Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge added a new event to its public use program in 2006 by providing staff guided horseback tours. 

Two tours were conducted in conjunction with International Migratory Bird Day and National Wildlife Refuge Week.  These tours enabled the refuge to provide a compatible use opportunity to a previously unreached segment of the public. 

Further, these tours helped reinforce relations with refuge neighbors whose property was acquired by the refuge via condemnation.  Many of these neighbors used to ride on current refuge lands and were appreciative of the opportunity to enjoy the area again.