SHARING MULTI-USE TRAILS B Y TA N IA M I L L E N
Horseback riders who ride multi-use trails often encounter mountain bikers, hikers, skiers, snowshoers, dogs, children, plus other recreationalists, many of whom are unfamiliar with horses. Fortunately, every encounter with a non-equine recreationalist is an opportunity to educate someone about how to safely share the trails with horses, learn about trail conditions or problems, and build rapport between equine users and non-equine users. Making sure that these encounters are safe, friendly, and educational helps ensure that trails remain open to horses, even as other types of recreation – such as mountain biking – become more prominent on the trails. 16
ALBERTA BITS I FALL/WINTER 2021
When encountering non-riding trail users, it’s useful to ask how their day is going. This encourages people to stop, chat, and interact, which also allows your horse time to figure out that the other trail user is a human and not a scary monster! Explaining that horses are 500 kilogram flight animals who can move quickly and don’t always recognize hikers or bikers as human, helps the other recreationalist understand that horses are thinking, sentient beings with minds of their own. Imparting this knowledge in a friendly way also helps others know what to do when encountering horses in the future – something many non-equine users simply don’t know.
