The purpose of this
organization shall be:
1. To perpetuate the common sense use and enjoyment of horses in America’s back
country and wilderness.
2. To work to insure that public lands remain open to recreational stock use.
3. To assist the various government and private agencies in their maintenance and
management of said resource.
4. To educate, encourage and solicit active participation in the wise use of the back
country resource by horsemen and the general public commensurate with our heritage.
5. To foster and encourage the formation of new state organizations and BCHA.
It was the original assumption that Back Country Horsemen would be a different type of
organization, not the usual special interest one, normally operating as a protest group.
It was felt that a service club, doing work in the back country, would lend credibility to
the group when it became involved in criticisms of agency management.
It was also recognized that some of the complaints against back country horse use were
justified. Consequently, it was determined that an educational program should be a
fundamental principle of the group.
So, service and education joined a determination to protect our heritage of back
country stock use as composites of the "purpose" printed above. Our name was
chosen because it signified an interest in much more than just wilderness. Back Country
Horsemen are interested in perpetuating recreational stock use on virtually all public
lands.
We try to limit our interests to the stated purpose. Many worthwhile organizations
already exist to provide action programs in other fields, so anyone interested in those
has adequate opportunities to become active.
