Trail building equestrians of New Mexico

[Johnnye Lewis <jlewis AT cybermesa.com>]

Just checking some of the chat in the last week and saw the request for info on the thorny plants.  For those of you who live and ride in the valleys, everything below will be common knowledge, so don't bother to read.

Two hazards there, the first discussed by Sabine are the thorns on the Russian Olive trees -- beautiful, blue-gray leaves, dark red/brown branches, but very spiky thorns that are also potent allergens, so scratches can flare up.  Generally these aren't much problem if you are on open trails, and these occur pretty much throughout the state.

The other one that may not be as common in the north, and probably what the articles were referring to, is goat's head.  This is a very flat, low-growing but very sprawling round shape with mesquite type leaves and yellow flowers.  Pretty until it goes to seed, when it produces hundreds of virtually indestructable seed heads with multiple spiky thorns.  These routinely puncture bicycle tires, even with "puncture proof" liners, and certainly wedge in dogs' feet and likely in horses frogs as well.  Having said that, I ride trails with goat's heads all the time and have never seen goats' heads retained in the frogs on my animals.  I try not to directly ride over them, but when they blanket trails I do tend to put the Old Mac's on so I can at least dump them before I get home.

Bigger problem I have had is pulling into parking areas where goats' heads have taken over.  I have literally had them multiple layers deep completely covering my truck and trailer tire, and my boot soles.  After driving home from those sites there are still many wedged in the tread of the tires.  Definitely nothing I want in pastures so requires lots of clean-up before bringing the trailer in.

These are so common for those of us in the valleys I never thought there might be some who didn't have to cope with them.  Heads-up!  and sorry for those to whom this is common knowledge.

Johnnye

Una Smith wrote:

20080814183922.GA17951 AT att.net" type="cite">

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
_______________________________________________
TREQ-NM AT lists.ibiblio.org
http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/treq-nm

  

-- 
Johnnye Lewis, Ph.D., DABT
Director, Community Environmental Health Program
College of Pharmacy, Health Sciences Center
Co-Director, Environmental Health Signature Program
Health Sciences Center
University of New Mexico

cell:  	505 991-3489
office:	505 272-4853

Mail:
Community Environmental Health Program
College of Pharmacy
MSC09 5360
1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM  87131-0001

Fed Ex:
Community Environmental Health Program
College of Pharmacy
University of New Mexico
2502 Marble NE
Albuquerque, NM  87131-5691