ridecamp@endurance.net: [endurance] backbone trail/so cal riders

[endurance] backbone trail/so cal riders

JENNIFER H LAYMAN (Jennifer.Hixson@forsythe.stanford.edu)
Fri, 1 Dec 95 14:21:11 PST

My husband is not a horse person but is a mountain biking fanatic.
If he didn't have bike trails I probably wouldn't have the freedom
to spend as much time riding as I do.

I've been able to really educate him on how to handle it when he
approaches horse people (I always pounded into his head that if he
isn't careful and courteous it will most likely be him that is
kicked in the head) In turn he has educated many of his friends he
rides with, and we've even written a letter to one of his mountain
biking magazines that had poorly written advice on how to ride on
trails with horses. As a result horse people are more courteous to
them, and they enjoy the shared trails more (believe me, my husband
and his friends are not sight seeing bikers).

I myself, when riding my horse understand that because I have the
right of way, the biker is giving up more than me to share these
trails. If a biker is polite and courteous to me I am always
polite and offer thanks. Most bikers just don't know about horses
or understand their behavior (all they know is Mr. Ed from TV).
If they're willing to listen-teach them.

I do not have a trailer and so most of the trails I can
access from my ranch allow bikers, so I don't have much choice. I
wouldn't take my mare out there if neither of us could handle it. I
had my husband bring his bike to the ranch and ride with us - now my
mare wants to race with bikes when they go by.

My short 2 cents got long - educate your friends, bikers & horse
people alike, and try to share the trails. Better having the shared
trails than a new condo complex.

Jennifer

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