Landowners share happy horseback riding trails

Flying hooves hammer the earth, only breaking cadence as horse and rider push skyward to clear a pile of wooden rails. Galloping down the trail and out of sight under a beautiful green canopy of Wisconsin forest, the rider pushes on. The wind whips the horse's mane and tail in an exhilarating morning run, sunlight streaking through leaves.

"Don't you just love these trails!" exclaims Cindy DeVuono of Caledonia, Wisconsin, a small community located between Milwaukee and Racine. "The trails here are fantastic, and you can ride for miles and miles," she says as her handsome quarter horse prances in place. "Not a common thing in urban areas."

Growing trails

Cindy is one of many landowners in the area who have joined the Caledonia Conservancy, Ltd., an organized group dedicated to the preservation, maintenance, and growth of trails and greenspace. Trails are for horseback riding, walking, and hiking. No bicycles or motorized vehicles are allowed, and all trails are marked with professional signage.

With only a few viable farms left in the area, the town sensed an urgency and passed a conservation subdivision ordinance as a way to preserve open space. The Caledonia Conservancy helped in this planning process and is preserving (as a land trust can legally do) wooded parts in a couple of subdivisions for trails and nature appreciation.

To keep enough open space to satisfy local horse owners who want to trail ride, the Conservancy is accepting easements, lasting in perpetuity, from local landowners. The Conservancy already owns 8 miles of trails and seven parcels of property; 62 private owners allow riders on their land, bringing the total to 31 miles of improved trails.

"This is detail work, plain and simple," says Wendy McCalvy, vice president and board member of the group. She's been with the organization since its inception 10 years ago.

"It's tremendously time-consuming buying property and getting easements from all the landowners," she says.

The Conservancy has received over $200,000 from the state of Wisconsin, and they've raised more than that themselves. Some of the monies come from local companies, community foundations, families, and personal donations.

Cindy and her husband, Tony, are prime examples of users of the trail system. They looked for land with proximity to the trails before building a home and barn on 26 acres adjacent to the trail system in 2003. They wanted to be close so Cindy could ride her two quarter horses, Sonny and Missy, on the trail.

Since they moved in, she's started jumping her horses on multiple circuits that meander through many properties. Their four children also ride on the trail.

"We bought this property for our horses, and as long as other people want to use it, we'll gladly share our portion of the trail," says Cindy.

"The best part of the trail system for me is seeing all the people who use it. On weekends it is not unusual to see four or five groups on horseback. There are lots of walkers, some with dogs. It's really good to see people getting out!"

For more information on the trail system, visit www.caledoniaconservancy.org.

Photographs: Mitch Kezar

Browse a slideshow for more photos of the Caledonia trail