5 Trail Etiquette Tips for Horseback Riders

Informing hikers about best practices when encountering horses on trail has been an objective of many backcountry horsemanship groups, yet it is equally important to share trail etiquette guidelines for riders in order to protect wilderness areas and preserve trail access for stock use. Here are 5 simple principles to keep in mind when you hit the trails with your equine companion.

1. Whenever possible, STAY ON TRAIL. Particularly in sensitive habitats, horses can tear up ground quickly and spotting hoof prints can encourage hikers to stray off trail as well. Trail crews dedicate time to building routes in order to protect natural vegetation and minimize erosion. Particularly in muddy conditions, be mindful of staying on the beaten path aside from navigating downed trees, landslides, insect nests, or other obstructions. Hidden obstacles like drainage pipes or stray bits of wire can also pose a threat to your horse off trail. Staying on trail helps safeguard access for future riders!

2. Only tie stock to trees when necessary and for minimal amounts of time. Even if your horse doesn't damage the bark or limbs of a tree, pawing can harm a tree’s root system. Generally speaking, National Forests ask stock users to only tie to trees when tacking/loading pack animals or setting up alternative forms of confinement. Plan to avoid tying to trees less than 6 inches in diameter and use tree saver straps when setting up a highline. 

3. Spread manure in established campsites and popular waypoints on trail. Horse manure is excluded from the EPA’s solid waste regulations, but it’s still off putting to other trail users when they are trying to pitch a tent and encounter a large pile of horse poop. 

4. Rest stock overnight at least 200 ft away from water sources. This ensures that water stays clean as well as preventing excess mud and protecting plant life.

5. Finally, be friendly and courteous when encountering people on trail! Many hikers and mountain bikers have little knowledge about horses or how they should act around them when yielding right of way. One negative interaction can set the tone for how they interpret other stock users, cumulatively harming efforts to keep trails open to horses. Be polite and remember that oftentimes lapses in judgement from people meeting horses on trail come from a place of ignorance rather than malice.