02/04/08 Right to ride

The ability to roam freely on a horse through the great outdoors seems like it should be our right, not to mention part of our western heritage but environmental groups want horses and mules banned from backcountry so it's time to fight back. I'm Jeff Keane and I will tell you after the break how one Idaho senator is working to ensure riders have access to public lands. Our nation was built on the back of a horse and Idaho senator Mike Crapo wants that heritage preserved. Here's Susan with more on his efforts. The Back Country Horseman, The American Horse Council and others were instrumental in getting the Right to Ride bills approved by the House of Representatives in the last two congressional sessions but the bills failed to pass Senate. The Preserving our Equine Heritage on Public Lands Act was introduced in November by Sen. Mike Crapo, a republican from Idaho. His bill emphasizes our nation's equestrian heritage and would ensure horses and pack animals continue to have access to our National Parks, forests and BLM lands. It's time we horse owners rallied behind Senator Crapo's efforts to preserve our right to ride. So write your senators and ask them to support the Preserving our Equine Heritage on Pubic lands Act. The right to ride horseback on public lands shouldn't be a memory we share with our grandchildren but a legacy we leave them . I'm Jeff Keane.