And, almost, the death of the riders....

From the November 2005 issue of Santa Barbara County Trails Council

newsletter:

"HORSE KILLED ON COLD SPRINGS TRAIL."

"On Sunday Oct. 30 a mother and two daughters were riding up the trail. A

very experienced mother was riding double with a daughter behind her and

another daughter on her own horse. They were riding up the trail when three

mountain bicyclists riding down the trail surprised the horses. Rocket, a

well trained quarter horse reared when startled by the cyclists and lost his

footing as the edge of the trail crumbled. The riders were able to scramble

off, but the paint horse fell to the bottom of the canyon breaking his back

and was euthanized by a veterinarian.

"The majority of cyclists are responsible riders. But others just don't

understand that horses are always nervous when surprised. A place for

extreme cyclists could be provided on the dirt roads above Tajiguas Land

fill to relieve the pressure on the front country trails above Montecito."