Horse Riders Champing At The Bit For New Trails

 While they have been announced as 'cycleways', horse riders are champing at the bit to be a part of the new initiatives for recreation trails. NZ Horse Recreation hopes that the Otago Rail Trail will be a model for increased tourism opportunities in local economies. It follows the standards set on most overseas trails by encouraging as wide a range of activities as possible on trails.

"Horses played a huge role in opening up this country, and there is still a high local participation rate in equestrian recreation. Tourists also love the idea of being able to experience our spectacular scenery in an authentic way." says NZ Horse Recreation Founder, Vivien Dostine. “The height of a horse for sightseeing, the leisurely pace and the ability to cross rough trails and steep gradients with ease is also extremely attractive to many."

It also keeps the history and culture of many places alive. St James Trail is one of the first seven proposed ‘cycleways’. St James Station’s history is closely associated with packhorse teams, and the production of tough St James horses that were highly valued throughout the country. Already some travel and adventure writers are beginning to describe the packhorse trails as '4wd' or cycle tracks, but this misses the mark for many local and international tourists who would prefer to experience the great outdoors in a more natural way - from the back of a horse.

Rail trails are often ideal for multi-use trails, and allowing more than one group of users onto a trail system provides the greatest economic benefit to the locals. Horse riders using a trail network, need services for their horses as well as themselves, opening up new revenue streams along the way.

It's also a great way to get different recreation groups to co-operate and learn about each other. This alone can have enormous benefits for local Councils (and therefore ratepayers) as it can reduce demand to have separate infrastructure for each type of sport or recreation.