Back Country Horsemen of British Columbia

 The 2014 RV committee was pleased to offer the chance to win a Brand new trail saddle! Canadian Tire Trail Saddle Raffle     AND THE WINNER IS:  Heather Bradshaw of Langley BC. Congratulations, Heather!   And 'thank you!' once again to our generous raffle sponsor, Maple Ridge Canadian Tire. Here are the specs of this great prize:2170-4 CRATES Trail Saddle - Retail Value $2,500 Equi-fit tree, QH bars 16" seat, 6 5/8 x 8" gullet weight 30lbs skirt double rigging, basket stamp finish. Complete with matching breast collar and head stall with split reins. AND matching saddle bags with BCHBC logos. The Saddle was displayed at the Maple Ridge Canadian Tire at at RV, in BCH Booth of the vendors tent, May 30, 31 & June 1st.Raffle ticket price: $5.00 eachThe winning ticket will be pulled by random draw, taking place at the RV awards ceremony on Sunday at…

Congratulation's to NVI chapter member, Debra Oakman, recipient of Horse Council BC’s 2014 Bob James Award for Volunteer of the Year!   Following is a copy of the nomination letter, submitted by Catherine Davidson and Ian Compton, that resulted in Debra making the short list and, ultimately, being selected for this award. Deb accepted this award in March at HCBC's Equine Education conference celebration dinner.

CLICK READ MORE (Below) to learn more....  

A 'Share the Trails' workshop was held on March 7th, 2014, in conjunction with the BC Equine Education Summit which is presented by Horse Council BC(HCBC). Following is a report presented to the BCHBC Board o Directors, written by Sharon Pickthorne.f This was a full day workshop in its second year. It was joint workshop hosted by HCBC and Outdoor Recreation Council (ORC). Jeremy McCall, Executive Director of ORC, was the Emcee. Rose Schroeder, Sharon Pickthorne and Connie Falk attended. Trail builders and enthusiasts from around the province came together at the Hilton Vancouver Airport. This was an invitational event attempting to increase the dialogue between all trail user groups and government officials. The forum meets the strategic goals of HCBC by building partnerships and improving government relations with the equine industry. It continues the dialogue started in 2011 during the BC Equestrian Trails Roundtable held in Kelowna, where there was a…

On March 1 and 2, several members of the two Vancouver Island chapters of Back Country Horsemen of BC attended a fantastic course on how to use GPS equipment. The class was lead by Joe Kinch of the Arrowsmith Search and Rescue classroom. Joe explained that  "because your horse can step on your GPS" we started off the morning learning about maps and compasses.  Joe walked us through grid coordinates, contour lines, Eastings and Northings and how to tell North from the sun and North star.  We learned how to set declination on the compass and went outside to shoot bearings. He recommends to always carry a good map and compass in addition to the GPS.Our afternoon was more electronic.  With the GPS devices we learned how to take a waypoint and make a route or a track.  A big take home message was to always take the "track" back…

Farm life on a bitter cold winter day By Birgit Stutz You know it’s cold out when… you are wearing so many layers that you can barely move and you are afraid of falling down because you might not be able to get back up on your own. your scarf is frozen to your nose and cheeks. your gloves are stuck to the outside of the water bucket or the metal gate. your eyes are almost froze shut because your eyelashes are frozen. your eyelashes are frozen to your toque. your snot rag freezes rock solid within minutes – if your snot hasn’t frozen in your nose first. your nostrils are frozen shut. your cheeks are so cold it feels like they will crack if you smile. your feet feel like a block of ice. you don’t even attempt to start anything with an engine – unless you have a…

RV 2015 Sponsors With the aim of sharing their vision and passion for the wilderness with you Chilcotin Holidays is generously providing a 3 day guided services trip into the South Chilcotin Mountain Park which will explore some of the most spectacular Mountain Trails. With over 25 years experience and offering over 100 wilderness-related programs and guest experiences, Chilcotin Holidays is dedicated to providing personalized Authentic Wilderness and Nature Experiences which allow you to fully engage with the natural world around you. _________________ A Canadian Western Wear, Tack, Saddles, Feed, Ranch Supply, English Tack, Art, Giftware and Online Western Lifestyle Shopping Store! Located in Kamloops, BC. Proudly sponsoring the Hoof & Woof Event and Auction. _________________ GK Sound of Kamloops BC, are once again our providers of stage lighting and sound for the Grass Roots Rendezvous 2015. _________________ Visual Signs and Printing of Kamloops have kindly donated a beautifully engraved…

News about one of the North Vancouver Island Chapter's trail projects was positioned on the cover of the local newspaper on December 6th. The Comox Valley Echo featured a full colour photograph and a story about how the BCHBC members had worked in collaboration with the Comox Valley Regional District and local land owners to build a new bridge and to extend the historic One Spot Trail -- a multi-use recreational trail in the Dove Creek area of Courtenay, BC. To read the full story on line, click here.

  Photo Caption: Kelly Hawes and 'Shimmer' moving the ball through the course.   A great example of what any chapter could do with the BCHBC Education Grant.   by Rose Schroeder   Thanks to all those that turned out for Yarrow Chapter’s Hoofball Fun Day, November 4, 2013 at Blackstock’s Arena in beautiful Greendale, B.C.   Debby D deserves a special thank you for organizing the arena rental and the Hot Dog Pot Luck lunch. Craig, your help was much appreciated in helping set up the course and Kelly H, thanks from bringing in your big, blue hoofball.   It is my personal opinion that Yarrow members have some pretty good horse skills and horses with some pretty good manners! I think along with the fun, there was some learning going on and skills traded. To some the concept of pressure and release was an old/new one! And thinking about…

Photo Caption: (From left to right) Chris Kippel, Dr. Yaela Gleusteen, Sharon Pickthorne, Jesse the horse, and Teg Harper worked together to present the Anatomy and Movement clinic.   On Saturday, November 9, 2013, the North Vancouver Island Chapter of the Back Country Horsemen of BC partnered with the Comox Valley Therapeutic Riding Society to raise funds and educate local equestrians at an Equine Anatomy and Movement Clinic.   The event was held in Therapeutic Riding's 'Barn B' and was attended by over 80 people. It was a chilly day but attendees were warmed by hot soups and chili, as well as other goodies, made by CVTRS volunteers and hot coffee courtesy of BCHBC. There were four Therapeutic Riding horses 'painted' with skeletal structure.   The event was organized by NVI member, Sharon Pickthorne, along with a team of volunteers, and the guest seakers included: CHRIS KIPPEL, Chiropractor TEG HARPER, Trainer Dr.…