SEPTEMBER 29 -OCTOBER 1, 2023 
HOSTED AT: D BAR D RANCH, 7064 E 64TH ST., CHASE, MI 49623
 
JOIN THE MICHIGAN HORSE COUNCIL AND EQUINE TRAIL ENTHUSIASTS FOR THE 2023 STATEWIDE TRAIL RIDE WEEKEND! THIS EVENT WILL BE HOSTED AT THE BEAUTIFUL D BAR D RANCH WHERE CAMPING ACCOMMODATIONS CAN BE MADE ALONG WITH ACCESS TO VARIOUS TRAILS THAT CAN BE RIDDEN AT YOUR OWN PACE OR WITH GROUPS! 

Weekend Activities Include: 
➢ Guided group trail rides or ride the trails on your own. 
➢ Clinics by Tim Younglove - The Michigan Cowboy. 
➢ Friday evening campfire with live music.  
➢ MHC Ride Challenge awards banquet, BBQ dinner, live auction, and barn dance featuring Borderline Band (Separate ticketed event $25 per ticket) 
➢ Cowboy service and pancake breakfast on Sunday - benefit for the Susan P. Wheatlake Regional Cancer Center, hosted by D Bar D Ranch. 

Registration:
Event registration can be completed online here. Registration includes the opportunity to be a part of the guided trail rides, clinics and activities. 

Camping/Overnight Accommodations 
Camping/overnight accommodations can be completed with D Bar D Ranch. By submitting your registration with MHC this DOES NOT confirm accommodations at D Bar D Ranch. 
Bathrooms and showers available on site. 

PH: 231-878-2155 | Email: [email protected] | Web: dbardranchmichigan.com 
Additional Michigan Trail Riding Possibilities: https://www.mtra.org
P.O. Box 22008, Lansing, MI 48909 | PH: 517-252-2630 
Email: [email protected] | Web: michiganhorsecouncil.com 

Please text TROT to 80888 to sign up to be notified from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources of opportunities. If you have previously signed up notifications through TROT to 80888, are still in the DNR notification system. 

The MDNR has asked for a Michigan Shoreline Horse Friends volunteer group to be formed to help sustain these opportunities with Parking Lot Directors/Greeters/Hay and Manure Maintenance and ORV Dune Route Manure Maintenance. The Michigan Horse Council is providing a utility vehicle for Dune Route manure maintenance. 

We will be organizing a volunteer sign through Sign-Up Genius, so please consider which dates you may be able to volunteer. If you are traveling with family or a friend, you should be able to volunteer on the same dates as you ride as long as your horses are not left unattended. Please watch for a future email with those volunteer opportunities. 

Please join the Michigan Shoreline Horse Friends Facebook page to be informed of the most current information. Invite your friends also! https://www.facebook.com/groups/michiganshorelinehorsefriends/

Silver Lake State Park Lake Michigan Shoreline Horseback Riding Details: https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/things-to-do/horseback-riding/shoreline-riding

Participants must bring their own horses. 

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) will offer Daily Parking Reservations $10.00 /participant for 100 participants per day in the Silver Lake State Park ORV Parking Lot in Mears, Michigan. The MDNR is working on a reservation system hopefully to be ready Thursday, September 1st at 8:00a.m. to accept reservations for November SLSP Lake Michigan shoreline horseback riding. https://midnrreservations.com/

Participants and Volunteers must have a Michigan Recreation Passport on their vehicles.
https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/buy-and-apply/rec-pp

Participants will be allowed to traverse the most direct dune route across the SLSP ORV Dunes starting at the ORV Dune Exit Ramp, 1.1 miles of ORV Dune Route, to approximately three miles of SLSP Lake Michigan shoreline, and return the same ORV Dune Route. See map.

Participants are required to pick up their own hay and horse manure in the ORV Parking Lot and dispose in the Manure Collection Trailer or take back home in their own horse trailer. Please bring your own manure fork and muck bucket.

The SLSP ORV Dune Route manure maintenance will be maintained by the Michigan Shoreline Horse Friends volunteer group at the end of the day with the use of a utility vehicle and disposed in the Manure Collection Trailer in the ORV Parking Lot.

Please bring water for both you and your horses. Due to winterization, there will be no water available on site. 

There will be vault toilets available in the SLSP ORV Parking Lot and along the ORV Dune Route. 

THANK YOU for helping launch and sustain these fabulous opportunities for horseback riders!! We appreciate YOU and YOUR COOPERATION!!

More Information to Come Available Soon! 

This is a special event challenge for the Michigan Horse Council’s eligible members. All GPS recorded ride tracks ridden and posted to your Top Trail account from April 15 – August 31 will be included on the challenge leaderboard. How far will you ride this summer? Join the special Facebook group “The Michigan Horse Council’s Statewide Trail Ride Challenge” for announcements, motivation, encouragement, and assistance.
​
Group Rules:

• Top Trail Challenge Rules (https://www.toptrailhorse.com/top-trail/) apply plus:
• Must be an individual or family member of the Michigan Horse Council (affiliate group members status not eligible) Memberships can be purchased here: https://www.michiganhorsecouncil.com/membership-application.html
• Any trail ride counts for miles whether private or public trails. Arena riding does not.
• Miles/hours ridden between April 15 and August 31  will count towards the Challenge
• Must join the challenge group no later than July 1
• At the conclusion of the challenge, all ride tracks posted will be audited. Tracks posted that are disqualified will result in the loss of mileage and may affect the final results.

If you are already a Top Trail member:

1. Go to www.toptrailhorse.com
2. Log in
3. Go to the MHC page on Top Trail
   https://www.toptrailhorse.com/groups/michigan-horse-council/
4. Click the “Join Group” button
5. That’s it! They’re in!

 
If you are NOT already a Top Trail member, you will need to join:

1. Go to www.toptrailhorse.com
2. Upper right corner, click the purple “Sign Up” button
3. Fill in the profile information and create their account
4. Once logged in, go to https://www.toptrailhorse.com/memberships/
5. Locate the “Michigan Horse Council” membership item and click “Select”
6. Follow the checkout process
7. They will automatically be added to the MHC group on Top Trail

Join the Michigan Horse Council and equine trail enthusiasts for the 2022 Statewide Trail Ride weekend! This event will be hosted at the beautiful D Bar D Ranch where camping accommodations can be made along with access to various trails that can be ridden at your own pace or with groups!

 If you are not camping hotel accommodations can be made with Holiday Inn: 1005 Perry Ave. Big Rapids, MI and mention the Michigan Horse Council. ​

Join the MHC Ride Challenge through Top Trail! The Michigan Horse Council will be participating beginning 5/1 to 8/31 and recognizing winners at the Statewide Trail Ride Weekend!
It is easy as 1,2,3...
1. Purchase an individual membership through MHC
2. Register and pay through Top Trail
3. Start riding!!

MHC Member Registration - https://www.michiganhorsecouncil.com/membership...
Top Trail Registration - https://www.toptrailhorse.com/tth.../membership-checkout/...
Learn More About Top Trail - https://www.toptrailhorse.com/start-here/
MHC Ride Challenge Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/mhctoptrailridechallenge/​