A guide to keeping horses and the equestrian lifestyle.
by Lora Goerlich, Owner, Equestrian Trails and Facilities Consultant LLC
Our kayaks are suspended snugly in
the rafters doubling as storage for
the paddles, lifejackets and a 65L
backpack. Two hybrid cycles are
parked in the barn collecting dust.
Outside, a few inches of snow cover
the dormant grass and two sets of
cross-country skis are neatly placed
on end by the back door, waiting...
kick-glide, kick-glide. With each
passing season we enjoy these
typically low maintenance,
affordable, leisure activities. But we
also have three horses we use for
recreational trail riding. And in stark
contrast to our leisure things, our
horses cannot be stowed away
seasonally or on days we don’t use
them. Keeping horses for
recreational use is a lifestyle.
Lora Goerlich has written a guide that might answer the question, "Should I even think about owning a horse?" Written with first-hand experience, this guide considers vital topics of keeping horses for recreational use:
Published April 2019
Lora’s parks and recreation career spans thirty-two years; twenty-five years she served as a dedicated law-enforcement/maintenance ranger at Metroparks of Toledo. Add to that her formal schooling in two distinct areas – environmental studies/resource management and equestrian studies. Work, education and personal experience have woven together seamlessly to create a uniquely qualified, neutral horse trail expert/consultant and author with a profound knowledge and understanding of recreational equestrian needs; sustainable trail planning and maintenance in natural areas; law enforcement issues and strategies; community involvement; best practice horse keeping; equine behavior; customer service; volunteerism; natural resource management; mounted patrol operations and multi-use-trail conflict resolution.
In 2011 she began sharing her expertise at park conferences including: The National Parks and Recreation Congress, Ohio Parks and Recreation Conference, American Trails Symposium and The Park Ranger Institute.
Lora has been a trail rider and horse owner since 1986 and has ridden, started and re-schooled a variety of horses in various disciplines. Current trail mounts include a Tennessee Walker gelding and a Warmblood cross, gelding. You might also find her hiking, cycling, kayaking or camping with and without horses.
Contact: [email protected]
