Ohio Horseman’s Council

Member of American Horse Council

www.ohconline.com

SECRETARY & MEMBERSHIP

Catherine Estill 513/899-2267 secretary@ohconline.com

TREASURER

Jo Ellen Reikowski 330/806-3146 treasurer@ohconline.com

PRESIDENT

Eric Estill 513/899-2267 president@ohconline.com

NEWSLETTER EDITOR

Theresa Burke 614/329-7453 newsletter@ohconline.com vicepresident@ohconline.com

OHC COUNTY LINE EDITOR

Karen Ravndal-Emery, Chair countylineeditor@ohconline.com

Greetings From Your President OHC Influence Makes a Difference

A recent proposal was attached to the Ohio State Budget Bill to designate 120 acres of the Malabar Farms State Park as the ‘Doris Duke Woods Nature Preserve’. The intent of the proposal was to prevent the State Park from logging the area. The proposal stated that any existing equine trails and hiking trails would be kept open. This sounds like a good proposal, except for the unintended consequences. The Malabar Farms State Park had no plans to log the area, so this was a solution without a problem.

The Ohio Administrative Code Rule 1501:17-9-03 ‘Saddle animals, use limitations’ states: (A) No person shall ride, drive, lead, or keep a saddle horse or other animal used for locomotion in any nature preserve or natural area except on roads, streets, and driveways provided for motor vehicles. (B) No horse or other animal shall be hitched to any tree, shrub, or structure in any manner. Exception will be if approved hitching post is provided in parking area.

The public bridle trails currently located in the Malabar Farm State Park are not roads, streets, and driveways provided for motor vehicles. The trails are natural surface trails. Therefore, the proposal to create the Doris Duke Woods Nature Preserve would keep the existing horse trails open, but the Ohio Administrative Code Rule 1501:17-9-03 would not allow anyone to ride a horse or other saddle animal on those trails.

In addition: Ohio Administrative Code Rule 1501:17-3-02 ‘Preservation of property; exceptions’ states:

No person shall collect, remove, injure, deface, destroy or otherwise disturb ice, soil, sand, gravel, rocks, fossils, minerals, plants, plant materials, animals or any other substance within any nature preserve or natural area under the supervision and control of the department or its designated custodian except as provided in this rule and in rule 1501:17-3-04 of the Administrative Code. Collecting of materials for research purposes may be permitted upon written application to and approval by the chief of the division. A permit shall be valid not to exceed one year, but may be renewed at the discretion of the chief. The permit shall be displayed to any person upon request.

This means that we would not be allowed to maintain the existing equine or hiking trails.

Bottom line, if the proposal was attached to the budget bill and the bill passed, then we would not be allowed to ride on the existing equine trails in the designated 120-acre parcel, we would not be allowed to maintain the existing trails, and no new trails could be created.

I contacted my State Senator and my State representative and asked them to help. I talked by phone to my State Senator, who agreed to see what he could do. The Wayne County OHC Chapter also started a letter writing campaign to their Senators and Representatives.

During the next meeting of the Ohio Trails Partnership (OTP), I put a motion on the floor for OTP to oppose the creation of the Nature Preserve. The motion passed unanimously. Our OHC Legal Committee Chair, Tom Green, drafted a letter for the signature of the OTP President, who distributed the letter to all members of the Ohio State Budget Committee (who were reviewing the budget bill) and sent a copy to many other Ohio State Senators and Representatives.

Several days later, the Ohio House passed a revised bill to create the ‘Doris Duke Woods Preservation Area’ on the same 120-acre parcel. The House bill only restricts logging in the area and has no other ‘unintended consequences’. The Ohio Administrative code does not restrict a Preservation Area. Considering the House bill, the Senate Budget Committee dropped the language from the budget bill to create a Nature Preserve.

I was told later that the campaign from the Ohio Trails Partnership and the Ohio Horseman’s Council was instrumental in creating the House bill that resolved the issue.

Our voice was heard. ~Eric Estill, President Ohio Horseman’s Council

County Lines

ASHLAND

Greetings from Ashland County. Our chapter sponsored a three day ride at Pleasant Hill Lake Park in June with the hopes of making it an annual event. We had a fantastic weekend even with a little rain Friday and Saturday, but it sure didn’t stop the fun! There were close to 30 rigs carrying lots of horses and riders. When they got the horses settled in for the weekend and situated on tie lines, it presented quite a sight to behold. On Saturday, many miles of trail were ridden. Some individuals rode out for a stop at Big Fish for a sandwich, ice cream, drink, etc., while others were happy to see the Malabar Inn open for lunch. Saturday evening was capped off with the announcement of our Poker Run and 50/50 winners. Cassie, who is a college student paying her way through nursing school, took home the Poker Run jackpot while Jamie was happy to take home his 50/50 winnings. Fun was had by all. We can’t wait to make this an annual event! Jean and I were busy moving from our sold home and moving our horses that weekend, so Kathy Bogdan was kind enough to provide the above information. The Ashland chapter did a great job and handled several stressful situations in the ride; preparations, including several cancellations of food truck providers. But like all OHC

Ashland County OHC

Poker, 50/50

Poker winner Clark County OHC All our members who helped on the trails.

The kids cooling down after getting the trail cleared.

The chainsaw men, Dave Krazl and John Snell, clearing one of the nine trees.

members, we persevered and handled them all.

Our next State Ride will be the Chili Cook Off at Mohican on Sept. 17-19. If you want to participate, be sure to contact Mike Gerard at mgerard12@ gmail.com or call 330/466-3739 to make a reservation. If you have been there in the past years, you know it will be a fun time as well with likely 60 rigs in attendance. You will have to put up your own tree tie lines, but we have people available to help, so it is not all that bad. Once that is accomplished, there are more beautiful trails than you can ride in three days.

We hope to see you down the trail and remember not to drink and ride. ~Dan and Jean Reynolds

ASHTABULA

I am pushing the envelope this month; I almost forgot about this article. I don’t have a good reason. I looked at things on my to-do list and realized I should have already sent this off to Karen.

We are having some beautiful weather, but there is rain in the forecast. I am hoping it holds off so we can get our hay in the barn. The call just came, hay tomorrow. Now is a busy time for us. No graduations this year, but a couple of weddings and a horse show to get ready for.

We had the memorial ride for Dick, and we had a beautiful day. Thank you to everyone who came to ride and all of the folks who came to share our picnic. It was nice to see you all. Pam brought her beautiful new Palomino and ponied her; I think that’s a great way to show a green horse what is out there on the trails.

The OHC family in Ashtabula County is one of the most friendly bunch of people I have ever known. I have been a member for 21 years, and some of you have been here that long too. It is an ever-changing group, but the love of horses keeps us all going in the same direction. Not even a pandemic could keep us home. We did our best to keep things going and put some hours on those trails. Some of you even rode on those days when the snow was everywhere. You all are very hardy folks. A lot of you enjoyed some impromptu day rides.

We are watching the price of building supplies so that when they come back down, we will get the picnic shelter built at Hatches Corner. It is an excellent place to ride if you want an easy ride.

Our regional ride in the Ashtabula Gulf is scheduled for the second Saturday of October. It will to be a dice ride again this year. You can choose to pay to play or ride and not participate in rolling the dice. There will be food, a Chinese auction and 50/50. Would you mind putting it on your calendar?

The Sheets family have moved into their new home. They have been busy putting up hay and unpacking. Mike is taking some time for mounted shooting, and Gina is doing some barrel racing, as is Christy. Sylvio is also doing some mounted shooting. Good luck to all of you.

It’s almost hay, so ‘til next time, give thanks for all the good things and give your horse a hug. ~Pearl Ann

CLARK

What a beautiful summer! Clark County members have been out riding all over the state. This includes Hocking Hills, Salt Fork, Alum Creek, Deer Creek, Van Buren, Caesars Creek and more. We have photo evidence that Cowboy Larry has been out on the trails this year also.

The stars have aligned and we are ready to schedule our maintenance day at Buck Creek State Park for Saturday, Sept. 4. All necessary persons and equipment are available to help on that day. Stop by and lend a hand if you are available. We will be trimming the trails and repairing a couple of spots that can get pretty muddy. This has been made possible by a grant we received from The Ohio Horseman’s Council.

To grain or not to grain? The choice is yours but, if you are giving grain and using Tribute feeds, Clark County would love to have your proof of purchases. We collect these throughout the year and are rewarded from Tribute for our efforts. Please contact us through our Facebook page if you have some to donate. This year we are using the funds to match our grant for the Buck Creek updates.

Clark County has planned a Halloween campout at Buck Creek for Oct. 22 and 23. We’d like to thank Jodie Childs and Brenda Anderson who are planning a fun weekend that includes a costume contest, trail ride and an old fashioned weenie roast. Check our Facebook page for up to date information and start planning that costume!

The next meeting is Sept. 9 at the Buck Creek Shelter house at 6:30 p.m.

Get out on the trails with Clark County!

~Jonna

CLINTON

Hello fellow riders! We have had a very active month. With all the storms we had a lot of damage to Caesars Creek trails. To see progress of the opening of the trails go to Warren County OHC Facebook page. Clinton County worked on Farmers Trace which had nine full trees down and many areas needing cleared. We spent our 4th of July campout as the 4th of July clean up weekend. With the amazing members we have now, we got Farmers Trace done and made Moonlight Vista passable with caution. The weather was one of the hottest weekends yet, in the 90’s. It was blood, sweat and mosquito bites.

A big thank you to Dave Krazl and John Snell our chainsaw men. John brought his side by side that we used to work our way through the six mile trail to clean up. It was awesome to carry our tools, cooler of water and all of us. I’d like to also say we have a great bunch of kids in our group that worked and played very hard. We are so very proud of all the hard work they did on the trails!

I want to thank the members who came out, camped and helped. Abby Fox, Diana Spencer, Dave and Sherry Krazl, Alison McCreary, Amanda and John Snell. The kids who helped, Makala and Zack Krazl, John Jr. and Will Snell, Lauren McCreary and Casyn Lamb Thank you!

Some of us went to Hocking Hills. The Pine Creek Horse camp is a beautiful place. After the storms, the mud was amazing, which made CCSP not bad at all!

We are planning another campout in September, watch our Facebook page for details. We also announce on Facebook if we are riding or camping on a good weekend.

If we had more space for photos you would see all we got done! Go to our Facebook page!

Happy safe trails, hope this summer isn’t too hot to get some rides in. Take a kid riding and see the future! ~Susan (Sue) Lamb

COLUMBIANA

There sure isn’t much to write about this month. We have not been very active other than clearing trees from the trails. Rick Haldiman and his maintenance crew have been trying to keep up with all the damage. It seems we have gotten one windy storm after another.

The ‘Fallen Members Ride’ Saturday, Sept. 4 is still in the planning stages. It will be at Beaver Creek Horseman’s Camp in Columbiana County. Plans are not finalized as of this article so I will suggest you check out our OHC website for all the details closer to the date. The Halloween event is scheduled the third Saturday of October as usual. This is always a great event.

Trying something new, our July 10 meeting was held at the horseman’s camp with a group ride in the morning leaving at 10 a.m., potluck dinner at 6 p.m. and meeting at 7 p.m. We hope to do it more often.

Ride safe and stay cool. Happy Trails,

~Sally Stamp

COSHOCTON

Hello from Fallon Park. I am going to make this short and sweet as I am having Internet problems and I am having to send this article from my phone. We had our poker run which I missed out on it due to work, but everybody had a good time and a friend took pictures for me. First place winner went to Cash Reiss, payout was $120. Second place winner was Mary Hill with winnings of $87. Third place jackpot was $38, going to Finnigan Cremer. The luck of a winning hand favored the animals as first place was a dog and third place was a horse. The 50/50 drawing went to Sheri Miller with a payout of $150. Thank you to all the club members who dealt cards, cooked food, brought door prizes, cleaned up etc., etc. It takes a lot of time and planning to put our events together and nobody ever complains about doing it. We are very grateful for all the efforts from trail maintenance, to wiping tables and everything in between. We welcome anybody who is willing to help in any way.

I hope you are enjoying the trails and signing in when you visit so the State can see how much we love and use Fallon. We hope to see everyone in September for our hog roast. Keep in mind that the hog roast is our only fundraiser to keep the trails open, be sure to plan to spend the day with us and invite your friends too. Camping is allowed, I hope to see you there. ~Gigi

CUYAHOGA

Ride every chance you get. Only have 15 minutes? Ride! Have no regrets when the weather turns icy and cold and you are stuck inside or when your joints give out or you have to retire your aged horse. Ride now!

Cleveland Metroparks Mounted Police, Ride the Beach, event is Sunday, Sept. 12, Monday, Sept. 13, Sunday, Sept. 19. At this time, it is filling up quickly, but I see they have a wait list. If you have a desire to ride the beach and even swim with your horse at Edgewater Beach in the Lakefront Reservation of the Cleveland Metroparks, check online at Cleveland Metroparks. com Ride the Beach. There may still be an opening for you. Safety is paramount and groups of 20 ride with the mounted units and have a very memorable time. You will have plenty of time for pictures along with beach and water time. You may also just come and watch all the fun. Many riders return year after year and many come a good distance. This ride is a major fundraiser for the mounted unit and Cuyahoga Chapter is one of the sponsors. We really appreciated our mounted unit so come join in the fun!

Cuyahoga has now gotten together several times and meetings with a guest speaker are the favorite.

In May we had a Magna Wave demonstration at Kathy and Al King’s farm. Presented by Kendall Smith and Jamie Davis. In June we had Lissy Kuhn from Happy Trails Farm Animal Sanctuary tell us all about the many horses, pigs, hogs, chickens, goats and more that they have rescued from abusive situations. They also have taken in animals that needed to be rehomed during Covid due to financial or other reasons. They have a plan for the Amish who need to rehome well broke buggy horses (that their kids have ridden all over as well). They make great trail horses as they have been exposed to so many things on the road. Happy Trails is located on New Milford Road in Ravenna, Ohio. Call 330/2965914 for information on adoption or a tour. Need a horse, pig, goat, or chicken? Check them out online; happytrailsfarm.org

Our July event was a picnic at Walton Hills Lake, with swimming, games, and great food. No horses or pets at this event, but the fun and laughter of getting together with old, and making new friends, makes for a great day. Ron Loya is our renowned cook and some of the other members step up to help man the grill to cook burgers and hot dogs to perfection. Some might just watch and offer advice but Ron has it handled.

Trail rides continue in the different Reservations (there are seven with bridle trails) of Cleveland Metroparks and each is unique in what it has to offer. We have rides until about the time the snow and cold set in. Someone from the club is there to be a guide or you may ride on your own at your own pace. We like to gather for lunch or a snack and visit after we ride. Come join Jan and Phil (cooks).

Poker winners.

A duck even came.

us and enjoy these beautiful trails. ~Penny Passalacqua

DEFIANCE

I hope everyone is having a great summer so far and are out and about enjoying the trails. I would like to apologize for not having an article the past few months, my summer has been a little busy;lets get everyone caught up with what has been going on with our club.

Our just for fun horse show that we put on for the the kids every year was a success on June 5, even though we had some minor technical issues with our timer for the contesting classes the kids seemed to have a good time getting ready for fair. We would like to thank all of our sponsors and everyone who helped us during our show. We wouldn’t be able to put this show on for our kids without you.

June 11-13 was our horse camping weekend at the bluffs in Camden, Mich., everyone had a blast even though the heat and humidity was a killer.

July 9-11 our club made our way over to Mohican State Park for the weekend.

Now that brings us into August; we don’t have much planned. A few members might do a few weekends at Harry Hughes or maybe the Bluffs until its time to meet back up for our state ride at Van Buren.

Defiance club members enjoy the trails at the bluffs.

Beth showing her horse during our just for fun show.

I hope everyone had a happy 4th of July and hope to see you guys out in the trails. Happy riding everyone.

FAIRFIELD

Seems like it has been difficult to get caught up this summer. Early on the weather in my area was mild and with an early spring the crops got put in the ground in decent shape. The hay and pastures responded great to the fertilizer as we had timely rains. At this point July 5, I’m caught up for a few weeks.

As far as Fairfield OHC, we have had a busy spring and early summer. Thanks to the generous donation by one of our members, we were able to build additional tie rails and benches on the equine trails at Hocking State Forest. We have a few more projects we would like to tackle, but they will probably have to wait until late fall or next spring. Everyone is busy riding or working and gathering up a crew is a little difficult.

The week prior to the July 4 holiday, with the assistance of the Hocking DNR crew, we managed to clear all of the downed trees off the trails that had been reported. At least until the next storm.

Our biggest project of the year will be coming up over the Labor Day weekend. We will be hosting our annual state ride at Scioto Trails. A flyer is posted on our Facebook page. Highlights include some free food, a silent auction, 50/50 and raffle drawing, plus live entertainment on Saturday evening. Did I mention we have over 50 miles of some of the prettiest trails you will ride in Ohio? Oh yeah, there will be a gift card scavenger hunt out on the trails. Gas money just waiting to be claimed by some lucky rider. And last but not least, just plain fun! No advance reservations required, just mark your calendar and come join us.

So far we have hosted three successful club rides with more on our calendar as we move into late summer and fall. If anyone is interested in hooking up with us, so they have someone to camp and ride with, go to our web page at ffohc.com. Click on calendar at the top of the home page. A list of our scheduled rides is listed in that section.

Enjoy the remainder of your summer.

FULTON

I started into the woods this morning with my dog, thinking, “this would be great riding weather, too!” Well, no. I consider myself pretty tolerant to mosquitos, but we’d barely ventured 200 feet or so when I decided that being a bug buffet was not on the agenda today. Little dog and I turned around and high-tailed it out of there! And this was right at 7 a.m. too. Haven’t mosquitos heard of sleeping in?

Today may not have been the best for riding, but there certainly have been some fabulous days for riding, and OHC members have taken advantage of them.

Members have been busy with various groups camping in the Tri-State area. They’ve ventured to Reed Road Ranglers/Oak Openings, Pleasant Hill Lake and Caesars Creek in Ohio, Pontiac Lake, Fort Custar Recreation Area and Farmlane/Waterloo in Michigan, and to Salamonie Lake and Hoosier Horse Camp/ Hoosier National Forest in Indiana. Future plans will take members to Mohican, Van Buren and Cuyahoga in Ohio, Hoosier again in Indiana, Big Elk Lick in Pennsylvania, and of course, our home base at Reed Road Ranglers. According to Kathy Brown, who so graciously provided all this information, “All of the trips have been great so far!”

Hard to believe but December and the Cowboy Christmas Swap Meet at the WB Ranch on the first Sunday in December is just around the corner; get your stuff ready to sell and remember that with that stuff gone, you can buy more stuff because now you’ll have the room! We won’t be having to swat at bugs then. Cheryl at Salamonie Lake.

Linda at Reed Road Ranglers.

Remember to find us on Facebook and to check out our website at fcohc.com. Kathy Brown does an excellent job of keeping the website up to date. Thank you so much, Kathy, for the ride locations listed and the great pictures, too!

Happy Trails, everyone! ~Trina Houser (with Kathy Brown)

GREENE

Our state ride went very well. We had our meeting on Friday, along with our usual hobo stew for supper. Not as many people camped as had reserved spaces originally, possibly due to the heat. We had a great crowd for the dinner Saturday. After a year off, everyone was ready to party! We had 69 people sign in, and there were probably a few more who forgot to sign. Nine counties were represented, and two people joined us from out of state. Lots of good food, horse people know how to eat! Lots of fun with karaoke and of course, lots of fun with door prizes. I’m sure Nancy is glad to have her front porch free again, as that’s where the prizes have been stored for the last two years. Jerry again made a gorgeous wooden saddle stand and an Amazing Grace cross out of horseshoes. I didn’t get the name of the woman who won the cross, though I believe she may have been from Fulton County. The saddle stand was won by Union County’s Karen GetzHolland, who had been trying for several years, so of course she was delighted. Our 50/50 was very popular again. I didn’t get a chance to get the name of the winners of that either. I apologize, it was getting a bit late by then and things were moving fast. I did manage to get a photo of the couple, luckily.

Dave and Jerry have been busy trying to keep up with the mowing at Caesar Ford. As with everyone else, that’s a never ending job this time of year. They’ve also tried to keep up with fallen trees, which fortunately haven’t been too bad. I’m guessing the storm that hit Caesar Creek in June didn’t hit Caesar Ford as hard, thank God.

Thanks to all who came to the state ride. Anyone who didn’t, we hope you’ll join us next year. We always have a good time. Jerry promises that the saddle stand for next year is going to be made out of cherry wood from a tree at his farm. It’s going to be even more gorgeous than usual!

Happy riding.

GUERNSEY

Like mucking out the barn, trail work is never done! No sooner Stephanie with horseshoe cross.

Jerry and Karen with saddle stand.

Guernsey County OHC

did we have all the fallen trees off the trails, when a down-burst of some kind wreaked havoc on the Orange Trail and the White Trail B-Loop, at Salt Fork State Park, a couple of weeks back. On the Orange Trail the down-burst toppled a large Beech tree which took a half dozen other trees with it. It took two men running saws and one dragging brush, two hours to clear just 25 feet of trail. The pile of trees was huge!

On the B-Loop the down-burst toppled two giant oaks and took the top out of an even bigger one. When you see the downed trees, it’s heart breaking. All of them were quite large. The one that lost part of its top is very large. The three of us, working the trails that day, leaned against the tree and stretching out our arms; fingertip-to-finger-tip, were unable to complete the circle! We lacked about 18 inches! Now, I’m here to tell you; that’s a large tree! The park core drilled one of the large oaks that went down when the two tornadoes ripped through the park about eight years ago. It was 250 years old. (It was on the White Trail A-Loop near the 10mile marker.) This tree dwarfs the one the park core drilled, so I’m guessing it’s between 400 and 500 years old. One of the other two that toppled over twisted half a turn and split as it fell. In my 40 years of running a chainsaw, it was the first time I’ve ever hung up the bar: three times in the same tree!

We had a second group of our clubs’ riders go to Mt Rogers, in Virginia, to ride. I hear they had a blast, all except Don. You’ll have to ask him about the trip down. No one sent me any pictures to post, so here’s one of Ben and me riding in Jefferson County, Ohio. I’m giving some real consideration to riding in The Hoosier National Forest in Indiana, down by the town of Derby, when my first cutting of hay is done. So far, I haven’t been able to find anyone that’s ridden there to get a layout of the trails. They say there are 200 miles of trails.

Be sure to join us this fall for our annual Guernsey County OHC Poker Run. Watch for our ad in the Corral. The date is Saturday, Oct. 9. Enjoy a great ride, all the while playing a fun game of poker! We have some great prizes in the raffle drawing, too. The annual auction is always a fun time along with some really great horse related stuff and a good meal.

Remember to log those miles and hours worked, it really does matter. Hope to see you on the trail,

~Lee Randolph

KNOX

Knox County continues to ride with gusto. If you are friends on Facebook with any of our 86 members, you often see a lot of pictures of rides and other events we are engaged in. In June we had a scheduled ride at Blue Rock. We also had a large group travel to EJ Stables in West Virginia where they rode for six days, enjoyed the local trails and the evening campfires. One of our riders spent unanticipated time in the local hospital due to an infection. No one got to ride the Dinner Train though as it was booked solid. July 4 was spent at Bark Camp and July 17 was a scheduled ride at Great Seal. Reservations were required at both. August 6 is a scheduled ride at Harrison State Forest and Aug. 28 finds us at Salt Fork. Unfortunately, our planned August Trail Challenge at Thayer Ridge was canceled as their appeared to be a shortage of volunteers. We need to pick this up folks.

An event many of us participated in was a surprise retirement party for our very own Kathy Shoemaker. Kathy is a prominent part of our club and does not often get the thanks she deserves. She has served as our very efficient secretary for many years. Her retirement from a teaching position gives her more time to enjoy riding. And thanks Kathy, for your service to OHC.

We recently did a free pony ride event, used our riding horses. It was held in Fredericktown, Ohio. Mothers had to sign a liability release for the youngsters before allowed to ride. Members carefully led their mounts around in a designated loop with some very excited smiling young riders. There were 40 young Pony rides.

Knox County OHC

participants. I led one young lady around at least six times. A big thank you to members who brought horses and participated in this OHC promotional event. And thank you Donny Cline for heading this up.

Our calendar for 2021 has passed mid-summer. Already the warm summer days are growing shorter. Time indeed, does fly! If you want to have fun and are a member of OHC, you have to join in to reap the rewards. I personally, still try to always take the long way home for, tomorrow I may not be able to ride. I have heard a lot of discussion about how full our camps are these days due to the fact that non-horse people are allowed to camp there. While I understand utilization of often unused camp sites, in my opinion, OHC should collectively push for ruling that non-horse people be allowed to use previously designated Horse Camps only after the other camps have totally filled up. Reservations are good, but often weather discourages camping and the cancellation policies currently in effect are costing riders, which tends to discourage some from participating.

Waiting on this computer to boot up is about like plowing with a horse, you have to wait at the end of each furrow for it to catch it’s wind. And, like that working horse, I too have had the wind knocked out of me. My friends and fellow members know of what I speak. I have for many years enjoyed writing for the Corral and if I give this up it is just one more thing my life’s current situation has caused the loss of. I might be too selfish in hanging on as I believe the club reporter should be able to attend most of the club’s activities so as to report first hand. Hopefully, I will be back in the saddle some day. We will discuss the Corral Reporter position at our next meeting.

Come on over to Knox County where the gates are wide open, the grass is greener, the horses leaner, as we do ride them, and everyone is welcome. We meet the third Monday of each month at 7 p.m. Hopefully, we return to our normal meeting place at the Long Branch Pizza in Centerburg.

Reporting for Knox County OHC,

~Terry L. Baker

LAKE

Big Bravos to everyone who helped with our Lake County Poker Ride, from volunteers to those who actually rode the ride and to their wonderful horses who took them from station to station.

Joy Kekco won with three jacks, and promptly gave her cash winnings back to our club. Thank you, Joy. Thank you, Michelle H. for tying it all together. Thank you Rosemary, for getting the Cleveland Metro Park’s permit and getting insurance. Thank you to Michelle S. and Rosemary for food gathering, Michelle H. for more, yummy Watergate salad and fruit, and Ricki for creating good sandwiches, which she passed out. Thank you Rosemary and Michelle S. for hanging the orange trail markers and for collecting them after the ride. In addition, Rosemary and Michelle S. invaded Big Dee’s for the great items in the ten Chinese auction baskets; it was really good stuff. I won a basket with three kinds of wormers—two of each for my horse and her buddy. Thank you, Rosemary, Michelle S. and Wendy for doing the registration and selling Chinese auction tickets.

Thank you to our station managers out on the trail with poker cards: Donna, Don H., Barbara J., Heather, Bonnie, Heather B., Rayneen, and Tina. Tina also told about riding in Thompson’s Memorial Day Parade and riding in Thompson’s July 4 Parade and how she enjoyed being part of the poker ride too. Thank you to Barbara M. and Michelle S. for standing at Squie’s Castle and helping riders to finish. Thank you to Michelle H., Rosemary, Ken, Michelle S., Dallas, Cody, Barbara M. and Rayneen for the clean-up at the very end.

Thank you, Sweet Savannah, for bringing laughter and fun to us all as we watched you enjoy life as only a five year old can. Two tickets apiece will be placed into our free dinner can for everyone who helped. In addition, a small gift certificate from Big Dee’s will be given to all who helped with the poker ride.

Thank you to Brad, director of North Chagrin, and his tireless staff who trimmed the bridle trails we used, gave us extra tables and waste cans, cut the grass, and cleaned up the trailer parking lot. Thank you for caring about our horses and us. Thank you Big Dee’s! We appreciate your constant support of us and the other horse clubs. Big Dee’s does so much for us. The items that we put in the ten baskets are practical, useful, and needed. We loved Savannah pulling the winning ticket for each bag by the baskets. Thank you Bonnie for helping her.

Saturday, July 24, we scheduled a ride/picnic at West Woods or Penitentiary Glen.

Our Lake Regional ride is Saturday, Aug. 29, at Girdled Road Park. Pizza and salad will be served. Please bring dessert. Here’s cheering for more fun rides. Stay strong and healthy. ~Rayneen

LOGAN

The Logan County OHC had their June 6 meeting at the East Liberty Community Room. We had 12 members present. After our clubs first yummy potluck since Covid, the president Becky Porter brought the meeting to order.

We had our second fundraiser concession stand at Marmon Valley Farms Horse show May 21. We ended up having a great turnout of volunteers for this event as well as the first shot. After two concessions stand fundraisers it appears they both were a success, which no doubt will help our OHC to do more in the community.

Val Tracy brought up the Belle Springs assisted living community project, the date was set for June 18, but, when that time and date was up it was a very stormy day, so it was postponed for another date.

Our Logan County OHC had a trail ride at Dew Downs, May 22-23, we had six members join this trail ride. On National Trail Day (June 5) we had six Logan County OHC members ride at Kiser Lake.

We had another Logan County OHC ride scheduled for June 13 at Alum Creek.

John Horton, mentioned that the Wagon Train group will be coming back to Logan County Aug. 1-7 and they are in need of outriders and would appreciate any help they can get from our OHC.

I hope everyone is enjoying the summer riding, we have had a lot of cicadas here, I took my first ride in early June and no doubt it was the buggiest ride of my life, between deer flies, green heads, cicadas and even a couple horse flies. whew. I feel blessed to see the cicadas yet another time, no one knows if it will be the last time you experience that phenomenon!

Happy Trails to all. ~Cynthia Orr

Trail ride at Kiser Lake.

LORAIN

Greetings horse friends around the state. We hope you are getting out and enjoying the warm sunshine and great riding weather lately. Our August calendar sponsor is the Litchfield Veterinary Clinic located at 9496 Norwalk Road (Route 18) just west of the circle of town. They provide compassionate care to the small furry type; i.e. the kind that like to hop in your lap and cuddle or lie at your feet and lick your toes. Feel free to check them out on the web for further information. Thank you for your support Litchfield Veterinary Clinic!

The first weekend of June, several members camped at Great Seal State Park where Ohio’s Great Seal was inspired by the beautiful backdrop of rolling hills, a picturesque sunset and a forefront of farmland. Although it was toasty, some of the campsites offered a fantastic breeze and plenty of shade, we were thankful for this after riding all day. The trails were heavily wooded and the ridge-line trails offered a refreshing breeze. The Riding at Great Seal State Park.

trails were somewhat steep with some switchbacks and our beasts of burden did a fine job keeping us safe on our travels, even though they sometimes had to slide down the hillside on their bottoms. Although a bunch of us signed up for the Pleasant Hill campout in June many opted out due to the forecast for multiple storm fronts with the threat of heavy winds, lightening and hail. Thankfully the campers from other counties who went had the good fortune of decent weather. If I were to guess, I’d say it was because the Duncan/Wallace ‘Perfect Storm Combo’ stayed home! Five of us rode at Malabar Farm for the day ride June 26. It became exciting when a few horses got a bit buzzed up by the herd of cattle that happened to be near the lane as we were passing by. I thought Banjo might turn into a bucking bull in a rodeo since he nearly backed up into the electric wires.

As this Corral issue arrives, there are several who will be heading to Caesar Creek State Park and Indiana, Aug. 5 or 6 for a long weekend of riding. I will report on their stories in the next issue since Bill and Barb usually have many to share. There is a weekend campout on Aug. 1315 at Tri-County Campground located just south of Canton. The campground includes a covered pavilion, open camping sites with tie lines (no portable corrals are permitted), pit toilets, horse wash racks and several water hydrants. Close to 40 miles of trails are accessed from the camp. Further information is available on their website, www. tri-cotrails.org.

We will have our membership meeting at the Carlisle Equestrian Center on Monday, Aug. 16 at 7 p.m. Please come and learn about our past, present and upcoming events. Many are venturing to Big Elk Lick Horse Camp in Benezette, Pa., Aug. 19-26. Please note that both a 30 day health certificate and valid Coggins are required. The trails are rugged at times so shoes are highly recommended. You need to have a reservation for Jim and Laura at Mohican NE Regional Ride.

NE Regional Ride at Mohican on July 4.

this ride. Call 814/787-4656. The club contacts are Ric and Char Augustine.

The Medina County State Ride at Wetmore is not permitted to camp this year, but a day ride and dinner are in the planning for Aug. 21. You need to register with Medina County OHC. Please show your support for the Lorain County Fair at Wellington Fairgrounds Aug. 23-29. The Charlemont Reservation work party campout is Aug. 27-29. Come one, come all! We need you to volunteer to help groom the trails in prep for our regional ride Sept. 24-26 at Charlemont with camping at Claremar Twin Lakes Camping Resort.

Enjoy summer! ~Kathy Duncan

MADISON

This month has certainly caught up with me way too fast. We had our June Gymkhana earlier in the month and had almost 60 competitors. Our next Gymkhana is Aug. 7, the show starts at 10 o’clock. We compete at the Madison County Fairgrounds located at 204 Elm Street, London, Ohio. I want to thank our dedicated sponsors ASEE feed and supplies in Plain City Ohio, Parsons and Sons Equipment in West Jefferson, Tuffy in Columbus, Calvin Access Control and state representative Kyle Kohler. These sponsors help make these shows possible. We hope you will come spend the day with us. It’s a great family event. We

require pre-registration through SignUpGenius. It is $30 all day.

We have not yet continued with meetings. We tried scheduling one at Deer Creek as well as trail maintenance, but we got rained out again. Jean Kritner and Marsha Pierce try to keep up with the mowing. We hope you will come to Deer Creek and spend some time overnight. ~Dee Elfrink

MEDINA

First some news about our state ride. We are cancelling it for 2021. I know this is very sad news not only for us, but also for all of our OHC friends who have joined in the fun these past years. With a no camping directive from the national park administration and the low number of reservations we felt it best to cancel. For OHC members coming from long distances away we know that a day ride is not practical or in some cases, possible. We are hopeful we may continue our tradition in the years to come. Any questions may be directed to Rosemary Young (440/382-7980 or rosemary4medinaohc@gmail. com).

If you were at the Wasdworth Blue Tip parade in June you might have seen a whole slew of OHC’s finest parading in their most festive apparel. The riders didn’t look bad either. Thanks to Julie Croston, Molly Eastwood, Michelle Crew and Dusty, and lots of others a good time was had by all.

We have lost two great members of Medina OHC this past month. Jim Sullivan, a wonderful gentle soul was a constant at each of our competitive rides. If you participated, you would have met Jim as he sent the riders off at the scheduled time. He was there at the half-way point and his smile was there at the end to record their end time. As one of our earliest members he also served as chapter secretary. When we didn’t see him we knew he was playing bridge somewhere. Our condolences go out to Carolyn. Another loss was Bob Burrows who along with his wife, Susan had moved to South Carolina. An active competitive driver, he and Susan hosted a wonderful carriage event some years ago. He was also the host of several of our state ride pig roasts. Many of you would have remembered him slicing away at a large roast porcine beast or serving personal Murphee at Blue Tip.

Julie at Blue Tip parade.

omelets for breakfast. He was also active in our Cuyahoga Valley Equestrian Trails Association which managed the proceeds from our Valley Girl calendar sales. Our best thoughts are with Susan at this time.

We are still riding our youknow-whats off. Monday, Aug. 9 join us for great riding at either Wetmore or the Covered Bridge. On Wednesday, Aug. 25 we will conquer North Chagrin Reservation. Contact Barb Vega at 216/702-1224 or grr8ridinranch@yahoo if you are coming. For a weekend ride Molly Eastwood will lead a fun time at Mohican State Forest Sept. 17-19. Contact her at 330/ 603-0820 or mollyeastwood@ aol.com if you are coming and for more information.

Our work sessions in the valley are still on so come give us a hand on Aug. 14. You love these trails so be a part of making them one of the best places in the state to ride. Contact one of our trail committee members: Greg Monsanty (blackhorsebridge@ aol.com or 330/658-3063) or Raydeen Ryden (reysden@att.net or 334/663-7361) for information.

Your reporter down in the valley,

~Rosemary

MEIGS

Ride for Wishes was a success! Meigs chapter members worked together to raise a large donation for our favorite charity, Make a Wish. Tex, the pony brought in over $2000 alone and is now at his new home. Members and guests enjoyed a trail ride, good food, and an auction. Thanks everyone for coming, working so hard for donations, being so generous, and to Make a Wish for sending representatives to the event. We all had a good time.

We had our first Fun Show of the year on Saturday, July 10. There was a trail ride and regular meeting before the Fun Show.

Horse Camp at AEP is once again open for riding and many thanks to those who are maintaining the trails and camp,

Enjoy every minute you are with your friends, family and horses!

~Tonya

MONTGOMERY

Happy August Montgomery County OHC! I hope this finds you all well and enjoying your summer. It has been hot at times, with a good amount of rain to keep the grass growing in the pastures.

Something to be aware of, Cindy, our president, sent out an email reporting that a woman has been seen a few times walking with five unleashed dogs at Sycamore State Park. Unfortunately, these dogs attacked a horse. The horse freaked out and threw the rider and the rider had to go to the hospital. This got me thinking, what would I do in that situation? If you try to gallop off the dogs may chase my horse and attack it worse. I definitely don’t think dismounting on purpose is a good idea! Something to think about. I don’t ride with a gun, my horses aren’t used to shooting off them, so that won’t work. I have heard that a can of hornet spray works like mace and can spray at least 20 feet. You may see me on the trail with my can of hornet spray. Thank you Cindy for getting me to think!

Every day I am grateful I can live my dream life complete with horses. My friends at OHC are a part of this horsey life. It is so awesome to have people who get you and your love for horses.

Remember that our meetings are the first Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m. at the horseman’s area at Sycamore State Park off Wolf Creek Pike.

Til next time, stay safe and I hope to see you on the trail. ~Jilleroo Karen R-E

MORROW

Greetings from Morrow County OHC chapter where summer pros and cons are affecting both our equine steeds and their owners. The higher temperatures and emergence of flies, plus mosquitoes are cons tormenting everyone although most horses do not have a secure AC sanctuary to find relief like us humans. Also, deer flies are abundant here on wooded trails. For pros, robust pasture growth has greatly reduced the need to feed hay, with run-in shelters reducing the need for box stall protection from the elements. Several weekend days have offered some great riding conditions, although any day of the week can be a ride day for us retirees who can usually go whenever conditions are good. Byron and Sheryl did some weekday exploring of Mohican State Forest trails while Gerald rode with visiting Pennsylvania and Iowa daughters on home located trails. The July fourth picture of Gerald with a visiting New Jersey friend documents that the 81-year-old ‘cowboy’ is riding.

I recently visited the ‘Mini Ranch’ belonging to chapter members Drew Ann and Frank Baxter. With several years of effort, they created the extremely attractive Baxter Ranch. It hosts a variety of animals including chickens, goats, three donkeys, a mini horse plus three animals large enough for riding. The larger three animal residents are two horses plus a mule. They are pictured with Drew Ann featuring ‘long ears’ in the middle of the other two colorful steeds. The newly acquired mule has given Frank some unscheduled dismounts in the last few months although recent round pen/ arena training progress indicates it may develop into a safe trail riding mount for Frank. The Baxter’s have assisted chapter president Floyd McKee with trail maintenance work at Mount Gilead State Park which the chapter helped to establish nearly 20 years ago.

Another chapter member with a new long ears mount, president Floyd, still has not gotten on the trails, but plans to soon. Maybe it will be at the Central Region OHC July ride at Dillion State Park.

Regular monthly chapter meetings resumed for 2021 at the Mount Gilead Library Annex

Baxter Ranchherd with Drew Ann Baxter, Morrow OHC.

Doc, 81 years old with NJ friend on July 4th ride. Leah Brent lounging.

starting at 7 p.m., the second Wednesday of the month.

Until next month, keep your chin up and strive to provide the best care possible for your horses who will provide you the opportunity to enjoy some great riding. I wish ‘happy trails to you’, as Roy and Dale sang for their theme song. Also stay safe in the saddle/ on your horse if you do have an opportunity to ride before the next report, I hope to see some readers on the trail soon.

~DOC

PERRY

Pete and Repeat were sitting on a fence. Pete fell off. Who’s left? Repeat. The moral of the story? When in doubt, repeat your article from the prior month. Maybe you didn’t catch it but I thought I never sent the May article since I couldn’t find it in my email so I revised it and used it again for June only to get the Corral and find it was published. Guess it was too late to substitute text so I hope you all enjoyed it twice.

“Thunder rolls and every storm runs out of rain,” so goes a couple lyrics in popular country songs. Well thunder rolled but the rain ran out before it reached AEP Conesville and guess what, a Regional Ride broke out! Sadly, the attendance for the first annual ride was cut in half by the ominous forecast of severe storms with high winds, but those of us who took a chance certainly had a great time. Weather was actually fantastic and the bad stuff went around us. I told a friend who was hedging on coming that Friday that one of us would have regrets, one for not coming and the weather being nice or one for going despite the forecast. Turns out it wasn’t me that time.

It was a lazy man’s camping weekend, with most everyone heading to the local pub for dinner Friday and then partaking in the cookout on Saturday provided by the ride committee. Don Wagner outdid himself at the grill and the state trail committee did an excellent job at procuring goods for the raffles. Ben Stengle was a big winner of several top items, including gift cards from Rural King and Tractor Supply. I was lucky enough to win a ratchet tie down, you know, one of those horrid contraptions that I have no clue how to use. I was assured, however, that this old dog can learn to use it for a picket line since my abracadabra doesn’t work too well. Thanks to everyone who did attend. It was fun sitting around the campfire with some of our Fairfield County friends. Proceeds from the event will be distributed to the counties represented at the ride and must be tagged for trail maintenance projects.

Everyone has been out and about getting a lot of saddle time in, but shoot, you just never know what certain members are up to these days until you peruse Facebook. Donna Shade, a newer member, has branched out into the world of mounted shooting and is having a great time and doing Mounted shooting with Donna Shade.

quite well. I’ve shared a photo I found showing her in action. Other members experienced what we call involuntary dismounts, one from a saddle tipping up and causing the rider to topple over the horse’s head and into a creek, and the other from ‘fowl’ play. Luckily neither rider was injured and shall remain nameless (Kathy, Brenda, hehehe)! Yea, if I know about it then it will be made public. Some folks are getting tractor time as well. Linda Patterson seems quite pleased with her Kioti, so much so that I decided you all needed to see this awesome machine.

At the June meeting we voted to move our annual soup ride to Oct. 2, since yours truly is booked to attend a wedding on the originally scheduled date. Thanks everyone for making it possible for me to attend. I don’t know if it’s my help or members didn’t want to lose out on or my awardwinning soup (insert smirk) that I bring, but I appreciate it. The ride will be held at Dillon and will include an auction which is always full of good bargains and laughter. We also voted to host our annual after holiday part on Jan. 15 at the Holiday Inn Express in Zanesville. More details to follow.

The July meeting is being skipped, but plans for August includes a guest speaker from Burr Oak. We’re very interested in talking about trail development and repair in that park. Final plans also will be made for the Soup Ride at that time.

I hope everyone is enjoying saddle time with their favorite steed as we ride into the sunset. Until we meet again on Aug. 10 at Top Hat, Junction City, I wish happy trails to you!

PIKE

July was a great month in Pike County. The OHC started out the month with their regular meeting and celebrated Christmas in July with a delicious potluck and gift exchange. We played games and enjoyed the campfire until dark. The members and I are really starting to stack the trail miles. Even on those hot days we start out about 7 a.m. to beat the bugs and humidity. We have been so happy to meet many out of county riders in Pike Forest. They seem always to compliment us on the condition of the trails.

We all enjoy the trail maintenance and had a repair day set up for July 9. We will be improving our tie rails and trail signs. We would also like to give a big thanks to the Pike State Forest manager and his crew. They have cleared some very large trees for us and also did some mowing. It all makes for great riding.

I hope that you are all planning some trail riding camping trips for the rest of the year. Some of us are looking to Pleasant Hill, Mohican, Paddle Creek, Caesar Ford, Shawnee, and Salt Fork.

Check your trailer tires and hit the road. Have a safe journey. ~Debby Sears

PREBLE

We had our Fourth of July fun show on, Saturday, July 3. We had a nice turn out and had some great volunteers show up to help. We hope everyone had a good time. Our next fun show will be on Saturday, Sept. 4. This is another one of our fundraisers for the year, please come out and support our event. I have included three photos of the kids enjoying the show.

We had our ‘in person’ meeting on Saturday, July 3, at the Hueston Woods horse camp. Only a few came, but the weather was beautiful. Our meetings are the first Saturday of each month so if you would like to come join us feel free. If you haven’t turned in your membership application you can do that then too, or send it to me, I will get you registered.

We welcome some new members: Rusty and Teresa Wilson, Laura and Nick Clark, and Heidi McKee and James Porter. We hope you enjoy our trails and campground.

We worked on our State Ride plans so we can get a head start on that. We will have our big raffle of a $750 Rural King gift card, and our dinner will be the fish fry again this year. The tickets are available now if you want to get yours early; adults $12 and child $6. Due to the economy and inflation we have had to raise our prices for this year. We will be having our Chinese Auction on Saturday as well as our dinner. The Soup Supper will be Friday night, all are welcome! Our members always make the soups and they are usually outstanding. You do not have to be an OHC member to join in on all the festivities of our State ride, everyone is welcome to join in on the fun and food.

As this year is getting to a better place and more folks are getting vaccinated, we want to invite all horseback riders to come and enjoy the trails and campground at Hueston Woods State Park. We have been working on keeping the trails clear of fallen trees and making sure that they stay safe for all to enjoy.

John, Dennis, Donn and I have worked on clearing trees and have also been doing some work over on C trail, diverting trail away from muddy spots to higher ground and markings on trees with orange rectangles showing the way.

We will be doing some work Preble County Fun Show.

on C trail with the grant money we received from State OHC. This is a matching grant, so the $2,000 we received our chapter will have to match. There are the switch backs on Blue trail and the switch back at the lagoon across from the lodge are spots we have to get fixed so it is safer for riders and horses. If you have some spare time and want to help improve the trails give Donn a shout or text at 937/417-4358 or email donnb@bright.net. Thank you in advance.

We do need to take a moment and thank those who are out there and volunteering their time to help out with any and all projects, with many we can accomplish so much more, as this helps keep the trails rideable and fun.

Stay safe everyone. We hope to see you out on the trails. Enjoy the warm weather and the dry trails. Remember to bring your cans and bottles out that you take in when riding trails! Help us keep greener and cleaner bridle trails! ~Becky

STARK

There was a nice turnout for our ride and camp over at Mohican State Forest in June. The weather surprised us by not giving us the rain that was in the forecast. It was a nice treat having Jill and Terry Eckroad camp with us over the weekend, something they hadn’t been able to do for a while.

Barbara Harding and Valerie Stroh-Kline are working with Buckeye Trail Association and Muskingum Watershed District to get the trails opened at Tappan Lake. The Buckeye Trail in that area was destroyed by logging and pipeline construction during the last few years. A work party planned in June was rescheduled to July because of rain. This scenic trail takes you from the Dam at Tappan Lake through the woods and around the lake to a little country store in Deersville that has award winning ice cream. Well worth the trip.

The heat wave we experienced in June was hard to take for us and our animals. To cool off for the weekend of July 4th, many of us planned to ride at Salt Fork for the holiday weekend.

It is wonderful to see everything opening back up with a lot of events shown in the Corral. It has been a long year. Hopefully everyone is OK. We need to keep families that faced some of the recent tragedies in our prayers along with members with health concerns, hope they are better soon.

Hope you have a great summer. Take care and stay safe. Until next time, happy trails to you! ~Jo Ellen

SUMMIT

For the most part it has been a great year for horses, riders and farmers. The year’s warm days in March, no monsoon season in April or May, a stray late season snow storm and temperate days are great for trail riding and multiple cuttings of hay. Speaking of bearable things, our great states and neighbors Pennsylvania and West Virginia had another bumper crop of young, bachelor black bears. Numerous sighting in NE Ohio and throughout the state have been reported of these wandering Romeos looking for a Juliette in backyards or close to recreational areas. Trails in parks, railroad tracks and pipe line easements provide corridors for easy travel. Riders, as well as hikers, are reminded to be aware of bear activity. Acquaint yourself with what to do if you see or encounter a bear. This is another reason why dogs should be on a leash on public trails. Take note if using trails in a 20-30 mile radius of the bear’s last sighting because they move Red, White and Blue Tip Prancer.

Blue Ribbon Trio at Parade.

Amy and Ford with True Blue.

through territory quickly if no food or a femme fatale tempts them to stay. Bird feeders, pet food dishes and garbage are real magnets. Don’t forget if you are out picking veggies, fruits or wild berries that you might have more company than bees, mosquitoes, and ticks. Stay safe.

Thankfully, ‘normal’ is coming back into our vocabulary again. With the start of camping season and most of the COVID-19 restrictions being lifted, riders have been enjoying the trails at Oak Openings, Malabar, Beaver Creek and Mohican with various OHC chapters as well as our own. Snow bird Nancy Bedellion joined Karen Beres for a visit at one of Ohio’s finest sites at Malabar. Also, several of our riders participated in the Blue Tip Festival Parade in Wadsworth, Ohio. Their unique western attire was a real hit with spectators and fellow riders. They saved the best until last, as horses are always at the end of the parade. Thanks to all of you for representing our equine community.

We were blessed with nice weather for National Trails Day June 5. Members and friends rode Allardale Park (Lori

Lukehart and Daughter Avery), Richfield Heritage Preserve (Ken Simms, Debbie Donner, Marietta Tromp, Molly Eastwood), Silver Creek Metro Park (Kathy Cockfield, Sally Zavodney) and Brecksville Reservation (Lisa Jewett, Janet and Phil Curran, and Laura Gentiluomo). Your participation validated our appreciation for horse trails locally and throughout Ohio.

Special congratulations go out to our own Debbie Donner on her retirement last month. Not even bribing her with her favorite cake could make her stay a day longer. Enjoy and pitch that alarm clock at least for a while.

Monthly meetings continue being held at the summer barn at Richfield Heritage Preserve on the third Wednesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. until further notice. Bring a friend, snack, a chair and join us. We value your suggestions and would love to see you there. Remember to keep track of your trail miles. Let’s make this a record year for our chapter and all chapters across the state.

~Joann Ulichney

TRUMBULL

Happy trails from Trumbull County! The trail riding season is underway and our members are reporting rides in numerous states and many Ohio parks. Trail mileage reports are definitely going to be more exciting this year than last year.

We have resumed our meetings at Mosquito Lake State Park with a ride and weenie roast making for a fun-filled day with friends and the business combined.

The annual ride at 2 Mile Run County Park in Pennsylvania was enjoyed by 12 riders; including State By Laws Committeewoman Dee Silliman. Members Dave Shook, Marcie Rester, Kae Bartow and Ellie and John Clower were joined by friends Eloise Beach, Rick and Patty Gharing, George Kellogg, Jackie Collins and Paul Kildoo. The weather was a bit cantankerous but we still managed really nice rides. It is a wonderful park for group events.

Stay safe on the trails and be mindful of the heat index, remember the heat is harder on the horses than it is on us! ~Kathryn Bartow

UNION

Summer is flying by and Union County has been busy. We gained a new member, Susan Kaiser when she moved herself and her horse, Shanti from Southern California to Marysville. She chose Marysville because of the thriving horse community and being close to family. Susan and Shanti are looking forward to exploring the Ohio trails and I am sure she will discover that they are some of the most beautiful trails she has ever ridden. Ohio truly is a beautiful state.

Union County attended the Caesar’s Creek State Ride hosted by Greene County. There was a potluck with karaoke on Saturday evening, as well as door prizes, a 50/50 raffle and a raffle for a handmade saddle rack donated by Gerald Smith. After many years of trying, yours truly finally won the saddle rack! I was over the moon excited when my number was called.

The following weekend brought the Pleasant Hill Lake Promotional Ride. A dismal forecast was predicted but, the sun won out for a fabulous time with excellent trails and a trip to the ice cream shop and mini-mart, Big Fish. The little store even has high lines for the horses. Then you can go in and get a snack to enjoy at the picnic tables nearby. It was a great time getting together and being with friends that we have not seen in a while. There was also a poker run, a 50/50 and other various activities available over the weekend.

Karen and Theresa took a weekend and rode down at Great Seal State Park. While it seemed to be hot and humid everywhere else, they were enjoying cool breezes and pleasant riding temperatures. They also were the only ones at the campground. The trails are nice but are multiuse, so you must beware of bikers around the blind corners. There were also a few places that we had to turn around because of fallen trees that horses could not navigate, whereas if you are a hiker or biker, you would be able to. For those who do not know, Great Seal does not have a dump station. You will need to hit a truck stop on the way home, unless you have other arrangements. On the whole, Great Seal has a nice campground and the trails are challenging and fun. A bit over an hour outside of Columbus near Chillicothe makes it a convenient place to ride.

I hope everyone has a safe and wonderful summer. Please be careful and Happy Trails. ~Karen Holland

Saddle rack winner.

Lots of fun at PHL.

WARREN

First of all, my apologies for the lack of an article last month. I had written one, and sent it or thought I did. Unfortunately, I sent a repeat of the June article, not July’s. Not the first time I’ve done that, sadly, but, usually our intrepid OHC editor catches my blunder. Sadly, this time she didn’t catch it in time, so I missed the deadline. I really need to pay closer attention. Luckily, there Warren County OHC

wasn’t a lot of news anyway. Except for a few Green Up Day photos, which I can use later, you didn’t really miss much.

Mother Nature certainly hasn’t been kind to us lately. The big storm that rolled through midJune did fairly major damage at Caesar Creek, after we had the trails looking good for the Greene County State Ride. Lots of trees down, which should be removed by the time you read this. It also destroyed a section of trail where a culvert had previously washed out. It was slated for repair already, but was still passable before the storm. Not so now. That’s going to be a major project, so for some time the lower trail past the boat ramp will probably be closed. From the pictures I’ve seen, it isn’t fit for a mountain goat, much less a horse.

However, we did manage to hold our scheduled campout at the Caesar creek group camp, in coordination with the Greene County State Ride, so we could join in the festivities. We also managed to have our first meeting since March of 2020, there at the camp. It was pretty well-attended, though I’m sure a number of people stayed away due to the heat, it was a hot one that weekend! We voted to have our current officers continue until November when we will hold our usual elections. Since we

don’t meet in July and August, we felt that electing new officers just for September and October would be foolish. If you are interested in running for office, or in nominating someone for office (with their permission; no surprises please), contact your trustees before the November meeting. I’m sure Catherine will have more information in the newsletter about that.

One other event happened at the meeting as well. Clint Tellep, the assistant park manager, presented Roger with a certificate recognizing him for all of his hard work. We’ve had a lot of trail work coordinators over the years, and everyone has done a great job. Roger is definitely a go-getter! A sign was also put up renaming the group camp ‘Pawsat’s Place’. I’m including photos from that presentation.

That’s it for this month. Stay cool!

~Mickie

WASHINGTON

Hi everyone in OHC horse land! Washington County did not have a meeting in July, as is our tradition. It is always hot and the holiday is always an interference as we are out on the trails. However, we continue to plan for the future. Our next meeting will be Aug. 5 with our annual Corn Ride at Kinderhook on Aug. 7, our largest ride of the year. We will ride in the morning and have a potluck dinner in the afternoon. We will have the big iron pot over the fire and cook a bunch of corn with lots of butter. This is a great day of togetherness for our members, from the ride to the husking of the corn, to the cooking, eating and finally clean up, it is a shared experience. We will ride out at 10 a.m. in the morning with the Corn Supper at 5 p.m. and of course, you are invited to join us.

We are having a chapter ride at East Fork Campground in Durbin, W.Va., on Sept. 9-12. Brent and Tara Patterson are hosting this ride for our chapter. Brent and Tara are frequent visitors and have worked on the trails, they will act as our guides. We are hopeful the weather will be a little cooler by then. Other chapter rides will include Stroud’s Run State Park and a final ride in the fall at Kinderhook.

Several of our members attended the Regional Ride at AEP Conesville on June 19. Thanks to Don and Vicky Wagner, Southeast Representative, for putting this together and acting as hosts.

Individually our members are riding a lot all across the great state of Ohio, as well as Indiana, Virginia, and West Virginia. We are very proud to have the most trail miles in the State for many years running and intend to maintain that title! We would be incredibly happy to spend some of those miles riding next to you.

Happy trails and ride safe! ~Debbie J.

WAYNE

Summer time has arrived and our members have taken full advantage of it with rides and camping trips. Kim and Dean Scarborough started out the month by riding at Hocking Hills the first weekend in June. Phil and Rhonda Urbanek hosted a campout at Jefferson Lake Park June 4-6 which was attended by six club members. Rhonda is in her 80s and can still outride many of us on her little Morgan mare. National Trails Day was June 5. Our chapter recorded 16 riders at five different trails which included, Jefferson, Silver Creek, Malabar, Mohican and Hinckley.

Dave and Trudy Schmidt, Pam Miller and Vicki Zook went to Elkins Creek June 9-13 to help Jill and Rick with the St. Jude’s charity ride. They cooked and cleaned and did anything else that needed done which greatly contributed to the success of the effort. The auction generated approximately $13,000 for St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. They stayed in camp when the rest of us rolled in and there were 23 members in total for the week of June 14-20 for a combined camp out with the Holmes County Chapter. That same week Sheila and Randy Haury hosted a campout at Malabar State Farm which was attended by eight members. They graciously invited other equestrian campers to join their potluck demonstrating the hospitality for which OHC members are known.

During the campout at Malabar several members’ horses came in contact with a poisonous plant called Poison Hemlock. Be aware that this plant is not indigenous to Ohio, but is becoming invasive. If ingested, it can cause sores in the mouth and on the skin and it can cause sores that are difficult to heal. It looks like Queen’s Ann Lace, but it blooms earlier. Please be aware of what plants you and your horse come into contact with in the woods.

Congratulations to everyone statewide who rallied at the last minute to defeat an attempt to get 120 acres of Malabar State Farm designated as a Nature Preserve without going through the proper channels at the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. That designation would have seriously affected citizens’ ability to ride and hike the trails at Malabar. Nancy Strayer, a former ODNR employee, rang the alarm bell to activate our members and worked tirelessly to notify our state legislators about the addition of the proposed amendment to the budget bill. Our state president worked hard as well to educate our legislators about this last minute attempt to add the designation to the state budget bill. Marlene Smalley, our chapter president, also worked hours calling and researching and motivating other members to call their representatives and senators to educate them about this matter. The end result was that the amendment only addresses prohibiting intentional timbering from occurring in the Doris Duke Woods in the Malabar State Park. It was great work by everyone involved.

By the time this is published, our Regional Ride scheduled for July 2-4 will be in the books. There has been a lot of work already done to prepare. Eighteen members showed up Monday, June 28 to clean camp and trails. Marlene Smalley and Tom Bahl went out again June 30 to clean up some trees that Marlene discovered down on the Blue Trail. We look forward to hosting a successful ride and campout and the weather looks like it will cooperate so we will keep our fingers crossed.

It is with great sadness that I report that long time member, Wayne Moore, passed away on June 7. Wayne was one of the first members of our club. Barb and Wayne rode for many years up until the last few years when Wayne was unable to ride. His presence will be greatly missed. Our sincere condolences go out to his wife Barb and family. ~Susan Baker

MOVING? TAKE THE CORRAL WITH YOU! Place Mailing Label Here (from last issue)

New Address ________________________________________________ City _______________________________ State ____ Zip ___________ Mail to: Horsemen’s Corral, PO Box 32, Lodi, OH 44254 or email address change to: michelle@thehorsemenscorral.com Elkins Creek Horse Camp.

Tammy and Rhonda at Jefferson Lake.

Malabar State Farm campout.