Any Trail Master will tell you that after taking the course you will never look at a trail the same. I go one step further. For some of us who are really into trail preservation, becoming a Trail Master brings a whole new level of work and responsibility. In the past I've tried to focus on our three responsibilities as endurance riders and trail preservation. They are:

1. Being off the horse and working on the trail

2. Working with our land managers in the planning process of how our trails are to be used, and

3. Working within the political process.

It looks to me as if we are doing much better with trail work and working with our land managers. But we still have a way to go when it comes to being engaged politically. More on that later.

During a recent class in Washington, we had land managers stop in from time to time during the class just to check it out and listen to Mike Riter, our instructor. Two of the land managers stayed for the entire class. Lots of positive feedback came from not only the two who graduated from the class but others who took some time to monitor the class when they could.

If we continue to build on the momentum we have going with our Trail Master classes it won't be long before AERC is the premier equine trail preservation organization in the world. My best guess is that in about two more years we will be making a significant impact with our land managers and we will be called upon to solve or be involved with more and more trail building projects.

We will not only be working with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the National Forest Service (NFS), the National Park Service (NPS) and state park organizations but other user groups. It's a real opportunity for us to take the leadership role in the design, construction and maintenance of new trails.

Over the years NFS and BLM, through their management plans, closed trails and put us on roadsÑtelling us we have trails to ride on. We all know road riding is not as much fun as riding on single-track trail. The only way for us to get our old trails back is for us to be able to prove to the land managers that we can build sustainable trails for today, tomorrow and beyond.

All we really want is access to our wildlands and to enjoy our trails. The old trails are out there; it's up to us to take them back. Remember: All you need is a horse and a trail.