Canada: Horse riders say plan to pave Burnaby park trail for cyclists will cut off equestrian access

CBC.ca - Full Article

Cyclists and city argue paving necessary to create safe commuting network

Tessa Vikander · CBC News · Posted: Jan 19, 2025 8:00 AM MST | Last Updated: January 19

Horse riders in Burnaby say they're being pushed to the side by the city's plan to pave a gravel trail for cyclists that riders and horses have been using daily for more than fifty years.

City council approved the move to convert the trails along the south side of Burnaby Lake Regional Park last month, but riders with the Burnaby Horsemen's Association — which has its stables at the eastern edge of Burnaby Lake — continue to speak out against it.

One of those riders is Vicky Gilker, whose horse Tommy is one of 59 horses cared for at the Burnaby Lake stables.

"I was pretty upset about it," she said.

Horses can't safely walk on pavement without special boots, and even then they must go slowly or else they may slip and seriously injure themselves, the horsemens' association says...

Read more here:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/burnaby-horse-riding-trail-for-cyclists-1.7435211

Big South Fork National Park Equestrian Trails Repaired to Prepare for Spring

Photo by Maria Cortes Gonzalez/El Paso Times / USA TODAY NETWORK

SI.com - Full Article

With over 212 miles of equestrian riding trails, Big South Fork National Park is popular among horse owners.

Laura Lambert | Dec 26, 2024

Over 16 miles of trails located in the Big South Fork National Park River and Recreation area recently received care to be repaired. Specifically the Cumberland Valley Loop Horseback Riding Trail located in the heart of the recreation area got some much needed tender loving care.

The project took on repairing the heavily eroded trail head, spreading aggregate throughout the trail, repairing water control devices and trail directional signage along with removing fallen trees from the route.

This will be a welcome upgrade for riders when the trails are most accessible in the Spring, normally beginning around March and April...

Read more here:
https://www.si.com/onsi/adventure/national-parks-feed-page/golden-spike-national-historical-park-set-to-host-the-winter-steam-festival

Texas man invents 1.5K-mile adventure trail for hikers, bikers and horseback riders

FoxNews.com - Full Story

Texas native sees trail to be a legacy similar to Appalachian Trail

By Gretchen Eichenberg Fox News
Published October 16, 2024

For hikers and bikers who’ve conquered the Triple Crown — the Pacific Crest, Appalachian and Continental Divide trails — there’s a new adventure route in town.

It spans the entire Lone Star State, and it’s going to be traversable by spring.

"This is a route that is rugged, remote, rural and therefore, romantic," Charlie Gandy, a retired community design consultant and former state representative, told Fox News Digital.

Gandy announced plans last month for the Cross Texas Trail or "XTX" — a 1,500-mile trail for hikers, bikers and, because it’s Texas, horseback riders...

Read the rest here:
https://www.foxnews.com/travel/texas-man-invents-1-5k-mile-adventure-trail-hikers-bikers-horseback-riders

California: Horseback riders concerned over mountain bikers getting access to Mount Tam trails

CBSNews.com - Full Story and video

By Kenny Choi
September 19, 2024 / 7:10 PM PDT / CBS San Francisco

The long-standing conflict over trails in the Mount Tamalpais Watershed between horseback riders and mountain bikers seems to be approaching a turning point.

Bikers in Marin County will soon have more access to trails once open only to hikers and equestrians. That's not sitting well with horse enthusiasts who claim it's a "dangerous" change.

For decades Linda Novy has cherished trail riding with her horse, Falco. Soon, the seven miles of trails in the Mount Tamalpais Watershed, which have traditionally been limited to equestrians and hikers, will also welcome mountain bikers.

"The proposed ten pilot trails are not ideal for sharing," said Novy.

Novy is president of the Marin Horse Council and she's disappointed by the Marin Municipal Water District's decision.

"The way the trails are currently built, they're narrow and have steep drop-offs. They work for equestrians and hikers," said Novy.

But mountain bikers, including Dan Freeman, believe opening trails can be safely done...

See more here:
https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/marin-county-mount-tamalpais-trails-horseback-riders-mountain-bikers-access/

California: A long-standing trail use conflict erupts along the Salinas Riverbed in Atascadero

NewTimesSLO.com - Full Article

By Camillia Lanham
July 18 2024

Knobby tire tracks crisscross through soft sand. Intermingled with foot, paw, and hoof prints, they occasionally overlook the late spring remnants of the Salinas River as it runs through Atascadero.

Some of those hoof prints were left by Kathryn McGinnis’ “big bay ranch horse,” which she takes to the Juan Bautista de Anza Historic Trail on Saturdays and Sundays. She’s ridden her horse on the riverbed trail for 10 years.

“He’s just a good guy,” she said of the quarter horse she’s had since he was 7 years old and “a little one-sided.” “He takes good care of me.”

When he gets spooked, he doesn’t buck, McGinnis said, but he does react to the dirt bikes that ride the same trails in the riverbed and its riparian corridor. Sometimes, he starts to spin—which is just as dangerous for the rider.

“If they were to come out of the bushes or come around the corner, oh my God. … It’s only because I’m more afraid to come off than I am to stay on that I’ve stayed on,” she said. “It’s a 1,200-pound animal and when they get scared, you’ve got your life in your hands. … And a motorcycle, you can turn that off in an instant. You can’t do that with a horse.”

Trail etiquette, McGinnis and other horseback riders said, is super important for multi-use trails. Horses have the right of way over hikers, bikers, and “especially over motorized vehicles,” she said. Those unspoken rules call for motorcycle riders to pull off to the side of the trail and kill their vehicles, but that doesn’t always happen...

Read more here:
https://www.newtimesslo.com/special-issues/a-long-standing-trail-use-conflict-erupts-along-the-salinas-riverbed-in-atascadero-15559023

Canada: P.E.I. horse riders' group hopes to use more of Confederation Trail

CBC.ca - Full Article

Some cyclists have lingering concerns about damage caused by equestrians

Laura Meader · CBC News · Posted: Jul 03, 2024

Horses are back on designated sections of the Confederation Trail, and riders are hoping they'll eventually have access to even more of the Prince Edward Island-wide system.

Dr. Sylvia Hall Andrews is a veterinarian and an avid trail rider who spends summers in the province, and is also the secretary of P.E.I. Trail Riders.

She said trail riding with horses is an accepted activity in other parts of Canada, so it makes sense to expand the options for it here on the Island.

"We would like to see an expansion of trail access over time.... The government is well aware our goal is to slowly increase the accessibility," said Hall Andrews.

"We feel that horses are safe on the trail, belong on the trail..."

Read more here:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/pei-horses-confederation-trail-access-tourism-1.7252022

Oregon: Ochoco National Forest seeks public comment on plans for improved equestrian trails in Corral Flat area NE of Prineville

KTVZ.com - Full Article

By Barney Lerten
March 14, 2024

Forest also seeks to re-establish road closures, reduce off-road vehicle impacts

PRINEVILLE, Ore. (KTVZ) – The Ochoco National Forest has opened a 30-day public comment period on a draft environmental assessment to formalize an unofficial 51-mile equestrian trail system and conduct restoration of areas damaged by off-road vehicles.

The Corral Flat Endurance Trails project is located on the Lookout Mountain and Paulina ranger districts, about 25 miles northeast of Prineville.

The project’s goal is to provide “designated trail systems for equestrian users, with loops of varying miles and terrain,” the plan states. “These new miles would help distribute equestrian users throughout the National Forest and improve visitor experience.”

The plan’s introduction notes that the current, unofficial trails are almost entirely on Forest Service system roads and non-system two-track roads. A small portion are on existing single-track equestrian trails and have been in use for decades by horseback riders,” both by individuals and organized group rides...

Read more here:
https://ktvz.com/news/outdoors/2024/03/14/ochoco-national-forest-seeks-public-comment-on-plans-for-improved-equestrian-trails-in-corral-flat-area-ne-of-prineville/