Man and horse, one with nature… seems harmless enough. But the state Department of Conservation says trail riding is on the rise and that can harm the state’s streams. Department Forrester Tom Draper says a large number of horses in one area can cause soil erosion and contaminate streams with large amounts of bacteria. But, he says the department wants to make horse, rider and nature work together. That’s why more than 270-thousand has been spent on leveling out popular trails so soil doesn’t erode, streams aren’t contaminated and riders can still enjoy the great outdoors. Draper says the department is still working on fine-tuning improvements, such as adding a pond to provide a drinking source for horses that wouldn’t harm the local streams.
