Trails

["LINDA SWARTZ" <RudeCo@worldnet.att.net>]

Teddy, just caught your post on Wayne National Forest.  I am originally from Indiana, then Texas and in Florida for 25 years.

My brother is Asst. Director of Lake County Parks & Recreation in Lake County Indiana and he and I have gone head to head on horses and trails and the Midwesterner attitude. The trails in his county have a clay/muck base and the horses
aggravate an already tough problem.  Because of good input and equestrians developing solutions, I think the attitudes are changing. He also informed me that a guy, I attended high school with, formed a Trails Rescue Program in Indiana that saved trails for horses and then the group went on to help hold off closures of Shawnee in Illinois.

There's more to what's going on behind the scenes, I'm sure, that's creating these discrepancies of usage and care and I would venture a guess that cross country skiing and snow mobiling is going to fall in there somewhere as well.

You have got to bring more pressure to bear on your elected officials, state reps, congressmen and the bureaucrats that supervise.  While I can appreciate your letter,
(and will admit to sending off hot ones myself) you're flogging the wrong party.
You have to get to the knicker twister higher up the line to pay attention to you.

Find out where your juglar veins are located and I'll be one of the first to help with a letter writing campaign .

My admiration knows no limits for Nelson Blackmore, Jackie Baker, and Helen Kohler in Florida from the work they've been involved in here in Florida.  They made a convert of me (many years old and totally clueless about Trail systems until 3 years ago).  You see, I didn't think I needed Trails!!!  Most backyard horse people are very unaware of what is available.  Think about some of the posts you all have read on this and other horse links...high percentages of backyard horse owners don't even own trailers.  Wildfires, hurricanes etc. present major concerns to them now that nature has shown those sides...trails issues are secondary to them primarily because they're not needing them (right now).

Not every horse owner gets regular subscriptions to horse issue publications. Not every horse owner even pulls coggins.  Many horse owners still think they have large dogs.  Education is a continuing process with levels that are entered in varying stages by the seeker.  Keep banging the gong.  Lead the way...many will follow.

Good luck & much encouragement.

Linda in DeLeon Springs