Beyond the Beaten Path, continued...
On the Edge of Common Sense by Royce Herman, Tuckahoe Equestrian Center board
member & Maryland Horse Council treasurer
If there is one thing that I thoroughly enjoy doing in my spare time, it is saddling up my beautiful Arabian mare Achy and riding through the woodlands of Maryland’s Eastern Shore. She and I have formed a bond over the years that allows the two of us to blend with nature and see many things that one could never see on foot. Deer, fox, hawks, owls, and even an occasional eagle seem to look at me only as a funny-looking horse. When I return from a ride, I always seem refreshed and ready to meet the challenges that life presents to me. I am fortunate to board my horse at a stable that is large enough to ac- commodate a nice trail system on the property. A husband and wife who foxhunt own the farm next door and for years have let us ride on their property. T e trails are a nice mix of woods and open ground, as well as an exercise track where we could safely let a horse run a bit. I feel blessed because many of my friends are relegated to riding in an arena unless they haul their mounts to a park with equestrian trails. One day, not so long ago, I saddled up Achy to go for a quiet afternoon
ride. I planned to ride some of the farm trails and then cross over to the farm next door to let her gallop a bit in the open fi elds. As I rode up to the property line, the crossing was blocked with yellow tape and a “do not enter” sign. Disappointed, I retraced my steps, rode for another hour or so on the stable’s property before returning to the barn. Several days later, I paid a visit to the neighboring farm to see what the
problem was. What I learned from that meeting shocked me. It seems that three riders from the farm had ridden on to the neighbor’s property and instead of staying in the fi elds and wooded areas, had gone through the adjacent nursery area and had actually gotten in the way of workers on tractors. T ey had ridden between tractors and the trucks they were loading. T is not only defi es common sense, but it is downright dumb. It puts both the horse and rider at risk as well as creating a huge liability problem for the land owner. T e bottom line was, the actions of these irresponsible riders caused all of us to lose the privilege of riding on this beautiful farm. T e above incident illustrates how the foolish actions of a few horse people can result in closure of trails to all horse people. T is occurred on a large scale in Pennsylvania a number of years ago when over one mil-
lion acres of state game lands were closed to equestrians. It took years of eff ort and a lot of work to reopen these areas. So, what is the solution? Common sense! Before you ride, think about where you are going and what you intend to do there. I know most of you out there do the right thing without a second
thought. Some, however, do not seem to care. For the benefi t of those few, I will list a few things to consider.
1) If you pack it in, pack the trash out. Don’t litter the trails. 2) Always ask permission to ride on private property. 3) Stay on trails and avoid “cutting trail” whenever possible. 4) Avoid areas that are environmentally sensitive such as arboretums. 5) If you ride through gates, leave them as you found them. 6) Most trail systems are multiuse so be courteous to other trail users. 7) Use caution during hunting season. Wear orange to stay visible and avoid early morning and late afternoon when hunters are usually out. Remember, intentionally disrupting a hunter is against the law. 8) Avoid riding on trails after a heavy rain when trails are exceptionally muddy. 9) If you ride alone, tell someone where you are going and what time you expect to return and always carry your cell phone. 10) Most important of all, use common sense. When you reach the edge of common sense, that is when you are going to do something dumb and that is when accidents occur.
So, until the next time I climb onto my soapbox, Happy Trails and Ride Safe!
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