# Managing a ride



## phantomhorse13 (Feb 18, 2011)

I can't answer any of those questions myself, but a friend who does ride manage has talked about a yahoo ride managers group. If u are interested, I can ask her for the info. I would think they would be a wealth of knowledge.

And I wish I was closer!!


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## Joe4d (Sep 1, 2011)

Join and then contact AERC, tons of info and they will bend over backwards getting you set up. Look at the AERC calendar and find a ride near you go volunteer and you will start getting an idea of what is involved.


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## Painted Horse (Dec 29, 2006)

You will need to look at the AERC calendar and picka date. They usually have some protection for existing rides. So you can't put a ride on the same date as previously scheduled ride. Unless you are x number of miles away from that conflicting ride. So look at what rides are scheduled and pick a date when you want to do your ride and nothing else is scheduled close by.

Once you have a date submit it to AERC for sanctioning. They will send you a check list for follow deadlines that need to be submitted to them. 

You will need to purchased insurance for the ride. More than likely AERC will dictate who they want you to purchase that insurance from.

If any of the ride is held on Forest Service, or BLM, or State lands. You will need to secure a permit from the managing agency. The Forest Service for example will have a multiple page application that needs to be filled out with a permit fee. They will also want 10% of the revenue generated and will a liability policy naming them as beneficiary. They will also have guidelines for any trail markers you put up, when you can put them up, when they have to be removed by etc.

You will need to line up your vets/judges for the ride.

Most all of the above is done in the fall before the ride. In the spring or summer, you will have to start on the following.

Map your trail. Submit the mileage to AERC for approval.
Start working on your awards, ribbons, prizes etc.
Any entertainment, BBQ's, meals etc.
Getting water or any other necessities hauled into base camp. Porta Potties, water tanks for horses, camping for riders, pavilions to meet under if the weather turns, etc
You will need to line up volunteers to ribbon the trail the day or two before the ride and after the ride to pull ribbons.
Volunteers for P&Rs

These are just a few of the things that I remember from the rides I've managed.


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## Joe4d (Sep 1, 2011)

the landowner could also put the word out, "I have X" land and X miles of trails and am willingv to host an AERC event, need an experienced RM. Then your club can host it, and you could assistant RM. learn for next year.


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## jillybean19 (Dec 23, 2011)

phantomhorse13 said:


> I can't answer any of those questions myself, but a friend who does ride manage has talked about a yahoo ride managers group. If u are interested, I can ask her for the info. I would think they would be a wealth of knowledge.
> 
> And I wish I was closer!!


Yes Yes Yes! Thank you


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## jillybean19 (Dec 23, 2011)

Joe4d said:


> Join and then contact AERC, tons of info and they will bend over backwards getting you set up. Look at the AERC calendar and find a ride near you go volunteer and you will start getting an idea of what is involved.


Already a member - thanks for reminding me what a great resource they are!


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## jillybean19 (Dec 23, 2011)

Painted Horse said:


> You will need to look at the AERC calendar and picka date. They usually have some protection for existing rides. So you can't put a ride on the same date as previously scheduled ride. Unless you are x number of miles away from that conflicting ride. So look at what rides are scheduled and pick a date when you want to do your ride and nothing else is scheduled close by.


Yes, a friend of mine had a snafu with those lately so I have seen first hand how the X number of miles thing affects the rides.



Painted Horse said:


> Once you have a date submit it to AERC for sanctioning. They will send you a check list for follow deadlines that need to be submitted to them.


Great! That's exactly the information I'll need, so I'm glad to know I'll get that from them and when.



Painted Horse said:


> You will need to purchased insurance for the ride. More than likely AERC will dictate who they want you to purchase that insurance from.


How much does insurance usually run?



Painted Horse said:


> If any of the ride is held on Forest Service, or BLM, or State lands. You will need to secure a permit from the managing agency. The Forest Service for example will have a multiple page application that needs to be filled out with a permit fee. They will also want 10% of the revenue generated and will a liability policy naming them as beneficiary. They will also have guidelines for any trail markers you put up, when you can put them up, when they have to be removed by etc.


I'm not sure how many miles of trails would be in her 6000 acres, but I think the entire ride will be on private land. This seems to be an advantage given this explanation.



Painted Horse said:


> You will need to line up your vets/judges for the ride.


How do I find those?



Painted Horse said:


> Most all of the above is done in the fall before the ride. In the spring or summer, you will have to start on the following.
> 
> Map your trail. Submit the mileage to AERC for approval.
> Start working on your awards, ribbons, prizes etc.
> ...


I think we'll probably be doing this in a bit of a reverse order. If we committed to this, we'd want to have our ride in 2014, so we're going to spend next year exploring the land and scouting trails. As we do that, we'll probably figure out a rough map, planning water, figuring out camping and accessibility, and planning the other details that will need to be finalized closer to the ride. Once we've explored it and decided it's a feasible thing, then we'll get the paperwork into AERC. At least that's my idea of how our timeline will probably work 

This post was very helpful and got me even more excited about having a ride!


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## jillybean19 (Dec 23, 2011)

Joe4d said:


> the landowner could also put the word out, "I have X" land and X miles of trails and am willingv to host an AERC event, need an experienced RM. Then your club can host it, and you could assistant RM. learn for next year.


We'll have to see if someone in the area would be willing to manage the ride. I don't necessarily want to be a manager, but I want to make it happen. I just don't know if there's anyone with experience that'd be willing and able to - I guess we'll see!


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## Joe4d (Sep 1, 2011)

Well you will actually need a AERC certified ride manager, I think you will also need a certified trail master . Contact AERC, I know they maintain a list of endurance vets, Should also have list and contact info for RM... Not certain but I believe Ride manager works on a mentor program, basically you have to be an assitant RM first. Check your magazine for stephanie teeters poc, she is the RM director for your area, magazine has email and phone number for her. Thats who can either answer your questions or tell you who to talk to. unless that was the Steph you were referring to in your OP.

lots of your questions answered here, http://www.aerc.org/Ride_Managers__Forms.aspx#GettingStarted


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## jillybean19 (Dec 23, 2011)

Joe4d said:


> Well you will actually need a AERC certified ride manager, I think you will also need a certified trail master . Contact AERC, I know they maintain a list of endurance vets, Should also have list and contact info for RM... Not certain but I believe Ride manager works on a mentor program, basically you have to be an assitant RM first. Check your magazine for stephanie teeters poc, she is the RM director for your area, magazine has email and phone number for her. Thats who can either answer your questions or tell you who to talk to. unless that was the Steph you were referring to in your OP.
> 
> lots of your questions answered here, Ride Managers - Forms


Indeed it was, but I didn't know she was the RM director. Makes sense, though! I'll have to get in touch with her. 

I also found this article that was very helpful:
http://aerc.org/upload/RideManager.pdf


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## traildancer (Oct 27, 2010)

Where in Oregon are you moving?


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## jillybean19 (Dec 23, 2011)

traildancer said:


> Where in Oregon are you moving?


Hermiston area - we're actually starting a club for people in NE Oregon and SE Washington for endurance and trail riders


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## traildancer (Oct 27, 2010)

Bummer,--I live on the other side of the state. But lots of luck in your endeavor.


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## mls (Nov 28, 2006)

Joe4d said:


> Well you will actually need a AERC certified ride manager, I think you will also need a certified trail master .


You do not need a certifed ride manager or trail master. The ride needs to be SANCTIONED by AERC to count towards AERC points and thus follow the AERC rules and procedures.

I was a ride manager for many years.


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## jillybean19 (Dec 23, 2011)

traildancer said:


> Bummer,--I live on the other side of the state. But lots of luck in your endeavor.


Oh, you mean the pretty side with all the endurance rides?


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## jillybean19 (Dec 23, 2011)

mls said:


> You do not need a certifed ride manager or trail master. The ride needs to be SANCTIONED by AERC to count towards AERC points and thus follow the AERC rules and procedures.
> 
> I was a ride manager for many years.


Yeah, I couldn't find anything in the handbook about having to have prior experience or any certification. We'd be SOL if that was the case - and I imagine there wouldn't be any new rides in new areas! We don't have anything else close, but we do have quite a few riders interested in putting this on. Plus, we're thinking about doing it in conjunction with a Ride N Tie as well!


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