Narrative:

VFR flight to salem, in (I83), in VMC. Uncontrolled airport. Made position reports and requested airport advisory beginning at about 8 mi east. There was no response to first 2 calls. The third one elicited 'the windsock indicates wind from the northeast,' so I verified that while entering a left downwind for runway 10. There was no traffic reported, reporting, or observed. A normal approach was begun, and when initially established on final, at about 1 mi out and 800 ft AGL, I noticed something on the runway. At first I thought it was a 4-WHEELER, but as I got closer, I realized it was 2 riders on 2 horses walking abreast across the approach end of the runway, at about 500 ft from the threshold. They continued across the runway and I decided that they were far enough away (passing a house at the end of the runway) that I could safely land, and did so without incident. There was no one at the airport office who was in a management position. (The person who had responded on the radio was my passenger, who is not a pilot.) 3 people walked in a few mins later and said they were 'as close to airport manager as you'll get,' so I pointed out the conflict between horses and airplanes, and one of them said they knew the people and would talk to them about it.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WHILE LNDG AT I83, ABOUT 1 MI ON FINAL, A C182 PLT ENCOUNTERED 2 PERSONS ON HORSES XING THE APCH END OF THE RWY.

Narrative: VFR FLT TO SALEM, IN (I83), IN VMC. UNCTLED ARPT. MADE POS RPTS AND REQUESTED ARPT ADVISORY BEGINNING AT ABOUT 8 MI E. THERE WAS NO RESPONSE TO FIRST 2 CALLS. THE THIRD ONE ELICITED 'THE WINDSOCK INDICATES WIND FROM THE NE,' SO I VERIFIED THAT WHILE ENTERING A L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 10. THERE WAS NO TFC RPTED, RPTING, OR OBSERVED. A NORMAL APCH WAS BEGUN, AND WHEN INITIALLY ESTABLISHED ON FINAL, AT ABOUT 1 MI OUT AND 800 FT AGL, I NOTICED SOMETHING ON THE RWY. AT FIRST I THOUGHT IT WAS A 4-WHEELER, BUT AS I GOT CLOSER, I REALIZED IT WAS 2 RIDERS ON 2 HORSES WALKING ABREAST ACROSS THE APCH END OF THE RWY, AT ABOUT 500 FT FROM THE THRESHOLD. THEY CONTINUED ACROSS THE RWY AND I DECIDED THAT THEY WERE FAR ENOUGH AWAY (PASSING A HOUSE AT THE END OF THE RWY) THAT I COULD SAFELY LAND, AND DID SO WITHOUT INCIDENT. THERE WAS NO ONE AT THE ARPT OFFICE WHO WAS IN A MGMNT POS. (THE PERSON WHO HAD RESPONDED ON THE RADIO WAS MY PAX, WHO IS NOT A PLT.) 3 PEOPLE WALKED IN A FEW MINS LATER AND SAID THEY WERE 'AS CLOSE TO ARPT MGR AS YOU'LL GET,' SO I POINTED OUT THE CONFLICT BTWN HORSES AND AIRPLANES, AND ONE OF THEM SAID THEY KNEW THE PEOPLE AND WOULD TALK TO THEM ABOUT IT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.