Bedford County Investigators Searching for Horse Slasher

Montvale, VA-Three horses in Montvale are on the mend after investigators say someone slashed their throats.

The horse’s owner Karen Sharpe says she can’t believe anyone would do something like this. Sharpe was boarding the horses at a relative’s house when the incident happened.

Sharpe’s little family of horses, Mary Jane, Roxy, and Rainey are all on the mend, stitches now covering their wounds.

“Someone took a knife and tried to slit the throats of the three horses,” said Major Ricky Gardner with the Bedford County Sheriff’s Office.

Some of their cuts are six to eight inches long and three to four inches deep.

The youngest horse, Rainey had the worse cut of the three horses. But the owner says all of the horses are expected to make a full recovery.

Relatives say some of the horses have become skittish and shy to come near the gate, but time is healing those wounds as well.

“Obviously whoever did this is a very mean spirited person that would do that to an animal,” said Major Gardner.

Investigators say they believe this is an isolated incident.

If you know anything about this crime, call the Bedford County Sheriff’s Office or Crime Stoppers at 1-888-798-5900.

From www.wset.com

Back Country Horsemen of America Recognized by Local and National Organizations

By Sarah Wynne Jackson

When you ride your horse down a well-groomed trail with level footing, no
low branches, sturdy bridges, and safe water crossings, do you stop to
think what it took to make that happen? Ask any Back Country Horsemen of
America member and they’ll tell you: long hours of hard work, lots of
sweat, and personal funds spent on fuel and supplies.

Maintaining trails for horse use is far from glamorous, but without it,
where will we ride? It may seem like a thankless job, but Back Country
Horsemen of America are happy to do it and organizations large and small
see the difference BCH folks are making.

Just Doing What They Do
All Back Country Horsemen believe in the value of volunteerism, so it’s no
wonder that many of their accolades center around trail work. On a rainy
day in September, seven members of Hoosier Back Country Horsemen of Indiana
volunteered their time and equipment to repair storm damage at Youngs Creek
Horse Camp in Hoosier National Forest.

Straight-line winds had hit the camp, blowing down large trees which
damaged the water trough, fence, and highline posts. The folks from Hoosier
BCH cleared debris, repaired the fence, and installed new highline posts.
They used a tractor to remove fallen trees and large branches. They also
performed general maintenance, such as trimming tall grass in the fenced
area.

Nancy Myers, Outdoor Recreation Planner of Region 9, Hoosier National
Forest, Tell City Ranger District, recently recognized Hoosier Back Country
Horsemen on the US Forest Service’s “Success Stories” web page for their
assistance in cleaning up Youngs Creek Horse Camp.

Nancy wrote, “The Hoosier Back Country Horsemen are a great partner and
very willing to volunteer for trailhead and trail projects. They even
agreed to help on another trail gravelling project on the German Ridge
Trail in November. The Tell City recreation staff is very appreciative of
the Hoosier Back Country Horsemen’s hard work and willingness to enhance
recreation opportunities for equestrians on the Hoosier National Forest.”

Making the Connection
Back Country Horsemen across the country go out of their way to nurture
good relationships with public land managers. Back Country Horsemen of
Middle and South Georgia have a strong working relationship with the folks
at A.H. Stephens State Historic Park. They volunteer throughout the year on
various projects, such as trail work days, special events, securing grants,
and hosting and assisting with several equestrian programs.

As a result, the equestrian facility is now more user friendly with higher
visitation rates, generates more revenue, and has receive positive feedback
from guests. Andre Mclendon, Park Manager at A.H. Stephens State Historic
Park, recently sent a letter of thanks to Back Country Horsemen of Middle
and South Georgia.

Andre ended his letter with this sentiment, “Words cannot express how much
we appreciate your support. Every day we take one step closer to achieving
our goal. It is to be the best equestrian facility that our Georgia State
Park system has to offer. With your support I am confident that we can
attain our goal. Thank you so much for your contributions. All of our
accomplishments from this past year are proof that we can make a
difference.”

National Recognition
Responsible recreation is a major tenet of Back Country Horsemen of America
and has been a focus of Back Country Horsemen of Washington since their
formation in 1976. BCHW’s current Leave No Trace educational program has
been in existence for 15 years, and is funded mostly from grants through
the US Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration
Recreational Trails Program.

The Coalition for Recreational Trails, a federation of national and
regional trail-related organizations, gives seven achievement awards each
year to recognize outstanding use of Recreational Trails Program funds. In
2010, BCHW’s Leave No Trace Educational Program received the award in the
category of Environment and Wildlife Compatibility.

The entire BCHW Leave No Trace program is run by volunteers dedicated to
teaching others responsible recreation. This national award is a great
honor for all BCHW members who work and support this educational program
with their time and effort. Back Country Horsemen of Washington members
also made donations to cover the travel expenses of three BCHW officers to
accept the award in person in Washington, D.C.

Share the Trail
Back Country Horsemen of America believes in sharing trails amiably with
other users, and BCH Eagle Creek of Kentucky exemplifies that ideal with
their outstanding cooperation with the Kentucky Mountain Bike Association.
The two organizations recently worked together on a clean up work day on a
county-owned reservoir multi-use trail system.

Chris Lockard, President of the Bluegrass Chapter of the Kentucky Mountain
Bike Association, sent BCH Eagle Creek a warm letter of appreciation. He
wrote in part, “I just wanted to take a moment and thank you for extending
an invitation out to the KY Mountain Bike Association to participate in the
trail day sponsored by the Back Country Horsemen of Eagle Creek. You and
your group were great to work with. The local mountain biker community
found it rewarding to work with the equestrians on trail improvements at
the county reservoir property.”

Chris also pointed out the benefits of different trail user groups working
together toward a common goal, something well understood by Back Country
Horsemen of America. Interactions between user groups helps foster
understanding and positive relationships, as well as respect and value for
each other’s right to a quality trail experience.

About Back Country Horsemen of America
It’s clear that public land managers, other trail users, and national
organizations recognize the huge difference Back Country Horsemen are
making. Responsible recreation and protecting our right to ride isn’t just
a philosophy; it’s a responsibility that requires action in a variety of
forms. Back Country Horsemen of America is proud to live up to that and get
the job done.

BCHA is a non-profit corporation made up of state organizations,
affiliates, and at large members. Their efforts have brought about positive
changes regarding the use of horses and stock in the wilderness and public
lands.

If you want to know more about Back Country Horsemen of America or become a
member, visit their website: www.backcountryhorse.com; call 888-893-5161;
or write PO Box 1367, Graham, WA 98338-1367. The future of horse use on
public lands is in our hands!