As subdivisions, apartment complexes, and shopping centers continue to appear around every corner, the land that horse owners and enthusiasts use to ride, compete, and keep their horses on seems to disappear. Equine Land Conservation Resource (ELCR) is a national nonprofit working to advance the conservation of land for horse-related activity. In the past three years ELCR has aided in the conservation plans for 44,237 acres and 985 miles of trail throughout the United States.

"The point where we can say, 'We have won,' is not easy to define," relates Deb Balliet, CEO of ELCR. "Rather than one large victory, … our goal can only be accomplished with thousands of small local victories."

Connections and networking are a large part of the conservation effort. For instance, last year ELCR worked with a Kentucky landowner interested in conserving a large amount of land for riding. ELCR facilitated a partnership between the landowners, the National Park Service Recreational Trails Conservation Assistance, and the Fort Harrod Back Country Horsemen to develop a lasting protection arrangement for the trail riding land they had accumulated.

ELCR also provides resources to people who want to help conserve land for equestrian use. A revised publication of their Guide to Equestrian Friendly Conservation Easements, a resource manual with examples of easement language to protect horse activity, has recently been completed. ELCR also launched the "Equine Activity Statutes and Recreational Use Statutes Directory," an online resource compiling statutes from each state