With new footing going in at the Nicole Hornstein Equestrian Park and the hiring of a third equine specialist, the Indian Trail Improvement District is trying to reclaim its roots as a rider-friendly community.
At the same, ITID’s citizen-led Equestrian Trails and Infrastructure Advisory Committee is working to create horse safety awareness among drivers of motorized vehicles and expand and mark the area’s trail system.
On Saturday, Oct. 10, beginning at 8:45 a.m., the committee will host a “Trails Workshop” starting at Hamlin House, adjacent to the park. Those attending will tour several roadside trails on the north and south side of Northlake Blvd., ITID Supervisor Patricia Farrell said Wednesday.
A horse is not needed to participate in the tour, said Farrell, who chairs the committee.
“Our goal is to bring the equestrian community together… and preserve the original intent [of the district],” said ITID Executive Director Burgess Hanson, who rides Quarter Horses.
That “intent” is for the 110-square-mile, unincorporated swath of central Palm Beach County to retain its large-lot agricultural/residential nature and provide a haven for horses and riders being pushed aside by the increasing urbanization of South Florida, he said.
Hanson said that the Acreage/Loxahatchee area is an increasingly popular landing place for families and riders who can’t afford or don’t want the glitz of nearby Wellington. “We lost some horse people to Oklahoma, Georgia and Texas during COVID-19 because people could sell their lots here and buy bigger properties there,” Hanson said. “But we’re also seeing a lot moving up from Miami-Dade and Broward.”
What Hanson is describing is a new chapter to a decades-old story for resident Charlie James, who moved up 40 years ago from west Broward, where he was managing a 480-acre ranch.
“There’s still a large equestrian presence here,” said James, a member of the committee. “More and more horses are coming back [to the area].”
James said the main goal of the committee, and more broadly of a supportive ITID board and staff, is safety education for drivers of motor vehicles, motorcycles and off-road vehicles in the proper way to approach horses that can easily “spook” and throw a rider.
The results can be tragic. In fact, the ITID facility previously known as the Hamlin Equestrian Park was renamed in 2009 for 12-year-old Acreage resident Nicole Hornstein, who died as a result of such an incident in 2006.
“A lot of people who don’t own horses, just don’t know the rules,” James said. “We’re trying to educate everyone.”
Other goals of the committee are to identify new trailhead locations for the district’s 30-plus miles of trails, gain sponsors to help improve trail signage and ensure safe crossing areas at busy roadways.
In the long run, Hanson said he’d like to see the district’s trail system connect with Palm Beach County trails, such as those in and around the Royal Palm Beach Pines and Acreage Pines natural areas and with the state-owned J.W. Corbett Wildlife Management Area.
For now, Parks & Recreation Director Michelle Garvey said the primary goal is to make sure that riders at the 13.9-acre Nicole Hornstein Park have a safe and enjoyable experience.
A big part of that is improving the footing in all three arenas, especially for barrel racers, Garvey said.
All should be reopened within the next several weeks, she said, “and they should be much better.”
Long-time barrel racer and committee member Robin Csire said, “Once the ground gets better, more people will come back out.”
Garvey said her vision is to encourage sponsored events there year-round and, with the reestablishment of a playground for younger children, make it a place where “families and the whole community can come out and enjoy.”
Hanson said that funding the third equestrian specialist was critical to making the park available to the public seven days a week.
“It’s important for safety reasons,” he said. “They’ll be dragging the arenas and making sure people are abiding by the rules.”
Csire lives just across from the park. “The fact is, we have a huge equestrian park, and it [usually] stays pretty busy,” she said. “A lot of people out here are still equestrian people.”
Visit www.indiantrail.com for more basic equestrian safety rules for motorists, riders and property owners.
