Newsdate: Mon 23 May 2016 – 06:10 am
Location: LOS ANGELES, California

For many horse owners it is amazing that a city such as Los Angeles and the more rural area north of the city still has neighborhoods with horse country and semi-rural delights. Many horse owners see the approaching construction of a bullet train to eventually link San Francisco and Los Angeles as a threat to not only their country lifestyle but also to their horses and their businesses.

Artist rendering of bullet train

Many horse owners see the approaching construction of a bullet train to eventually link San Francisco and Los Angeles as a threat to not only their country lifestyle but also to their horses and their businesses.
© 2016 by California State

The proposed route of the $64 billion bullet train has brought myriad complaints from farmers and horse owners who see the proposed route as being destructive to their rural lifestyle and to their animals.

In the San Fernando Valley, horse owners are especially upset with the proposed route of the bullet train. In one case, the train will come within 100 feet of a large competitive arena owned by a rodeo cowboy who has been featured in many films and has around 100 horses on his property along the Big Tajunga Wash. He spends many of his days teaching children and adults the finer points of riding and horsemanship.

He has reportedly said that "It will be like trying to ride your horse down the runway at LAX."

Fritz Bonner, a veteran Rose Parade horseman, lives in Lakeview Terrace with his four horses and is outraged with the way the state has handled the issue. Referring to his horses, he says, "These are not lawn ornaments. We get on these horses and do things with them. My horses can get spooked or bolt."

Ranch owners say that more than 10,000 horses in the area and all will be affected by the bullet train. Imagine going on a trail ride and suddenly having this big thing comes soaring through. Anyone who knows about the instincts of horses as the prey animals they are, will realize it could create a disaster.

The concensus among the rural citizens in the area is that the Angeles National Forest is an extraordinary recreational resource that simply doesn’t need another intrusion of big infrastructure. They say, "Don’t build this bullet train — but if you do, stick to the route along Highway 14."