The Romance and the Reality of the Long Trail

When someone suggested that a group of riders ride the length of the Sheltowee Trace during the summer of 2013, I was ON BOARD. The romance of the idea caught me, and I signed up without a thought.

Think of it! Riding on the trails that Daniel Boone and the native Americans travelled to cross  through Kentucky hundreds of years ago.  To be on Kentucky's only Long Trail, riding the ridges, peering into the deep valleys, watching the beauty of Kentucky's mountains change through the seasons.

But the reality was daunting.

I had a horse that hadn't trail ridden much.  Although he showed courage the few times we had taken him on the trail, he hadn't been out much and needed a lot of time to get a depth of experience.

So there was that challenge.  But I trusted him not to be too crazy, as he had seen most of the things in the forest at one time or another with minimal reaction.

The second challenge:  the horse - and I - were out of shape after a winter of relative inactivity.  But the assurance that we would just be walking, and that most of the horses on the ride would also be out of condition reduced my concern about that.  He (Stormy) was naturally athletic, so I felt he could keep up.

But once on the trail, again reality hit: Stormy, due to his lack of trail time, used an inordinate amount of energy just fussing and getting excited about the trip and traveling with unfamiliar horses in unfamiliar territory.  So what little energy he had was used up in nerves and unnecessary jigging both at the trailhead and on the trail as we started out.

Yet still I had confidence that he would be fine, albeit tired.  I even told him early on, "Hey, conserve your energy, it's going to be a long two days!"

Then on day two, reality really overtook the romance completely when Stormy just stopped.

What do you do when you are in the middle of the forest miles from a road, with a group of other riders, and your horse stops?

I know the answer to that now... you wait.  And you wait.  And he catches his breath, then moves on for a while until he stops again.  And you wait.

He was dehydrated, sweating in the unseasonably warm weather in a winter coat that hadn't shed yet.  I was worried about him.  I was sorry at that point that I let the romance carry me away, to the point that I might injure my horse.

I started dismounting at every hill we had to climb, to lighten his load.

My generous trail companions offered some of their own water which was poured into someone's upside-down hat, and he got a small drink.

And half a dozen hills later, we found a puddle in the trail.. filled with frog eggs and lots of mud, but water nevertheless.  Stormy drank deeply and I breathed a sigh of relief.  He perked up and was fine from that puddle-drink until the end of the trail. No more stops and ears once again pricked forward down the trail.

We both arrived home safe and sound, and by the next day Stormy was ready to go out and play with his pasture-mates.  Meanwhile I was still sore, but glad to be back home with my horse in one piece.

We will be going out again on the Sheltowee in a few weeks.  We are working on conditioning, I've ordered a collapsible water bucket, and will be carrying a small amount of water on the trail.

The romance of the end-to-end Trace ride is still alive, but now reality has been given its due and its respect.

Trash or Tourism?

The following was contributed by guest freelance writer, Karen Weber of Lewis County, KY.

“Get Out Kentucky!” is the new battle-cry of our state Tourism Department’s efforts to encourage healthy options for recreation, while drawing visitors to Kentucky’s unique geographical and historic sites. From a relative newcomer’s perspective, though, if I were a paranoid, conspiracy-theory subscriber, I’d say there are equally hostile forces at work trying to thwart the momentum of a traditional southern hospitality’s draw.  As a participant in various outdoor adventure activities, it’s become a personal habit of mine to keep garbage bags in the car, so when I find myself at a trailhead or on a road with cluttered ditches, unsightly trash can be picked up and later disposed of responsibly.                  

Acknowledging there are visitors to our state parks, trail systems, and tourist sites who respect and care for our natural resources, there is also evidence of another mentality of users with seared consciences who toss their waste out of car windows, along trails, and beside streams.  In less than an hour, this past weekend, at one place where a trail crossed a road in Rowan County, I picked up a 30 lb. bag of trash, including beer and soda cans, empty “chew” cans, bottles with black “chew-spit” inside, cigarette wrappers, plastic bags, shell casings,  and even dirty disposable diapers. 

Unfortunately, this was not the end of the blatant disregard for health and safety issues posed by openly discarded waste. Either deliberately, or accidently, a large box of shiny silver roofing nails (with no box in site) had been freshly broadcast across a 4’ x 20’ section of ground where a trail came out of the woods to cross over a single lane road.  The side of an empty plastic milk jug cut-open, allowed the half gallon of retrieved nails to be disposed of safely. These “tire and hoof eaters” could have seriously injured or debilitated trail users or well-meaning service vehicle pulled off onto the road’s shoulder.  

Where do we, as citizens of our communities, start to correct the attitudes of those who cause this too often seen blemish on the natural beauty of our state?

As a substitute teacher, I’ve seen how quickly students from elementary thru high school aged adolescents can trash the floor of a classroom. ( I‘m known for not letting students out of class to go to their next class until their space has been picked up first, since I am neither their mother or maid.)  But is it too much to expect adults, young or old, who are eligible to drive, drink, hunt, and own land in our state to exhibit more responsible behavior by simply picking up and disposing of their trash so it doesn’t become an environmental hazard, as well as an eyesore? One state in the union, I clearly recall, has signs posted as you cross the border into their territory. A friendly welcome sign puts it simply: “Don’t Mess with Texas” --Littering fine $200.  Maybe the state and county tourism advocates around the beautiful state of Kentucky need to start posting similar reminders for residents and visitors alike.  “Kentucky Proud” should not only refer to agricultural products, but to natural resources and recreation areas deserving our care and protection.  Otherwise, we’re shooting ourselves in the foot and progress will only limp forward when it comes to maximizing the economic potential of towns, and becoming a place where others will want to visit, if not make their home.

(Karen Weber is a presently a Kentucky resident, teacher, and freelance-writer.)

Day 0: Saturday, February 2
Countdown to Kentucky Round-Up

Yesterday was The Day.

Months of preparations, mounds of email, piles of money all poured into one day, which was yesterday.  February 2, 2013... the first Kentucky Round-Up.

A Winter Weather Advisory had been announced.  The snow started in the early hours, and increased in intensity.  At 8:00AM visibility was reduced due to the heavy, large flakes.  The roads were becoming slippery.

It was an event planner's worst fear:  Weather that would keep everyone at home, fearful of the cold and treacherous roads.

But an amazing thing happened!  People started pouring in the doors at the Alltech arena at 8:00AM, 30 minutes before we were even scheduled to open the doors.  Kids, parents, teens -- all stamping their feet,  shaking snow out of their hair... red cheeks from the cold, and looking forward to seeing the horses.

We (the planning committee) were all shocked. The attendees came through the snow and kept coming all day.  (Luckily the weather got better after noon; the snow stopped and temperatures were climbing.).

The atmosphere was bustling all day!  Vendors were pleasantly surprised.  Only a handful of horses had to cancel due to the conditions.  The demonstrations in the ring were lively with spectators both sitting in the seats and watching from the concourse.  The announcer was enthusiastic and provided background information on events, sponsors and the Kentucky Horse Council. There was a lot of visiting going on everywhere you looked.  Concession lines were long.

The day was exhausting for the Committee, as we rushed from here to there, solving small problems, helping horse owners or vendors, hanging extra signs to direct people, drawing door prizes and announcing the winners, checking security and making sure the public was not getting back into the barn and warm-up areas (safety), etc.

What a great start to what we hope will be a long term annual event which grows every year!

Please join us by getting involved and together we can make Kentucky Round-Up into one of our greatest equine events.

You know how to reach me,

Ginny Grulke

Executive Director

Kentucky Horse Council

Day 1: Thursday, January 31
Countdown to Kentucky Round-Up

What's Kentucky Round-Up?

This is it, Baby.

We've been counting down for a month. We are down to the last day. So this is it, baby.  Whatever isn't done by tomorrow at noon isn't going to happen.  

I thought as a finale you'd enjoy a "Kentucky Round-Up by the Numbers".

550 chairs

3 classrooms

32 classroom speakers

94 horses

14 demonstrations

160 volunteers

1500 pre-registered attendees

12 security personnel

1 EMT

75 vendors and exhibitors

(Un-countable Planning Committee hours)

And here's the 1 Number we are all waiting for:  

Inches of snow on Saturday?

Everyone reading this: get down on you knees and pray for a dry day.

This is the last countdown blog; I've enjoyed it and hope you have too.

Tomorrow (Friday) we'll be at the Alltech arena from mid-afternoon through 10pm helping vendors move in and set up, getting the ticket booth all set up, watching a stage get built, and in general get ready for the Saturday crowds.

Hope to see you there!  

Ginny

Kentucky Horse Council

Day 2: Wednesday, January 30
Countdown to Kentucky Round-Up

What's Kentucky Round-Up?

No Weather on Saturday.. at all.

We've been watching the weather closely for about a week and a half now.  Will Kentucky Round-Up be buried by snow?  Will it be skated by ice?  Will it be heated by abnormally warm temperatures (which is NOT good for a winter horse event because horsemen will want to ride rather than attend)?

And Kentucky, true to its form, will not give us any definitive answer.  A weekend of frigid, followed by a warming pattern sending temps into the 50's, followed by wind and rain and plummeting temperatures.  

I just went to the weather.com local forecast page, and then the WLEX weather forecast page on the web and got a page error on both  (yes, my internet connection is OK).

So apparently we are not having weather on Saturday.  Hmmmmm...

Uh Oh, does that mean the Mayan calendar was just off a teensy bit and tomorrow is the end of the world?  I wish!  I could sleep in then.

No, we are ready for Saturday and our only problem (almost a problem) is TOO MANY VOLUNTEERS!  Do I dare say that out loud?  They are coming out of the woodwork!  At the last minute.  But that's good, right?  Yes, but they all need to be kept track of, assigned real tasks, provided TShirts and entry tickets.... so it IS a challenge.  We'll manage.  We'll need them all next year anyway, so it is good to have their names.

Onward!  Til tomorrow.....

Day 4: Monday, January 28
Countdown to Kentucky Round-Up

What's Kentucky Round-Up?

Yabadadoo!

I guess I showed my age on that title.  Anyone remember The Flintstones?  Fred, Wilma, Barney, Betty and of course Dino.

That unique word is a great way to express happiness (I thought), but then I made the mistake of googling it and found this definition in the Urban Dictionary: 

To leave work early, disregarding the status of any project that is currently needing attention. The employee's escape is similar to Fred sliding down the dinosaur's tail in the opening credits of The Flintstones.

Oops, I didn't mean it in that way. Honest! 

But here's the real Yabadabadoo ..

We've got 700 people pre-registered for Kentucky Round-Up.  And the files are all turned into the printer for the program. And I picked up the tickets today.  And we have plenty of volunteers. And the signs are all at the sign shop and should be ready in time.  Banners are ordered and will be delivered to Chad tomorrow.  All speakers are confirmed and re-confirmed.  Demonstrators are confirmed and re-confirmed. Horses are lined up for the Stable area.  Stage building is scheduled and all concert contracts signed...

Now the weather forecast, that's the one possible non-Yabadabadoo.   Right now they are calling for 40% chance of snow and 37 degrees.  What I don't understand is how you can have snow at 37 degrees.  Isn't 32 degrees the freezing point? 

Nevertheless, I'm not worried because Kentucky forecasters have to change their forecast every day or so.  In a day or two the snow will be expected next week, let's say Tuesday. Nothing to worry about.

Well, Fred and Wilma, see you at the Round-Up.

Til tomorrow...

Day 5: Sunday, January 27
Countdown to Kentucky Round-Up

What's Kentucky Round-Up?

Sunday Musings

Sunday evening and the sun has gone down, the chill is descending and the horses nestle in their stalls. A good time for sitting down with the blog.

I went to the Tennessee Walking Horse sale yesterday at the KY Horse Park.  There had been a huge controversy over holding the sale at the Horse Park, because some people don't want any association with the TWH breed due to the industry's soring problems.  The Horse Council board supported having this sale, with the belief that you do not punish a whole population of good horses and horse owners due to the inhumane actions of a few.

Nice black mare and her new owners

What a great experience it was being there.  It was a good old horse sale just as they should be:  lots of people visiting and milling around; people of all ages and (by appearances) all income levels; horse that were willing and curious being shown in the arena; a barking but playful auctioneer trying to get that last extra $25 or $50 for a horse; concessions with lines; the smells of horse flesh mixed with the smells of hotdogs and nachos.

And what a good economic boost for the horse industry.  The TWH horse breed is the third largest population in Kentucky after Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses. There are an estimated 36,000 of them here.  I have ridden with many on the trail and they are calm, courageous and personable.

I ran into Senator Robin Webb, a TWH rider, and spent quite a bit of time talking to her about the media attention to the sale.

Horse getting inspected

Horses were selling at relatively low prices, in my opinion.  I did see a few go for over $1000 but not many.  I didn't stay for the show horse part of the sale, though.  That's when the prices get higher I imagine.

I left a whole bunch of  Kentucky Round-Up flyers there.  Some I left with Mast Tack, who was set up there and also coming next weekend to Kentucky Round-Up.  Some I put on the front doors (don't tell the park staff!). 

Next year we'll have a better plan to tell people attending that sale about Kentucky Round-Up.  In fact, we'll have a better plan about getting articles and ads in lots of different show programs and sale flyers.  It just all takes time and you need to start early.

We are already talking about 2014.  I've been collecting ideas, and we are storing the names of those who volunteered after we filled all our spots. There is a lot of interest in this event and we need to keep it rolling.  What a better way to spend a February weekend than spending time with horses and horse people.

Til tomorrow...