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AIBU?

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Original poster

Horse riders should pick up their poo!!

569 replies

Instagram · 13/12/2021 21:14

It’s surely a potential hazard leaving horse manure on the road!
Tractors are required to clean up excess mud they leave on the road, dog poo is collected by their owners.
So why can’t horse riders be required to show common decency if they are to use the road.
Apparently an outdated law from when horses were the main mode of transport allows this and prevents action being taken.
With the number of accidents never mind inconveniences caused by this negligence surely this should be amended?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
7
mdinbc · 13/12/2021 23:23

I'm not so against it. There are horse diapers (bags mounted under their tails) available now. If a city or town has quite a few riders using shared paths, then why not enforce diapers. We don't have any riders in our town, but when we have a parade with riders or buggies, they are required to wear them.

PoinsettaPrincess · 13/12/2021 23:23

What about deer shit? We have deer shit on our road what should we do about that? 😂.

I was on a thread on NM years ago and they hated horse shit, one poster was adamant that they needed horse nappies, I’m still awaiting an answer on deer shit...

AndreaC74 · 13/12/2021 23:27

@PoinsettaPrincess

What about deer shit? We have deer shit on our road what should we do about that? 😂.

I was on a thread on NM years ago and they hated horse shit, one poster was adamant that they needed horse nappies, I’m still awaiting an answer on deer shit...

Deer shit is very small, which just as well, image the up roar if it was the size of horse poo & falling from the sky every December?
APurpleSquirrel · 13/12/2021 23:32

When I was much younger & hadn't lived in the countryside long, DH (who grew up rurally) & I were out for a walk in the forest & I saw one of these & genuinely thought it was a giant pooper scooper for horse poo Grin DH could hardly breath from laughing so much!

Horse riders should pick up their poo!!
UnRavellingFast · 13/12/2021 23:32

Well this adds to the fun.

Heshcher · 13/12/2021 23:33

TrashyPanda, I said the horse was aggressive or untrained in response to this: "Unless you want to be kicked, it’s probably wise to continue to give horses a very wide berth!" Kicking is aggressive. I didn't make that up!
If an animal is so inherintly dangerous that everyone must always stay out of it's attack range then it's clearly much too dangerous to take out in public. Even if it only becomes dangerous when it's scared, if it's a prey animal and fear is it's automatic response then it is reasonably foreseeable that it might get scared and attack someone. If you know there is a risk that it might get scared and attack and you still choose to take that horse out then it's 100% your fault if it attacks someone who is using the road in the usual manner and minding their own business. Other road users shouldn't need to be telepathic to protect themselves from your pet. Just keep dangerous animals, like bulls, snakes and horses inside appropriate enclousers where they don't endanger the public. Anyway, it sounds like they're so scared that it is cruel to take them out near loud traffic and fast cars anyway.

Mummyoflittledragon · 13/12/2021 23:40

[quote Instagram]www.weeklygripe.co.uk/horse-manure-on-the-road-is-dangerous[/quote]
It’s dangerous to zoom around a blind bend. Manure on the ground should be the least of a biker’s / cyclist’s worries. A biker or cyclist would come off far worse if they slammed into a horse because they were going to fast to stop than if their wheels went through a dollop of poo.

TrashyPanda · 13/12/2021 23:44

TrashyPanda, I said the horse was aggressive or untrained in response to this: "Unless you want to be kicked, it’s probably wise to continue to give horses a very wide berth!" Kicking is aggressive. I didn't make that up!

A horse kicking is not an aggressive action. It is a reaction from fear or alarm. Like a road user being too near them. Which is why the law states to give a wide berth.

If an animal is so inherintly dangerous that everyone must always stay out of it's attack range then it's clearly much too dangerous to take out in public
It is basic common sense to stay a safe distance away from any large animal. It’s actually inherent in most people as a basic preservation measure.

Other road users shouldn't need to be telepathic to protect themselves from your pet

The law disagrees with you.

The law states that drivers must know, understand and put into practice the Highway Code

Horse riders and horse-drawn vehicles. Be particularly careful of horse riders and horse-drawn vehicles especially when overtaking. Always pass wide and slowly. Horse riders are often children, so take extra care and remember riders may ride in double file when escorting a young or inexperienced horse or rider. Look out for horse riders’ and horse drivers’ signals and heed a request to slow down or stop. Take great care and treat all horses as a potential hazard

WrongWayApricot · 13/12/2021 23:46

I would love to see a rider dismount with a massive bag and shovel, just for that yanbu 😂

ThePlumVan · 13/12/2021 23:52

Me carrying a plastic bag with 6lbs of Pooh trying to get back on my horse would cause a pile up - OP, are you on glue ?

mugglenutmeg · 14/12/2021 00:03

Stupidest thread I've ever read.

HeddaGarbled · 14/12/2021 00:14

We recently had our road repaired. In between the spreading of the stone chips and the rolling, it got horse-shitted. So when the roller came, it rolled the horse-shit into the newly laid road. How lovely for us all. And how pissed off must the road-layers have been. I’m with you @Instagram.

echt · 14/12/2021 00:16

God, it's been years sine I've seen thread about this.

Bazinga007 · 14/12/2021 00:24

Horses are outdated and serve very little purpose nowadays. Time to make them licenced, have insurance and tax them.

Crankley · 14/12/2021 00:26

When I was a child in the 50s, we grew a lot of vegetables because rationing didn't end until '54 and any horse drawn carts down our road were followed by residents keen to be first to scoop up the horse poo to add to the compost bin.

You're being a bit daft as the rider is facing in the opposite direction to where the poo comes out lol.

JesusSufferingFuck22 · 14/12/2021 00:31

@Coughee

ARE there accidents and inconveniences caused by horse poo?!
Yes. I use a mobility scooter in a semi rural area. Sometimes the piles are not avoidable or disguised with leaves. Scraping any kind of poo out of my tyres with a stick is very unpleasant. Horse owners along with dog owners know their pets routine. Our neighbours try to make their horses go at the side of the path. Not perfect but it helps.
JesusSufferingFuck22 · 14/12/2021 00:34

I use a mobility scooter in a semi rural area. Big dollops of horse poo in the middle of a path are an inconvenience. Picking poo out of the tyres before I reverse back into my house is a very unpleasant task. Fortunately the horse owners around here mostly know their pets habits and poo is deposited at the side of the path.

foxlover47 · 14/12/2021 00:40

If anyone wants to borrow my dog he would gladly help , he loves to grab a bit to eat 🙈

chaosmaker · 14/12/2021 00:50

@FatFredsFriedEgg

Steptoe & Son used to carry a shovel and bucket on the cart to clean up after old Hercules so I wonder if that was actually a thing when horse power was still more common.
Yes but they probably sold it as manure cos it's useful!
RedSquirrelsAreAwesome · 14/12/2021 00:53

Maybe the horse rider could use a leaf collector machine, it might mean they can stay seated whilst they suck up the horse shit? 🤔
Just need the horse to give a loud neigh when they drop a load.

montysma1 · 14/12/2021 00:55

Is it weird that I like horse shit?

FolkyFoxFace · 14/12/2021 01:36

Have you ever ridden a horse? 😂😂😂

Ahh, MN at its finest.

WrongWayApricot · 14/12/2021 01:40

@montysma1

Is it weird that I like horse shit?
OP has a job going for you I think
TooManyAnimals94 · 14/12/2021 03:25

@Bazinga007

Horses are outdated and serve very little purpose nowadays. Time to make them licenced, have insurance and tax them.
Anyone want to take this one? Anyone? Bueller?

The same could be said of vintage cars, knitting, basket weaving... let's ban them too as they serve no discernable purpose in the modern world.
In terms of licensing, there is a rider road safety test which they could make compulsory but not sure how you would enforce it.
Most riders DO have insurance. If it's your own horse there is insurance available and if you are riding for work or from a riding school you should be covered by the company's insurance.
What exactly are we taxing riders on? Having an enjoyable hobby that you're jealous of? Car drivers pay tax based on their emissions so until horse farts are comparable to an internal combustion engine that won't be happening.

Cloudyzebra · 14/12/2021 03:34

Here's an idea. Maybe all the people who are upset by horses and horse poo on the roads, could start a campaign for investment in a decent network of bridleways. As a horse rider I would love to avoid riding on the road, it's just not possible as the roads are currently the only way of getting anywhere.