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Trail Mix The Official Publication of the Indiana Trail Riders
Association, Inc.
November, 2017
ITRA GOLD NUGGET CORP
ORATE SPONSOR
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INDIANA TRAIL RIDERS ASSOCIATION, INC. Post Office Box 185
Farmland, IN 47340
Return Address Requested
PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID NOBLESVILLE, IN PERMIT NO. 21
ITRA BRONZE NUGGET CORPORATE SPONSOR
ITRA TRAIL LEAD CORPORATE SPONSOR
MARK YOUR CALENDERS Clark Deam Horse Trail
Fundraiser Nov. 4, 2017
O’Bannon Clean-Up Nov. 18-21, 2017
Brown County State Park Clean-Up Nov. 24-26, 2017
The EDGe (Email discussion Group) is a wonderful FREE
communication tool for ITRA members with an internet connection.
Send a blank e-mail to [email protected]
Subscription is free and you can unsubscribe at any time. Advertise
in the Trail Mix---Full Page $100.00, Half Page $50.00, Quarter
Page $25.00, Bus Card Size Ad. $15.00. November, 2017
Mail completed form with check payable to ITRA at: Indiana Trail
Riders Association, Inc.
Post office Box 185 Farmland, IN 47340
Or use Paypal to renew on our website
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_____________________________________ Address:
____________________________________ City:
_______________________St:____Zip:_______ Home Phone:
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Join or Renew ITRA USE THIS FORM – (Please Print)
Membership renewal Due by Hoosier Horse Fair
We’re on the Web at: www.intrailriders.org.
____Family Membership $ 30.00 ___Association (Club) Membership
$100.00 ___Trail Guide (postage-1 per member) $ 3.00 Trail Guide
2016 has been published—good for 3 years until 2019. ___Trail Fund
Donation Amount $_______ ___Newsletter by US Postal Service ___Do
not send hard copy—will access Trail Mix on website
Membership renewal due by Hoosier Horse Fair
Indiana Trail Riders Mission Statement The purpose of the
Indiana Trail Riders Association is to promote trail riding and
equine activities in Indiana and the surrounding area. The Indiana
Trail Riders are involved on the local, state, and national levels
striving to promote and improve trails and campgrounds. We work
actively on the legislative and administrative levels as well as
sponsoring and organizing workdays on several recreational
properties in the hope that the natural beauty we have enjoyed on
horseback will be available for future generations as well.
North West Indiana Trail Happenings By Lawrence Turnquist
The Lake County Parks Department has approximately 6500 acres
which presents a lot of opportunities for trails. They have
approximately 13 park locations with four locations open to horses.
These vary widely from the Grand Kankakee Marsh with approximately
30 miles of trails and 1952 acres to Buckley with 575 acres which
until recently had basically one trail, a perimeter trail around
something over 80 acres. This is the site of a new trail, which is
approximately 2.5 miles. The new trail and the existing one will
make the park satisfactory for a wide variety of users including
the new comer. The new trail is across the highway from the high
school which I ‘m sure will eventually lead to many different uses.
The trail is only a couple of months old, and there’s already been
conversation about black top and bicycles somewhere in the distant
future. If the same people are in control as are now, I’m sure that
would include a separate horse trail to one side, as you have with
the north Judson Trail. This trail of 2.5 miles did not happen
without the expenditure of both money and effort. There is a large
culvert, 120 feet tall and 25 ft. long costing $4,772.00 to enable
the trail to cross a significant ditch. The parks spent $4,129.00
on tiling to eliminate wet spots where the trail runs. This is only
half the tile cost. The farm tenant paid the other ½…seed money of
$1,270.00 and the stone was $358.00. These are the out of pocket
costs. It took an excavator to prepare the ditch and set the
culvert, etc. I could go on as it’s one thing to advocate for more
trails, it’s quite another thing to put them in.
Another significant project that I have assurances is going to
happen either this fall or next spring is a new access road to the
horse parking area at Deep River. This in my eyes will be a huge
improvement. It’s not too bad pulling in but pulling out is
difficult and dangerous. The entrance road drops off sharply from
the county road. When pulling out the visibility is very poor.
Having to start, park on a steep hill with a horse trailer is
difficult even for the most experienced horsemen. The new road will
be something over a ¼ mile long. It will be a huge improvement.
Bob and I really have our hands full keeping up with the trail
maintenance at Deep River this year. Chris Orange, the manager of
the Grand K/3 Park, loaned us a walk behind rough cut mower which
has been a huge help. Bob and I are not getting any younger…sooner
or later we’ve got to come up with a solution to this problem. And
my trails at home are even worse than Deep Rivers…
mailto:[email protected]
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President John Allen 9825 South 100 East Clayton., IN 46118
317-691-2573 [email protected]
Vice President Larry Sidell 273 East 1200 North Batesville, In
47006 812-934-4086 [email protected]
Treasurer Cynthia Harnish 9398 S 875 E Walkerton, IN 46574
574-360-0555 [email protected]
Secretary Duane Davis 7180 N 900 W Huntington, IN 46750
765-238-0746 [email protected]
Greg Hersberger (Chairman) ‘20 4962 South 250 West Portland, IN
47374 260-729-1208 [email protected]
Karen Humphreys ‘18 3419 North 425 East Danville, IN 46122
317-892-3769 [email protected]
Reed Records ‘18 3980 St Rd 45 Nashville, IN 47448 812-345-2882
[email protected]
Lawrence Turnquist ‘18 12005 Parrish St. Cedar Lake, IN 46303
219 374-5370 [email protected]
Nancy Brunnemer ‘20 7178 North 500 West McCordsville, IN 46055
317-443-8771 [email protected]
Rita Lockridge ‘19 7010 East 300 North Lafayette, In 47905
765-714-5019 [email protected]
Chris Riehl ‘19 3158 E. 200 S Dillsboro, IN 47018 812-320-7818
[email protected]
Mary Williams ‘20 14978 East 191st Street Noblesville, IN 46060
765-534-5192 [email protected]
Scotty Eskridge ‘19 P. O. Box 234 Knox, 46534 574-896-5159
Debbie Maschmeyer '19 507 Henryville-Bluelick Rd. Henryville, IN
47126 502-931-6221 [email protected]
Yvette Rollins ‘19 12784 E. Rollins Lane Springville, IN 47462
812-797-4540 [email protected]
Cindy Wyse ‘20 1993 West 750 South Trafalgar, IN 46181
317-503-1690 [email protected]
Barb Ferguson ‘18 2430 S. Glenn Lane Salem, IN 47167
812-967-3161 [email protected]
Bob McPheeters ‘19 27799 North 100 West Anderson, IN 46011
765-683-0665 [email protected]
Jim Tremain ‘20 PO Box 502136 Indianapolis, IN 46250
317-833-6189 [email protected]
Membership Chairperson Bonnie Miller 8181 W. 100 S Farmland, IN
47340 765-468-6716 765-748-0064 [email protected]
ITRA Web Site Administrator
Trail Mix Editor Mary Williams 14978 East 191st Street
Noblesville, IN 46060 765-534-5192 [email protected]
Trail Guide Editor John Allen 9825 South 100 East Clayton, IN
46118 317-691-2573 [email protected]
Deam Lake SRA Horse Campground CLARK DEAM HORSE TRAIL
FUNDRAISER Silent Auction Items needed, Pitch-In
dinner (6:00pm) All proceeds go to DNR Foundation
earmarked for Clark/Deam Horse Trails Contact: Barb Ferguson
(812) 967-
3161 [email protected] Debbie Maschmeyer (502) 931-6221 or
Sue Keith 812-620-1629
The Indiana Trail Riders *STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
The purpose of the Indiana Trail Riders Association…is to
promote trail riding and equine activities in Indiana and the
surrounding area.
The ITRA is involved on local, state and national levels
striving to promote and improve trails and campgrounds.
We work actively on the legislative and administrative levels as
well we sponsoring and organization workdays on several
recreational
properties in the hope that the natural beauty we have enjoyed
on horseback will be available for future generations as well.
The corporate address is Post Office Box 185, Farmland, Indiana
47340.
The corporate address is Post Office Box 185, Farmland, Indiana
47340.
ITRA BOARD OF DIRECTORS
ITRA APPOINTED POSITIONS
This Trail Mix Newsletter is the Official Publication of the
Indiana Trail Riders Association. It is published six times a year
in odd
numbered months. Editorial material, photos, and notices of
upcoming events should be submitted to
[email protected] or mailed to Mary Williams 14978 East
191st Street Noblesville, IN 46060 by the 10th of even months.
ITRA Calendar
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ITRA OFFICERS - 2016
Discount
Copies
Teresa Peil & Sara Ballew
100 Mensa Drive * Noblesville, IN 46062
(317)-773-8783 * Fax (317)773-9050
Hours: Mon-Fri 8:30 to 5:30 * Sat 10:00 to 3:00
Email: [email protected]
Round 2 It Ranch LLC 10734 N 800 E Ossian, IN 46777 (260)
639-6657 Email: [email protected] [email protected]
Call for Appointment! Book our Tack Trailer for Your Equine
events!
Select the Best “Horse Health Solutions” Nu-Image, Nu-Hoof,
Select I&II, Nu-Weight ….and the rest of the line. (Dealer
Inquiries Welcome & Wanted)
Mayatex~ Triple E ~ Toklat
Parker Nylon ~ Congress Leather
Troxel Helmets ~ Showman Products
Wells 5 Star Pads ~ Bar F
Leanin T Ranch Halters & Leads
Cowboy Magic~ Mare Magic ~ Ultra
And oh! So much more!!
November 18-21, 2017
O’Bannon State Park
O’Bannon Fall Clean-Up Contact Greg Hersberger:
260-729-1208
November 24, 25, 26, 2017
Brown County State Park
Brown County Fall Clean-Up Contact John Allen:
317-691-2573
November 4, 2017
ITRA sends a thank you to everyone who attended an ITRA
event this year to help keep our trails open. If you spend any
of
your own time cleaning a horse trail or campground, please
send
your name and hours spent to our Secretary, Duane Davis.
Your volunteered time counts with the DNR.
tel:(574)%20360-0555http://gmail.com/callto:(812)%20967-3161callto:(812)%20967-3161mailto:[email protected]:(502)%20931-6221callto:812-620-1629mailto:[email protected]
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Midwest Equine Trail Foundation
Contact Chris Riehl For Contributions and Grants at
Midwest Equine Trail Foundation 3158 E. 200 S
Dillsboro, IN 47018
ATTENTION: All Indiana Trail Riders
There is a new way to support Midwest
Equine Trail Foundation, Inc. Anyone who has an Amazon account
can go to
www.smile.amazon.com and choose Midwest Equine Trail Foundation
as your
designated charity. Amazon will donate 0.5% of your purchase
price to M.E.T.F.
Remember, only purchases at smile.amazon.com,
(not www.amazon.com or the mobile app,) support charity. Amazon
donations are
issued four times per year (February, May, August, and November)
for donations
generated in the previous quarters. What a free and easy way to
support Indiana horse
trails!!
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ITRA Updates
ITRA Membership Dues
Family Membership $30.00
Association (Club) Membership
$100.00
Thank you to everyone for their
continued support!!!
ITRA Still Needing Donations for Skid Steer Attachments
Calling All ITRA 2018 Director Candidates
By Mary Williams
ITRA Director and Officer Elections will be held at our 2017
March Annual Meeting. There will be director positions available.
Anyone interested in becoming more involved in our organization
needs to send a short biography and an optional picture to any
Director, Officer, or Mary Williams by December 1, 2017. We need
anyone who is interested and willing to help us keep our horse
trails open. We are looking for a variety of people from different
locations around the state to support local clubs and state
parks.
Koteewi on the Prairie at Strawtown
By Mary Williams
I have had a trail clean up at Koteewi
for the last four years on National Trails
Day in June. I have always had and
encouraged a variety of people to show up
including a church youth group, people
needing community service hours on work
release, people in the parks master
programs, as well as ITRA members. But I
would like to recognize two ITRA members
who have faithfully helped me every year
from start to finish, Vickie Grant and
Debbie Roberts my computer.
Thank you to everyone for their
help. Without you it couldn’t get done.
http://www.smile.amazon.com/http://smile.amazon.com/http://www.amazon.com/
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Trail Tales By Calamity Jane
ITRA thanks the following organizations for continuing
their 2017 ITRA Associate Memberships:
Battle Ground Saddle Club
Muncie Light Horse Saddle Club Perkins Saddle Club
Red Hat Purple Chaps Southern Indiana Horsemen’s Club
Tree City Saddle Club
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Well, I'm sure enjoyin' fall with all
the leaves a turnin' such purty colors but as much as I love
ridin' in this weather I'm sure not a lookin' forward to winter.
Tryin' to keep all them water buckets thawed and my hosses getting
so woolly, while they look like them there woolly mammoths! Shucks,
when I was just a youngun, I shore loved winter. Why I used to snow
ski behind a horse or we'd hook up the toboggan and go down the
snowy roads. Boy, now that was a good time. Why once I almost
slammed my sister in the corner of the house while she was a ridin'
in one of them saucer things I was a pullin' with my trusty old 4-H
gelding, 'cos I got a little too close to the house. In fact, it's
a wonder any of my sisters lived to tell about it!
A Word from ITRA’s
President,
John Allen
TRA 2017 Midwest Trail Ride Event
On Friday and Saturday, September 15th and 16th, ITRA members
and their friends gathered for our annual fall ride at Midwest
Trail Ride in Norman, Indiana. After checking in on Friday many
folks stopped by Bob and Debbie McPheeters site to enjoy their
annual spaghetti supper. As usual it was a great success and
enjoyed by all who attended. Afterwards, some members gathered to
participate in our first annual Euchre Tournament. Money raised
from these events as well as other activities will go to help ITRA
fund trail work throughout the state.
On Saturday morning the temperature was comfortable and enjoyed
by members who went riding in the beautiful Hoosier National
Forest. In the afternoon, Director Karen Humphreys set up and
coordinated the always enjoyable Cowboy Trail Challenge. Events
included; the pickup and drop off of a stuffed bunny, a water
bucket fill-up, simulated gate open and close, side pass challenge,
and a bridge crossing plus several other exercises. Congratulations
to John Stewart, the winner of this year’s event. Throughout the
day the Country Store, set up by Georgia Ballinger, was open for
business selling many “sought after” ITRA products. We sold more
than $600.00 in merchandise which will also go toward our
fundraising goal. That evening featured our famous pitch-in dinner
and a silent auction which always offers a variety of items donated
by members and sponsors. All events were well attended and enjoyed
by everyone.
As always, the weekend was a great way to meet new members and
catch up on old friendships. The amazing members and friends of
ITRA raised over $2,500.00 during this weekend alone. That money,
along with the other collected funds throughout the year, will be
used toward our ongoing trail projects.
Thanks to everyone for their ongoing participation and support
of the Indiana Trail Riders! We couldn’t do it without you!
Karen Humphries and Bob McPheeters enjoying a quiet moment at
the Spaghetti Supper. Debbie McPheeters (on left) is always ready
to serve everyone. The bottom picture is a typical scene in MTR
Dining room during ITRA’s ride.
Brown County State Park Trails up Date
By Mary Williams
My family and I just returned from camping for three nights in
the horsemen’s camp. Both Brown County State Park and ITRA have
spent countless hours improving the trails after the devastating
April storms. The camp sites in the 70’s loop now have a nice stand
of grass covering all the mud. Except the grass is new, the camp
sites now all look the same. Most of the trails are open. It is
very important to check the board at the entrance station for
closed trails as it is constantly changing. Of the letter trails
that have been cleared, it is important to watch out for holes
alongside the trail where tree roots have exposed deep holes. This
is especially important when passing other horses or ponying a
horse. These holes are hard to see as they are often in the shadows
of the tree roots but deep enough it could break a horse leg.
There is still a lot of clean-up from both the storms and trash
on the trails all though I thought our end of the camp ground look
exceptionally clean.
I want to thank everyone for their hard work to open our horse
trails.
Ten-year-old Seth Seth Salgado riding Jamaica on Trail A. The
pictures show the deforestation causing
exposed roots and holes along the trail at the top.
http://www.clipartpanda.com/clipart_images/clip-art-country-red-neck-1848534
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ITRA on the Trail
Volunteer Day at Versailles State Park By Nancy Brunnemer
Even though the weather forecast called for heat and humidity,
11 volunteers headed to Versailles State Park on July 22. In the
woods, the weather was very tolerable. The park was terrific about
loaning us equipment and having it ready for us. Originally we were
planning to pick up trash and cut trees that had landed on the
trails, and we did some. We had heard about an area on Trail X that
had gotten so bad that horses were sinking to their knees and
sometimes to their bellies in mud. We hoped that the trails would
be dry enough to get to this bad spot. The machinery was able to
work on some spots on the trail on the way to the horrible area. We
were able to dig out the thick mud and try to drain it better. We
put gravel on top. It looks much better now. The new ITRA Vermeer
machine, along with the park's big bobcat, did an amazing job.
Please consider volunteering with ITRA in the future. We really
have a good time.
Linda, Desi, Dana, Ricky and Lynne enjoying
some relaxation after a hard day’s work back
at the campsites.
My Family Vacation to the Smokey Mountains
By Mary Williams
In 2016 my daughter, Alyssa, decided to take her boys on a horse
camping vacation to the Smokies. She was able to book a reservation
the week before July 4th. We have horse camped several times in the
Smokey Mountains. But we have spent the last three at Orchard Cove.
There are several reasons we like this horse campground. It is
located outside of Townsend, Tenn. on the side of a mountain on an
old farmstead abutting the national park. It is literally on the
backside of Cades Cove. You can take an old gravel road out of
Cades Cove, Schoolhouse Cap Road and once over the mountain be at
this camp. The campsites are specious, mostly shaded. The horse
barn is of concrete, with large over hangs to be able to leave
feed, hay, tack outside the stalls and never get wet. The stalls
are very large and well ventilated. We have never needed fans on
our horses. They have a large covered arena, and you can ride
through their pasture, up a private road and be on the national
park’s horse trails. They also provide stock trailers to trail
heads. And most importantly, the owners are gracious and helpful.
Since I am the one with the truck, trailer and horses, it means I’m
going. I took my truck into the dealer and had everything possible
serviced as this trip was going to include: my dually, my two horse
trailer with living quarters, my two dogs, us two chicks, my two
horses and tack, and two grandsons, four and nine. Alyssa was great
about fixing enough camp food for the four of us for a week without
having to go out. We loaded and left early on a beautiful, hot
Sunday morning. I let my daughter drive as she is the better driver
with a trailer and 2 kids in back. We were about at Shelbyville, IN
and Alyssa started telling me the truck didn’t seem to have the
same amount of power as she remembers. I chalked it up to her
having never driven it with a fully loaded trailer as well as the
entire bed full of hay, feed and bicycles. She complained again in
Kentucky south of Cincinnati. However she never allowed me to drive
to test her theory. By Sunday afternoon we were in southern
Kentucky. We had decided to take I-75 to avoid the bridges in
Louisville. Everything seemed to be going
ok until we just passed an exit and the check engine light came
on. We thought we could drive it slowly to the next exit. My dually
totally shut down at the 66 mile maker on I-75 going up a steep
grade. My daughter was driving and was lucky to be able to stop my
rig in-between two guardrails in the shade of a road cut. By now it
was 3:30 pm on a Sunday afternoon, 93 degrees. At least I felt safe
to be able to get out of my truck to read the mile marker sign. Her
cell phone had no signal, but mine did so I immediately called US
Rider. They promised to send a tow for my truck, trailer and find a
place for my horses. We made the boys stay buckled in the back
seat, and I blocked the trailer wheels on the hill. About 2 hours
later, an old Ford dually (I guessed a good 25 yrs. old) pulled up
saying he would tow my trailer to a camp and come back for my
truck. In those 2 hours only 1 person stopped to see if we needed
help—another tow truck driver who promised to check on us again
before nightfall. We un-hooked my truck (prayed my blocks would
hold on the hill) and hooked up his truck to my trailer. When
Alyssa and I opened the back door to put in a car seat, we were
surprised to see 2 car seats with sleeping kids in the back. We put
the youngest in his car seat with the other two kids in back. That
left the driver, my daughter (she is larger than me), the oldest
grandson, my 2 full grown dogs (a Jack Russell and a 28# American
Eskimo) and me in the front seat. We drove to the next exit, a
state highway, then proceeded for the next ½ hour winding down
state highways and a country road until we arrived at our horses’
camp. I honestly didn’t know where I was as I lost track of highway
signs. This wasn’t a “farm/stable” as I had expected to find, but a
private residence that had a car repair garage, a newer house, and
horse sheds. We pulled into what appeared their front yard along a
cow fence to a gate into a small pasture. The driver couldn’t make
the right turn into the second pasture so had to drive in a circle
avoiding hitting 2 loose ponies to pull my trailer through the next
gate to a second pasture. He almost wiped out the side of my
trailer on a corner post. He parked my trailer in the middle of an
acre turn-out for my horses and stopped where it was obvious a
horse had just been buried. This lot had grass, but was fenced with
barb wire, and the shed for my horses had a well preserved dead
pony in it. The adventure continues next issue
