Equestrian "Right to Ride" Bills

[Geff]

if you do, be sure to learn sentence structure and spelling

What does this even have to do with what we are talking about? Can we get back on topic of this bill and horse related stuff.This is what it is about, not how someone's sentence structure and spelling.

Wow. Just, WOW

I do know and understand that we all fat finger every now and then but...this is getting funny. Fatty's right though, back to the regularly scheduled program, lest we all digress way too far into the abyss.

[Di_bear]

if you do, be sure to learn sentence structure and spelling

What does this even have to do with what we are talking about? Can we get back on topic of this bill and horse related stuff.This is what it is about, not how someone's sentence structure and spelling.

Wow. Just, WOW

I think what Jon meant to say is that Fatty's post just...oh, bother.

[jonw9]

I thought of this thread yesterday when I was at the Memorial Day parade.

Our little town parade had only one horse in it, pulling a small trailer. Wouldn't you know it, right in the middle of the route, road apples were scattered in the middle of the street.

If horse people can;t be considerate enough to use parade bags or clean up after their animals with loads of people watching, what chance do the trails stand?

On an aside, I tried pointing out to the people driving their cherry 442s and classic Corvettes that it was only water and grass in the street, but they still insisted on driving around the street plops!

[scat silvurz]

If horse plops were so terrific, every birkenstock wearin' shoegazer vegetarian in Seattle would be selling em at every $tarbux!

[trout_smith]

If horse plops were so terrific, every birkenstock wearin' shoegazer vegetarian in Seattle would be selling em at every $tarbux!

Business idea! Make a messenger bag from dried horse doots. Sell it to the hipsters for upwards of $200!

[Geff]

If horse plops were so terrific, every birkenstock wearin' shoegazer vegetarian in Seattle would be selling em at every $tarbux!

Business idea! Make a messenger bag from dried horse doots. Sell it to the hipsters for upwards of $200!

Certainly "pressed" into service.

[egraetze]

I hadn't followed this issue closely, but read it all completely after my experience yesterday. I took what should have been an enjoyable and easy ride with my oldest daughter. She rode my old Trek mountain bike and I rode my skinny tire fixed on the Lakeland Trail starting from Hamburg. The paved naturally was with no issue, and once it turned to gravel all was good with even the occasional sandy section. I expected that we would complete the full trail to the end then turn around to go back to the start. The problem was once we got past M36 heading west, the trail seemed to be only used by horse riders. The trail was so rough that we simply could not ride it any more. It was a teeth jarring hand numbing ride. After a mile or two, we gave up. There was no part of the trial that was ridable. We saw a group of 3 hours coming our way, and it was no big deal to pass them, but when we turned around and passed from behind, even though they stopped at the side of the trail one of the horses got spooked when we passed. The rough trail, horse crap, spooked horse convinced me to never ride that portion of the trail again, and to never want to ride any trail on my bike where they are present.

[scat silvurz]

It's just not fun!!! I like horses, but riding on the same trails as them is really not my idea of a great time.

[CrisCataldo]

I hadn't followed this issue closely, but read it all completely after my experience yesterday. I took what should have been an enjoyable and easy ride with my oldest daughter. She rode my old Trek mountain bike and I rode my skinny tire fixed on the Lakeland Trail starting from Hamburg. The paved naturally was with no issue, and once it turned to gravel all was good with even the occasional sandy section. I expected that we would complete the full trail to the end then turn around to go back to the start. The problem was once we got past M36 heading west, the trail seemed to be only used by horse riders. The trail was so rough that we simply could not ride it any more. It was a teeth jarring hand numbing ride. After a mile or two, we gave up. There was no part of the trial that was ridable. We saw a group of 3 hours coming our way, and it was no big deal to pass them, but when we turned around and passed from behind, even though they stopped at the side of the trail one of the horses got spooked when we passed. The rough trail, horse crap, spooked horse convinced me to never ride that portion of the trail again, and to never want to ride any trail on my bike where they are present.

There is a plan to separate some of the bike/hike and horse traffic on the Lakeland Trail or run parallel trails. Some sections are shared, but not much. I can't find the planned trail map, but the guy who owns Village Cyclery in Pinckney has the proposed plan if you want to stop in an see it next time you're out there.

I ride this trail a fair bit and most of the horse people are ok, but there are some really stupid riders out there that get their panties in a wad when they encounter a biker or hiker on the shared trail. Um....if you can't play in traffic and manage your horse - go find somewhere else to ride.

[deuxdiesel]

The Lakeland Trail ends at my neighborhood, and I use it frequently, and have had the same horse-related issues. I remember when they (re)built it and made the accommodations to the equestrians by including the grassy strip along the side of much of it. In 3 years I have never seen a horse use that strip, only dogs pooping on it. I would suggest that it should be turned into an 8 mile long, 3 yard wide pump track- at least then it would be of some use. Actually, I much preferred the trail the way it used to be before it was paved.

[G.Cook]

I remember when they (re)built it and made the accommodations to the equestrians by including the grassy strip along the side of much of it.

Riding out to the Poto via Lakeland I stopped to ask an equestrian , out of curiosity , why she wasn't using that portion of the trail . Her reply , "Because the DNR didn't mow it on a regular basis and the grass gets to high for them to ride it ." I had images in my mind of long dead cowboys rolling in their graves .
The only way that section of the trail will be usable for any other user group is to pave it . It might be easier to dodge the horse crap that way . And from what I understand that is actively being persued by Putnam Township . Seeing the traffic on the paved portion to Hamburg probably seems like a no brainer to get their end paved . But Unadilla , that vote was lost by a few no votes for funding .
Talking recently to the local DNR about the above issue , they sound optimistic that the continued efforts to pave the rest of Lakeland is making some progress .

[mikewoods]

Does this "right to ride" bill include the White Pine trail?

I noticed yesterday at every road crossing between Howard city and Morley there was 'No Equestrian Traffic' signage. The trail was in decent shape, other than the fresh horse droppings and occasionaly hoof marks in the sandy or wet sections. About half way through my ride I saw four horses coming at me. They made a reasonalbe attempt to move to the right and I did the same. I was moving at a pretty good clip so I slowed down a bit. Of course all four horses got spooked.

I saw no horse trailers or anyting so I have to assume they were locals.

The White Pine is a pretty amazing trail and I'd hate to see it lost to the Equestrians.

[Creamy]

I'm just curious... Why can this 'right to ride' bill be repealed? what would it take?
Obviously it is being abused, these people are *beep* alot of people off, bikers, hikers, hunters...
I'm just sick of debating about horse people, they've proven to not play nice so lets take our trails and go home (so to speak).
and if this has been addressed earlier I apologize... I came to class late and just wanted to vent ;-)

[dennismurphy]

If horse plops were so terrific, every birkenstock wearin' shoegazer vegetarian in Seattle would be selling em at every $tarbux!

what's a "shoegazer"?

[Creamy]

Shoegazing (also known as shoegaze) is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged from the United Kingdom in the late 1980s. It lasted there until the mid 1990s, with a critical zenith reached in 1990 and 1991. The British music press—particularly NME and Melody Maker—named this style shoegazing because the musicians in these bands stood relatively still during live performances in a detached, introspective, non-confrontational state, hence the idea that they were gazing at their shoes.[1] The heavy use of effects pedals also contributed to the image of performers looking down at their feet (shoegazing) during concerts.

The shoegazing sound is typified by significant use of guitar effects, and indistinguishable vocal melodies that blended into the creative noise of the guitars.[1] A lump description given to shoegazing and other affiliated bands in London in the early 1990s was The Scene That Celebrates Itself. In the 1990s, shoegazing groups were pushed aside by the American grunge movement, forcing the relatively unknown bands to break up or reinvent their style altogether.[1] Recent times have seen a renewed interest in the genre among "nu-gaze" bands.

Although still not sure how it fits here ?!?!?