On 1/31/2012 9:51 AM, Trevor wrote:

4 inch deep hoof prints left in the trail are definitely damage.

Indeed, all studies on trail damage show essentially the same thing.
Mountain bikers and hikers cause about the same amount of damage, the
difference is basically tire tracks versus boot tracks. Horses cause far
more damage to trails. Every expert in habitat and park management
acknowledges that this is the case.

Horses they have the added problem of making a huge mess. It's amazing
that we force dog owners to pick up after their dogs, but horse owners
simply leave their animal's messes for other trail users to deal with.
It's like drivers that toss their cigarette butts out the window.

Hikers and mountain bikers are actually natural allies. They should
unite and demand that parks and open space districts pass rules
regulating equestrians, including the requirement that equestrians clean
up after their animals. They can learn from Disneyland and Disney World
how it's possible to clean up after horses.

The issue here is that equestrians are generally very well off
financially and can influence public policy to benefit themselves at the
expense of less politically powerful and less affluent trail users.