The City of Malibu is suffering a horse trail gap. In the past, the city, particularly on the west end, was horse country. There were many trails all over Point Dume and Malibu Park and deep into the hills. Some were legal trails, some just established by custom over time. Then, when residents built their homes, they often built a fence on the lot line, thereby leaving no spaces in between lots for trails. Many of those that moved in over the past 20 years were not horse people and were not amenable to voluntarily giving up part of their land for horse trails.
The Trails Committee, many members of which are horse people, presented a draft proposal for a citywide Trail Master Plan system to the City Council in December to help mitigate conflicts between landowners and trail users.
After reviewing the plans in January, the Land-Use Subcommittee decided to begin with a pilot program.
“The problem is that the city was laid out and subdivided years ago and no provision was made for any kind of trails,” said Jeff Jennings, councilmember and Land-use Subcommittee member.
In an effort to solve this problem, the subcommittee discussed the possibility of encouraging homeowners to make space for pathways by offering incentives such as development rights and setback allowances.
The Land-Use Subcommittee also placed a priority on school children. The committee plans to start working on trails and pathways near schools, expanding them with time so that kids can get to school via the trails, as was once possible in Malibu.
Another concern about the trails was the compatibility of multiusage. The limited numbers of trails are in demand from mountain bikers, horseback riders and hikers and sometimes they have a hard time sharing the pathways.
In an earlier interview, Jennings, who owns a horse, said, “The argument is that it’s difficult to have multiuse on some trails when horses are involved because horses react when something scares them.”
Fast approaching bikes can also be a hazard to pedestrians on slopes and in blind curves.
However, sharing multiuse trails is possible, said Jennings, if users keep in mind a few simple steps, starting with common courtesy and respect for the environment. Recreation groups put an emphasis on cooperation and advise that both hikers and bicyclists yield to equestrians as bicyclists should yield to hikers.
The International Mountain Biking Association says bikers should yield to horses and hikers. On narrow trails, they are asked to move their bikes off the trail while the equestrian or hiker passes.
The organization suggests speed limits be observed as well so that riders are able to travel at a speed slow enough to control and stop at any moment.
Still, even with all the rules of courtesy, there are often conflicts with the shrinking number of trails.