MLAHA sabotage/Trail marking

[flemmerl@rcbhsc.wvu.edu (Flemmer, Linda)]

Dorothy Foster wrote:

> I just got back from the most miserable experience I have ever had on an
> endurance ride! Someone removed all the ribbons from the first loop of the
> ride and then misplaced enough of them so that the trail was impossible to
> follow.

I'm so sorry to hear about the sabotage and your problems w/ your horse!  Even
if the ride wasn't a success for you, at least you rode someplace new & saw
different scenery!

> I would suggest though that in areas where there is such heavy use of trails,
> that markings other than ribbons be considered. Biodegradable paint spray
> would have been harder to remove.

I've seen colored spray chalk that is biodegradeable.  It lasts several weeks,
depending on rainfall, etc. and it is highly visible.  Unfortunately, I have no
idea where to obtain it.  ?Surveyor's supply companies, maybe?  Lime on the
ground is also a viable option if it doesn't look like rain.  It can mark
critical turns and it is visible at night w/ glowsticks or moonlight.

I've also been to rides that had a bicycle/moped/motorbike go out before the
first riders to assess the trail for damage to markers.  Often several bikers
will take different loops to keep things from becoming overwhelming for one
person.  (This isn't to say that markers still haven't been vandalized, but it
helps.)

If you use surveyor's tape, mark from horseback or standing in a P/U truck's
bed.  Tie high so that casual folks can't reach it to pull it down.  In the
part of the country where I live, landowners automatically pull down surveyor's
tape on their land to discourage illegal hunting (mark where to go to get to
illegal deer stands, etc.).  For some of these farmers, I think it becomes
habit to yank anything down.  Certainly not along the lines of malicious trail
sabotage that you experienced at the ride, though.

I wish you better luck on your next ride!

Linda Flemmer