TROT News and Updates

Equestrian trails in Little Bennett Park are now safer thanks to a Maryland Horse Industry Board grant provided to Trail Riders of Today (TROT).  21 equestrians volunteered their time on two sunny mornings during a beautiful June weekend to partner with Montgomery County Parks to participate in a pilot program to make bridges less slippery in parks for equestrians, mountain bikers, and hikers alike.  Two bridges were painted with a marine quality paint called DeckRead More
Hearing is March 9!!  (sign-up on March 7)WITNESSES FOR ORAL OR WRITTEN TESTIMONY ARE NEEDED!
This bill would allow state-wide, year round, Sunday hunting, and would— apply in every county in the state, — apply to private as well as public land, — allow hunting on all 52 Sundays of the year by repealing every sub-section in 10-410 (a)(1) with: “TheDepartment may allow a person to hunt on each Sunday of the game bird and mammalRead More
We will hopefully be partnering with MORE this year to again assist in some of the work they are doing on trails at Patuxent Here is a project update. Please look out for trail workday announcements. MORE has been waiting for some needed updates to their bridge design plans. They are now very close to having the updated bridge designs approved by SHA so they can order materials for the final trail bridge of PhaseRead More
We are excited to announce that recently TROT has been awarded a Maryland Horse Industry Board Grant to improve equestrian trails. The focus of the grant is to improve bridge traction at one of the favorite equestrian trail systems in Montgomery County, Little Bennet, by adding a non-slip surface to improve horse and rider confidence in the crossings. Little Bennett Regional Parks is unique in that it offers one of the few horse trailer campingRead More
Check out the hunting seasons and dates in your county before your ride. https://dnr.maryland.gov/huntersguide/Documents/Hunting_Seasons_Calendar.pdfRead More
If you use Amazon as much as many of us do, you can add TROT on Amazon Smile. When you purchase goods through Amazon Smile, Amazon will donate 0.5% of eligible purchases to your favorite charitable organization, at no cost to you. Visit https://smile.amazon.com/ to make TROT your official charity today.Read More
Sunday August 8th, 2021 12 noon to 3pm – RSVP at trotactivity@yahoo.com by August 1st  Patapsco Valley State Park, McKeldin Area (GPS Coordinates 39.35982-7689112)  11676 Marriottsville Road, Marriottsville, MD 21104 McKeldin Pavilion #501  Due to the pandemic TROT was unable to hold its annual dinner but now is the perfect time to have a picnic ! Come and gather to see old riding buddies and meet new ones. A lot has happened in the last year,Read More
Updates on COVID-19 from the Maryland Horse Council Hello TROT members, The Board and I hope you all are staying healthy in the times of COVID-19. I wanted to share the latest update from the Maryland Horse Council (MHC) with you. MHC is staying up to date with everything COVID-19 and sharing how the developments are affecting equestrians. We hope that this information is helpful for you! To download the full message from MHC, pleaseRead More
Trail Riders of Today 2020 Annual Meeting and Dinner February 15th, 2020 | Mount Airy, MD Celebrating 40 Years Originally founded in 1980 by a group of 22 Maryland riders seeking to save a single trail, Trail Riders Of Today (TROT) expanded into a 501(c)3 organization focusing on preservation and creation of sustainable equestrian trails throughout Maryland. TROT partners with local organizations, state government agencies, land developers, and the public at large to maintain, obtain,Read More
TROT Presents Mountain Obstacle Course Double C Farm, LLC is Maryland’s first IMTCA certified course. This will be an instructor-led event with a maximum of 8 riders per session. Riding the obstacle course helps a horse and rider: Build a deeper partnership. Cultivate trust, respect, and confidence. Increase flexibility and agility. Develop better communication skills. And it’s FUN! The obstacles include Balance Beams, Rocks, Cross Bucks, Pond, Bridges, Teeter Totter, Texas Two Step, Cake Box,Read More

April 3, 2019

Get Ready to Ride!

So you want to go trail riding…. Good! I encourage you to. I happen to think it is one of the most fun things to do in the world. But, a little bit of planning and thought, will make the experience more fun and safe for you, and more importantly, your horse. Before you go.. Know where you are going. That seems simple, right? Map Quest, directions off the site, or plotting on a roadRead More
Trail Etiquette for Equestrians* Make sure your horse has the temperament and training for riding on congested public trails. Busy multi-use trails are not the proper place for schooling green horses. Advise other trail users of your horse’s temperament, e.g. a horse with a tendency to kick should always wear a red ribbon in the tail or a stallion should wear a yellow ribbon. Assume that not everyone will know what these ribbons mean, soRead More
YEAR-ROUND SUNDAY HUNTING IN CECIL COUNTY ON PRIVATE AND PUBLIC LAND! A bill that would allow virtually year-round Sunday hunting of almost every species of game mammal and game bird on both private and public land has passed the House and moved over to the Senate. This bill (HB242), if it passes the Senate and is signed by the Governor, will become law. THIS MEANS IT IS VERY CLOSE TO PASSAGE, as the Senate isRead More
YEAR-ROUND SUNDAY HUNTING IN ST. MARY’S  COUNTY! A bill that would allow virtually year-round Sunday hunting of almost every species of game mammal and game bird has passed the Senate and moved over to the House. This bill (SB390), if it passes the House and is signed by the Governor, will become law. THIS MEANS IT IS VERY CLOSE TO PASSAGE, as the House is likely to approve it UNLESS THEY HEAR FROM YOU! If thisRead More