Trail Rider Magazine is sponsoring the Equine Land Conservation Resource’s (ELCR) six-seminar series at the International Equestrian Festival, set to run September 25 through October 10, 2010, in the Lexington Convention Center in the heart of downtown Lexington, Kentucky.

The Equine Land Conservation Resource is seizing this opportunity to present a seminar series presented by equestrian for equestrians, and focused on land and trail conservation issues that affect all horse enthusiasts.

“We are very excited to be working with Trail Rider Magazine to participate in the International Equestrian Festival,” said ELCR Chief Executive Officer, Deb Balliet. “Trail Rider truly understands the importance of protecting land and trails for horse-related activity. This series will be a wonderful way to share that importance and knowledge with horsemen and horse enthusiasts from across the country and the world.”

Each seminar will feature an expert speaker or speaker(s) and the presentations will cover a variety of topics including trails, farmland protection, land stewardship, land use planning and economic development.

On Monday, September 27th, participants in the seminar, “Sustainable Trail Building & Equestrian Trail System Development,” will learn the latest in equestrian trail building, including techniques for building sustainable trails and stream crossings. A discussion will follow on trail system development on public and private lands. Topics covered include planning, liability, land owner relationships, and trail easements. The presenters are Dennis Blackburn and Deb Balliet. Blackburn is a certified Trail Design and Construction Specialist. He has worked with Local, State and Federal agencies to build and maintain equine trails. Balliet, a frequent presenter at equestrian trail conferences, is ELCR’s Chief Executive Officer and is member of the Federal Interagency on Trails, the national Coalition for Recreational Trials and the American Horse Council’s Recreation Committee.

Wednesday, September 29th, Trail Rider Magazine and ELCR present “Stronger Together on the Trails: Organizing Horsemen & Partnering with Others.” Since cooperation amongst trail recreationists is necessary on public lands due to limited resources, this discussion of shared use trails, how to organize your fellow horsemen and ideas for collaboration with other trail users is a must for trail riders. Presenters will be Deb Balliet of ELCR and Debbie Caffin, the US Forest Service Southern Region Trails Program manager.

“Farmland Protection – Options and Financial Incentives for Preserving Land,” will be presented on Friday, October 1st. This comprehensive discussion about how to conserve your farm in perpetuity, ensure equine use, and gain an understanding of the financial benefits available for conservation should not be missed. Deb Balliet, Laurel Florio, J.D., Mackenzie Royce, Esq., and Nancy Hamill Winter will facilitate. Florio, a land use attorney, is a member of the Land Trust Alliance’s Land Conservation Leadership Program Faculty, speaks annually at the LTA National Rally, conducts seminars and training sessions for the LTA and other entities, as well as acts as a consultant to LTA, land trusts, landowners, governmental and other non-profit organizations around the country. Royce is an attorney serving as Executive Director of Bluegrass Conservancy, a private, nonprofit land trust which holds 68 conservation easements permanently protecting over 10,356 acres in the Horse Capital of the World, the Inner Bluegrass Region of Kentucky. Winter is the President of ELCR and has served on the Board of a number of conservation organizations including the Jo Daviess Conservation Foundation, The Nature Conservancy, and Morton Arboretum. Winter has placed equine friendly easements on several family farms.

Anyone interested in equines and the environment will benefit from the Tuesday, October 5th seminar, “Leave No Trace for Equestrians.” Dennis Blackburn, a Leave No Trace Master Educator, will teach you how to have a minimum impact on the land where you ride through an understanding of the seven principles of Leave No for horse use. The LNT goal is responsible enjoyment and active stewardship of the land we use for recreation and competition.

On Thursday, October 7th, “Maintaining Horse Sport & Recreation in Your Community – Equestrian Participation in Land Use Planning,” will give participants a firm understanding of equestrian participation in comprehensive, recreation and greenway planning and how to get involved, what to fight for and how to go about it in your community. Deb Balliet of ELCR and Mary Hanson will present. Hanson is an Outdoor Recreation Planner with the National Park Service’s Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance program.

Finally, on Friday, October 8th, participants in “Money Talks! Why the Economic Impact of the Horse Matters,” will learn how job creation, agri-tourism and construction are all benefits of a strong equine-based economy. The session will include case studies of how equines contribute to the bottom line. The presenter, Libbie Johnson, organized the nation’s first National Equine Economic Summit in North Carolina in 2007. Johnson chairs the Equine Advisory Committee for the Polk County (NC) Chamber of Commerce and the Polk County Economic Development Department and serves on several equine-related boards, including United States Pony Club, Equine Land Conservation Resource, North Carolina Farm Bureau and the NC Equine Study Advisory Board.

For more information about the Trail Rider seminar series, please visit http://www.elcr.org/resources/TRELCRsem.pdf

About the Equine Land Conservation Resource (ELCR)

The Equine Land Conservation Resource is the only national not-for-profit organization advancing the conservation of land for horse-related activity. ELCR serves as an information resource and clearinghouse for land and horse owners on issues related to equine land conservation, land use planning, land stewardship/best management practices, trails, liability and equine economic development. If you want to know more about ELCR, visit our website at www.elcr.org or call (859) 455-8383.

About Trail Rider Magazine

Trail Rider, An Active Interest Media publication, is targeted to horse-owning trail/recreational riders who wish to increase their knowledge of horses, horsemanship, trail riding, and horse camping to enhance the enjoyment of their chosen pursuits. The Trail Rider specializes in destination-oriented, from-the-saddle accounts and photographs, and fosters a sense of community among those who share a passion for riding adventures. Active Interest Media, Inc. (AIM) is a leading publisher of enthusiast magazines, consumer shows, books and Internet sites. AIM was formed by Wind Point Partners, a private equity investment firm with offices in Chicago, Ill., and Southfield, Mich., in partnership with CEO Efrem "Skip" Zimbalist III, in October 2003. The AIM Equine Network includes the print magazine titles American Cowboy, EQUUS, Horse & Rider, Practical Horseman, Dressage Today, Arabian Horse World, Discover Horses, EquiManagement, EquiShopper, In Stride, Spin to Win Rodeo and Trail Rider, and the websites EquiSearch.com, Equine.com, EquiShopper.com, HorseBooksEtc.com, DiscoverHorses.com, MyHorse.com, HitchUpMagazine.com and HorselinkMagazine.com.

About the International Equestrian Festival

The 2010 International Equestrian Festival presented by HRTV (September 25 – October 10, 2010), is a Horse Capital Productions event. Horse Capital Productions, LLC promotes entertainment, education, and tourism for the horse industry with large-scale events production and web-based education and entertainment solutions. For more information, visit http://horsecapitalproductions.com/index.php.