Wood River Bike Team Helps Trails and Learns about Horse Etiquette!
Did you know that members of the Wood River Bike Team have to do 4 hours of service for the trails in and around the Wood River Valley? We help facilitate work events targeted specifically to members of the team!
On Tuesday, September 5, we all met out at the Greenhorn Trailhead for some education before we hit the trails to get to work. WRTC board member, Katelyn Berman led a 30 minute discussion about how to best navigate horse interactions on the trails. She shared tips like
Stepping off to the downhill side of the horse when letting it pass
Making yourself more human by removing your glasses and saying something nice to the horse and rider. Something easy like “How’s your day going?” or “It’s a gorgeous evening to be out here!”
Being kind and understanding to horses as trail users - while it is up to the rider to ensure that their horse is safe and prepared to be on trails, the only way for a horse to learn good trail etiquette is to practice. So, you might be encountering a seasoned horse, or one that’s newer to the trails, take a minute to be kind and ensure the interaction goes smoothly!
The discussion was a a big hit! In the words of one bike team member: “I just learned more in the last 20 minutes than I have all week at school”
Hilarity aside, after the discussion, the bike team members headed up to clear brush and drains along Cow Creek. Many hands sure make for light work and lots of fun!
