Equestrian Knowledge of Environmental Impacts on Trails

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between the demographics and the knowledge of horse users of environmental impacts on trails, the opinion of horse users as to whether management of equine trail areas should be paid by the user and to determine if there was a significant difference in acceptance of any environmental impacts form horse use on trails. Participants in the study were 65 people who had ridden horses on trails. The three hypothesis were tested for significance utilizing the = 0.05 level and Chi-square Test for Independce performed with the program InStat. There was sufficient evidence that led to the following conclusions: 1) There was no significant difference of knowledge of potential horse impact upon the environment. 2) There was no significant difference in acceptance of any environmental impacts from horse use on trails. 3) There was no significant difference of horseback riders' opinions as to whether management of equine trail areas should be paid by the trail user, regardless of: age, employment status, household income, years of formal education, and years of riding a horse. Over half of the horse users that replied to this study appeared to agree with the statement "equine use causes no harm to the environment," however, the majority of horse users did not appear to believe that "any" impacts from horse use on trails are acceptable. The majority of horse users also appear to agree that the horse users should pay for management of specific areas to be used by their horses.