Re: No place for horse puck (Mirror June 29/12)
Do you know any of the history of the area at all? Did you know, we, the equestrians, used to be able to ride up the ERT to the Beaver Lodge Lands trails, alongside the logging trucks and that the Trail Riders club used to have a riding ring and show grounds on Homewood Road, all connected by a network of trails? Those trails spiraled out to the canyon view trails to McIvor Lake and Gordon Road, Simms Creek Trails to Oyster River and York Road and trails to the Comox Logging Road which connected to the power line trails up to Forbidden Plateau and further to Strathcona Park.
Our voice was heard when Beaver Lodge Lands were slated for housing development. Our backs and hands cleaned windfall and constant garbage from trail heads and further areas. We trimmed brush and cleared rocks. We need smooth, compact footing for our horses to travel on so they will not hurt themselves. How do you think those lovely trails happened? They were roads and train tracks originally. Where were you?
Nowadays, horses are still sometimes seen, usually quietly walking. Most riders get off and kick road apples off the main trails. Some do not. It’s not a perfect world. If it was I’d still be able to gallop my horse down the main trails of Beaver Lodge Lands and see bears, deer, mink, cougars, and my first ever vulture. Most of us have given way to cyclists, baby buggies, joggers, children and a host of small and large dogs and now ride further out. The horses are usually gone by the time you see evidence of them.
Tolerance from you would be nice. Please next time you dodge road apples, look closely at what else they helped leave you.
Out of the two of us, who do you think lost the most? We rode out there long before you discovered it.
Michelle J. Terry