Trail Pals
The SWAHA Trail Pals Program is designed for the person who would like to earn awards with their Appaloosa and not have to compete in a show ring environment, and to encourage riding of your favorite Appaloosa just for the fun of it! This program will recognize your personal achievement with your Appaloosa and you will also be eligible for a year end “most hours logged” award on a one horse, one rider basis.
The only hours that qualify for this Pals program are hours actually earned “on the trail”. This includes any trail ride, parade or any other outside enjoyment just riding around on your “Pal”. Hours ridden in any arena or round pen (indoor or out), or on any showgrounds will NOT count.
Hours ridden on any County State or National Part Trail will count as double.
For personal achievement, all riders will receive an official SWAHA Trail pals patch for completion of the first 100 hours logged per horse/rider nominated, along with a 100 hour Chevron bar. After the first 100 hours, Chevron bars will be awards for completion of 200, 300, 500, 800, 1000, 1200 and 1500 hours of riding per horse/rider nominated. All hour totals will carry over from year to year for the Pal’s Chevron program only, as long as you stay a current member of SWAHA and sign up for the Trail Pals program annually with the same horse/rider combination. If you do not sign up for the program annually or are not a SWAHA member for any year, your hours logged will be voided, and you will have to start over again at 0 hours.
A year end grand and reserve high point award will be given to the horse/rider combination who has logged the most hours during one calendar year. There will be three age divisions - youth 18&under, 19-49, and the 50&over. There will be a Grand and Reserve award for each division.You will be responsible for getting your log sheets to the Pals program record keeper on time at year’s end to be included in the year end award totals. (All 2006 hours that you wish to count for the high point awards must be in the hands of the Pals program record keeper by January 5th, 2007, regardless of where you stand in the Chevron totals.) High point awards will be given at the annual SWAHA banquet.
As this Trail Pals program will be run on an honor system, please be accurate and honest in your hour reporting. Remember the spirit in which this program was created, and it will surely be a success!
Trail Pals Program Requirements:
You must be a SWAHA member during all of the time accounted for on our log sheets. SWAHA memberships run from January 1st thru December 31st, and only hours logged while a SWAHA member will count.
One horse and one rider for each nomination. (You may nominated and ride any number of horses, but each horse/rider combination needs to be nominated annually and fees paid.)
Each horse/rider combination must be kept on separate official log sheets.Your first official log sheets will be mailed to you on confirmation of your entry into the Pals program and membership status.
All log sheets are to be sent to the Trail Pals hour keeper on completion of goal hours. (Please keep copies for your own records.) Do not send log sheets to any other SWAHA program point keepers, only the Trail Pals hour keeper is listed on your log sheets!
Your horse must be a registered Appaloosa, regardless of N, CN or regular classification, and can be of any sex.
Riders do not have to own the horse they ride, as long as it is a registered appaloosa.
Thank you and have fun riding with your “Pal”.