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The JCEC along with the Jackson County Horsemans Assoc. and other concerned citizens got Fish Hatchery Park reopened to horses in December. Carol Crawford is working closely with the park manager and the BLM to see about connecting the Fish Hatchery Park to the new Bolt Mountain trail that will connect these to Elk Lane. This will make a nice local trail with lots of potential enjoyment from Rider, hikers and bikers.

BEACON HILL TRAILHEAD – 2 EASEMENTS NEEDED TO CONNECT TO THE LOUSE CREEK TRAIL SYSTEM. ALL STUDIES COMPLETE.
LOOKS LIKE THIS ONE MAY BE THE FIRST WE CAN HELP WITH.

NATIONAL PUBLIC LANDS DAY 2008 - WORK THIS YEAR WILL BE EIGHT DOLLAR MT AREA TRAIL. MORE DETAILS TO FOLLOW.

2/15/2007 The JCEC along with Best Motorsports came up the $2500 to put sand in the arena to fix the footing after the January flood. Copeland partially donated 150 yards of sand and delivered it to the fairgrounds on 2/16/2007. The sand was much needed and put the arena back in usable condition.

1/30/2008 The JCEC is teaming up with a group that has plans to save the arena and horse facilities at the fairgrounds. Several members are on this board and are working hard to save the arena and facilities. If you would like to help or would like more info on this project please email cindy@smartack.com or call 541-479-4791

The JCEC raised money from individuals and businesses in our area to update the stalls in barn A. The gorgeous new stall doors that were donated are just a start in renovating and making our horse facilities at the fairgrounds a new and inviting place to host events in our area. The door were only part of this project. We also filled holes in the block in the stalls. We had other plans for the facilities but these plan were put on hold when the race horses were put back into the arena in 2007. More to come soon on this project.

Looks like the pulls for 2008 are going to be bigger and better than ever! We have plans for a raffle and more! More to come from the project committee soon.

The JCEC at the January meeting voted to finish our Lake Selmac Project. We have planned a trail ride on March 1st to ride the trails and talk about the maps we plan make and where to set the markers. Working with Carol Crawford Meyer's our own trail master for the club we plan to post trail maps to enhance the use of the current trail system that is near our camp ground that was established in the early part of the 2000's. We are very excited about this project and welcome your input. Please email cindy@smartack.com if you have an suggestions that will make this park a better place to ride.

The horse rescuers

Couple teaches emergency techniques for large animals; local organizations hope to launch rescue team

If Cris Usher and some of the other responders had had large-animal rescue training a year earlier, a horse that was stuck might still be around.

"Last year, the Applegate Fire District had a situation where a horse was in a pond," said Usher, of Applegate Fire District 9, the Josephine County Sheriff's Posse and Josephine County Equestrian Coalition. She said no one knew what to do and techniques she learned Saturday would have come in handy. "The horse ... did not make it."

There's no system in place to prevent the scene from happening again.

"Right now we can't expect to call 9-1-1 and have people respond," to a large-animal emergency, she said.

Usher is among the participants in a two-day large animal rescue clinic held Saturday and today. Local organizers hope to put together a team of responders in Jackson and Josephine counties.

Firefighters from Ashland and Grants Pass as well as California fire districts are attending the clinic held at Eden Farm in Ashland, as are employees of Josephine County Animal Control and local horse owners. The clinic is sponsored by the Josephine County Equestrian Coalition.

John and Deb Fox, firefighter volunteers with the Felton, Calif., Fire Protection District, have developed a training curriculum and manual on large-animal rescue techniques.

John Fox said he looked nationwide for information on equipment firefighters needed to rescue large animals and found nothing, so 12 years ago he and his wife took the initiative. Whether animals are trapped in a trailer wreck, a ditch, the mud, a lake or river, a ravine, a collapsed barn or a show ring, the clinic teaches skills to assist in saving them.

From making a rescue strap and strapping it around a horse's girth to flipping over a 450-pound recumbent manikin, the Foxes demonstrated numerous techniques, often done with standard fire engine equipment such as hoses, utility ropes and pike poles.

A large part of the clinic involves education on anatomy and behavior of a horse, said Deb Fox.

"Firefighters have a tendency to rush in," she said. "That doesn't work with these guys."

The Foxes also taught tips on how to stay out of danger, such as how to organize the ropes so they don't become entangled around the rescuer's legs, which would pose a risk if the horse suddenly took off. They also suggest rescuers keep their mouths closed and teeth together to avoid biting off their tongue should the horse suddenly jerk.

Jannalee Smithey, president of the Equamore Foundation, a nonprofit rescue organization in Ashland, is among the clinic organizers.

"We are forming a committee for equine rescue solutions," she said. In addition to encouraging firefighter and law enforcement training, she hopes to create a list of citizens available to help because rescues can require a large team of people.

The techniques can apply to cows, llamas and pigs, too.

"It's almost always horses," said John Fox, adding that for many people a horse is more like a family member, and owners may put more effort into trying to save it.

For more information or to get involved in large animal rescue in Jackson and Josephine counties, call Jannalee Smithey, 535-6607.

We are still looking into making a trail out at 4 mile lake. We are gathering information at this time and more to come soon.

We represent the Josephine County Equestrian Coalition (JCEC), a non-profit organization formed in 2001. We represent a majority of the Horse Clubs and individual owners in Josephine County. Our purpose is to promote and enhance horse activities in Josephine County. In our short history we have, with cooperation of the Josephine County Parks Dept. built the horse camp at Lake Selmac, and in conjunction with BLM helped with improvements of Cathedral Hill Park. April 2007 will be our third year of Equifair at the Josephine County Fairgrounds, a free event for the general public. 5000-10000 people are expected to attend the 2007 Equifair, which has grown to a 2-day event.

We would like to discuss the possibility of helping to develop a public multi-use facility on the undeveloped District 7 lands on the southwest side of Stringer Gap Road (37-06-03 tax lot 2100 & 37-06-10 tax lot 100). We believe that this would be an ideal setting for an Equine/Multi-use trail project including: improvement of the existing roads, development of an arena, stalls and parking areas and miles of trails (this land is adjacent to BLM land). This would benefit the High School Equestrian teams, 4H, and the general public. The trails would be developed to serve hikers as well as equestrians.

We will seek support from local businesses to help with the construction and financing of the project. At this time, we are prepared to finance an aerial mapping project to develop a base map which will be a fundamental part of the overall project plan. We are also prepared to take care of the up-keep and insurance for this proposed park.

We are an established non-profit organization and hope you will join us in making a contribution and gift to the youth and general public of Josephine County. This is a proposed project that will make a difference.

Current Projects:

The horse rescuers

Couple teaches emergency techniques for large animals; local organizations hope to launch rescue team