Funds for land acquisition and trail development are drying up. | Photo: Thinkstock

Each horse needs about two acres of land to meet its basic exercise, shelter, and forage needs. In addition, owners and riders need land for their horse-related endeavors. Unfortunately, the amount of land for sustaining our horse population and activities has been declining. This loss will continue unless horse enthusiasts come together to demand consideration of their needs in a changing economy and land market.

The U.S. Forest Service estimates that about 6,000 acres of farmland and open space are lost each day to urban development. This means we lose more than an acre of farmland per