Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
RFV Covid-19 Hay Bank
The RFVHC, in cooperation with End of the Trail Rescue from Olathe, CO, is establishing a Covid-19 haybank program. Hay will be available to those in need at either a discounted rate or at no cost. The primary goal of this program is to keep animals IN THEIR HOMES. When disasters such as this current pandemic occur, animals become unable to be cared for at an exponential rate. If we can assist our fellow community members and their animals through this crisis - we can prevent an increase in starving, neglected and unwanted horses and other large animals, not to mention help people keep their beloved animals with them.
Crown Jewel Horse Trail
The Roaring Fork Valley Horse Council is involved with the BLM and other partners in building a 12 mile horse and hiking only trail, the beautiful “Crown Jewel Horse Trail”. This spectacular trail will connect the Glassier Parking Lot off of Hooks Spur Lane in Emma and will traverse Crown Mountain to the Divide Parking Lot at the top of Prince Creek Road and West Sopris Creek Road. The views are breathtaking, there are looped rides if you prefer a shorter distance and the parking is easy to access, safe and excellent. This trail is not open to bicycles or 4-wheelers.
We are pursuing various avenues for grants, and no matter our source of funding the Horse Council will provide a minimum of $3-5000.00 this year adding to the $4000.00, which we spent last year on trails. We are proud to announce that we worked with partners Rocky Mountain Youth Corps; the RF Outdoor Volunteers; and the Roundup Riders of the Rockies; with additional supporters Pitkin County Open Space and Trails; Bob and Sue Pietrzak; Diana and Howard Vagneur and Western Adventures Inc.
Aspen Fire and Leslie Thomas Memorial Technical Large Animal Rescue
Aspen Fire is excited to coordinate a Large Animal Rescue class taught by experts coming up from the Front Range area.The training is scheduled to be held on August 6-7-8, the classes are to help train and equip a valley-wide Large Animal Rescue response team.
This class was initially brainstormed by both law and fire agencies in response to multiple large animal incidents. They will be training a multi-disciplinary team consisting of not only law, fire and EMS responders but also Veterinarians from the valley.
They will be offering two courses. The First Course is targeted at the Awareness/Operations level responders that will be an evening class on how to operate around large animals to keep the responders and animals safe. The Second Class is a two-day hands-on Technician Level Training that will likely be attended by
representatives from all law and fire agencies in the valley, the DOW and Forest Service.
BACK STORY: There have been a number of large animal calls in Pitkin County recently and want to be more prepared as a valley to respond to these incidents whether it’s a horse stuck in an overturned trailer, an elk stuck in a pond, a large animal stuck in the mud or an animal injured on a trail.
Free Vaccine Offer & Complimentary One Year RFVHC Membership
In years past, Glenwood Vet Clinic and Zoetis gave away 40 vaccines, bringing awareness to our valley about the CoreEQ vaccine that inoculates horses against Rabies, Eastern Equine Encephalitis, Western Equine Encephalitis, Tetanus and West Nile Virus. These are all diseases that we do not want in the RFV valley and can be transmitted via vectors or other animals.
The RFVHC asks all our members to reach out to your friends that own horses to tell them about this vaccine need in our valley. of free vaccines.
EQUESTRIAN ACCESS TO ROARING FORK VALLEY PUBLIC LANDS
We asked, and You answered! In 2021 RFV Horse Council sponsored a Trail Survey for Hikers and Horseback Riders, with 25 Questions about Trails & the Equestrian Access to Truck and Trailer Parking in the Roaring Fork Valley. So, in the respondents own words, in 2022 the RFVHC included their advice, their reactions and their hopes providing these comments and solutions for solving the signage and parking problems and the multi-use conflicts. There are 12 Roaring Fork Valley trails covered in these documents. In 2023, the RFVHC Survey Monkey Results and Recommendations will be posted on our website www.rfvhorsecouncil.org/trails
2021-2023 Summer RFVHC/RMYC/BLM Barbed Wire Removal Project on Sutey Ranch
Potentially, with a 2023 trails grant with the Rocky Mountain Youth Corps, the RFVHC Board of Directors may use this labor with our partners to work at Sutey Ranch removing old homestead barbed wire and creating safer travel for wildlife, horses and hikers enjoying the Sutey trails. This is an ongoing summer project.
During the week of July 26th in 2021, the RMYC crew removed approximately 1 mile of barbed wire fence totaling approximately 1,000lbs. The wire and about 2/3rds of the t-posts were recycled at Green Zone in Silt.
Sutey Ranch is managed for Wildlife Habitat year-round and is open to hikers and equestrians from April 15 through November 30th. The Red Hill Bike Access Trail - called the Northside Access Trail to Red Hill SRMA - is open from June 1 – September 30th. No other routes on Sutey Ranch are open to Mountain Bikes.
2021 -2023 Summer RFVHC, Town of Snowmass Village, RMYC, RFOV job on the North Upper Mesa Trail
In the summer of 2021, the RFVHC, together with the Rocky Mountain Youth Corps, TOSV and a team of RF Outdoor Volunteer leaders improved this trail last week. The two-day work was made possible through the generosity of our partners, RFVHC members and by a grant from the Round Up Riders of the Rockies. In the summer of 2023, RFVHC has the potential of a work week with the Rocky Mountain Youth Corps. The lower section of the Upper N. Mesa Trail needs improvement.
Equestrians and hikers will immediately notice the trails improvements. Based on the preference from crew leaders of RMYC, the crew remained together for both days of trail work. The first day and a half was spent rerouting the upper section around the pond. This included clearing existing brush and sage, scratching in a trail, and completing the finish work of tread. The remainder of the project was spent corridor cutting from the reroute back down trail to lower fork.
Where we work
External reviews

Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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Who are the people you serve with your mission?
We serve all the equestrians, and their families in the area of the Roaring Fork Valley and beyond to Grand Junction and to Vail, Colorado.
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How is your organization collecting feedback from the people you serve?
Electronic surveys (by email, tablet, etc.), Community meetings/Town halls, Suggestion box/email, Newsletters asking for feedback,
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals,
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What significant change resulted from feedback?
In collecting the data from an earlier Survey Monkey in 2016, the RFVHC provided the City of Aspen with a response document that addressed the issues revealed in the Survey and the RFVHC laid out guide lines that would assist the local Cozy Point Ranch with better management for their clients, and better care for their animals. Had we not created the survey, we would not have spoken up as comprehensively.
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With whom is the organization sharing feedback?
Our board, Our funders, Our community partners, Land Managers, BLM, USFS, CPW and county staff and council persons. We reach out to Colorado governm,
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How has asking for feedback from the people you serve changed your relationship?
They are beginning to entrust us with a louder voice that represents our membership. It is all for our membership and the horses.
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback,
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback, It's all a lot of work, we try to get it all done. We are a volunteer Board of Directors/no staff,
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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Roaring Fork Valley Horse Council
Board of directorsas of 02/01/2023
Karin Reid Offield
President
Susan Cuzio
Secretary
Susan Cuzio
Holly McLain
Marty Schlumberger
Sam Johnson DMV
Rheta Fulton
Alexandra Anwyl-Davies
Karin Reid Offield
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
No data
The organization's co-leader identifies as:
No data
Race & ethnicity
No data