Sharing the Trails Symposium

The Arizona Horse Council, in conjunction with its sister 501(c)(3) organization, the Arizona Horse Council Education and Research Corp., is excited to announce that it is playing host to the “Sharing the Trails” symposium on Nov. 2-4, 2018, at the Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort, 11111 N. 7th Street in Phoenix, Arizona.

This shared use trails symposium is targeted at equestrians, mountain bikers, hikers and motorized users and is intended to both educate and encourage cooperation among the various user groups. As the popularity of trail activities increases, the potential for user conflict and the impact on the available resources has increased as well.

Both joint topics and topics of interest to each user group will be presented. Some general topics include working with legislators, grant writing, trail management, working with the different land managers (National Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Arizona State Land and Arizona State Parks and Trails) to include development of trails and many more trail usage subjects. Some other issues of interest to equestrians are the wild horse issue, training law enforcement officers to recognize equine neglect and abuse and prison mustang training programs. A high note of Saturday’s program is keynote speaker Dr. Temple Grandin from the University of Colorado. Dr. Grandin is a professor of animal science at the university and is a leading expert on autism as well as animal communication. Her experience was the basis of the 2010 movie bearing her name. Also, a western cookout and dance is scheduled for Saturday evening.

So far, national groups participating in the symposium include the American Horse Council, the Coalition of State Horse Councils, Back Country Horsemen of America, National Equestrian Trails Conference and International Mountain Biking Association. Back Country Hunting and Fishing, another national group, has expressed interest as well. Arizona State Parks and the Arizona State Land department are also participating. We are still actively seeking participation from hiking and off-highway vehicle groups.

If you are a trails enthusiast, please join us Nov. 2-4. For more information on registration, the program itself, or sponsorship opportunities, please go to www.sharingthetrails.com. (This may come up as “Sharing The Trails Phoenix Arizona”). Sign up soon to take advantage of early bird registration fees.

The Arizona Horse Council is an official affiliate of the Washington, D.C.-based American Horse Council. The mission of the Arizona Horse Council is to protect and promote Arizona’s equestrian lifestyle. For more on the Arizona Horse Council, visit our website at www.arizonahorsecouncil.org.