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Equestrian equality

Dear Editor:I am an owner of two horses which I board at the end of Rose Lane near the Carbondale rodeo grounds. I have been made aware of the new stretch of “bicycle” trail they are about to pave. I am disheartened that such a pristine stretch will now be home to more traffic than wildlife.My friend and I were excited this spring to test out the newest stretch between Carbondale and the Catherine Store bridge. This is one of the few places to ride without trailering. The sign says horses, hikers, and bikers allowed and please pick up your poo. Every time one of our horses made a mess we hoped off and kicked it off the trail. We have not returned. Within minutes of being on the trail it was made quite obvious that we were not wanted. Seven out of 10 people we encountered scowled or flat out said we should ride somewhere else. On the way back to the ranch we cut through the rodeo grounds and a biker actually followed us down to give us a piece of his mind.Honestly folks? Horseback is my favorite place. I would love to see some action toward keeping one of the few horse places left in the valley a chance to continue an old time favorite. There are miles of paved trail for the bikers and an alternate route for this stretch on the old Highway 82. Could you please share a stretch for the sake of the wildlife and some horse lovers? I am not saying designated to horses, just no pavement.An idea for the stretch between Carbondale and the Catherine store bridge is to take out the existing railway alongside the paved path and put down some pea gravel. The trails merge at some points, but at least this would help traffic and also our horses’ feet.Nicole PedersonCarbondale

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