Re: Horse trails, dogs don't mix
I would like to start by saying I am a dog lover as well as a horse lover.
I was born and raised in Prince George and as far as I can remember horses have been boarded at the exhibition grounds. (No less than 50 years) The horses and riders have been using these parts of the woods since long before the subdivision was even in the planning stages.
It is not good to ride a horse on pavement, on a regular basis, as it will do more harm than good, unlike dogs that can walk anywhere without it hurting them.
I find it very enjoyable to watch the horses go by when I'm sitting on the deck or at the dining room table.
How many people, living in city limits, can say they get to see that?
When I first moved into this house, which backs onto the greenbelt that people use to run and walk their dogs, there were lots of moose, bear and deer.
I bought this place for that reason and for the fact it was peaceful. Now we hardly see any because the dogs have been chasing them away.
Instead, we have dogs barking and ATV's roaring back and forth disturbing the peace. I have as yet to see a horse's owner let their horse go onto a landowner's property and do their business, unlike some dog owners.
I have seen the latter quite often from my living room windows; the dog owners just watch as their dogs do their business then, without cleaning up after their dog, they just walk away.
Further, I rarely see dog owners with a bag cleaning up their dog's business in the greenbelt, so why would you expect a horse rider to get off his horse to do the same?
At least horse manure is good fertilizer.
As for walking one's dogs in the greenbelt, the responsible dog owner would have the leash handy so if they see a horse or a wild animal they could restrain their dog until the animal has passed. How would the dog owner feel if their dog spooked a horse and the rider fell off and got seriously injured? I'll bet you never thought of that.
What are you going to do when Foothills Road pushes through? Are you going to say that dogs and cars don't mix?
As for the garbage: How often have you seen a horse rider toss a Tim Hortons cup down or a bag from chips or whatever? They are too busy hanging onto the reins to worry about drinking coffee and eating chips.
No, the horse riders might not live in this subdivision, but their horses do!
J. Greene
Prince George
