Equine Land Conservation

WHAT IS LAND CONSERVATION?

Equine land conservation, as the name implies, is the act of preserving the environment around us for equine related needs.

THE ISSUE: According to the USDA, the US is losing 6,000 acres of open land every day. Large open spaces and contiguous tracts of land are critical to providing the space we need to support our nation’s equestrian heritage and economy. With the current rate of loss, we may not have enough land to support our horses and equestrian-related activities in as little as 15 years (ELCR Webpage).

There are many ways to get involved and stop the spread of misused land and uneducated communities. It is our duty as an equine community to protect open land for future generations of riders and horses.

NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

The Equine Land Conservation Resource (ELCR) is a national organization founded for protecting land for horse-related activities. Their goals include preserving our equine heritage for the physical and emotional benefit of the owners, as well as the economic benefits to the surrounding communities.

ELCR provides access to information and resources needed to be able to take action. They offer guidelines for how to start planning your own sustainable trail system, how to advocate for equine use of public lands on a political level, as well as how to organize management efforts in your area.

To find out more about the work of ELCR in Pony Club, visit their webpage here and watch the following video about the importance of equine land conservation:

Northern Lakes Region Member HB Land Conservation Sample Projects

"Equine Land Conservation": by Abigail B., from Two Rivers Pony Club. 2017. This video provides an overview of What Land Conservation is, why equestrians should support it, how you can help conserve land for equestrian use, and where it takes place. Feel free to watch it for your own education and use it to teach about this topic to your members.