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Soapbox
Not an accusation but just an observation as someone who likes horses, aren’t the fire trails in Terry hills and especially Cascades nice and firm without the horse prints.
I am defiantly NOT saying that there should not be any horses because the trails are there for everyone to enjoy, but just an observation to those rangers and National parks to say that MTB's are not the worst thing ever especially in the Kosciusko National Park.
I will get of my soapbox now…..
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get over it they hardly make that much difference - water and trail bikes have far more impact.
As for Cascades there are barely any horses that go down there so i fail to see how you can notice any visible change...it's like saying you can tell no horses have been to red hill lately - you can't!
not that you ride there though...
i remember reading a major study done by the mtba thingo some time that revealed that mountain biking and light horse riding have pretty much the same environmental impact.. ie:bugger all
now if someone wants to do something about the bloody dirt bikers, im in!
IMO "light horse riding" would have a greater environmental impact on the trails than bikes and far more dangerous on shared riding tracks like Cascades and Red Hill.
By the way I assumed the "light horse riding" mentioned was the concerned with groups re-enacting Boer War campaigns and charging through the bush with lances at the ready impaling bush walkers, etc and not riders of Shetland ponies, anorexic arabians and bulimic buckskins.
Go the Eagles
Several studies have shown responsible hoof traffic has far more impact on trails than responsible wheeled traffic (including motorbikes.)
I think there is a place for all and am happy to share trails but I got to say when MTBs get locked out of certain NPs that horses are allowed into, on the grounds of environmental impact it really gives me the shits.
Andrew, perhaps you should use your soapbox to shout the joys of responsible MTB'ing to "those rangers and National Parks" rather than to NobMob...
Common sense would suggest there are far more mountain bikers than horses and the minimal number of horses would have to be pretty destructive individually to come close, unless you count turds. Plus I've never seen a horse (or its rider...) chucking a powerbar/Gu wrapper on the trail but came across plenty today on the OGNR, and don't mention the dick head elites and their litter trail in the dirt works.
Lets just concentrate on keeping our own house in order eh.
Matt.
I think that I have opened up a can of worms that I shouldn’t have.
The key word is responsible. Mountain bikers should respect the trails as should horse riders. And I think the majority do.
My observation was simple, some trails that I regularly ride are looking fantastic at the moment ( bar the rubbish..... he he he ) and I was thinking to my self what has changed….No horses.
I will stress again this does NOT mean that horses should change where they ride or how they ride as everyone has the right and privilege to enjoy the great out doors. If more people rode horses and MTBs as well as run, jog or even sit in a park then this would be a healthier country.
Earlier this year I wanted to ride XC in the Kosciusko National Park as a family holiday so I called them. A not very help full person told me that they don’t like MTBs in the park and there are very restricted trails. She also said we don’t like horses but “they don’t cause as much damage”.
That was my train of thought as I was riding this morning.
I do not mean to offend horse lovers as I conceded that any one MTBing, walking, horse riding, running and especially motor cross will cause various degrees of damage to a trail. Its impossible not to.
As I have seen NOBMOBers have to be the most conscientious riders out there, well the ones that I have met anyway.
As I said just an observation.
P.s I applaud dez_b for organizing the rubbish pick up.
Andrew
I think I am going to go for a ride now.......
sorry dude i just have to ask, what is your point? sometimes horses will leave tracks, sometimes mtb's will leave tracks and pretty much always dirt bikers will leave tracks and monsterous rutting.. its just the way it goes, and unless people walk on the trails with special floating magnetic lifter shoes, there is always going to be some kind of environmental impact, not that i think footprints and tyre tracks are exactly an environmental impact to be concerned with, after all, none of us are exactly riding and trotting off the track to aim for a bunch of native flowers or a couple of bluetongue lizards or something
now wheres my bulldozer? 
Nice cover up.
Board at work on another weekend. I shouldn't be let near a computer.