills necessary for safe trail riding. The clinics will be led by members who have extensive experience and have received National and Regional awards in trail competitions – Brandy, Betty, Juleen, Maggie and Gwen.

Given the amount of time dedicated to the clinics, there will be only a few BLUE rides and no BLACK rides, shifting more focus to SPUR rides which may be designated as a GREEN, BLUE or BLACK Ride. Spur rides allow for more trail riding opportunities for the membership. Spur rides by nature are smaller groups and therefore may be more appealing to certain horses and riders and may be able to go to locations that would not accommodate a large group ride. To participate on Spur Rides, you must sign up on our email list.

1. The email list will be kept on our website under the Resources Tab, Membership List on the Members-Only Page.
2. Look for and click the 2024 Spur Ride Tab at the bottom of the Membership List spread sheet.
3. Copy and Paste your email into the Spur ride email list then copy the list into the email you are creating regarding your SPUR ride.

Spur rides are rides organized by a club member on a particular date for a certain location. Spur rides allow for spontaneity in scheduling but should not be in conflict with regular club rides. If you choose to lead a Spur Ride:

• The length and difficulty of the ride should be made available to invitees.
• Provide details of how to access the Trailhead location.
• Advise details about the size of parking @ the Trailhead selected.
• All riders are expected to adhere to the club’s safety guidelines.

THE RIDER & TRAIL BOSS RELATIONSHIP

Please review the responsibilities we expect of our members – as riders or if you are designated as the trail boss for all scheduled rides. WSCSC has adopted a system of rating trail difficulty based on the adopted ski trial identification. When reviewing a specific trail ride you will see this identification attached to the ride. Please review the parameters below to determine which rides are best for you and your friends.

Please be considerate of your physical abilities (strengths or limitations) as well as your horses level of fitness and trail riding experience. If you are riding in an unsafe manner, your horse poses a danger to other horses and riders, you will be asked to modify your behavior or leave the ride.

Trail Boss Responsibilities:

• Trail Boss organizes ride but may not necessarily be Trail Guide
• Trail Boss must pre-ride the trail, especially if not Trail Guide
• Trail Boss determines ride level (Green, Blue, Black) defines ride details in the ride description: water crossings; length; terrain;
  footing; pace; estimated time to complete; other pertinent details
• Trail Boss provides written directions to trailhead.
• Trail Boss establishes ‘Ready to Ride’ Time.
• Trail Boss determines lunch locations, trailhead, on the trail, or no lunch. A mid-way break will be taken if lunch is not on the trail.
• Trail Boss will verify emergency contact information, provide liability waivers

Trail Riders Responsibility:

• See WSCSC website events page for ride details and ride sign up
• Contact Trail Boss if you have any questions
• Contact Trail Boss if your plans change. (don’t want to wait for you if you decide not to ride.)
• Contact Trail Boss if you are bringing a guest.
• Ride Time = Ready to Ride Time this mean all tacked up & ready to ride down the trail. (Please plan accordingly.)
• Carry emergency contact information with you
• Sign Liability Waivers on line, members sign annually
• Non-members sign Liability Waivers on line before each ride
• Review/Understand “Safe & Enjoyable Trail Guide” – see above
• Riding helmets are encouraged but not required.
• Green rides are potlucks please bring a dish to share.
• Bring a lunch and water on Blue and Black rides.

Solicited Tips for Safe Trail Riding – Green Rides:

• SAFETY will be emphasized.
• All Tips need to Solicited unless it’s a Safety Issue.
• Help members/non-members improve trail riding skills thru conversation and experience
• Mutually supported rides
• Buddy Riders/Mentors

Birthday Rides: Green or Blue Rides

• No Dogs allowed on GREEN & BLUE Club Rides
• Dogs will be allowed on BLACK Trails if the Trail boss and all the riders are in agreement.

All Levels Included in Club Rides:
The first month’s ride schedule has one Green, one Blue and one Black ride represented monthly. Original plan rotate between the 3 levels so there is something for everybody.

Equine Rider’s Joint Use Trails – Responsibilities
Motorbikes, ATV, Mountain Bikers, Hikers should Stop. Turn off vehicles – Wait for directions from equine riders – SMILE – Initiate friendly conversation Human voices seem to relax most equines

SAFETY IS PRIORITY

Adapted for WSCSC from Backcountry Horseman of California and NATRC’s Quick Tips

TRAIL HEAD/PARKING AREA

• Be on Time and park considerately.
• Tack Up, bring halter, lead rope, water, lunch, jacket/rain gear, hoof pick, knife.
• Clean up manure, hay, litter at Trail Head or camping area.
• Use ribbons to denote special situations, Red Ribbon if equine kicks, Yellow Ribbon denotes a stallion.
• WSCSC strongly encourages the use or riding helmets but they are not required.

WHILE ON THE TRAIL

• Trail boss is the boss. If you are riding in an unsafe manner, pose a danger to other riders, you will be asked to modify your behavior or leave the ride.
• Stay behind the trail leader (not always the Trail Boss) and in front of the drag rider. If you are having a problem call out for a STOP and don’t hesitate to ask for help.
• When mounting to ride, keep your horse still until everyone is mounted. Don’t crowd the equine in front of you. Leave a horse length between equines even at stops.
• In difficult or steep terrain allow more space and keep moving. If you need to stop for any reason, wait until the trail leader finds a suitable place where all can stop safely.
• Approach other riders from behind slowly.
• Pass with permission at a walk. After passing, move to create a safe
  space. Careful not to spook others with your actions.
• Advise others of obstacles such as, low branches, holes in the trail, hikers ahead.
• Leave gates as you find them. When a rider dismounts to open a gate, a few riders wait until she has remounted.
• Crossing water, allow the first equines to drink, then move up the trail and wait.
• Don’t crowd or allow your equine to charge into the water. The group does not leave until all have watered.
• Be courteous and friendly to other trail users. Smile, initiate a conversation so the equines can identify a non-threatening situation. All trail users should yield to the equine.
• Most users have been trained to stop, turn off their engines and wait for instruction from the equine riders. Safety for all trail users is a priority.
• Stay on the trail; obey the rules and respect private property.
• When riding along a road, ride with the traffic. When crossing roads, cross abreast rather than singe file.
• Riding side by side is permissible. Yield to traffic passing in either direction.
• No smoking allowed on trails.

TIPS FOR BREAKS OR LUNCH STOP

• Tie equines safely, leave ample room for other to pass, don’t block the trail.
• Alcohol use can make riding dangerous, use discretion.
• Lunch is a good time to ask questions if you are unsure about anything, nothing is off limits.
• HAVE FUN
• LEAVE NO TRACE
• Please ride with a BIG SMILE. Enjoy every mile of your riding adventure with your equine and human friends.