Trail Riding In Northern Michigan

My husband and I do a lot of things with our Walking Horses. But, our favorite activity is trail riding. The state of Michigan offers some of the best trails in the United States. We are fortunate enough to live close to large tracts of state owned properties. All of our young horses are exposed to trail riding by themselves and with groups in their three year old year. Some of the two year olds get a small amount of trail experience depending on their maturity and my schedule.

Above is group of our friends on the annual May trail ride organized by Karen Sanback and Keith Fick from Karefree Ranch in Fairview, MI. This is a private ride. The ears in the photo belong to my mare Lady.

We belong to Michigan Trail Riders Association (MTRA). The MTRA works with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and other trail groups to add, improve and maintain trails in Michigan. Most of these trails are open to hikers, bicyclists and horses. The MTRA organizes 5-6 rides per year. The most famous of these are the Shore-to-Shore rides starting at one Great Lake and ending at the other. These rides can be ridden in between 10-14 days depending on the itinerary you sign up for.

People often ask me how these rides work.

1. You must be a member of the MTRA and sign a waiver. Yes, people and horses do get hurt.
2. You sign up in advance and pay the fees. These are very modest and cover your camping costs and bus ride, more about the bus later.
3. You provide your own horse, tack, sleeping facilities and food.

OK, you have first part down. Here's how the rides are run.

1. Get your fanny out of bed and grab all the gear you need to ride for the day.
2. Tie your horse to a stout tree with a good halter and rope. If you don't know how to safely do this, ask some one to show you.
3. Get your rig started and follow the bus or someone who knows the way to the next camp.
4. Ride the bus back to your horse- hopefully it's still tied.
5. Saddle up and hit the trail. Plan on riding between 18 and 30 miles per day.

Sounds easy? Well, after 19 years I still love it. But, it is definitely a "working vacation". Most people are friendly and helpful. Just use basic courtesy on the trail. If you need help, ask someone. We were all new to this at one time.

Here we are ready to hit the trail. This was on the North-South Ride in September, 1998. I have my tie rope, rain gear, lunch and some emergency supplies. To see a "printer friendly" list of Horse Camping Basics click here

Here we are at Lake Michigan. In the left photo, Jim doesn't think those white caps are too inviting. But I rode him down to see Sharon's horses in the water and then he thought it was OK.