By Jo Mathis
Ed Heeder enjoys his half-hour treks on a trail surrounding a new housing development in Highland Township near M-59. The fresh air and sunshine feel great. He loves being in the woods. It’s relaxing.
And it’s good exercise – both for Heeder and his horse, Dusty.
Like many in this scenic western Oakland County community, Heeder likes the view from the back of a horse.
That’s why he’s grateful for the work of the Highland Equestrian Conservancy. The first of its kind in Michigan, the HEC encourages developers to maintain green space in their plans.
“No matter how many groups there are trying to improve things, we always need another,” said Heeder, who’s been riding for 35 years.
The conservancy was formed in 2002 as a small grassroots effort to promote greenways, trails, easements, and the horse heritage in Highland Township, which is home to about 750 horses.
“There is a significant community of equestrians in the Huron Valley area,” said Highland Township Supervisor Triscia Pilhowski. “And it’s important to keep their interests in mind, just as it is with bicyclists, hikers, and so on.”
Horses are clearly welcome in Highland Township, which in 2006 was officially named Michigan’s first horse-friendly community. Milford High School in Highland Township is home to the country’s first high school varsity equestrian team. And in 2003, the HEC helped start an extremely popular equestrian program at Highland Middle School. Almost one-fourth of the township is the state-owned Highland Recreation Area, which offers nearly 12 miles of horse trails.
According to a 2008 study by the Michigan State University Extension, the Michigan equine industry – which includes horses, ponies, donkeys and mules — is worth more than $1 billion to Michigan’s economy every year.
Beth Jansen keeps six horses on the 12.5 acres outside her Highland Township home. For 10 years, she was a deputy for the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office Mounted Unit, one of the oldest horse patrol units in the country.
“Highland has a lot of horses, and I spend a lot of money on feed!” said Jansen, who appreciates the multi-faceted work of HEC.
The HEC raises money through fundraisers, an annual barn tour, grants, and dues from its nearly 100 members. That allowed members last year to purchase a long, narrow four-acre parcel to start a non-motorized trail connecting Highland Oaks and Rose Oaks parks, both of which offer multi-use trails for horses and pedestrians.
“We’re becoming less dependent on motorized transportation when it comes to getting outside and enjoying nature,” said Greene. “We can do it from the back of a horse, from a bike or hiking in these beautiful, natural areas.”
Greene said horse trails don’t require paving or long-term maintenance.
“It’s basically a natural path like a hiking path,” she said. “In fact, the gait of a horse is very similar in spacing to a human walking.”
Besides assisting Oakland County Parks with the purchase and land conservation efforts at the new Highland Oaks Park – which is more than 260 acres of protected watershed – Greene said the conservancy’s most important accomplishment has been creating partnerships with other groups in the area, including area business, art, and recreation associations.
Horse farms are the last stance of rural flavor in a community, especially after farmers sell their land to developers, Greene said.
For more information on the Highland Equestrian Conservancy, go to www.highlandequestrians.org.
