A Tight Squeeze

Meet the (relatively) new park two blocks from my house. A couple of years ago a woman came to my door and asked me to write a letter in support of having an equestrian trail incorporated into this new park while it was in the planning stages. I wrote my letter, and received a nasty reply in which I was told that my house was not even within the district that the park was being built for, and therefore my opinion did not count. I was told that IF I was allowed to use this facility, it would be as a guest. Apparently, those who are within the district have been paying monthly fees that go to pay for the park among other things. I didn't know. I guess I am fortunate to not live within one of those districts that tax their residents.

My kids and I have been playing tennis there as "guests", and I have had it on my To Do List to take the horses there, since they did include an equestrian trail, despite my opinion not counting. Unfortunately, they placed the trail along the outside of the park up against the back yards of homes, so there are plenty of barking dogs, rippling flags, flapping tarps, rusted vehicles up on cinder blocks, lawn mowers, and even a back yard motocross track for the horses to spook at.

All the interior trails were laid down with gravel to assure that anyone who rides their horse on those will ruin their feet. It is also strategically placed behind a very active fire station with lots of P.A. talk and sirens. I decided that once I thought my horses could handle it, I'd first take them for lead line walks there, and then ride them there. Unfortunately, the road to the park is dangerous, so I have to trailer the horses for the two blocks.

On Sunday morning, I went out to investigate how I would get a horse into the park. They have the entire park fenced or roped off. The entrance I use to play tennis is a narrow set of posts in a triangle that you have to squeeze through. I drove over to the entrance that said it was for horses, and they had the chain padlocked.

This is the only entrance next to the padlocked chain that doesn't have a third post in the middle, but I don't think it is wide enough to get a horse through.

I mean, a horse might fit, but would it go through a passageway that is so narrow? After all, horses are claustrophobic and scared of strange objects. They won't walk near something without doing a full investigation first.

After having Bombay nearly plow me down trying to get through the gate at the Fairgrounds without having the trash can attack him, I'm not so sure he'd be keen on squeezing between those two splintery posts. By the time I got done looking at the entrance options to the park, it was 80 degrees and I was in no mood to trailer a horse out there to find out if it would pass through that tiny entrance.

Those are the tennis courts off in the distance.

That is a playground. The park is still in development, so I often see tractors out there. They will be building a skateboard park too. Not a whole lot of thought was put into what activities harmonize with horseback riding.

I know that horseback riders do use the trail, because I see hoofprints and manure out there, but I suspect those are very experienced, solid horses. I also suspect that they belong to people who can just walk them through their own gate in their backyard, because there are lots of homes lining the property that have horses in their backyards.

I understand that the reason why the park has been sealed off so tightly is to prevent ATVs from getting in. There is a sign that says "No motorized vehicles. Horse entrance only."

I appreciate that, but there's no way a Fresian or Draft horse would fit between those narrow posts. If I'm worried about getting an Arab through there, you know there are many larger breeds that won't fit. Maybe I should just teach my horses to jump that chain.