County Not Saddled With Land’s Upkeep : Horse Owners Group’s Pledge to Maintain Wilderness Will Benefit All City Dwellers

Hikers, mountain bikers and horseback riders owe a debt of gratitude to a group called the Saddleback Riders. Without it, Orange County would have been forced to look a gift horse in the mouth.

The Santa Margarita Co. wanted to give the county about 1,100 acres of South County wilderness in exchange for development rights on two tracts. The county said it would love to have the land, but could not accept because it could not afford the upkeep costs. Enter the Saddleback Riders, a group of 100 horse owners who live in rural canyon areas near O’Neill Regional Park.

The riders have agreed to patrol and maintain about six miles of trails in the tract known as Chiquita Ridge/Tijeras Creek. As a result, the Board of Supervisors last week agreed to accept the land, which is expected to open to the public soon.

This is not the first time the Saddleback Riders have helped. Three months ago the group agreed to maintain an adjacent 1,000-acre wilderness known as Arroyo Trabuco. Members do not have police powers, but the men and women on horseback watch out for anyone needing help or creating mischief in the area, an extension of O’Neill Park.

Volunteers have helped maintain Orange County trails for decades. Their good work is especially welcome after the bankruptcy, with the county strapped for cash.

As the county has become ever more urban in recent years, developed parks and wilderness areas have become more important. They offer city dwellers a chance to escape to the country. They also provide a glimpse of the way much of the county looked in the old days.

A spokesman for Saddleback Riders said the group plans to hold fund-raising events for trail maintenance. If the group succeeds, everyone would benefit, from the horseback riders to the public, which will have a new place to get away from it all for at least a little while.