Michigan: Horses now allowed on trails at Norton Shores park

MLive.com - Full Article

13 December 2018

By Ben Solis | bsolis@mlive.com
bsolis@mlive.com

NORTON SHORES, MI – Horses are now allowed on some trails at a park in Norton Shores, a rarity for municipal park systems in West Michigan.

An ordinance prohibiting horses in Norton Shores parks recently was amended by the city council to allow them at Black Lake Park. That amounts to a big win for equestrian enthusiasts in the area.

Gail Whitaker, 75, of Norton Shores was one of several horse enthusiasts who lobbied for the change. She said equestrians have been taking their horses for trots around the woods surrounding the park.

Now, she and her friends in the Tuesday Trotters equine club can ride on specified park trails at Black Lake Park, located on a 58-acre parcel of land off south of Pontaluna Road between Wood Road and the eastern shoreline of Little Black Lake.

“It’s just a thrill for us,” Whitaker said. “The city is now one of the first towns in West Michigan that allows horses on trails. It’s a real asset for us, and a real asset for the city of Norton Shores because it could become an attraction for people who want to have a horse but don’t have anywhere to ride...”

More story and photos here:
https://www.mlive.com/news/muskegon/2018/12/horses-now-allowed-on-trails-at-norton-shores-park.html?utm_medium=40digest.prsonly.20181214.home&utm_source=email&utm_content=&utm_campaign=campaign