Moronacity Cycling Journal » Advocacy
Equestrian Access to Michigan State Park Trails
By Diane UrsuIn Michigan, a new bill has been introduced that has mountain bikers up in arms. Before we proceed, let’s get a little back story.
I got my first horse when I was 11 years old. I really got into it when I got my beloved Paint, Ima. I loved that horse, and I still do. We were the same age and she passed away when we were 25 years old. It was a difficult time. If I could have that horse, today, I would. I would sacrifice a lot to have her back.
I learned how to ride on Ima. I practiced many riding disciplines and even got a little adventurous. Ima and I would ride in the surrounding fields and woods, with permission from the neighbors. We jumped, raced around barrels, fought over passing through streams, ran up steep banks, and even had our slow, lazy days around giant country blocks when I would rest the reins on her neck and just let her lazily trod along. Life was good. Life was fun.
I learned that riding was much more than just sitting on a horse. Extremely subtle cues, mostly in the form of weight shifts, were the key to controlling the horse and telling her where to go. When she didn’t have the strong mind to head back to the barn, it was as if I could merely think of what I wanted her to do and she would do it. Being a naturally tense person, I had to learn how to relax the muscles of my body in order to gain a firm seat on her. A relaxed body translated into the ability to stay on the horse when she pulled crap on me, like little bucks and big spooks.
Some people were quite surprised at how well I did on a mountain bike during my first summer with the sport. When a comment was made, my reply was, “It’s from horseback riding.” It’s very true. Whenever I do something like jump a log, usually a very small one because my bunny-hopping skills need work, I find that I’m moving very much the same way I did on a horse. When I stand on the pedals to allow for great speed over rough and uncertain terrain, it’s the same as galloping on a horse: stand, relax the body, and allow the bike to freely move under me. It’s muscle memory that I’ve been developing and using for over twenty years.
When I was an equestrian, I had no knowledge of trail sustainability, and I really had no idea that Michigan was a mountain biking scene, yet alone a pretty competitive one with lots of great terrain to offer to cyclists. This might be because, while there were some serious mountain bikers, here, there really weren’t many trails available to them. I was completely unaware of their presence.
As an equestrian, my local 4-H club participated in fundraisers that would support building new bridle trails at our local state park, Sleepy Hollow, in Laingsburg, Michigan. That was the first time I ever heard of a group of citizens building and caring for trails on state land. I was one of those people who thought the state park fairies took care of everything.
With that said, I completely understand the thinking of today’s equestrians when trying to gain access to state park trails, today. There are bridle trails at various state parks and equestrian access to some multi-use trails. The equestrians want access to all of the trails they used to have access to. With this in mind, read the following bill. I will comment on it, tomorrow.
A summary of the bill follows:
HORSEBACK RIDING ON STATE-OWNED LAND
House Bill 4610
Sponsor: Rep. Tim Moore
Committee: Tourism, Outdoor Recreation and Natural Resources
Complete to 4-24-09
A SUMMARY OF HOUSE BILL 4610 AS INTRODUCED 3-18-09
The bill would amend Part 721 (Michigan Trailways) of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act to require the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to do the following things:
• Preserve and facilitate the use of pack and saddle animals (e.g., horses and mules) on all state-owned lands where there is a historical tradition of this use.
• Keep open and accessible for use by these animals all “trailways and other areas” on state-owned land that were open on May 7, 2008 and reopen those “trailways and other areas” that were available for this use before that date.Network. In addition, by July 31, 2009, the Natural Resources Commission would have to establish a network of trailways on state-owned lands for use by pack and saddle animals that included “trailways and other areas” where there was a “historical tradition” of these animals being used. A trailway designated for use by these animals could have other uses as well. The commission would have to facilitate the inclusion of other public and private lands, in addition to state-owned lands, to provide a comprehensive network of pack and saddle trailways throughout Michigan.
(Under current law, the term “trailway” means “a land corridor that features a broad trail capable of accommodating a variety of public recreation uses. This definition would be retained. Under the bill, the term “trailways and other areas” would include “trailways, open access roads, management roads, forestry access roads, and established two-track and single-track trails.”)
MCL 324.72101, 324.72114
FISCAL IMPACT:
Although there could be some administrative costs, no increase in the Department’s budget would be necessary to implement this bill.
Legislative Analyst: Shannan Kane
Fiscal Analyst: Kirk Lindquist
Hi Di -
Very interesting about your parallel trail riding and use.
If you contact Representative Moore’s office, you may be able to get the changed version of HB 4610. The one you have referred to is not what the Committee on Tourism, Outdoor Recreation and Natural Resources approved on May 5, 2009.
I hope that you will consider that many bike trails were originally laid down by equestrians who were later excluded from those same trails.
There are ways that trails can be used by several users – it simply requires input from all users – berry pickers, bikes, hiking, horses, etc. etc., and cooperation. Dr. Gene Wood of Clemson University is very knowledgeable on the subject as he has been doing this for more than a decade on public land in South Carolina.
Trailuser,
Thank you for the heads-up! I’ll be on the lookout for the revised bills on the legislature web sites.
I do realize that many bike trails were once equestrian trails. Unfortunately, many of those trails were not sustainable for horses or bikes. There are areas where even foot traffic is not permitted.
Trail building has improved over the last decade and equestrian traffic has not been considered with new trail construction and maintenance in areas of the ban, where equestrian traffic is a non-issue. Other areas simply will not be sustainable because of the soil type.
The reason I am not in favor of this bill is because it presents timeless legislation that does not consider the potential for ever-changing environmental impact. What is okay to ride today may not be okay another day. Also, there are areas where horses were allowed that horses really should not be permitted to use, and there are areas that horses currently are not using that would be an ideal environmental.
This is blanket legislation and it is irresponsible. I would like to see this issue taken, more responsibly, on the local level.
For me, this is not an issue of sharing the trail with other users. I live in an area with trail systems that allow equestrians to use the same trails. Currently, traffic is so low in areas of potential concern that a negative impact has not been seen. Other areas have a bedrock base and can sufficiently support equestrian traffic.
The revisions to the legislation create equine trail commissions. So hopefully there can now be dialog between MDNR and equestrian users. It’s too bad that the dialog and communication wasn’t started without requiring legislative intervention. Using science rather than perceptions is always the best ‘route’ to take when determining how and where trails can be, and which ones to have open and which ones to close.
Just as you thought the “trail fairies” did everything, there are others that think the same. There are many publications available from the Federal government that help trail builders do things in an environmentally friendly way. The Michigan Trail Riders Association has used those publications and training, and offers their assistance to other groups in the state. In addition, the Back Country Horsemen of America promote multi-user cooperation for all their affilates and chapters. I have a slide presentation from a group in Washington state where horses and mules were used to carry stone, matting, boards, etc. back to trails used by mountain bikers, horses, and hikers, where no motorized vehicles were allowed. In some cases, motorized vehicles cannot access areas that need work. It was great to see all users coming together to work like that.
The agencies of any public land should seek to work with all outdoor users thereby taking advantage of thousands of volunteer hours and in many cases, thousands of dollars of donated material and equipment to help all outdoor enthusiasts access to public lands. This would diminish the demand on their budgets and create cooperation from all users – berry pickers, mushroom gatherers, bird watchers, bikers, hikers, equestrians, dog sled teams, dog trialers, cross-country skiers, etc. etc.
“So hopefully there can now be dialog between MDNR and equestrian users.”
This is excellent. I did see a bill that addresses that, but did not include trail access.
There are some very nice bridle paths. It seems as though Highland has a nice one. I cross it when I visit that trail system. I’d like to see a lot more of that.
Unfortunately, Sleepy Hollow needs a bit more attention in the form of bridges. It’s a pretty wet area and both the mountain bike and equestrian trails get saturated or flooded in certain sections. I don’t think there is a dedicated mountain biking group out there, although I know some occasional work is done. I really have no idea what the equestrians are doing. I just remember raising money to fund the creation of the bridle paths.
There are plans in the works right now for revisions in Sleepy Hollow. The road around the lake will be done away with and the boat launch will have a separate entrance off Shepherdville Rd. The bike and horse trails will be the only things going all the way around the lake. What is uncertain at this time is whether or not the bikers and horse people will be using the same trails. I don’t think that this will be the case since they use separate trails now. Hopefully that will remain so.