Your Favorite passive aggresive tactic to keep horseback rider off trails.

this year I have been proactive about up keeping local trails more so then I have been. Bought a pocket chain saw and a pocket foldable saw to carry in my pack. and have been doing very basic up keep with out over stepping the local parks and trail authority.

I have stopped removing any logs totally from the trail, I pile every single of one of them or just leave them be.

Not only is the trail more fun and technical difficult due to this, I have found 2-3 foot log piles scare away most horse back riders and their horses. Making them turn around and hopefully think about not riding it again.

So making large log pile is my favorite way to keep horses away, what is yours?

Quote:

Originally Posted by BushwackerinPA 

this year I have been proactive about up keeping local trails more so then I have been. Bought a pocket chain saw and a pocket foldable saw to carry in my pack. and have been doing very basic up keep with out over stepping the local parks and trail authority.

 

I have stopped removing any logs totally from the trail, I pile every single of one of them or just leave them be.

 

Not only is the trail more fun and technical difficult due to this, I have found 2-3 foot log piles scare away most horse back riders and their horses. Making them turn around and hopefully think about not riding it again.

 

So making large log pile is my favorite way to keep horses away, what is yours?

Whatcha got against horses? Around these parts on any given day on the trails you may see;

Mountain bikers

Cross bikes

Hikers

Horses

Dual Sport Motorcycles

Pimple faced kids on MX bikes

It's all good.....

The horse riders are easily the most potent lobbying  force around here for getting MUP bridges repaired and  side trees cleared.        Put me down on the pro-horsey side.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BushwackerinPA 

this year I have been proactive about up keeping local trails more so then I have been. Bought a pocket chain saw and a pocket foldable saw to carry in my pack. and have been doing very basic up keep with out over stepping the local parks and trail authority.

 

I have stopped removing any logs totally from the trail, I pile every single of one of them or just leave them be.

 

Not only is the trail more fun and technical difficult due to this, I have found 2-3 foot log piles scare away most horse back riders and their horses. Making them turn around and hopefully think about not riding it again.

 

So making large log pile is my favorite way to keep horses away, what is yours?

Are horses allowed on the trails?

Quote:

Originally Posted by comprex 

 

The horse riders are easily the most potent lobbying  force around here for getting MUP bridges repaired and  side trees cleared.        Put me down on the pro-horsey side.

I'm on the neutral side. On the one hand, my wife has horses (that she rarely rides on trails). On the other hand, horses do mess up the trails (no more than a moose does and a lot less than a motorcycle). The horse riding community also killed my favorite bike race, a 35-mile enduro in RI. The race was a very large race with hundreds if not close to 1000 participants and had been running for 10 years. The race had a permit from the agency managing the land (can't remember if it was state or feds). Some horse people showed up to do a poker ride on race day. They were riding on the race course against the flow of traffic even though we were racing we had to keep getting off the bikes and let the horses pass (that's what all the magazines said to do). Still, the horse people raised a big stink and the agency sided with them. No more race.

Quote:

Originally Posted by epic 

 

Are horses allowed on the trails?

yes they are, if they want the log cleared they can do it themselves until then I will continue to pile them.

you would be surprise how many horses this has kept out in the past year.

the mountain bikers like it better, hikers can get though it easier but fat ass horse back riders are scared shitless of it. they havent ridden this 1 mile section for about a year now. The local Trail group which is primarly support by mountain bikers has left it go. no ride around is supported. this is one of many because trees fall all the time.

I

Quote:

Originally Posted by BushwackerinPA 

 

 

 

 

 

Wow, that's a big'un!

BushwackerPA...... 

Quote:

Originally Posted by BushwackerinPA 

 

yes they are, if they want the log cleared they can do it themselves until then I will continue to pile them.

 

you would be surprise how many horses this has kept out in the past year.

 

 

the mountain bikers like it better, hikers can get though it easier but fat ass horse back riders are scared shitless of it. they havent ridden this 1 mile section for about a year now. The local Trail group which is primarly support by mountain bikers has left it go. no ride around is supported. this is one of many because trees fall all the time.

 

 

 

I

 

What? How?  Have they got a law preventing the rider from just going around the obstacle?  That's looks easy enough to do.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ghost 

 

What? How?  Have they got a law preventing the rider from just going around the obstacle?  That's looks easy enough to do.

Just a guess here. Horses are wide and trees are close together.

No law, but there is a rule that you do not go around stuff in the trail. You should stay on the established trail. Do not widen the trail or start a new trail by going around the obstacle. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ghost 

 

What? How?  Have they got a law preventing the rider from just going around the obstacle?  That's looks easy enough to do.

 alot harder than it looks to jsut go around, as epic said horses are wide and trees are quite tight in some places. this is not only place like this in pittsburgh area FYI, lots of log piles.

also this was the original trail, if they started to go around they would theroctically be making new trail and that wouldnt bode well for their continued access to local parks.

TC if these people showed up to one local trail clean up day, and only rode when they didnt make hoof holes that make the trail unridable or just unenjoyable then I would have no problem with them. Untill then my outspokenish against them will continue. I feel I am just willing to say what every biker thinks, this really is nothing new.

You would be pissed too if your local trails start looking like staircases because the horse just ride when the ground is just to soft.

Should I start a thread about dogs on the trails? I hate running over dog poop. Also running over dogs. But people I like riding with really like riding with their dogs, so I'm OK with it. At least until you have more dogs than people.

On that note, did you ever go down to the barn and see Poptart? It has been suggested that I should bring him on trail rides. He's like two or three big dogs.

Quote:

Originally Posted by epic 

Should I start a thread about dogs on the trails? I hate running over dog poop. Also running over dogs. But people I like riding with really like riding with their dogs, so I'm OK with it. At least until you have more dogs than people.

 

On that note, did you ever go down to the barn and see Poptart? It has been suggested that I should bring him on trail rides. He's like two or three big dogs.

i did, you feed him.

the point of this thread is to keep horse(people) off untill they want to put sweat equity in.

as for dogs. Most people who ride with dog have dogs that dont get run over, and most wont let thier dog poop on trail. which why do dogs poop on trail when there is so many other places around?

but who cares dog poop is gone after a rain, the horse leave pot holes that last for weeks to months.

Dog poop is temp

two points:

1-did you make your complaints public to the horse community?

2- around here, bikes are banned from a lot of single track due to the damage the bikes cause...

Funny ain't it? Why can't we just get along?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Finndog 

2- around here, bikes are banned from a lot of single track due to the damage zealots believe the bikes cause...

 

fixed it for ya

Ahh, well done!  Yes, agreed.

It's obvious but I always laugh at the comparison between roadies vs. single trackers, just like frontsiders and racers vs. off-piste skiers.... :)

I understand what Bush is saying, just not sure he's going about it in a way that will get results; at least the results he is seeking.  If the horse people have clout they may go and complain that mt bikers are creating obstacles on the trails. This could backfire on the mt. bikers.

This has been discussed on here before.  Equestrians just don't get it.

I am with BWnPA on this one, horses do way more damage than they think.  One horse riding at the wrong time can make a trail unrideable for a whole season.  Responsibly ridden bikes on well designed trails have very little impact.

Poop in any form is disgusting, especially on trails.

JF

But dried poop in knobbies is so cool.....

Quote:

Originally Posted by Finndog 

But dried poop in knobbies is so cool.....

You sound like you'd appreciate some Amish country road rides ...

we get plenty here! I had to help a woman who fell off her horse a couple of weeks back. Nasty fall!  Oh, she had on a helmet...... :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Finndog 

we get plenty here! I had to help a woman who fell off her horse a couple of weeks back. Nasty fall!  Oh, she had on a helmet...... :)

That saddle needs a restraining bar.

Yep we should ban deer and rabbits and all forms of life that don't use the toilet.....get over it....animals poop wherever.

If you don't like it stay out of the woods and ride your bike on the road where you belong.

Quote:

Originally Posted by UGASkiDawg 

 

Yep we should ban deer and rabbits and all forms of life that don't use the toilet.....get over it....animals poop wherever.

 

If you don't like it stay out of the woods and ride your bike on the road where you belong.

this is the issue in the wasatch the bikers are such wimps that they dont make gnar enough trails to keep the horses out. Log piles keep horses out whether they are allowed or not, the issue in the wasatch the trails have been pussified for some reason.

deer and rabbit typical dont poop on trail and for sure dont post whole trails to the point of being unrideable.

horse should be required to wear moonboots and diapers before they can claim they have less enviormental impact than a mountain bike.

so according to UGAskidog; bikers next time we have to crap, lets just do it right in the middle of the trail. I mean animals have to poop righ.t

Quote:

Originally Posted by UGASkiDawg 

 

Yep we should ban deer and rabbits and all forms of life that don't use the toilet.....get over it....animals poop wherever.

 

If you don't like it stay out of the woods and ride your bike on the road where you belong.

Around here, horses poop on the paved rail-trails as well.  Nothing like trying to avoid great big piles of horse sh*t when you're on rollerblades, sheesh.

Quote:

Originally Posted by UGASkiDawg 

 

Yep we should ban deer and rabbits and all forms of life that don't use the toilet.....get over it....animals poop wherever.

 

If you don't like it stay out of the woods and ride your bike on the road where you belong.

I'll take it that you were being sarcastic, but just to be clear I wasn't talking about deer & rabbits.  Let it go on record that I have no problem with deer & rabbits.  I really have no problem with horses & dogs either, they are beautiful animals.  It is their human owners that bother me.

JF

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by BushwackerinPA 

 

so according to UGAskidog; bikers next time we have to crap, lets just do it right in the middle of the trail. I mean animals have to poop righ.t

 

 

I think his driveway or sidewalk might be a better choice.

JF

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by BushwackerinPA 

 

 

this is the issue in the wasatch the bikers are such wimps that they dont make gnar enough trails to keep the horses out.

The trails in the Wasatch were probably made by horses and motos.

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4ster 

 

I think his driveway or sidewalk might be a better choice.

JF

 

I have a toilet but if you prefer the sidewalk that's okay

On the other hand if your dog needs to poop in my yard that's perfectly okay with me....I don't expect animals to control their pooping

Animals have as much right to the trail as bikers do so get over it.  I assume we are talking about public land here.  If so then hikers (with or without dogs) and people with horses have as much right to the trail as you do.    I don't consider domesticated animal poop of any kind to be any different from any wild animal poop.

BWPA....if you want to poop on the trail you wouldn't be the first.  You can step off to the side since you have a working rational brain.  Non-human animals are missing that part.  I've pooped outside before and will again but I usually don't do it on the trail.  Goes to that working brain thing......my wife might argue about the working brain thing in my case though

My point was that the horses have as much right to be there as you do and they aren't capable of controlling their pooping and their pooping does no more harm to the trail than the deers or the rabbits.