Patrolling the coast for enemy submarines was Equestrian Trails, Inc.’s, original mission when it was organized in Long Beach in 1944. Now heading toward its sixth decade, “ETI,” as it is better known, has adjusted its agenda to suit the challenges facing today’s equestrians. According to its current mission statement, the non-profit organization is “dedicated to the acquisition and preservation of trails, good horsemanship and equine legislation.”
ETI’s membership is concentrated in Southern California, primarily in the Los Angeles area. Its approximately 3,000 members belong to “Corrals” that are grouped by a combination of riding preferences and geography.
As ETI’s 59th Annual National Horse Show and Convention, “Horse Heaven in 2007,” gets underway in Los Angeles the week of July 21-29, the organization is thriving. That is thanks to the efforts of hundreds of volunteers, led by president Barbara Maxwell-Ryan. Barbara is currently serving her second of two, two-year terms.

Barbara grew up in the Pacific Northwest, where she began riding at 4. She moved to California in 1980 and had to pare down her string of nine horses to one. But, by 1987, she and her husband, Chris Ryan, had settled into one of Los Angeles’ horsier neighborhoods, Shadow Hills, and Barbara gradually accumulated seven equines.
She still has her first Trail Trial horse, the retired, 31 year old, Diamond, and she has recently become addicted to dressage, riding the half-Lusitano, Corsa, under the tutelage of trainer Maggie Broekman.
Barbara, who works full time at her own CPA firm in Los Angeles, estimates that her ETI post accounts for 15 to 20 hours per week of volunteer time. Seven a.m. riding lessons enable her to keep up with her horses, and she’s found the ETI post both challenging and gratifying.
California Riding Magazine editor Kim F. Miller enjoyed chatting with Barbara about ETI’s priorities and its interesting and valuable past, present and future.

Kim: What have been some of ETI’s most significant recent accomplishments?
Barbara: We have tried to come into the 21st Century, which is difficult as a non-profit. We’ve become more technologically current thanks to those kind enough to donate equipment and time. We have a website (www.etinational.com) and many of our Corrals have their newsletters online.
Fiscal issues were one of the biggest issues when I came on board. We were living a kind of hand-to-mouth existence. In recent years, we’ve concentrated on fundraising so that we have some money in the bank.
We have really stepped up our involvement with trails issues. Our National Trail Coordinator Lynn Brown writes a column for our magazine in which she keeps members apprised of what’s going on. That’s a full time job! We sent her to the National Trails Conference and she, and ETI in general, keep in touch with many other trail organizations, both equestrian groups and organizations of other trail users.
It’s a little hard to answer this question because each of our Corrals has their own projects and accomplishments. And some of ETI’s broader accomplishments have been achieved in working with other organizations.
ETI has many diverse accomplishments. Our Corrals raised over $20,000 to help care for horses hit by Katrina. We are currently involved in a horsekeeping rights issue involving Malibu Valley Farms and the Coastal Commission (see the Gallop, page 8) that could affect horsekeeping rights throughout the state. ETI was also instrumental in getting Martinez Arena, in Griffith Park, dedicated in perpetuity for equestrian use.

Kim: Has the generally increasing threat to trail space inspired new waves of effective equestrian advocacy?
Barbara: Well, I wish I could say so. It’s often said that we equestrians are our own worst enemy. As a general rule, horse groups are not good at gathering the troops and presenting a united front, at least not compared to other groups like the Sierra Club and off-roading people, who wield a lot of power and money.
However, with 3,000 members, ETI has some leverage. When we speak to politicians, they listen. We try to use that responsibly; to not go off the deep end. We have to talk to and work with other groups, rather than say it’s horses only and ignore other users.

Kim: When did you first get involved with ETI?
Barbara: Shortly after I moved here, about 15 years ago, and originally with the local Corral in Shadow Hills. I got involved with National through my CPA background. I helped develop our bookkeeping and financial systems.

Kim: What are ETI’s membership trends?
Barbara: From what I understand, in the 1970s, ETI was bigger than it is now. The convention was held in Ventura and it was huge and prosperous. Then things took a nose dive in the 1980s. In the last seven years, it’s really been picking up. We are expecting 600 rides at the Horse Show and Convention and we’ve had to expand it over two weekends.

Kim: The show has such a variety of competition. Do most participants compete in several categories?
Barbara: There are a lot of people that will ride in the gymkhana and/or trail trial the first weekend, then also show in other classes the following weekend at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center. That’s when we have english flat and over fences, western, trail, halter, drill team, dressage, etc. And, also that’s when we have the crowning of the Junior Ambassador Court at a banquet, which is a big highlight. The growth of the Junior Ambassador program is another thing we are very happy about.

Kim: Do most of ETI’s members compete?
Barbara: Showing is only one aspect of ETI. Each Corral tends to take on its own personality. Some Corrals are heavily into trail rides and horse camping. Some areas, like Shadow Hills and Sylmar, have two Corrals.
Prospective new members can call our national office for information on what general orientation certain Corrals have.

Kim: It confuses me that ETI is a national organization, but it really seems to be concentrated in Los Angeles. Why is that?
Barbara: Back in the 1970s, there was a large concentration of members who were involved with Tennessee Walking Horses and who lived outside of California. It was pretty tough to run it long distance, so it long ago became mostly concentrated in Southern California.
We now have Corrals as far north as Fresno and Bishop, and as far south as Orange County. We are open to new Corrals. San Diego, especially, would be a great place for a new Corral because there are plenty of horses to support varied interests. You only need 15 members to get a Corral started.

Kim: What has been the most gratifying aspect of your presidency so far?
Barbara: Seeing ETI get on its feet financially. We now have three people in the office. They get real world wages and even, for the first time, paid vacation! The growth of the Junior Ambassador program has been great. Debbie Foster has done a tremendous job with that program. They recently had a camp out of about 50 kids and parents, and they obviously had a great time!

Kim: What are your priorities going forward?
Barbara: We recently re-wrote the organization’s by-laws and the next step is revising the Corral kits, and other internal documents. My biggest goals are operational business goals that will ensure that ETI will continue no matter who is running it.
I’d like to see ETI continue to grow and continue to work on advocacy issues.

Kim: Thank you Barbara and see you at the Convention!
Barbara: You are welcome.