Micki is the ultimate trail rider with years of experience in the saddle.  Micki has endless stories of equine adventures, from leisurely rides on trails to assisting Mounted Search and Rescue on several missions.  Micki has proven time and time again to be reliable, trustworthy, and skilled in navigating any terrain.

I have been around Micki for a few years now and appreciate getting to talk with Micki and share her story.

 

Riding has always been a passion of mine and I have learned a lot of do’s and don’ts.  Some of the best advice I could give someone starts with this, no matter how old you are, don’t let AGE STOP YOU!  But take the time to get yourself prepared.

  1. Don’t ride alone when starting out and always tell someone where you’re riding. Have your cell phone charged and carry it with you on your body if possible.
  2. Take the time to do a lot of ground training and riding at home, create a bond with your horse and make sure they have good manners.  (If you don’t have manners on the ground, you won’t’ have it on their back).
  3.  Seek out clinicians that teach trail course with obstacles, reason you say???  Being with a clinician they can help you get your horse over obstacles that your horse is afraid of before you hit the trails… it will help you out in the woods.
  4. Last, but no least – If you can sign up for SELF DEFENSE ON THE TRAIL, this will help you learn things such as safety if approached by a human predator wanting to pull you off your horse.  This will help you know exactly what to do to protect yourself and get away.  Also how to deal with other people’s dogs on the trail.  We all have to share the trails system now days. with walkers, hikers with backpacks, bikers and some not so nice people that want to hurt you.  WHEN YOU PREPARE YOURSELF AND BECOME KNOWLEDEABLE, your trail riding can be SO MUCH FUN!

My favorite way to give back to the community was joining Search and Rescue – SAR.  It is a huge responsibility; it helps to teach me to not be so selfish within myself.  Saving lives of people you don’t know, bringing back loved ones back to their families, no matter what the outcome may be.  We make a commitment to not stop searching until the person is found.

We do this unconditionally… SAR is not for everyone, but we are valuable in other ways.  I incorporate my horses into SAR and it creates such a bond with your riding partner.

So, if you are looking for something to do keeping busy?  Seek out helping somewhere in the community.  It will definitely make you feel good!

Happy Trails,

Micki Jurado