# How do you feel about riding on other people's property?



## gingerscout (Jan 18, 2012)

if you have people you board with or such you could ask them if they know. I know there is places I would love to ride but my BO said the field across the road from us I could ride in is a no go, he already told them no to ride in it, but I know of a couple more from delivery driving that I would love to ride in and once it warms up I am going to just go up to the house on the property and ask, if they say no, so be it, I figure it doesn't hurt to ask


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

Starlite said:


> Is it wrong to respectfully ride on other people's land when you can't ask?
> 
> Thoughts?


Yes, I think it is, if there are clear established tracks that is one thing, but to ride on land without permission is wrong, how would you like someone just riding through your back yard? Time to start investigating, and asking for some permissions.


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## Avna (Jul 11, 2015)

You need to find out and ask permission. If no one around you knows, and there are no farmhouses with doors to knock on, you can get the contact info from your county recorder's office or whatever they call it in your state. 

There will be restrictions on use, such as not riding across a planted field etc. and you should obey these to the letter. 

I ride on private property, mostly on steep logging roads in the forest. The restrictions for me are typically not riding when the roads are wet (which can be 4 to 6 months out of the year), not messing up the water bars, and of course, not using while they are logging (commercially this area is on a 10 year cycle). 

Trespassing, or violating agreements, could ruin access for all riders, so you need to mind your p's and q's.


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## whisperbaby22 (Jan 25, 2013)

What avna said. If there are not well used horse trails, likely the answer to riding on private property is no. I have some land that is very steep and rocky, not good for riding at all. Some numbskull rode all over it through access on an easement, I fenced up that hole right away.


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## PaintHorseMares (Apr 19, 2008)

Sounds like there are regional standards for what to do. In our area if it's not fenced or posted "no trespassing", the convention is to ride on it. If there are crops, you ride the edge of the field. If we happen upon the owner, we'll ask, but don't go out of our way. The farmers are generally happy to have people keeping an eye on their property.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

Starlite said:


> I don't have a trailer, and with the Spring weather approaching, I am interested in getting out of the arena. My barn is in a very rural area, so I could ride for miles and miles, but it would require riding in open fields (not agricultural fields, just weedy open chunks of land) surrounding my barn. I don't know who to ask, because i don't know who owns all of the properties. Is it wrong to respectfully ride on other people's land when you can't ask?
> 
> Thoughts?


I would first talk to the BO. They may know who owns certain parcels of land. 

Even if the BO tells you "yes it is so-and-so's land and he said we can ride anytime", I would still go out of your way to personally call the land owner yourself and ask. Courtesy goes a long way.


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## Starlite (Jan 25, 2011)

thanks for the replies guys!

I did ask the BO and he said he wasn't sure - he said the land across from us is leased and wasnt sure by whom or for what purpose. I grew up in Oregon in an agricultural area, and rode all over hell and back - ALWAYS respectfully as I was taught. Nobody ever cared. Now as an adult in a completely different state (Ohio) I think about the potential consequences as many of you have pointed out here and just don't feel good about it. I suppose I will reduce myself to scrounging rides to the trails from friends hehe :cowboy:


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## Avna (Jul 11, 2015)

Actually, asking permission and setting up ground rules will help all the riders in your area, so you would be also doing a public service. I know an area in the PNW where riders maintain the trails across private lands and make sure rules are obeyed. This makes everybody happy. 

When I was a kid I rode all over the place for miles and never asked permission. I was never chased off. But life is different now, and as a landowner myself, I respect the rights of property owners. 

For example the logging company which owns 30,000 acres behind me has made a lot of effort to prevent horse access, because of the damage unthinking trespassing riders have done to their dirt roads in the rainy wintertime. I have permission to hike with my dogs, but no horses. Because of the favors we have done over the years for the forest manager I hope to wheedle a special dispensation -- but I'm not going to even ask until the rainy season is over.


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## carshon (Apr 7, 2015)

I used to ride in all of the open fields near my home growing up. Over the years the people that used to be happy for me to ride on their land have asked that we not ride there. Mainly for insurance reasons. If you were to fall off of your horse and get hurt even if you told the person you would not sue them your insurance company could (and likely would) sue them to recoup some of their money. It is not fair to put any land owner in this situation. there is no way I would even ride the perimeter of a planted field - what a HUGE no no in my area. We had to get a trailer for just this reason. No places to ride except the ditches along the road.


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## Reiningcatsanddogs (Oct 9, 2014)

You will never know until you ask. We were surprised at the number of people around us who had no problem with us riding on their land and even cutting some trails through the overgrown brush! Some of them imposed restrictions such as no riders under 18 that were not related to us, but for the most part it was "sure! No problem!" And to think for years I bemoaned not having a place to ride near home...


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## Jan1975 (Sep 7, 2015)

As a landowner I wouldn't mind letting a neighbor ride, but I wouldn't want tons of people on my property as horses can really tear things up. Unfortunately, some people aren't gracious enough to stay off the land when it's muddy and think it's fine if their horse is sinking 6" into the ground. That's so bad for the terrain. 

So, to assume it's okay would be a very bad idea. Plus, it's trespassing. However, it never hurts to ask! Most farmers I know would be fine w/ people riding in grass waterways in their fields as those aren't used for anything anyhow.


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## Woodhaven (Jan 21, 2014)

I have ridden on other people's property for years, living in different places, but I always go and ask permission first as I want others to give my property the same consideration. I treat these properties with the utmost respect and am careful of fields with crops on. Some have given permission to ride around the fields with crops, keeping to the edge so we can get to the woods and trails.
It's a privilege to be able to cross other properties and I always keep that in mind.
I also don't bring a lot of friends to ride with me on private property as the owners might not like that and withdraw the riding privilege to me.


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## Darrin (Jul 11, 2011)

Ask, ask, ask. Honestly most land owners don't have a problem with respectful riders on their property but do want to be asked and do often have basic rules they want followed. Those that don't want riders usually follow into two categories, they've had idiot riders that have ruined the experience for them or are worried about insurance. 

Anyway, if you don't feel comfortable asking the landowners ask the BO to do it (many do) or another boarder that's an extreme extrovert.


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

https://www.signs.com/blog/state-by-state-guide-to-no-trespassing-laws-signage/#ohio


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## Walkamile (Dec 29, 2008)

When I first moved to where I currently live, I was surrounded by woods and farmland. If I didn't know who owned the land, I simply went to the town office and found out. 

All were surprised by the effort to identify/locate them and very willing to allow me to ride on the land and keep an eye out for abusers (and any unwanted activity of beavers). 

When in doubt, ask.


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## Hackamore (Mar 28, 2014)

Yes its wrong. Take the initiative and go the homes of your neighbor’s, knock on the door and politely ask who owns the land. Someone local should know who you can get permission from.


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## 6gun Kid (Feb 26, 2013)

Avna said:


> For example the logging company which owns 30,000 acres behind me has made a lot of effort to prevent horse access, because of the damage unthinking trespassing riders have done to their dirt roads in the rainy wintertime.


I would not imagine that horses would damage the roads nearly as much as logging trucks and skidders. They sure as heck tear up the roads where I used to lease timber land to hunt on, but it is what the logging company says it is, eh?
I was always raised to ask permission of a landowner to hunt, so it has carried over to riding. In the past, I did a lot of day work for ranchers, so I knew them and getting permission to ride was easy.


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## Darrin (Jul 11, 2011)

6gun Kid said:


> I would not imagine that horses would damage the roads nearly as much as logging trucks and skidders. They sure as heck tear up the roads where I used to lease timber land to hunt on, but it is what the logging company says it is, eh?
> I was always raised to ask permission of a landowner to hunt, so it has carried over to riding. In the past, I did a lot of day work for ranchers, so I knew them and getting permission to ride was easy.


The dirt roads are not useable by logging equipment during the winter, horses can easily put 6" holes in the mud though. Little actual damage done to the roads but visually looks bad. Once it dries, couple trips across the road by wheeled vehicles and you will never know horses were there.

Around here horses are the favorite target of those trying to fix blame on who is doing trail damage. ATV's are banned, they are an easy target, from many trails already. Bicyclists do a lot of damage but that's one large group of users to take on and so no easy target. Next easy target is horses, they leave obvious pock marks (I'll argue those foot prints slow down erosion all day long), deposit "disgusting" apples and it's not all that large of a group.


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## ptvintage (Feb 12, 2010)

When I was a kid, I would ride all over other people's (open land)properties, sometimes with permission, sometimes without. I doubt I was welcome everywhere, and I'm ashamed of how boldly I'd cut across someone else's land. I don't do it anymore, and I wouldn't recommend it, as it makes horse riders look like jerks.

HOWEVER, someone in my local area had an awesome idea and it's been going well. They started a local organization that convinces land owners to allow horse trails across their property, and then they maintain the trail. It's become more than just a trail organization, now it's like a huge neighborhood club, and they have barn dances, potlucks, and get togethers all the time. I've meet tons of my wider area neighbors through it, even ones that don't have horses. 

Turns out many people don't mind at all, they just like the curtsy of being asked. Our trail map also have specifications of any of the landowners, like "don't come through when it's muddy," or "cows are fine to ride by, just please shut gates."

It's a really awesome club and I'd recommend starting something like it to anyone, as trail riding land is getting hard and harder to find.


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## boots (Jan 16, 2012)

In WY and MT the burden to get written access and know where you are is on the rider. Same for hunting. The written permission has to be carried when you are on the private property.

There is also a move to painting gate post purple to signify "No Trespassing" instead of signage. It can't be taken down giving the riders the opportunity to pretend they didn't know.

I used to let people ride on my places but had to stop. Too many couldn't resist making cattle run or leave gates as they found them. One group closed a gate behind them that was supposed to be left open to allow access to water. They said they closed it because the pairs were following them. Left those mama cows without water for a day. In the summer. Many ruined it for a few.

As far as not wanting deep hoof prints in soft road, often that is all it takes to start erosion when the snows melt or the rains come. Road repairs are time consuming and expensive. Especially in mountains where soil is thin.

Just another perspective.


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## Woodhaven (Jan 21, 2014)

I was out for a good ride today, crossed at least four 100 acre farms but I have been careful to ask first for permission. 
Our rides depend on the good will of the neighbours so we are careful to respect the property and ride around the perimeter of fields and not ride when the crops are in unless we have specific permission to ride along a fence line to get to an other area.


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## PaintHorseMares (Apr 19, 2008)

boots said:


> There is also a move to painting gate post purple to signify "No Trespassing" instead of signage. It can't be taken down giving the riders the opportunity to pretend they didn't know.


In NC a purple stripe on a post or tree signifies "No Hunting". It is a much easier way to do things rather than maintain signs, IMHO.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Darrin (Jul 11, 2011)

I like the idea of using paint, kind of hard to remove. I've seen way to many No Trespassing signs laying on the ground.


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## boots (Jan 16, 2012)

PaintHorseMares said:


> In NC a purple stripe on a post or tree signifies "No Hunting". It is a much easier way to do things rather than maintain signs, IMHO.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


Means the same thing here. If you can't hunt, you can't trespass. and visa versa.

Still, even without any signs or paint, the burden is on the rider, hiker, cyclist, ATV driver to get permission and keep it with you. The owner or manager may have given permission, but the person in cow camp will have no way of knowing that and will have to ask to see something.

I think purple works especially well since it is not a color often seen in nature, helping the posts to stand out better.


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## Darrin (Jul 11, 2011)

boots said:


> Means the same thing here. If you can't hunt, you can't trespass. and visa versa.
> 
> Still, even without any signs or paint, *the burden is on the rider*, hiker, cyclist, ATV driver to get permission and keep it with you. The owner or manager may have given permission, but the person in cow camp will have no way of knowing that and will have to ask to see something.
> 
> I think purple works especially well since it is not a color often seen in nature, helping the posts to stand out better.


Same here but we have a complication that many states don't. Roughly 52% of the state is state/federally owned and the state/feds doesn't bother keeping up with markers for their land boundaries. Next largest land owners are timber companies which adds to the confusion, not easy to tell when you cross from BLM to timber company land. Toss in that ownership in some areas are a veritable patchwork of properties and it can be very hard to tell if you are on public or private lands once off the beaten path.

All that doesn't take the burden away from the rider/hiker/hunter but does add a lot of difficulty in determining ownership on the fly. GPS helps but a lot of our canyons have poor GPS reception. You wouldn't believe how many times I've started out on public lands just to end up trespassing on the back side of a locked gate by accident.


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## jamesqf (Oct 5, 2009)

Starlite said:


> I don't know who to ask, because i don't know who owns all of the properties.


Should be possible to look up ownership on-line, with your county registrar of deeds (or whatever it's called in your state).


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## bowhunt72 (Aug 23, 2015)

Here in Ohio, most county auditor's offices have plat maps available online showing the owner's name. If the owner doesn't live on that particular parcel, you may have to do a little more digging, but it's a place to start. It's always best, even if the legalities are fuzzy, to stay off any property you haven't specifically been granted permission to be on. Many counties in Ohio have chapters of the Ohio Horseman's Council, which can be a useful place to make connections, find where others have access to ride, or meet friends that might be willing to share their trailer.

Any connection you can make with a landowner helps. I normally trailer to public land to ride, but make connections for hunting land the same way. I bowhunt on land belonging to the person we buy hay from, for example. Getting to know you as someone other than a stranger asking a favor makes it much more likely that they will approve of you being on their property.

Good luck.


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