Photo Credit: Carmel Clay Parks & Recreation
Located in southwestern Ohio, Great Parks of Hamilton County, besides maintaining 21 parks and nature preserves and managing 17,000 acres of green space, is home to the largest public horse-trail system in the county. The urbanization of greater Cincinnati, with 2 million people, has made these horse trails a valuable commodity for area horse enthusiasts. For over 30 years, the park system has partnered with horse lovers in keeping the almost 20 miles of horse trails open for public riding. However, due to high rider usage, design flaws, erosion issues, lack of funding, and a series of severe storms that dropped trees on the trails, approximately 8 miles of horse trail located within the Miami Whitewater Forest had fallen into disrepair.
Strengthening Partnerships
The park system developed a horse-trail reconstruction plan, obtained cost estimates, and presented the plan to the horse community at a town-hall meeting. Staff members were surprised and somewhat dismayed to encounter some initial push-back from a community that was accustomed to providing Great Parks with volunteer trail labor hours but who were now being asked to help provide funding for trail maintenance. Change is always difficult, and needless to say, the new partnership got off to a rocky start.
Two months later, support for the horse-trail project was found in a small group of key community volunteers. They embraced the partnership with Great Parks, possessed important community connections, and embarked upon the mission of securing the necessary funds and volunteer hours needed to rebuild the horse trails. In the spirit of cooperation, the park system pledged and provided 1:1 matching funds for the $65,000 trail project, and the Great Parks Foundation established a Bridle Trail Fund to accept and recognize tax-deductible donations earmarked for the reconstruction project.