Horse enthusiasts who’ve had no place to ride locally could soon see new hope, as plans unfold for a possible new trail in Southold.
The trail would be the first and only horse trail in town; although there have been trails in years’ past, currently, none exist.
Southold Town Supervisor Scott Russell met today with local equestrians and Southold residents Jill Franke and Cindy Hilary, as well as town staffers John Sepenoski, chair of the town’s land preservation committee, and Jeff Standish, director of public works, at the potential site — a 25-acre preserved parcel known informally as Hogs Neck, located on the North Bayview Extension.
The project could be completed at no cost to the town, Standish said.
Town employees went out to look at where they’d blaze the trail, to check for trees or unsafe branches that may have to come down; the area has not been cleared, and many trees have fallen, since Sandy, they said.
But after a look, they said the area was in good shape and, if the town board approved the proposal to create a new trail, work could be completed in approximately two weeks after the vote.
The hope would be to finish before cold weather arrives; to that end, the land would be kept open for hunting until 9 a.m., with work on the trail commencing later in the day.
Sepenoski said the plan would be just for a horse trail, with no jumps, no races, and no other forms of recreation such as hiking or mountain biking allowed.
The area would be used for hunting for four months per year and as a horse trail for the rest, he said.
Russell said perhaps a number of horses allowed to ride the trail at one time could be determined, to mitigate any concerns regarding congestion on the road.
For Franke, who began working on the idea 10 years ago, pitching the proposal to former DPW director Jim McMahon, today was exhilarating. “I’m ecstatic,” she said. “It’s been a long time. We’re just so happy to possibly have it.”
Hilary agreed. “I’m really excited about it,” she said, adding that she recently rescued a baby horse from slaughter; the trail would provide a therapeutic place for training. “It would be great for him.”
Both Franke and Hilary agreed the trail would be a godsend for local horse enthusiasts who have nowhere in town to ride, especially since a spike in traffic has made traversing the roads treacherous.
“This is a dream come true for us,” Hilary said.
Russell said he’d bring the proposal back to the town board for discussion and a possible vote. “It’s a wonderful opportunity to provide a place for horse owners to enjoy,” he said, adding that opportunities in town have long been limited and no trails are currently in existence. “We have our preserves for this very purpose,” he said.
