Dear Editor,

For the first time and mostly just for a change, I decided to walk with my dog through the trails at Campbell Valley Regional Park.

Given I wanted a longer walk and my ultimate destination was the off-leash dog park, I chose to walk the 11 kilometre Shaggy Mane Trail commencing at the 16th Avenue entrance to the park.

I duly noted the sign indicating the trail is a shared trail for horses, hikers and on-leash dogs. I also noted the 鈥渃lean up after you dog鈥� signs.

Once I began the walk and very early into the walk, I was astounded and repulsed by the vast quantity of horse manure that layers the trail. I, with my dog, had to perform a kind of dance to get around the mounds of manure throughout the trail. In fact, I believe one horse was ridden diagonally along the trail ensuring the excrement went fully from one side of the trail to the other.

After about 30 minutes on the trail, I simply couldn鈥檛 take it anymore and turned around to head back to my vehicle. On the trail back I heard a horse coming up fast 鈥� full gallop鈥� behind me. I grabbed my dog, got as close to the edge of the trail as I could and watched a rider less horse blow past me.

I immediately looked behind me to check on the safety of another family as I had just passed a little girl sitting down on the trail emptying rocks from her shoes. Luckily she had gotten up and moved closer to her mother when the horse stormed by.

I simply do not understand how this trail could possibly be considered a 鈥渟hared鈥� trail.

There are by-laws requiring owners to clean up after their dogs but horses, with about 10x more excrement than dogs, are permitted to 鈥渓et it go鈥� without regard for others.

Even if horse manure is organic, as expressed by a few people I spoke with, I certainly do not want to be stepping in it, dancing around it or fighting my dog not to roll in it.

Now I don鈥檛 pretend to know anything about horses but surely a horse rider can attach a small pooper-scooper to their saddle, get off the horse, scoop the excrement to the side of the trail and resume their ride.

During the course of my walk I stopped and spoke with a few people to 鈥渨arn鈥� them of the mounds of manure and express my confusion of the rules for cleaning up after dogs but not horses. Surprisingly, the common response was 鈥渢his is a horse trail.鈥�

I remind the Township, horse owners and hikers that the Shaggy Mane Trail is a shared trail to be enjoyed by all.

It is my suggestion that either horse owners be required to clean up after their horses so other can enjoy the trail, the Shaggy Mane Trail be designated strictly a horse trail, or a sign be posted at the trail entrances warning hikers that the trail is covered with horse manure, and of course, to watch for wayward horses.

Kathy Swift, 91原创