To think that riders should have to clean up horse mess?

[CarriesBucketOfBlood]

You can get a £120 fine or whatever it is if you don't pick up after your dog. As a dog owner, I think this is absolutely right. Dog mess is antisocial and poses a health risk. I think it can cause blindness if ingested (?)

So why don't riders have to do the same? At the end of the road (suburban, we are a couple of miles from the nearest stables but they do occasionally make it this far across some farm land) there is a trail of horse mess that stretches about two metres across pavement and road.

It's rained multiple times and not been washed away, we don't have street cleaners that will come and clean it up. Why should the rider be able to leave it? It's just as disgusting and anti-social as a dog.

I mentioned to Dsis about it (she use to ride) and she semi agreed. Just made the point that they would need big bags to pick it up.

AIBU to think that riders should be forced to pick up after their horses?

OK, so everyone who owns a horse is poor.

And Epona, I used to live in the country and I will assure you the vast majority of horse owners were wealthy, be they farmers or fisherman, but the majority of those who love rurally were not. So I'm not ignorant, but it is funny how indignant people are that I've assumed they litter because they are too rich to care.

It is ignorant to leave horse shit, and a hazard to other road users. There is no excuse for doing it, any more than you would have an excuse for, for example, dropping a dirty nappy out of a car window.

"licking his face for salt."

My old horse used to do that. If I'd had a lesson and was all hot and sweaty, he'd make good use of all the lovely electrolytes. I miss him.

Also yy to horses realising having a poo= resting. I knew someone who trained her horse to pee in a bucket by rewarding him with carrots. She had to stop in case he dehydrated himself.

Harrods bags for the riders in Hyde Park.

Waitrose?WAITROSE? Jesus i'm not going to slum it walking round waitrose.

Being followed by someone with a wheel barrow would terrify the sensitive beasties I take out! Plus we go quite fast...maybe a bike and trailer arrangement would be better? But then s/he would have to be paid, making this a very expensive ride!

Lurked if a car skids on slippery horse shit and crashes it isn't 'harmless'.

I have not said horses shouldn't be allowed on roads, just that they should have the same obligation not to leave a dangerous mess as any other animal owner who takes that animal out in public.

Just the same as a soiled nappy obviously. Apart from the fact a nappy takes 200-500 years to decompose!

coffee if you link us to some stats from the Dept of Transport about how many cars 'skidded on slippery horse shit' last year, that would be good.

horsey It's called generating jobs!

All one needs is reasonable fitness - bike and trailer might be tricky depending on the routes taken. Maybe the rider could just toss shredded newspaper every so often, and the aide would follow the trail? unless that counts as littering

It's just as disgusting and anti-social as a dog.

OP you really need to test this theory - one shoe in fresh dog shit and one shoe in fresh horse shit. Now tell me if you notice any difference? Does it smell different? Any difference in stickiness? How easy is it to clean off your shoe?

Horse shit is pretty much grass clippings and I actually quite like the smell. Horses may shit freely as far as I am concerned.

How many car crashes have been caused by horse shit?! It's not slippery, and it breaks down quickly being essentially grass/hay. ????A nappy is a health hazard, not to mention not exactly bio degradable. Horse shit is not a health hazard and is completely biodegradable.

how big is this pile of poo for a car to skid on it!!? There are 3 other wheels ya know!
txm

if a car skids on slippery horse shit and crashes it isn't 'harmless'.

That's odd. I used to work in data gathering for a very rural fire and rescue service. Not once did I see "skidding on horse shit" listed as the cause of an RTC.

Maybe horse riders should be obliged to be accompanied by an aide with a wheelbarrow who picks up any messes.

Or objectors to horse poo should provide shovels and plastic bags? Since so many people don't object to it and use it for their gardens, and it would be a horse welfare issue to carry a flappy filled plastic bag on your horse. Everyone who objects could leave a little shovel and bag set outside their home. Plus a mounting block, and a little piece of baler twice to tie up safely to, while you put the poo away.

Personally, I think that's a great idea. I told my neighbour he could do that if he was still worried about the poo (there is no safe stopping place if I came back later by car), and also that my horse enjoyed meeting him very much, it would be great if he was there at the same time! He seems to avoid me now, I'm not sure why

I'm curious - if your horse left a pile of shit in the middle of on a public, paved route which was heavily used by pedestrians, people in wheelchairs, parents with prams and so on, and you lived locally - would you go back and move it after your ride? Or not bother?

because, actually (warming to theme here) unlike say, fallen leaves, horse shit doesnt go 'slippery' . That is because of the horse's digestive system.
If you dont believe me, go and feel the texture of it yourself. I heard a real posh bitch just rode past and her expensive horse did a massive one!

(Source: many hours picking up horse shit from a variety of surfaces)

maybe you should sell the potato bags as organic horse poo collection devices?

I'm going to suggest this at the next town meeting! We may be able to afford indoor running water then. huzzah!

ohh bright, That is definitely littering I'm afraid. Good about the jobs though! But maybe the bike would skid on the piles and crash. I would hate for there to be an accident..!

I wouldn't ride on a pavement Sir

There's nothing offensive about horse shit. I wouldn't mind a horse doing its thing outside of my house so I can put it on the garden.

Oh bless you coffee you gems of wisdom from your indignation are priceless

Coffee pretty much all the horse shit left on the road in central London is left by the police or the military.

I really don't think they are going to be willfully leaving dangerous matter on the roads, but perhaps you should take it up directly with them if they are being so dangerously negligent?

Sir why on Gods green earth would I want to ride through a heavily pedestrianised part of town!?! The point of riding and living in the country is to avoid over populated hellholes!

I've wondered the same thing - yes, it's not as bad as dog mess, but it's still shit (a lot more of it than from dogs) and you don't want to stand in it. Obvs the riders can't pick it up when they're on horseback, but perhaps they could dismount and kick it to the side, or come back later and shovel it up.

Not a pavement You - a paved path