Trail Rides
Please come out to enjoy a TROT trail ride and consider leading a ride yourself! TROT trail rides are fun and a great opportunity to learn new trails, meet other TROT members, and find a new trail riding buddy. To lead a ride, contact our trail ride coordinator, Trot Activity.
To participate in a scheduled ride:
- Contact the ride leader to sign-up and learn the ride’s starting time and other details.
- If a ride is postponed or cancelled, the ride leader will notify you.
- Check the TROT website and TROT and Maryland Trail Riders listservs for the most current ride information.
- All ride participants:
- Helmets are encouraged
- Provide appropriate documentation of current negative Coggins test for the horse, in compliance with Maryland state law.
- Be a TROT member – One-day TROT memberships are available at the ride for $5
If you need a ride to the event or can offer one, please email Trot Activity, so that this information can be included in an upcoming newsletter, or contact the ride leader.
Trail Maintenance
Anytime you are on a trail ride and if safe to do so, you can perform trail maintenance by clipping branches that impede passageway along a trail. In addition, you can participate in scheduled trail maintenance days.
Carolann Sharpe is the TROT Adopt-A-Trail coordinator and she has challenged all TROT members to perform two hours of trail maintenance a year. Please contact Carolann for additional information about participating in trail maintenance activities. She can be reached at president@trot-md.org.
Please report your trail work hours to Amy, who tracks this information for the state; these hours also help assess park usage.
Calendar
The Chincoteague Pony Swim is an annual tradition where the “Saltwater Cowboys” round up feral ponies from Assateague Island, Virginia, and guide them across the Assateague Channel to Chincoteague Island. Hosted by the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company, the multi-day July event is a massive fundraiser for the department.
Dates: The main events occur annually on the last consecutive Wednesday and Thursday in July.
The Swim (Wednesday): The wild horses swim across the Assateague Channel during slack tide (typically between 7:00 am and 1:00 pm).
The Auction (Thursday): Select foals are auctioned off to raise funds for the fire department and to help keep the wild herd population controlled. Buyback ponies are a popular feature, allowing the public to buy a foal and donate it back to the fire company so it can run wild on the island.
How to Plan Your VisitViewing the Swim: You can watch the pony swim from Veterans Memorial Park or by taking one of the many local commercial boat tours.Pony Parade & Carnival: After the swim, the ponies are paraded to the Chincoteague Carnival Grounds, where the fire department hosts nightly carnival rides, games, and entertainment.Parking and Logistics: Tens of thousands of people attend, so arriving before daybreak is highly recommended if you want a prime viewing spot and parking