Sierra Club and attitudes

[cberto@juno.com (connie B Berto)]

I support a recent post from Barbara McCrary about the problems we
California equestrians have had with Sierra Clubbers.  I firmly believe
that  horseback riders are environmentalists almost by definition -- if
we don't have a healthy, sustainable environment in which to ride our
horses, then we have no sport.   This is a major plank in my platform as
a trails access activist.
    The S.C.  chooses to ignore the fact that many or most of the trails
they like to hike over were first tracked out by horsemen (women too, I'm
not being sexist).  They complain about manure on the trails.   Horses
scuff up dust as they go along -- so do hikers.   (We actually see more
than hikers;  they often have vegetation in their viewpath;  they look
down where they are going and have to pause to gaze around.   We're up
above hedges, etc.; we  let our horses figure out the rocks and roots and
we look at the clouds, birds, vistas,  ahhhh!) 
   Anyway,  Sierra Club and horsepeople often seem to be mutually
exclusive.  It need not be so.  I strongly encourage horselovers to get
active in the Sierra Club (or Wilderness Society, Audubon, Native Plant
Society, etc.) and educate these people about how benign, healthful, and
compatible horses really are.  Good luck! Connie B

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