Trail building equestrians of New Mexico

[Sabine Shurter <sabine AT tektrail.com>]

We have had problem with Russian Olives in the bosques ... younger 
plants have strong, long and pointed thorns which can easily puncture 
tires or scratch your skin. So, if you see branches of Russian Olives 
lying in the road better don't drive over them (mostly not a problem on 
the official parking areas) ... and wear a long-sleeved shirt if you 
plan to bush whack.
Riding in the Bosque is beautiful during any season (I mostly know parts 
of the Corrales bosque) ... but in the Abq./Corrales area you have to 
share with an increasing number of  bikers and hikers (who are often 
quite ignorant when it comes to horses) and more and more regs have to 
be observed (for example, leash law for dogs) which is pretty typical 
when an area becomes (over)populated. Riding into the Rio Grande - if 
possible - is fun but watch out of "quick sand" in which a horse can get 
stuck. More "civilization" has lead to less trash in the bosque (and 
typical dangers associated with trash). But still, watch out for wires 
or cables (mostly part of flood control devices).  The underpass under 
Paseo del Norte is fine but some horses do get concerned and are better 
led through the tunnel. Thanks to the rejuvenation of the old Corrales 
Bridge (Alameda) the river can be crossed without getting into traffic 
anymore and the bridge allows access to both sides of the river (again 
some horses may object at first when asked to cross the bridge). Further 
south (South Valley), things can be "wilder" ... ATVs and the like can 
be encountered and some drivers are not courteous at all. Sabine

Una Smith wrote:

> Hi TREQ-NM,
>
> I have been reading user reviews of the Corrales Bosque trail (northern
> end of the Paseo del Bosque Trail through ABQ) and want to check some 
> information.  Have you ridden there?  Some reviews mention a kind of
> plant with thorns that puncture tires.  What kind is it?  Some reviews
> say the plant is mesquite;  is that correct?
>
> What are the horse-specific hazards, if any, on the Corrales Bosque
> trail?
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
>         Una Smith
>         Los Alamos
> _______________________________________________
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