The purpose of the Southeastern Equestrian Trails Conference (SETC) is to bring together people who are concerned about the future of the natural and cultural heritage of the trail experience from the back of a horse. The use of saddle and pack stock on trails in wildlands is coming under increasing scrutiny and criticism by natural resource management agencies and non-government organizations that focus on wildland preservation. Some of these criticisms are deserved; others are the products of misperceptions.

SETC will strive for equestrian self-evaluation, learning and the development of a conservation force that will influence land-use policies at local, state, regional and national levels. It will offer a forum for meaningful communication between natural resource management agencies and trail equestrians. In this forum, everyone will learn from everyone else. The ultimate goal is to have opinions that are based on the best available information become the platform for trail policy development

While the Southeastern Equestrian Trails Conference (SETC) focuses on the issues surrounding the use of horses on trails in the southeastern United States, the Conference is open to anyone interested in natural resource conservation. People from outside of the Southeast are encouraged to attend to share their experiences and learn more about the southeastern trail issues. In addition, people who are not equestrians are encouraged to attend to share their perspectives with and to learn from those who value the opportunity for recreational use of horses on trails.

The Conference will include participants from natural resource agencies, non-government organizations, and individuals representing themselves and/or local saddle clubs. This mix of participants is extremely important to the airing of a wide array of perspectives, values, and knowledge.