Virginia has a long and rich history in the horse industry. Sadly urban sprawl is devouring our beloved farms and with them the private trails that were shared in the community. The Virginia and Tidewater Horse Councils have long taken the lead in working cooperatively with the public trail managers in the state to make sure that they continued to allow riding access. In more recent years we have tried to take that one step further by working to increase the available multiple-use public trails. During the last two years we have found a tremendous ally in our Virginia State Parks system. We have worked closely with them to bring a number of new trails on board. Virginia riders are in an enviable position because from just about anywhere in the state we now have access to a public horse trail within an hour of home.

This Symposium will give members of the Virginia Horse Council and the Tidewater Horse Council an opportunity to share with others some of the stories of their most recent successes with regard to ongoing trails development. Additionally, Bob Munson of Virginia State Parks will explain the parks planning process and how horsemen can make a difference within their own state parks systems by becoming more involved. Tom Meachum of the Virginia Horse Council will discuss how Virginia was able to conduct an Equine Economic Impact Study in 1995, and how it has helped us demonstrate that we are a major industry in Virginia.