Horses on Trails

[Joan Dowis <jdowis@foothill.net>]

Hi, all --

I think all ridecampers should know that the AERC Trails Committee is
responding to our needs.  The following letter to the editor appeared
today in the Sacramento Bee, written by  Connie Berto:

"Re 'Horsing around with waste,' letter, Aug. 31:

"Dale Heckman implies (wrongly) that horses are responsible for the
presence of giardia in wilderness streams and ground water.  As chairman
of the trails committee of the American Endurance Ride Conference and a
founding member of  EnviroHorse, I do not take either public health or
misinformation about horses lightly.  I have thousands of hours of horse
camping experience, and I disagree with Heckman's casual assumptions of
riders' behavior, horse care and health impacts in the back country.
Equestrians take pride in a healthy environment; otherwise, we'd have no
sport.

"The question of whether or not equines used for recreation contribute
to pathogens in water has been decisively put to rest.  Several recent
studies at top research levels have concluded that the extremely low
prevalence (almost zero) of giardia and cryptosporidium in the trail
horse population shows that adult horses are not a significant source of
either organism.  A Web site for more information is
www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/ceh.

"Unlike some ailments of dogs, cats and birds, horse diseases and horse
parasites are species-specific and do not transmit to humans.  The good
health of horseback riders, young and old, children and adults, is the
best possible testament to the beneficial aspects of the 6,000-year-old
association of human beings with horses."

Go, Connie!

Joan Dowis


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