Title: Local Equestrians Celebrate Revised Bylaw Allowing Horse Access to Public Spaces in Langley Township

Local equestrian riders won a second change in Langley Township’s bylaw governing public spaces, after council voted to soften requirements that riders clean up horse manure off public streets and trails.

The Township has been considering an updated public spaces regulation bylaw. Broad bylaws like these are updated every few years to keep them current.

However, the version that was put forward this spring drew the ire of Langley’s horse riding community, who turned up in significant numbers in March after local rider Gloria Stelting noticed the provision in the changed regulations. As written, the bylaw would have banned horses from public streets.

At a March 24 meeting, council voted to quash that section of the bylaw, allowing horses to travel on public roads, as equestrians have done for decades across rural areas of Langley.

On April 28, equestrian enthusiasts were back, concerned about two items – access to parks and trails, and about requirements to clean up horse manure.

“We appreciate the amendment that allowed us to be on the trails still, but the manure issue still stands out there," said Brian Harder, president of the Back Country Horsemen of B.C.

The bylaw still said that equestrians had to carry equipment to remove manure, and that it had to be removed immediately.

Harder argued that horse manure breaks down quickly and is "more organic" than, for example, dog poop.

“Not everybody will think this is funny, but they’re kind of summer snowballs for kids who grow up on the farm," Harder said. "We used to chuck them at each other when we were kids.”

He and speaker Deb Bisson also argued that it was impractical and potentially dangerous for people to get off their horses and shovel up manure on a public road, in the middle of a ride.

There were also concerns that the wording of the bylaw might have banned horses not just from roads, but from parks, including horse trails.

Mayor Eric Woodward acknowledged that local riders wanted assurances that bylaw officers weren’t following them around, waiting to hand out tickets.

He put forward an amendment to the bylaw to the effect that horses were allowed to be on horse trails, and that horse manure was only required to be removed by riders where it was safe and practical to do so.

The council also discussed and debated a few other elements in the bylaw, including clarifying that dogs are allowed on-leash in public parks, as long as they’re not on sports fields during play and practices, and confirming that people aren’t allowed to sit in idling cars in public places and Township parking lots for more than a minute.