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If manure starts to become an issue on our trails (when I start noticing that there are piles), I will go out with a fork and move it well off the trail.  When I hear hikers, bikers and other complain about the manure, my response is often, "well, your not going to accidently step in it like you would with dog poop!".  Dog walkers in our area are the worst.  I believe it is because they don't want to share, and they don't like that their dogs go nuts when they see the horses.  They also can't let them run loose when there are horses in the area.  I am all for peaceful sharing of the trails with all. 

 

This comment from a mountain biking friend says it all to me about horses and their riders.  He told me that they do not like riding places where they are likely to run into horses because of the behavior of the horse.  They have to stop, pull to the side of the trail and wait for the horse to pass.  I told him that it is usually an issue with the rider not the horse.  I train my horses to deal with everything on the trail.  I wouldn't want a bike to ride up on me unanounced, or blaze past on a tight trail.  But there is no reason that on a wide trail that a bike coming towards me has to stop, get off and pull to the side of the trail to allow me to pass.  My horse is perfectly capable of being ridden past and be in control.  I think we need to take a hard look at how we react to others on the trail.  If your horse flips out at seeing a bike, or dog, or human with a backpack, your horse is the one with the issue.  I understand that we have youngsters on the trail that are learning to be trail horses, but if your horse isn't under control, you need to ride someplace not public, or with a babysitter, until that horse will behave.

 

Carolyn Burgess

Carol Suggs <limofunder@xxxxxxx> wrote:

I hear ya Marshall!

We normally do some high country pack trips a few times a year, up near the
out skirts of Yosemite and Ansel Adams Wilderness areas and you would not
believe what we find on remote trails. Some of these hikers just poop of
the side of road, don't bury their tp, leave stuff behind. I can't tell you
all the interesting things that we have picked up on the trails before...

I don't want to generalize here, most hikers are not like this...however
there are a few groups who do not want to share the trails. They have been
talking for years about shutting horses out of Yosemite...well I am not one
to want to ride right thru the valley of the park as when we go we really go
so as not to see other folks.

I am a dog lover, but can tell ya I'd rather see horse poop on the trail
than dog or people poop anyday!

ATV and bikes are taking up some of our local trails here and have been a
problem for our horse community. Some are well mannered and shut down or
stop to allow us to go by, but there has been times where they just come
roaring right up on your butt and pass ya by. Most culprits are minors and
I blame the parents for not instucting their kids on manners and common
sense. We can turn them in to to the forest service station, but that ends
up being a hassle, and its hard for them to enforce stuff unless they
actually see it happening.

The good thing for me is that our horses are well used to motorcycles, and
ATVs! When my nephew was little we used to go riding together. Me on the
horse and he on his mini bike. :)

Carol-Mariposa


----- Original Message -----
From: "marshall Bates"
To:
Sent: Thursday, October 06, 2005 8:37 AM
Subject: [RC] Trail use


> It amazes me everytime I hike on the AT in both NC and
> VA when I see the amount of toilet paper and human
> waste along the trail. Hikers need to be a bit more
> responsible also.
> We have worked with the Forest Service for years on
> trail maintainance and clean up on our horse (multiuse
> trails) at Uwharrie and the Jefferson National Forest
> and have had very little cooperation with local horse
> people. The bike riders and ATV riders have done a
> tremdous amount of work to ensure that the trails stay
> open. A lot of horse people in this area take the
> attitude that "I don't ride there so I don't care.".
> One thing we have gotten good publicity with is by
> sending pictures to the Forest Service of the amount
> of trash we have picked up off the trails.
>
>
>
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