Conference noted::equitation

    This is AWFUL!!!  I'm amazed that someone would be sick enough to do
    this.  Well, I guess I'm not really amazed, sadly enough....  You
    mention that this is not the first time that sabotage has been
    encountered at these events.  What were the other instances?  Is there
    any feeling about who/why?  Sabotage of hunt-related events brings
    animal rights groups to mind, but I don't think they would do something
    aimed at harming the animal!
    
    By the way, if you happened to notice a dark bay horse going out of his
    mind -- bucking, rearing, spinning in circles, running backwards into a
    ditch -- that was my recently gelded stallion.  He's not quite used to
    company yet.    %^}
    
    -ellie

  There is one individual who has sabotaged events in the past and they
  are 99% sure he is the same one who set up these lethal traps. In fact,
  when we described an indvidual who was out on the trail in that area,
  they said that was the person they suspected. He had large black dog 
  with him. I passed him on the trail and when I was about 50 feet away
  (trotting the horse) he yanked the dog right off its feet and dragged it
  back off the trail. He glared at me with a cold look that I found 
  frightening. He was the only person out there who didn't return my greeting 
  as I trotted by. (I always smile and say hi). At the time I thought, well 
  maybe I'm reading it wrong, maybe he's just in a bad mood, isn't that why 
  people go to the woods, to think things out? There were also pieces of 
  white paper sticking out his pockets, which I would guess were the paper 
  plates he removed from the trees.

  I was planning to do some other paces at Great Brook, but now I think I
  would be afraid to unless the sponsoring organization can promise a 
  security patrol in that area to guarantee the safety of the participants.
  (BTW, I think the Stonybrook 4H people did a good job of running the 
  pace otherwise.)
  
  We may have seen you, but I think we saw half the horses in the state of
  MA. :^) There were a LOT of horses at this pace...what time did you go out? 
  We went out at 11:53. What did your guy think of the cows? When we went thru,
  the cows had parked themselves by the fence just where you crossed the road
  to follow the fence line. Ours see SMALL BROWN cows all the time, but these 
  were BIG BLACK cows, and our horses were convinced they were from Mars! So
  you may have noticed a bay and a gray
    
    >-- bucking, rearing, spinning in circles, running backwards into a
    >ditch -- 
  
  over by the cowfield...that was us! :^}

    
    Isn't this a state forest??? Why would this person be upset about
    people trailing in the forest?
    
    I would make a suggestion of writing something to the local paper,
    a letter to the editor, to make people aware that this person is
    causing problems in the woods, he may not only be affecting riders,
    but innocent people as well. And maybe more people that know would
    be more aware of this person and catch them.
    
    Mary
    

  Yes, that land is State Forest, not private land. At the time we 
  saw this person, we had not yet run into the traps. So we had no reason
  at the time to make more careful observations. At that point we were 
  also looking for markers, (which of course we didn't find) so we were
  somewhat preoccupied with trying to figure out if we were still on the
  correct trail. We didn't put 2+2 together until we got back to the 
  finish and talked to the officials.

  I do hope that all organizations planning to put on equestrian events
  there are warned of the potential danger to their participants.

    
>    Isn't this a state forest??? Why would this person be upset about
>    people trailing in the forest?
    
	Yes, it's a state forest. And as such is open to ALL people.  This 
person probably does not like having to jump off the trail every three minutes 
whenever a couple of horses come thundering by.  It disrupts the peace and 
quiet he was enjoying as he walked the paths.  He probably looks at it as 
we would look at dirt-bikers coming past us every three minutes while we're
on a trail ride.

	We, as riders on land that is not owned by us, also need to be 
respectful of other people who may be using the same *public* land that we are.
They have as much right to be there as we do. Just because our vehicle (horse) 
may be larger than theirs (feet) doesn't give us any more rights than them.  As
with cars and pedestrians, the pedestrian has the right of way.  

	I don't by any means condone the maliciousness that Ed reports.
As someone who enjoys the pace events, I do not approve of the actions that some
folks would take to sabotage a fun trail ride for me.  But, the park is not 
closed to pedestrians on the days that the pace events are held, and we, as 
riders need to remember to be courteous.

    I agree with Kathy that riders should be considerate of others they
    encounter. I always slow to a walk when approaching someone, as I'm
    sure most riders do. Unfortuneatly, the guy that did this sounds a
    far cry from someone who was "having a bad day" and irritated at being
    encountered by some many horses. Purposefully redirecting a trail to
    lead into a dangerous trap is the act of someone with a very sick mind
    and most likely premeditated. (how likely is it he just "found" that
    spike laying around out in the woods??) (IMO). There probably is no
    reason/logic behind his acts that most people would understand. Who
    can say they understand why that guy in Texas drove into a restaraunt
    and killed 22 people? Some people hate other people. Some people hate
    cats. Some people hate horses. That doesn't give them the right to
    harm them, though. I whole-heartedly agree with the previous suggestion
    that a letter about the incident be published in a local paper. If
    it saves one horse/rider from injury because they were made aware
    this guy is running around the woods, it was worth it.
    

    
    I agree we should be considerate of others, but this person should hold
    the same view towards riders also and it does not sound like he
    did this at the spur of the moment. It was obvious with the second
    removal of the markers that he did it intentionally and not as some
    kind of prank. The spike is also, I feel, premediated. 
    
    I'm assuming that local hunter paces are advertised in the local paper,
    giving people notice that the trails will be full with riders. And it
    seems alot of people respect those days, except for this one human
    being who did not. 
    
    Sorry, the spike thing really upsets me to think that someone can
    premediated a serve and deadly accident.
    
    We run into people on the trails we ride on sometimes and are always
    considerate of them and they of us.
    
    I can't imagine someone doing this. If something did happen to an
    individual it would be murder and I would consider the same thing if
    it happened to a horse.
    
    What if that spike was left there? Someone, a walker, could have
    been injured also.
    
    I think the people using that state park should be made aware that
    someone like this is lurking around.
    
    Mary
    

    It seems to me that someone who wanted a quiet walk in the woods on the
    same day as a pace event would be far more likely to obtain it by leaving
    the markers in place and using them to determine which ways *not* to
    go.
    
    Also, there are parks and forests where riding isn't allowed, just as
    there are areas where trailbikes are prohibited.  
    
    This is clearly more than just a disgruntled horse-hater.
    
    Mary
    

I believe the most common way of advertising pace events is to take entry forms
around to local barns and mailing lists.  I would be surprised to know that 
advertisements in local papers were used.  

As an aside, Great Brook is used for several pace events in the fall - a couple 
of 4-H groups and Old North Bridge Hunt, for the 3 that I know.  This means 
that for at least 3 weekends a year, GB is innundated with horse folk.  I can 
completely understand how someone can get po'd that for 3 weekends in the
fall they have to contend with large numbers of horses.

I still don't condone their actions.  There are lot's of folks who could get 
pretty lost if they don't know the area and the markers are (re)moved, not to 
mention potential injury to horse/rider.

One thing that concerns me about this discussion so far
is that some noters seem to be blurring the distinction between
malicious pranks and SERIOUS, HOMOCIDAL, CRIMINAL activity.
Removing signs is a nasty prank.  Setting deadly booby traps
is an entirely different category!  This criminal has
stepped over a line.

I certainly hope the local police are taking this seriously.
The citizens involved need to communicate to the police that
they expect the police to take this seriously.  The police
really don't solve that many crimes, but if the people who
report it don't expect to be taken seriously, the police
will live up to that expectation.  They'll take it seriously
AFTER a horse or rider are skewered, but then it will be
too late.

Putting an editorial in a local paper will serve to warn
potential victims, but don't expect it to have any effect 
on the criminal.  It would be kind of like asking house-
breakers or car thieves to "please stop stealing."

Human beings who act like this need to be treated just as
firmly as any horse who misbehaves in a dangerous way.

This report was shocking, but remember that there are also
people who try to kill children with sabotaged Halloween
candy.  It IS most shocking when it happens nearby.

Also, let's not forget that this is a STATE park.  If the person wanted a private
patch of woods, let him buy his own.  If he wants to access a state park, he
must be willing to contend with the other uses of this park, just as the horse
people must be willing to do so, as well.

I cannot in any way condone or even slightly support what this person did.  I
do not accept the argument that he was disgruntled about the horses.  I do not
even accept any attempt to "see his side" when he does such cruel and dangerous
acts.

I hope he is caught and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Ed..

Unfortunately, the most probable scenario will be that someone *will* be
seriously injured before anything is done. 

Then it will be too late. Because of liability insurance and the liability
of the State, they will probably discontinue the use of the park for such
events, which will is exactly what this psychopath is trying to accomplish.

That seems to be the way law enforcement works around here, you don't get a 
stop sign until a motorist is killed, you don't get a horses crossing sign 
until an animal is hit.

I am sorry to say that I am seriously considering avoiding events at 
Great Brook completely now. There were problems last year with *neighbors*
removing the markers. Sounds like things have grown out of control if 
they are now resorting to booby-traps. It's so infuriating because there
is nothing we can do.

	.....Is there?.....

    My friend and  I went to the hunter pace in Upton state forest last
    year, it was put on by some friends.  They set the course up the day
    before, and that nite someone ripped down all the jumps and took all
    the signs down.  They ran around like crazy the morning ot the pace
    to re-set everything up.  It went well, despite the fact.  But they had
    run into a person on the trail that crabbed at them for putting up
    markers and `ruining the forest w/ horses'.
    
    ANother friend was on a trail ride in the Grafton area, and they were
    on a trail commonly used by all, and someone set up a booby trap.  This
    was a jump with coiled barbed wire on the other side.  THe horse ended
    up in the barbed wire, but didn't get seriously hurt.  

    
    	I did a ride in Upton forest last weekend where one of 
    	the trail markers was removed. It had been placed near
    	a home at the edge of the forest, so it seems likely these
    	people removed it.
    
    	Sherry
    

    I JUST READ THIS FILE......THIS MAN HAS BEEN DOING THIS TO THE HUNTER
    PACES IN CARLISLE AT THE STATE FOREST FOR A WHILE. SO FAR THIS FALL
    EACH ONE THIS FALL HE HAS TORN DOWN THE MARKERS. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME
    THAT I HAVE HEARD ABOUT HIM SETTING UP A TRAP.
    
    WE TOO RAN INTO HIM ABOUT A MONTH BACK AT ONE OF THE HUNTER PACES. THIS 
    PAST WEEKEND WE WERE THE FIRST TEAM OUT AND WHEN HE HAD TAKEN DOWN THE
    MARKERS TO TAKE YOU INTO THE "THANKSGIVING FOREST" WE KNEW THE TRAIL
    ANDWE KNEW THE WAY OUT SO FOR US IT WAS NOT A PROBLEM. THE FOLKS FROM
    THE RIDE WERE THERE AND THEY WERE WALKING AND TRYING TO KEEP THE SIGNS
    UP.
    
    HE SEEM TO REALLY JUST TEAR THEM DOWN IN THAT AREA. SO HE MUST LIVE IN
    THOSE HOUSES THAT ARE ALONG THE EDGE OF THANKSGIVING FOREST.
    
    I AM SUPPRISED THAT HE HAS NOT HURT OR BOTHERED THE HORSES THAT ARE IN
    THE LITTLE BARN ALONG SIDE OF THANKSGIVING FOREST.
    
    I THINK THAT MAYBE THE DIFFERENT GROUPS SHOULD CHANGE THEIR ROUTES A
    LITTLE AND WHEN YOU CROSS THE COVERED BRIDGE OR GO ACROSS THE RIVER
    YOU SHOULD GO ALL THE WAY TO THE TOP OF THE HILL TO THE FIELD. HE DOES
    NOT SEEM TO BOTHER WITH THE MARKERS BUT ONLY IN THE ONE AREA.
    
    IT IS SAD THAT THIS GUY IS SO DESTURBED THAT HE HAS TO DO THIS.
    
    TERRY

    I just thought that I would pass this on. I was talking to the
    folks last night that were involved with the NOVEMBER 10 hunter
    pace in the carlisle state forest. 
    
    I guess that it went off yesterday without any problems from the old
    man. I guess it was to cold for him.
    
    I also inquired as to the back ground of the man and why he may be
    doing this...taking down markers.
    
    I was told that a few years back someone left a can of creosote out
    in the woods along the bridle trails and it fell into the water it was
    near. The old man and his dog were out for their regular walk and the
    dog went into the water and came out COVERED in the stuff. It cost the
    man losts of money in vet bills to treat his dog, besides the mess it
    made of the water. I was told they did not know who left the creosote 
    there,but it was near to some jump or jumps I guess so the old man
    blames the horse owners/groups. I guess the horse group or groups up
    there did offer to pay the expenses of the vet bill and had the water
    cleaned up.
    
    This old man is a retired cop...can you beleive it. He holds the horse
    folks responsible and has been pulling down markers ever since.
    
    I thought that this back ground information on the man was interesting
    to know why he wants the horses and riders out of that area. Granted
    this does not give him the right to do these things....but when dealing
    with old folks who knows what they are thinking.
    
    tr

    re .-1
    
    Crazy people come in all ages....
    
    -ellie

    And, it's so comforting to know he's a "retired cop" too. :-{