Horse Muck

[fassnk]

Should a horse rider be picking up horse poo in the same way a dog owner picks up their dogs? Our local country park is popular for riding, even more so now, and I'm finding I'm constantly having to dodge massive piles of horse poo on all the paths and trails! Whilst it is helping improve my pram driving skills it's also starting to piss me off. AIBU?

Of course not don't be so ridiculous.

Would need a huge poo bag for it

Ha! We must be about due another row about horse shit on our village FB page

But anyway YABU. Horse shit isn't as bad as dog shit. It doesn't smell as bad or make such a mess and it isn't as hazardous.

Also, I don't think they make poo bags big enough and they would be too heavy for riders to carry once full

YABU

There are far far more footpaths than bridleways. I suggest you use those instead

This one again.

No. Horses eat only plants so their poo isn’t half the problem of meat eaters. It doesn’t smell that bad, is easy to remove and doesn’t carry disease in the same way.

It also makes great fertiliser.

Chew is spot on. You are being absurd.

Why don't you stick to the footpaths only, then you won't have this problem.

Horse poop is very different to dog poop. It's mostly made up of partly digested grass and if you leave it to rot it becomes great fertiliser. The same can't be said of dogs.

I get that it's annoying but YABU.

Horses are vegetarian and dogs are not. Dog poo has more dangerous Bacteria. It’s unpleasant but not dangerous,

Makes a change from cat poo in the garden threads but no, horse riders should not be picking up the poo.

Ha I didn't even consider the logistics of size of poo bags and weight of it afterwards! Yeah I'm being stupid. Just had to manoeuvre round a lot (on a footpath, not a bridle way) and it annoyed me!

It’s just not the same as dog poo, is it? And horse riders would need to carry a shovel and bin bag out with them

No. It would be unbelievably dangerous for riders to have to get off their horses to pick up poo - countless accidents waiting to happen.

Horse poo also isn’t toxic like dog poo, so it’s not really doing any harm as long as you’re concentrating enough to avoid stepping in it.

Why don't you scoop some for the garden?

Is it time we had an animal poo topic on MN?

I'm probably annoyed because it has highlighted how shit I am at driving the pram

It’s great for your roses OP. Take a shovel on your walk

YABU

Horse poo wont cause you any harm (and the piles are big enough for you to avoid!)

The idea that riders should get off their horse to clean it up is absurd (and dangerous).

Horse shit is good manure for your garden if you have one. Take a bucket along next time and scoop some up for yourself.

Nothing wrong with a good old dollop of horse shit. No, it doesn't need clearing up.

all that said, horses should not be on footpaths (assuming it's not a bridleway, or road or something).

No, they shouldn’t have to pick it up. Horses don’t eat meat.

YES, they should!

I literally started thinking about the logistics though!

I have been known to pop out with a shovel and bucket when horses shit near our house. A bucket full of horse poo in the compost bin every now and again produces fantastic compost. I have amused myself at the prospect of riders dismounting to pick up poo though!

OP, consider yourself lucky there aren't cows in the fields where your footpaths and bridleways are. Cow pats are smelly and very slippery!

If I had to dismount to shovel up some shit not only would my horse duck off without me due to not being able to hold him and shovel shit into a bag, I would never be able to get back on him anyway. I use a mounting block in the yard and occasion a gate.