Press Releases

TREAD LIGHTLY! TEAMS UP WITH EQUESTRIAN LAND CONSERVATION RESOURCE

In an effort to help equestrians and all outdoor enthusiasts protect their trail access on public lands, while also helping avoid conflict amongst trail users, the nonprofit organization Tread Lightly!® has formed a strategic alliance with the Equestrian Land Conservation Resource (ELCR).                          

The alliance was formed because access to healthy public lands and waters for the enjoyment of responsible recreation is of paramount importance to both organizations. ELCR has also identified the loss of open land as a great threat to the future of all equestrian sport, recreation, and industry. 

There has always been a need to educate all recreationists on ways to minimize their impacts, but with the explosion of our population comes a heightened need to communicate the importance of responsible trail sharing. Encounters between enthusiasts enjoying different modes of transportation, such as horses and motorized vehicles and mountain bikes, are on the rise as more and more people share less open spaces. 

To prevent or reduce trail closures resulting from environmental impacts and social conflict, Tread Lightly! has an entire series of brochures full of tips advocating an ethic of stewardship and promoting a wide variety of recreational activities, including but not limited to tips for responsible horseback riding.  The brochures include a series relating to activities involving the use of motorized vehicles that provide tips like what to do when approaching horses or other pack animals. 

“To accomplish Tread Lightly!’s overall goal of creating a society of responsible recreationists, we need to reach across all the aisles,” said Lori McCullough, Tread Lightly!’s executive director.  “The Equestrian Land Conservation Resource and its programs are essential to the goal while keeping riders safe and the environment healthy.” 

ELCR is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the conservation of land for horse related activity.  Tread Lightly! is an organization dedicated to protecting recreation access and opportunities in the outdoors by advocating an ethic of stewardship and promoting responsible use of natural resources. 

Together, these organizations will provide information on land use and stewardship to thousands of equestrian volunteers and groups. 

            Tread Lightly! will soon release the following quick tips for shared use trails:

• When traveling on shared use trails, continually watch for other types of recreationists.
• Whenever possible, horseback riders should communicate to other recreationists how to proceed around their horse.
• To help reduce the risk of injury to horses or humans, trail riders should introduce their horses to vehicles and situations they may encounter on shared trails ahead of time.
• Motorized vehicles, mountain bikers, and hikers always yield to horses.
• Riders should match their skill level to the temperament and ability of the horses they ride.
• Other recreationists should be cautious around horses and pack animals and proceed with care. Sudden, unfamiliar stimulus may spook animals - possibly causing injury to animals, handlers, and others on the trail.
• When encountering horses from the front, move to the downhill side of the trail, stop, remove your helmet, and speak – you want the horse to know you are human.  Ask the rider the best way to proceed.
• When encountering horses from behind, motorized vehicles and bikes in particular should slow down and maintain their distance from the horse. Calmly call out to the rider to alert them to your presence and arrange to pass if that is your intent.  Riding up on the hind end of a horse can be extremely dangerous. The approaching recreationist may be kicked or could cause the horse to flee in fear, possibly injuring the rider, the horse and others on the trail.

For more of Tread Lightly!’s quick tips on horseback riding, shared trail use, and many other outdoor recreational tips, go to www.treadlightly.org. For more information about the Equestrian Land Conservation Resource, visit www.ELCR.org.

Tread Lightly!  is a national nonprofit organization whose mission is dedicated to protecting recreation access and opportunities in the outdoors by advocating an ethic of stewardship and promoting responsible use of natural resources. Tread Lightly!’s strategic educational message, along with its training and restoration initiatives are designed to instill an ethic of responsibility in outdoor enthusiasts and the industries that serve them.  The program is long-term in scope with a goal to balance the needs of the people who enjoy outdoor recreation with the needs of the environment.

ELCR, the only national not-for-profit organization advancing the conservation of land for horses and horse-related activity, serves as a clearinghouse and educational resource for land and horse owners on issues related to equine land conservation, land use planning, equine economic development, trails, and land stewardship/best management practices.

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