Preserving the legacy trails of the Carolina foothills hunting country
Spring 2016
 

FETA Newsletter    

     Spring 2016        
Spring is trying very hard to arrive and I know we all welcome it with open arms and fresh horses.

Mike and Bob have been very busy on the trails with a lot of trees down from all the rain.  They are doing a wonderful job! Remember to let us know whenever you find trees down or any other issues with the trails.  Taking a photo with your cell phone camera and sending it to us is especially helpful.

Spring brings shows, hunter paces, clinics, and a lot of other horse activities including more riders out on the trails. Courtesy is a must, particularly on the trails. After all, this is our "happy place!" So polish up those saddles and boots, and get out and ride!

From my stall,
Judith
 
In This Issue
Trail Status 828-859-0133
Your Subscription
Link to River Road Paving Progress
Welcome Picnic
More Than My Money's Worth
Thank You to Our Landowners
Yield To Horses
Safety Matters; Fences
Your Pledge to FETA
Guest Release Clause
Links to Trails Around the Region
Join Our Mailing List!
Quick Links
 

 
 
Faith Jorgenson, Editor

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Trail Status Number 828-859-0133
Trail Status Number 828-859-0133  
Please note that the Trail Status Number was listed incorrectly in the Winter 2016 newsletter.  The correct telephone number for the current trail status is 828-859-0133.  My apologies for the inconvenience.
About Your Newsletter Subscription
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This newsletter is published quarterly by season as content demands.  It is sent electronically to FETA members only.  If you are no longer a FETA member or prefer not to receive the newsletter, please scroll to the bottom and click on the safe unsubscribe link to have your email address immediately removed from the mailing list.  Please do not report this newsletter as spam.  Doing so reflects poorly on us.  This is not a solicitation nor do we share your email address with anyone.
Link To Follow Progress of River Road Paving
If you are interested in following the status of the proposed paving of River Road, you can get updates on the Hunting Country! Association website.
New Member Welcome Picnic

          DATE: Thursday, May 19, 2015 
          TIME: 6-8pm                          
  LOCATION: FENCE Main Hall

All FETA Members bring your appetite and a covered dish to give a friendly welcome to our newest members.  This is a great opportunity to meet riders from your neighborhood, check out the latest edition of the FETA trail map, and locate new trails.  If you want information on our trails, this is THE event. 
 
Our trail crew will be there to answer your questions. 
 
Our picnic is potluck.  Please bring a dish to share. 
Last names beginning A-F please bring a side dish or salad.
Last names beginning G-L please bring dessert. 
Last names beginning M-Z please bring an entrée (meat dish).  
FETA will provide bottled water.
 
A reminder for those of you planning to renew your membership at the picnic, you must have a copy of your negative Coggins along with your signed forms and check.  If all is in order, you will receive your tag at that time. 
More Than My Money's Worth
I like to trail ride in different places. Each time I trailer my horse to ride somewhere other than our FETA trails, I am filled with gratitude and appreciation for the trails I have at home. We have a diverse system with gentle slopes and rolling hills to rugged, heavily-wooded terrain. I admit that I am completely enamored with trail riding in Western North Carolina and our trail system in particular. Wherever I go to ride, this thought most always comes to mind: "This isn't any prettier than what I have at home; it's just different."
 
At home, there is no worry about running into a mountain bike. Road riding is generally safe and drivers are courteous. A good guesstimate is that there are nearly 150 miles of trails just outside my barnyard gate. Thanks to the effort of our FETA team and conscientious landowners, trails are kept limbed up and cut back. Wash outs and trail erosion are repaired for good footing and safe passage. After calculating the cost of diesel, use of my rig, access fees, and the convenience factor, the value I get from my annual membership far exceeds the cost of dues. I get more than my money's worth.
Thank You To Our Landowners
David & Sandra Van Natta
We don't say "Thank You" nearly enough to our landowners without whom our beloved trail system would not exist. Roughly 70% of our landowners do not ride horses and yet they so generously allow trail riders access to their property. Not only do they allow us to ride through but many have placed their trails into easements to more effectively protect them for the future. Some landowners choose to maintain their own trails with little to no assistance from FETA. Still others have been so considerate of riders that they have pulled back pasture fences in order to allow riders additional trails and or safer passage. One such couple is Sandy and David Van Natta who recently re-routed a trail on their farm when the original one was displaced by a pasture. Needless to say, the Van Natta's did not have to re-route the trail but their actions bear witness to the grand generosity that exists among our landowners.
 
If you are a FETA landowner, please know that we so greatly appreciate the significant role that you play in our community. Without you, there would be no trail system. Thank You!
 
Yield To Horses
It might seem that an article with a "Yield to Horses" message, written by an equestrian to equestrians, would be preaching to the choir but it has been my observation that many a close call on our country roads have been with vehicles displaying horse-themed car tags on the front bumper. One would think that when it comes to encountering horses on the roadway, the most cautious of drivers would be our fellow riders who understand the sometimes unpredictable nature of horses.
 
I am thankful for the yellow horse and rider signs that we have on our roads at trail crossings and areas where horses may be walking alongside the road. These signs serve as a reminder to motorists that they are likely to encounter horses and riders.   Some of road signs are tagged with the message "Share The Road" as further encouragement to proceed with caution; however, in my opinion a more specific directive for drivers is "Yield to Horses" and "Pass Slow and Wide." A favorite of mine is the sign printed in most every forest and park trail map that includes horse trails. It is the triangle with arrows indicating that bicycles and motorized vehicles yield to pedestrians and both pedestrians and bicycles/vehicles yield to horses. The thought behind who yields to whom is that cyclists/vehicles and hikers have the most control whereas a horse and rider have less control.
 
I am reminded of the tragic loss of the mounted patrol horse in Houston that was struck and killed by a truck in December. Charlotte was a six-year-old Tennessee Walking Horse mare who had been on the job for four years in Houston's mounted patrol unit. The mare was on duty when she was startled by a noise from behind causing her to back into a passing concrete truck. She was euthanized at the scene. Horses used in this kind of service are the best of the best when it comes to desensitizing and bomb proofing. This tragedy speaks volumes about the depths of the equine flight response and how even with extensive training and on-the-job experience, sometimes that response cannot be overcome. It is for this reason that whenever you pass a horse on the road, it can be a matter of life and death. Always yield to horses by slowing or stopping depending on the reaction of the horse or at the request of the rider and pass slow and wide.
 
To read more about Charlotte click here 
Safety Matters:  Watch Out For Fences
This fence is set back from the trail allowing a safe distance for trail riders from the pastured horses.
As more people discover our horse heaven, more fences are inevitable. How do we make sure that works near trails?  

 

Fence lines can be an unsuspected hazard, especially if they create tight spaces.  With little room to escape, close fence lines create a "squeeze" that can spook a horse.  Add some curious pastured horses running up to investigate, and you can have a really dangerous situation. Add to that scenario an electric fence, a steep drop off or other hazard on the other side . . . Yikes!

 

Riders should ALWAYS walk near fences (it's a FETA rule).  It is better to dismount and lead your horse if you are concerned or if your claustrophobic horse needs more space.

 

Landowners, if you are considering putting a fence on your property near or alongside a trail, please think about safety and access.  The best safe practice is ten feet on either side of a trail for any structure, including fences.  This gives enough room to escape the outstretched necks of curious horses and sufficient room for safe carriage driving.  It also allows for room to fall without hitting a post!  Consider the terrain when installing a fence as that might impact safety.   For existing tight fence lines, it is effective to add a barrier of electric fencing or tape charged by solar power inside the permanent fence line.  This will keep your horses away from riders and preserve your top rail as well.  It is a simple, inexpensive safety precaution.

 

FETA is happy to help. So please contact the FETA president if you are considering a fence.  Of course, landowners with trail easements need to contact FETA if they are not sure about the trail protections on their property. The trails are a system which depends on everyone, not just the large landowners, to remain safe and beautiful. Every piece is important.  

Your Pledge to FETA

What can you do to preserve our trail system?  Following the landowners' conditions for trail use is the most important thing you can do.  Below is an abbreviated list of what we agree to each time we renew our FETA membership.

 

  • FETA trails are on private property.  Riding is a privilege, not a right
  • Members only
  • Guests permitted with a signed release before you ride
  • Guests limited to 6 rides. After that they must become members
  • Members must accompany guests on the trails
  • Maximum of 6 riders in a group
  • Stay off trails when they are closed
  • Do not go around downed trees
  • Trails are for mounted riding or carriage driving; no ponying
  • Riders/drivers must wear a helmet
  • Practice safe horsemanship; no cantering around pastures or barns
  • Be courteous and appreciative to landowners
  • No dogs, no smoking, no drinking, no litter
  • FETA tag on the left side of your saddle or bridle; gladly show your tag if asked
  • Decal on driver's side rear window or lower corner of driver's side front window
  • Boarders must be riding members

Please use common sense and be considerate.  It is not "just" trail riding.  There are lots of uncontrollable risks in riding any horse.  Please don't take inexperienced riders as guests; keep them on your own property.  Treat other's property as you would your own.  Don't spoil things for the rest of the members by doing thoughtless or selfish things.  Please use good judgement and help preserve the rare and invaluable asset of our landowners' goodwill and generosity.

Guest Release Clause From Your FETA Membership Rules Agreement
  • Members must obtain a properly executed Guest Release Agreement and return it to FETA by mail, or place it in the parking lot mailboxes PRIOR to trail use.  The fax line has been discontinued.  You may take a photo of the signed release and send it from your smart phone to Roberta at 954-298-9116.  You may download copies of the agreement from the FETA Website.
  • Members may only bring personal guests who have not directly or indirectly paid for their recreational use.  No commercial use of any type is permitted. 
  • Members are legally responsible for their guest(s), including any liability or damages resulting from any accident, injury, loss or damage, including death. 
  • Local residents may only ride once per month as any member's guest. 
  • Employees and trainers who use the Property more than once per month in total must have their own FETA membership. 
  • Members must accompany their guests at all times, and are responsible for their compliance with the Rules. 
  • A guest must carry a guest tag and current Coggins test. Guests that haul in must have a guest parking tag easily visible on the dashboard of their tow vehicle.
Links to Trails Around the Region
Trail at Big Creek in GSMNP

Trail riding season is upon us. Western North Carolina and the surrounding areas in Upstate South Carolina, North Georgia, and East Tennessee possess some of the most beautiful, scenic horse trails found anywhere. The topography varies from mountain-laurel-canopied ridge trails to flat river trails lined with cane and hemlocks. Waterfalls are often part of the landscape.  It is recommended to always check websites for alerts and trail closing notices before visiting. 

 

Following are links to regional parks and forests that contain horse trails and camping facilities. This list is not complete. For additional trails, visit the Horse Trail Directory website. I also recommend the book, "Horseback Riding Trail Guide to North Carolina" by Martha Brannon Holden which contains a wealth of information about riding in our region. Particularly helpful are the trail descriptions, length, and difficulty ratings which serve to accurately plan a ride for any experience level of horse and rider.

 

   

Links to Horse Trails in North Carolina

 

Blowing Rock Equestrian Preserve (Moses Cone) 

 

Dupont State Forest 

 

Great Smoky Mountains National Park (Horse Camps) 

 

Leatherwood Mountains  

 

 

Pisgah National Forest (Horse camping and riding) 

 

 South Mountains State Park 

 

Standing Indian (Nantahala National Forest) 

 

 

 

Links to Horse Trails in South Carolina

 

Buncomb Horse Trail 

 

Croft State Park 

 

Clemson Experimental Forest (Fants Grove Horse Trails) 

 

Lakeview Plantation 

 

Whetstone Horse Camp (Rocky Gap) 

 

 

 

Links to Horse Trails in Georgia

 

Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest 

            Jacks River Field Horse Camp 

            Coleman River Wildlife Management Area

            Willis Knob Horse Trails 

 

Board Members and Meetings

Questions or comments?  Board members are happy to talk to you any time.  They are:

  

Judith Kerns, President                                  Faith Jorgenson, Communications

    Dot Moyer, Vice President                          Roberta Axelrod, Membership

Gail Gardner, Secretary                                      Rhonda King, Member Relations

     Bill Kerns, Treasurer                                   Jim Troppmann, Trails Chair 

      Liz Dicey, Webmaster                                       Anne Swift, Trails Chair  

 

    

At-large Members
Holly Dake        Tina Walker  

                                               Mike Frye         Aleah Wicks

                                                                       Kathy Nebel 

 
       

  

Trail Area Representatives are:

  Nancy:  Chinquapin Farm                                     Dot:  Pretty Bottom, Stonybrook

Rhonda:  Pony Track, Hunting Woods                 Judith:  River Rd, Carriage Row

   Faith:   Hunting Country Rd to River Rd                Jim:  North Peniel Trails

    Anne:  FENCE                                                 Tina:  Little Mountain Trails

 

FETA's Board meets the 4th Tuesday evening of the month at 6:30.  All members are welcome to attend, raise questions or issues at the start of the meeting, or just observe.  Contact Judith Kerns for location.  No July or December meeting. 
Faith Jorgenson, Editor
Foothills Equestrian Trails Association