Travel with Your Horse
Trailer Your Horse
While it is your horse and your vacation, you will be traveling with others who will potentially be riding horses that your horse has never met before. As a result we have come up with the following requirements and policies for bringing your own horse on our trips.
These requirements are intended for people joining mixed groups of individuals. These requirements are intended to set a standard of expectations among people of different riding background and styles in order for everyone on the trip to enjoy their adventure. If you have your own group of 3 or more riders some of the requirements can be adjusted.
Expectations for Riders
You are expected to know what is normal for your horse in order to help to prevent veterinary injury, metabolic issues, reduce drama riding in group settings, and increase confidence and safety when dealing with the expected and unexpected.
All riders are expected to have the following skills:
- Able to ride 15+ miles per day
- Trotting for extended distances
- Cantering easily
- Mount from the ground unassisted or with a simple leg up
- Tying quick release knots
- Tacking horses unassisted
Expectations for Horses
All horses are expected to have the following skills:
- Health Requirements: Travel Health Certificate within 30 days, Coggins within 1 year, Rabies within 1 year, and 5-Way vaccine within 1 year.
- We also suggest West Nile Virus and Potomac Horse Fever vaccines for traveling.
- Able and fit enough to ride 15+ miles per day up and down hills while trotting or cantering for extended distances
- Riding in the middle or rear of the group
- No horses who MUST AT ALL TIMES ride in the front are invited on these trips. While different horses may lead at times, the guide must always be able to lead the group.
- Additionally, a horse prone to kicking or who has kicked at another mount on the trip must ride at the rear of the group at all times.
- Maintaining distance from other horses on trail
- Able to cross obstacles mounted or unmounted including creeks, rivers, bridges, river banks, mud puddles and muddy areas, and downed trees under knee-height
- Able to tie to trailer, trees, and other hitching posts without fear of pulling back or escape
- Able to pasture with other horses or willing to pay for private paddocks or stalls as needed
- On trips requiring use of temporary fencing, horses must be able to respect this temporary electric fencing overnight and while unsupervised
Pre-Trip Requirements
To join our public trips trips with your own horse you are required to participate in at least one group 2 Hour Ride or Distance Riding Coaching Session with your horse to learn how your horse behaves and understand herd dynamic expectations for the trip. Preferably this ride will be with the other riders and horses also attending the same trip as you.
Additional opportunities also include day trips or local.
If you are joining with your own private group, it is understood that you are responsible for the dynamics of the riders and horses in the group you are coming with.
Endurance Race Requirements
To join our trips to a competitive Endurance event it will be assumed that the rider not only knows their horse and is capable of riding the distance but that they also understand the rules, logistics and protocols of participating in an Endurance Race. Additional they will be expected to understand basic health issues, especially those that can be exacerbated while riding in an endurance race. When you attend these events with us you are representing not only yourself, but Painted Bar Stables as well. As a result, we require:
- Must Attend mandatory Vetting Class Series, missing no more than 2 classes
- Must choose one of the following plans:
- Riders planning to ride without an escort must ensure that they are exercising and riding their horses on extended trail rides of at a least 2 hours per week for the 4 weeks prior to the race in order to be fit and ready for their race.
- Riders planning to ride with an escort from Painted Bar Stables Staff must take at least 3 distance riding classes a month before their race. At least 2 of those classes must be with the staff member that will be their escort on the race.
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Who is Erika?
Erika Eckstrom
As the owner of Painted Bar Stables, the premier public riding facility in the N.Y. Finger Lakes Region, Erika hosts over 5,000 trail riders and lesson students per year on her herd of 30+ horses. An avid horsewoman and traveler, Erika has spent the past decade combining those passions and repackaging them into adventurers for all levels. From walk only trail rides to EquiTreks through the Finger Lakes National Forest to endurance races with seasoned riders across the Biltmore Estate, her goal is to craft personal experiences and memories for the riders sharing her love of the trails and the adventures to be found out there Erika has received numerous honors for her work, including the Young Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2014 by the U.S. Small Business Administration for the Syracuse N.Y. District. Erika is the organizer of the annual Schuyler Equine Conference and serves on the marketing advisory board for the Finger Lakes Tourism Association as well as the Schuyler County Cornell Cooperative Extension Pro-Ed Committee.