Why are horses allowed to shit in the street when dogs can't?

[JacknDiane]

Just seen a horse and rider going down our road, we are near to open fields. The horse stopped and left a massive dump in the middle of the road. Then the rider made him walk on.
Now this is a busy street we live on, with kids out on their bikes a lot and generally people coming and going.
Why are horse riders allowed to let their horses do this?
Im not stupid, I haven't a clue how the rider could clear it up. But it still seems totally wrong.

Just seen a horse and rider going down our road, we are near to open fields. The horse stopped and left a massive dump in the middle of the road. Then the rider made him walk on.

Treat it as a roundabout 😊. This reminds me of one of Ronnie Barker's 'Newreader' sketches.

"An elephant has just done a ton on the M1. Motorists are advised to drive carefully and treat it as a roundabout. "

"Fannying about, in the road, whilst holding on to half a ton of easily panicked animal on the end of a 5/8s inch wide leather strap, and putting their attention on a pile of shit and a bag, not the four legged panicky death-beast'.."

Maybe such an "easily panicked" "death-beast" shouldn't be on the roads? Maybe house riders should take their hobby somewhere more appropriate.

OP do you realise that dogs and horses (and cats) are not the only animals out and about on our streets?

Animals shit where they want. Pet dogs are the only ones where a human has any control over whether the shit can be removed or not, so they're the only ones where its incumbent on humans to do so. (As you well know, it wouldn't be logistically feasible for horse riders to clean up horseshit.)

As for the rest, you have to suck it up as a consequence of living in a world with animals in it. You don't get to see the manager about fox shit or badger shit or pigeon shit or hedgehog shit (and you should think of cat shit in that category).

Maybe drivers should realise that horses have been around way longer than cars.

Horses are vegetarian

Because it isn't toxic in the same way as dog or cat shite

They should slow down then.

If a motorcyclist can't avoid a pile of horse poo in the road then it's definitely not safe for a rider to stop in the road to pick it up.

I live near a riding stable, oh for your experience.

Also the fact we don't trust a 16 year old to drive a car that will do what it's instructed to do but fine to perch a 5 year old on a horse many times their size who might not do what it is told. I watch them pass and think it's just an accident waiting to happen but I'm sure someone will explain why it's vital to do that on a narrow road.

It’s not ideal so maybe you could join the BHS ongoing campaign to maintain our bridle paths and provide alternative routes for horse riders so we can circumvent routes full of cars? We riders would like nothing better to avoid roads if we possibly could.

As it happens at the moment though, as stated below, lots of our bridle paths are only accessible by roads atm, so we have to endure riding among cars to get to them. Therefore, horses have to be trained to go out in traffic, and one of the best ways of doing that is exposing them to traffic. It’s a catch 22 situation.

However, you won’t find us cantering among cars. We will be going as carefully as possible, at a speed which is appropriate for the road and traffic conditions.

Tbh I have seen more accidents on roads involving bikes and teens, and in the UK there is no minimum age requirement for cycling on public highways.

At least the bike can't decide to take off into traffic or throw the rider off.

I said earlier I saw a military horse throw it's rider and run into traffic. If a trained soldier can't offer guarantees how can a five year old?

What’s grim about some digested grass and straw? Seriously?

If you find that grim, I would hate you to see some other aspects of country life.

Look, each to their own, I personally try and move my horse on if he is trying to poo or pee at the end of someone’s drive, or at the entrance to a footpath, as do most of my horse-owner friends, but it’s not an exact science.

I can’t if we are moving along the road among traffic though for obvious safety reasons.

I think town and country could do with respecting and understanding one another’s lifestyles a bit more.

I find lots of cars very loud and offensive, as are pollution levels in some towns , and I am forever picking up litter that day trippers have thrown out of their car windows in to my hedges in the countryside; old pop and beer cans, crisp packets, takeaway food trays, mounds of cigarette butts and loads of plastic bags and bottles. I try and collect them up before they hurt any wildlife. Personally, I find that a lot more disgusting than a pile of horse shit.

When we were young children, the older generation of farm hands used to pick up warm horse poo to warm their bare hands on a freezing cold day! And I’ve been known to do the same very occasionally, but I was wearing neoprene yard gloves at the time!

I doubt many five year olds are riding on the roads independently. You might get a very occasional one being led or on a lead rein from another horse under a parent’s supervision.

But you are right, they’re aren’t any guarantees. Horses aren’t robots. Even the best ones get spooked occasionally.

That is why it is very important for all drivers and riders to follow the Highway Code.

https://www.bhs.org.uk/go-riding-and-learn/riding-out-hacking/riding-on-roads/

Soldiers are slightly different because some of them have only half a year’s training before riding on roads and London is a hugely challenging environment for a horse and rider. Plus the rider is often only holding the reins in one hand and a heavy sword in the other,

I laughed years ago at my oldest DD, she was a groom at a polo yard, Training for the BHSAI and happily picked up horse poo, by hand,no gloves or shovel when mucking out.

What's grim about a huge pile of shite in the middle of a busy thoroughfare/ residential road in the middle of a large city? Quite a lot in my view.

If I wanted to look at and smell farmyard waste products I'd move to the countryside.

It’s not toxic.

Plus it doesn’t smell disgusting!

It’s not really farmyard waste though is it? For a start it’s not on that scale,

And horse were the primary form of urban transport in UK towns and cities for centuries. Railways replaced long distance horse carriage transport in the 1840s, but horses remained essential for short-distance transport, until cars arrived during the 1910s and 20s.

Horses were everywhere in towns; in mews stables, down mines, in double-storey stables near railway stations. They are immensely adaptable adaptable animals who have co-existed with us for centuries.

They caused a lot less noise and environmental pollution than cars and everyone was familiar with them and their poo!

People don’t live close to them any more so aren’t used to it and have lost all of their innate knowledge associated with this incredible animal. But if they did, they would soon get used to horse manure in a way that you would never get used to being close to dog poo for example.

Get a grip.

I do see kids who look about five on local roads. They are usually behind an adult riding in front of them but don't seem to be on a lead. Sorry but I can't for one minute see it is appropriate or necessary. I should point out we have some very narrow roads, well lanes really. Even driving it can be scary as drivers seem to think they can see round bends and don't slow down, maybe they are different to me and can see round corners particularly if there are horses just round those bends. I absolutely think they should be slower but being right won't help if they hit me and even more so if they hit a child in a horse.

The soldier wasn't holding a sword. When you say six months training do you mean from never riding previously? A friend's child joined a regiment and was an experienced rider and I got the impression that was required but maybe it varies.

I was asked if I thought it was acceptable and I don't.

I'm only talking about it because people on here think police leaving animal poo around is reasonable and I disagree. Not wanting my council tax to go towards shovelling police horse poo is a stance I stand by.

Well I would far rather my taxes go to having police horse patrols than no mounted police on the beat!

Dogs and cat poo carry diseases and parasites that transmit to humans, horse poo carries no such disease and in fact is a compost that you pay good money for at garden centres… so scope it up and use it in your garden.

Horses actually have a priority right of way on roads over vehicles. Read ur Highway Code.

How many times do we need to be told it's compost, great for gardens? I think the first dozen times was probably enough for most of us. Fine if you want to come and shovel it up, I've got no desire to stand in the road shovelling it when we've been told that's too dangerous for the rider.

That’s interesting- what are horses being fed where you are?

I’ve had horses since 1992. I’ve never slipped on a horse shit.

The is is the reason I’d never own a new car. It’s just an extension of the stable isn’t it 😂