horse trails

[amags543]

First of all, do not misinterpret this post. I am not suggesting that any multi-use trail be shut down to horseback riders. I know that all of our tax dollars go into maintaining these trails and we are all equally entitled.

But that said, many of the approach trails to 14ers are trails that allow horses, and this isn't always very pleasant for hikers. Most recently I was on the Snowmass Lake trail. Unlike human walkers, mountain bikers, or other pets, it is considered totally acceptable for horses to emit continuous piles of stinking, bacteria-infested waste in their path for everyone else to step in or over. It is not always easy to avoid if hiking by headlamp.

When you really think about it, is it weird that some "visiting" creatures to the trail are allowed to poo all over the place while it's absolutely taboo for others? Aren't there horse diapers/manure catchers that owners can put on their horse and then they can at least empty it in one place, off the trail? Is there any other solution? Or should I just shut up and suck it up?

[illusion7il]

I understand your frustration. I was on the Snowmass Lake trail (technically Maroon Snowmass Trail) on Friday. There must of been some heavy rain on Thursday as the trail was muddy with puddles everywhere. A group with horses must have started early and they really tore up the trail and every 20 feet I was stepping over poo. There was also a lot of free range cattle, and they like to hang out and drop there loads on the trail as well. It is what it is, as it's all part of the journey.

[kaiman]

First of all, do not misinterpret this post. I am not suggesting that any multi-use trail be shut down to horseback riders. I know that all of our tax dollars go into maintaining these trails and we are all equally entitled.

But that said, many of the approach trails to 14ers are trails that allow horses, and this isn't always very pleasant for hikers. Most recently I was on the Snowmass Lake trail. Unlike human walkers, mountain bikers, or other pets, it is considered totally acceptable for horses to emit continuous piles of stinking, bacteria-infested waste in their path for everyone else to step in or over. It is not always easy to avoid if hiking by headlamp.

When you really think about it, is it weird that some "visiting" creatures to the trail are allowed to poo all over the place while it's absolutely taboo for others? Aren't there horse diapers/manure catchers that owners can put on their horse and then they can at least empty it in one place, off the trail? Is there any other solution? Or should I just shut up and suck it up?

I much prefer trails with horse manure on them in neat little piles than a cow pie laden trail with a stringy mess that you have to constantly try to avoid.

In all seriousness though, I’m not sure where you’re from but horses are a fact of life on most trails in Colorado and throughout the West. They are also typically grandfathered in to new trails under “agricultural use” so you may just have to suck it up.

On the other hand, many of the hiking trails we use today were established by horseback riders in the early 1900’s, so like the miners before them, we have them to thank for providing access to many areas of the state that may have otherwise required significant trail building.

Just my two cents,

Kai

[TravelingMatt]

Try dealing with 500 sheep on BLM land in the San Juans. Or cows grazing in putative "wilderness", which legally occurs in some places.

[planet54]

In my many decades of hiking and nosing around in the western USA I have seen many groups such as CFI, Friends of "X" Ranger District, Sierra Club, etc etc working to make trails better for everyone. I have seen mountain biking and 4x4 organizations doing work on trails and roads as well. I have yet to see a group of horsemen doing anything to maintain and improve trails. There probably are some that run pack strings for trail rides but those are not trails that I would use as a rule. Have you ever seen weeds, thistles, dandelions along a trail and wondered how they became established there? It's likely that horse droppings are to blame. Help us out a bit cowboys and cowgirls.

[Vincopotamus]

In my many decades of hiking and nosing around in the western USA I have seen many groups such as CFI, Friends of "X" Ranger District, Sierra Club, etc etc working to make trails better for everyone. I have seen mountain biking and 4x4 organizations doing work on trails and roads as well. I have yet to see a group of horsemen doing anything to maintain and improve trails. There probably are some that run pack strings for trail rides but those are not trails that I would use as a rule. Have you ever seen weeds, thistles, dandelions along a trail and wondered how they became established there? It's likely that horse droppings are to blame. Help us out a bit cowboys and cowgirls.

Check out Backcountry Horseman of America, they were fairly active when I worked on the San Juan NF and Lewis and Clark NF in Montana.

[asbochav]

On top of the usual trail damage caused by horses and cattle, trash too. I have many times encountered trash items that were clearly not carried in by hikers - heavy blankets, broken coolers, once a broken plastic drawer unit.

[planet54]

Check out Backcountry Horseman of America, they were fairly active when I worked on the San Juan NF and Lewis and Clark NF in Montana.

Thanks for that and good for them. It looks like they have a chapter in Eagle ,Colorado and I hope to see them out there sometime. By the way I live in a rural area and know several people that own horses so I was not implying that they are all jerks or anything like that. But I think that there is room for improvement in this matter.

[RWinters]

Why do horses need trails? Aren’t they built and designed for off trail terrain? #notafanofhorsesontrails

[gb]

In my many decades of hiking and nosing around in the western USA I have seen many groups such as CFI, Friends of "X" Ranger District, Sierra Club, etc etc working to make trails better for everyone. I have seen mountain biking and 4x4 organizations doing work on trails and roads as well. I have yet to see a group of horsemen doing anything to maintain and improve trails. There probably are some that run pack strings for trail rides but those are not trails that I would use as a rule. Have you ever seen weeds, thistles, dandelions along a trail and wondered how they became established there? It's likely that horse droppings are to blame. Help us out a bit cowboys and cowgirls.

Couldn't agree more. As a group they do the most damage, but you'll never see equestrians at an organized trail work day, or even cutting out downed trees on their own. Around here MTB and moto do at least 95% of the work, with hikers taking up most of the rest.