Animal Trails and Walkways

Have you ever been contentedly riding along your favorite trail only to turn the corner and find a mud pit facing you?  Heavily used trails can become dangerous sites for horses and riders if they have degraded into deep mud.  Not only do muddy conditions discourage riders from using the site, there is danger involved for those coming up to unexpected mud holes at a quick pace.  Trails such as these may be found on private lands, or in public parks.  Mud management techniques can be used to solve these mud issues to provide a safe, year-round useable environment.  The pictures below show a successful site where mud management techniques corrected perennial water and mud problems along horse riding trails in Manzanita Park, Bainbridge Island.

Portion of trail with jump before implementation of mud management techniques.

Jump after implementation.  Note absence of mud.

If you have muddy riding trails on your farm and would like more information, contact your local planner.  If you are a member of a club with muddy trails, talk to the administrators about fixing the problems and contacting a planner for assistance.  

1386 SE Lund Ave. Suite 1, Port Orchard, WA  360-337-7171 FAX 360-337-7172