Horses can share trails with others

Re: Horses on trails are a bad idea, letter by Eugene Wendland, July 21.

I have been riding many years on the roads around my farm. I have been honked at, had engines revved at me, and been passed at a distance and speed that was a very real danger to me and my animal.

Luckily, I have advanced skills as a rider and my horse is very tolerant of her environment.

Now, I ride with my eightyear-old daughter, sevenyear-old niece, 65-year-old father and my sister in-law — who are all beginners. I don’t like taking them on the roads due to people who are ignorant or intentionally trying to harm them. I have had people honk and speed past my eight-year-old on her tiny pony.

Please let us have somewhere safe to enjoy the outdoors with our family and animals.

Below, I address the arguments made for not having horses on the Essex County greenway system: Horse poop on the trail: OK, fine, we will get down and kick it off.

This we’ll do even though the horse is a herbivore and its stool is biodegradable and dries up and blows away quickly.

Damage to the trail: everyone, even walkers, destroys the trail when it is wet. So, everyone must stay off when it is wet.

Spooked horses are a safety hazard: if you listen to the rider and are not ignorant when passing a horse, most interactions will be positive. We don’t want to be hurt, hurt our animals or other people.

If the rider is having an issue then, trust me, you the bystander will be told to stay back.

It’s all about respect for each other.

We are adults and can share a lovely place to enjoy our passions.

Angela Lang, Essex