I'm commenting on the…

I'm commenting on the proposed requirement of poop bags for horses in the new provincial park. As a rider, I move my horse off trail to poop/pee. Some horses will NOT relieve themselves on trail and wait until back at the trailer. Riders will also kick it off trail. This is the requirement at the Ganaraska Forest and it works very well. Manure bags are primarily used on carriage horses in cities and is secured to the crossbar of the carriage and the horse moves unimpeded. Riding horses will have to have it secured to the saddle and their tail, impeding their movement. Not all horses are receptive to this, as well as the added weight of a pile of poop in the bag banging on their rear legs. It also restricts the use of their tail, which is their only defense against biting insects (flies, deer flies, horse flies, etc.) For these reasons, I am against the use of poop bags for horses and I urge you to contact the Uxbridge Horsemen's Association to set up a meeting to speak to actual equestrians before a decision is made.

I would also like to express my concern of the limited trails proposed for riding. Riders have enjoyed using the multi-use trails in our forests for decades and have had no problems sharing the trails with other users. Segregating users can quickly affect all user groups. As an equestrian and member of the U.H.A., we have always demonstrated good stewardship of our forests - staying on trails, staying off wet trails/wetlands, respecting trails signs and all other users.

I strongly urge you to reconsider these two proposed policies. Equestrians are NOT the bad guys. We have enjoyed these trails for many, many decades and have proven to be respectful, safety-conscious, responsible stewards of our trails and forests.