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.

My trusty, equine companion of 14 years, I Am A Pleasure. I’m the human. Photo by Mom.

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.

House Bill No. 4610

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

House Legislative Analysis of House Bill No. 4610