Leave No Trace for Horse Use, Master Educator Course Offered in Indiana, Fall 2010
This 5 day course is designed to teach participants the principles of Leave No Trace as it applies to...
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BRIAN O'NEILL'S 21 PARTNERSHIP SUCCESS FACTORS
As the Superintendent of Golden Gate National Parks, Brian O'Neill and his staff earned a reputation as a model partnership park where partnerships are a way of thinking about how best to accomplish the park's mission and build a community of stewardship.
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Michigan passed their Right to Ride legislation in March 2010
The legislation consisted of two tie-barred bills, one passed in the House and the other in the Senate, in which one piece of legislation had to pass for the other to pass as well. The text of the MI House and Senate bills as enacted into law, are attached here:
ENROLLED HOUSE BILL No. 4610 - click here
ENROLLED SENATE BILL No. 578 - click here

Right to Ride Legislation
Michigan is the second state (Missouri was first) to be successful in passing a Right to Ride legislation which provides for horseback riding on public lands as a recreation and tourism/economic development interest. The law also delineates that if horseback riding is to be excluded from public lands, it should be based on sound science and documentation. Several other states are working on similar bills.
Click here to listen to a short radio clip of the MI success story.

2009 Report on Equestrian Access on Federal Land
2009 Survey Results on Equestrian Access on Federal Lands as conducted by the America Horse Council.
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Garlic Mustard is an invasive plant species.
Horses are often unjustly banned from trails because of their potential to spread the garlic mustard seed. In fact, wind, water, humans and a variety of animals, including dogs and deer, spread the garlic mustard seed. Trail riders should not be singled out when there are other seed carriers on the land/trail in question. Watch this video which is posted on the US Department of Agriculture website for more information.
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How to Build a Trail System
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Proceedings from the 2001 Southeastern Equestrian Trails Conference entitled:
Equestrian Trails and Water Quality Protection
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Research paper on recreational use and natural environments
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Model multi-use trail plan and process; the New Jersey Trail plan
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Trail Study commissioned by the South Carolina Department of Parks Recreation & Tourism
to provide an description of the use of trails in South Carolina by walkers, hikers, runners/joggers, bikers; skateboarders, in-line skaters; horseback riders, off-highway vehicle riders; and canoeists, kayakers, or river rafters.
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Pittman Robertson Funding and US Fish & Wildlife Service Southeast Division: Non Hunting Non Game Benefits Defined
Scroll down to the Non-Hunting Non-Game section for other recreational uses. While this does not specifically exclude horseback riding, it does suggest that non-hunting and non-game uses are allowed on lands purchased with P-R. Wildlife can and is regularly viewed by horseback riders.
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Rick Potts, Chief of Conservation & Recreation for the National Park Service & ELCR Advisory Council Member
Rick shares some thoughts about the dangers of overprotecting natural spaces.
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Negotiating with Residential Developers
Negotiating with Residential Developers to preserve equestrian trail access is an option. Read this article on Equisearch.com to learn some helpful tips from a developer.
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Senate, House give country another month of SAFETEA-LU
To no one's satisfaction, Congress last week extended the current surface transportation law ...
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Check out Tread Lightly!'s Tips for Responsible Horseback Riding
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Language on non-hunting use and non-game benefits of wildlife management areas from the Southeast Region
(Click on "read more" and scroll down)
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Check out the Tread Lightly! Play Nice campaign
Scenic vistas lay ahead ready to explore...
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ELCR & Back Country Horsemen of America Work Together; Sign Memorandum of Understanding
The missions and purposes of BCHA and ELCR are different but complimentary...
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MODELS FOR EQUINE-BASED USE OF STATE FISH
& WILDLIFE LANDS
In June of 2009 the Equine Land Conservation Resource examined three models-New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New Mexico-for equine-based use and enjoyment of state game lands (commonly known as Wildlife Management Areas or WMAs) and formulated general recommendations for horsemen in other states seeking access to the same.
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Diseases of Humans and Horses (Zoonosis)
The authors become concerned about information being provided to the public about the extent to which horses pose threats to human health from exposure to manure deposited on public trails.
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Horses Are Not Hazardous to Conservation Land
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SHARING OUR TRAILS - A GUIDE TO TRAIL SAFETY AND ENJOYMENT
A group of national and state trail advocacy organizations representing equestrian, OHV, and bicycle interests recently completed a collaborative effort...
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Virginia Horse Council Conducts Trails & Tourism Study
Results available
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American Trails Selects www.WeedFreeFeed.com as "Best Internet Education & Trails Training Site"
Each year American Trails seeks out the best websites in the cyberworld of trails and greenways looking for sites that make trails...
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FHWA Department of Transportation's Recreational Trails Program (RTP), and the Coalition for Recreational Trail's Recommended Modifications for September 2009 Legislation & Funding
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Environmental Aspects of Horses on Trails
Does equestrian use have an impact on stream and lake water quality?
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Recreational Horse Trails and Water Quality Protection
Water quality has become the basic indicator ecosystem health...
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Funding for Trails in Stimulus Bill
President Obama's approval of the American Recovery...
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