I grew up on a farm in rural New Jersey. Horses have always been my passion. I was riding before I could walk and even though I spent most of my life focused on competition I’ve always loved trail riding. There’s just something about it. Being alone with your horse surrounded by the beauty of nature is so special. I know I’m not the only one that feels this way so I created Happy Trails to connect folks around the world and discuss issues of interest to trail riders.

A few years ago, I made a radical change. I went from living a pretty normal life to traveling with my horses full time. In June of 2018 my partner, Byron and I left New Jersey in our trailer and started living as digital nomads. We’ve been traveling, riding and rock climbing all over North America ever since. We’ve visited some incredible places and I want to share those with you. So in this podcast, you can expect to hear about specific places to ride and camp with your horse. I’ve also met lots of cool people along the way who have their own stories of fantastic destinations. 

I also want to share the knowledge I’ve gained through these experiences so some episodes will have a how-to type of format. I’ll tell you about how we find places to stay with our horses, how we set up our campsite, how we take care of daily necessities for both us and the horses, and what it’s like finding feed and veterinary services on the road. As well as, the vaccinations and paperwork that are needed for interstate travel.  

There are tons of potential pitfalls when it comes to keeping horses in this highly mobile lifestyle of ours. My horses’ welfare is of utmost importance and I do everything I can to keep them healthy. I’ll share my strategies for keeping the horses happy and safe on long distance hauls, in public boarding facilities and crowded horse camps, and with ever changing sources of feed and hay.

Riding in the West is so different from what I was accustomed to on the East coast. It took some getting used to. At first I was nervous about riding out into the wilderness and getting lost or injured. Over time and with some preparation I began to feel at home in the backcountry. I hope I can help you by addressing the same fears that you might have. We’ll talk about navigation, first-aid, preparedness, and much more.

Of course training your trail horse is incredibly important for a good ride, whether that’s in the backcountry or just on the back forty. I’ll discuss training topics and skill sets that will help you stay safe when you head out on the trail.

I’ve met people from all over the world in my travels and I always love hearing about what the trails are like where they’re from so we’ll also hear about some international destinations on the show. 

Getting out on some long rides is a goal of mine but I have a lot to learn about horse packing before doing so. I will speak with some experts who can help guide me and get me started. 

Trail horses come in all shapes and sizes. There are so many breeds in the world. Many have been selected to specialize in particular disciplines but that doesn’t mean they can’t be a good trail horse. I’ve heard from people doing incredible things on the trail with some very non-traditional equines. 

I still have a competitive drive but now instead of showing in an arena, I compete on trails in Endurance. There are all kinds of trail sports out there that you may not be aware of, like Mounted orienteering, Competitive Trail, Ride and Tie, and Equathon. Many of the skills utilized in these competitions directly relate to useful skills that can be applied in recreational riding.

If you’re going to venture out in a group it’s important to be aware of trail etiquette so that you get invited back to ride with those friends again. Additionally, it’s a good idea to think about how your behavior affects other trail users when in a multi-use area.

Trail access for equestrians is under threat as populations increase and suburban sprawl claims more and more open space. I’m acutely aware of this coming from a densely populated state. There are groups doing great work advocating for trails preservation. I will speak with representatives of some of these groups in a future episode about things that riders like you and I can do to ensure access to our open spaces.

I hope this has given you a taste of what to expect and has whet your appetite for future episodes. My goal is to make Happy Trails an entertaining and informative platform to share ideas and maybe even inspire you to set out on your own adventure!

Happy Trails was created and produced by Jessica Isbrecht.

The show’s music was written and performed by Jason Shaw.

Audio clips were provided by:

Jen Joines

Kryss Helfrich of Practical Horsemanship 

Krystal Kelly of Equestrian Adventuresses

Mary Schmitt

Holley Groshek of Equine Land Conservation Resource