Help keep horse trails

open in your local area

Horse SAwww.horsesa.asn.au

Photo: Heidi Lyneham

Promote the needs of horse riders in your local area

Its great to get out and about on your horse.

All riders can help to keep the trails open in their area and

advocate for new routes.

The following information will help you get started on your way to help keep horse trails

open in your area.

Some riders only have the choice of riding suburban streets,

roadside trails and have to cross busy roads on every ride.

To other riders this is ‘dangerous’ and to be avoided at all costs.

All trails have value to someone.

Whatever options are available for riding in your district, it is

important to promote awareness for the need of horse riders to

access public land.

iStock

Find out where you can go riding

Trails can be found on:

• Local government public land • Public land leased by a club• Gazetted stock routes• Beaches• Roads• Forests• Private land access by

agreement

Trails may be:

• Marked (signed) trails• Unmarked trails• Open space with no trails, but

horses are permitted to be ridden on the land

Photo: Robyn Warren

Sharing information to help to keep trails open

Marked trails will have on-ground signage and maps available from the government agency managing the land.

Check with the land manager:

- The time when trails are open- If a permit is required- Where to park a float- If water for horses is available- What obstacles are likely to be

encountered

Find out who manages the land on which trails are located

Before caring for trails or advocating for new routes, it is important to find out who the land manager is.

Your favourite trail could traverse several different land tenures.

In this photo, near Kersbrook in South Australia, the small track to the foreground is on land managed by Adelaide Hills Council, while the wider track towards the rear is managed by Forestry SA.

If you are unsure who the land manager may be, your local council can assist with information.

Public land managers in South Australia include the; - Dept for Environment, Water and Natural Resources (national parks) - Dept for Primary Industries (Forestry SA, gazetted stock routes) - Dept for Transport, Planning and Infrastructure (major roads, disused rail corridors) - Local Government (local roads and roadside trails, beach access, open space public land)Or trails can be located on private land

Unmade road reserves potentially available for riding can be identified by using topographic maps.

The red arrows are pointing to double unfilled lines, representing public land called unformed roads or unmade road reserves. The land has been set aside for a future road and is available for the public to access.

If gates are blocking public land, check with the council and arrange for public access to be reinstated.

Occasionally local councils sell unmade road reserves.

This is what an unmade road reserve may look like.

In this image, the public unmade road reserve is visible between the fence line and crop.

It is quite common for the public reserve to not be fenced, or fenced on one side only.

Unmade road reserves are frequently not maintained, and therefore may not be easy to ride or walk through. Check for fallen wire fences, large holes or other hazards before riding your horse through.

Help keep trails open by

keeping a watch

Report damage or theft

Ask the land manager to trim trees or remove rubbish

Start up a local trail access or ‘trail watch’ group

Participate in public consultations

Another important way to help is by participating in

public consultations.

Public land, which may have a current trail, or be

suitable for one in the future, will often come up

for public consultation.

It is very important to send in a submission to

say how important it is to keep this land open for recreational trail use,

especially for local horse riders.

There are a few ways to find out about public consultations

Local area:

Read your local paper and keep an eye out for adverts which promote consultations on

• Proposal to close a public road• Open space strategic plans

District council trail strategies or sport & recreation plans

• By-law reviews

State government :

• National Park management plans (link here)

Did you know?

Horses are classified as a vehicle under the Australian Road Rules.

Local councils have powers under their by-laws to prohibit or allow horses on public parks and local roads.

Link up with like minded people

A local trail access or ‘trail watch’ group can be set up on social media to share information about trail care and public consultations.

Or, it may be beneficial in some cases to establish a local committee or non-profit group.

In Summary

• Promote the needs of horse riders in your local area

• Share information about trails

• Find out who manages the land on which trails are located

• Help keep trails open by keeping a watch

• Participate in public consultations

• Link up with like-minded people

Links

Trails SA

City of Onkaparinga

ForestrySA

Parks SA

Rail Trails

Horse SA www.horsesa.asn.au

Michael Mullen

Facebook pagesHorse SAHorse Trails Education AustraliaThe Kidman Trail