Becoming A Member
We are a volunteer-driven organization! Get involved by becoming a member and help us to protect our American trails for future generations. Put your skills to work and join a Back Country Horsemen Chapter, be part of a work party to clear your favorite trail, teach Light on the Land ethics. Get to know your local forest manager and complete a trail project, motivate your friends to help, become a leader, start a state or chapter organization, learn a skill to help us maintain continued public access to trails!
What Can You Do For BCHA?
Is your state among the 31 that are part of the Back Country Horsemen of America (BCHA)? Is there a chapter near you? BCHA is a community of passionate equestrians who love to ride and explore new trails in our respective areas. By being part of BCHA, you’ll always have a network of like-minded friends to ride with, no matter where you travel across the country!
Get involved!
Help Maintain Trails: One of our core activities is trail maintenance. When we encounter impediments on our trails, we quickly organize workgroups to clear these paths, ensuring they are accessible for all user groups. If you enjoy hands-on work and making a tangible impact, joining one of these workgroups could be a rewarding experience. However, there’s no pressure to participate; we welcome riders of all ages, types, and interests into our chapters.
We encourage you to use our chapter locator tool by entering your zip code to find the nearest chapter. Becoming a member of a local chapter allows you to connect with fellow equestrians, share experiences, and make lasting friendships. Together, we can enjoy safe and well-maintained trails.
Lead a Volunteer Project: Are you interested in taking a leadership role? BCHA offers opportunities for members to lead volunteer groups on various projects. We provide comprehensive training to equip you with the necessary skills and knowledge. Additionally, we help you establish contacts with local forest management agencies to facilitate your projects. Leading a project is a fantastic way to give back to the community, develop leadership skills, and ensure the preservation of our beloved trails.
By joining BCHA, you are contributing to the maintenance and preservation of beautiful trails across the nation. Your involvement is crucial in helping us protect and enjoy our natural surroundings. Together, we can make a significant difference. Become a part of the BCHA community today and join us on the trails!
Form a BCH Organization
Forming a BCH organization is not difficult; however, there are a number of requirements. First, those interested in creating an organization must subscribe to the objectives and the purposes of the Back Country Horsemen of America as outlined on page 7. Those purposes do not preclude other interests, but a saddle club that may take an occasional trail ride is not a BCHA organization.
Classifications
There are two organizational classifications under the BCH mantle.
- A state organization is one or more membership chapters within a state, with a minimum of 25 members and no less than 15 members in any one membership unit. To become an official BCHA state organization, the members must ban together, approve by-laws, make application and receive formal acceptance from the National Board of Directors of BCHA. State organizations have voting rights on the National Board of Directors of BCHA.
- An affiliate organization is a single membership organization within a state which does not have an official BCH state organization. An affiliate must have a minimum of 15 members. To become an official BCH affiliate, a membership organization must make application and receive formal acceptance from the National Board of Directors of BCHA. Affiliates have a voice but no voting rights on the National Board of Directors.
A single membership organization cannot become a stand-alone affiliate if its state already has a state organization. It can only join BCH as a chapter of that state. Within two years after becoming an affiliate, that group must meet the requirements and make application to become a state organization as listed in #1. They then become “chapters” of their state organization.
Become a Member
To become a member of BCHA you should first see if your state is already a part of our organization. If it is, go to their website to find out more information and join.
Find Your Chapter
To find a chapter in your area, enter the information below, and then follow the links to contact that state/chapter. Membership is handled through the State or chapter and not through BCHA. Enter your location or if you would like to search from a different location, please enter an address (‘Address, city, state’ or ‘Address, city, Zip, or Zip).
If your state has no affiliation with BCHA, you can still become a Non-Affiliated National Member. Please contact BCHA at michellewade@bcha.org to find out more or to become an Affiliated National Member, click here:
Please fill out this form if you winter in a different state and still want to receive their BCHA quarterly newsletter in the two locations they live during the year.
Please fill this form if you have changed your place of residence, phone or email address.
