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.

Plus obviously horse poo is 99-100% chewed up compostable so will eventually break down in the rain, especially if it is on a soil path. Dog poo has a large amount of meat in so will take years to break down and will release gas that isn't good for the soil when it does,

All poo is natural!

But that doesn't involved getting all worked up with righteous indignation does it.

The horse stopped and left a massive dump in the middle of the road.

Lucky you.
If that was me I would have been out there with a shovel to collect it for the garden.👍

We have to drive to a local stables to collect horse manure but at least from there it is well rotted.

Amazing responses - so because horses are vegan/vegetarian it’s totally fine for them to dump their massive loads on roads and pavements? I live on a one way in and out development for vehicles but pedestrians can cut through to a main road. Horses also cut through at least three times a week and regularly dump on the pavement. One such deposit has been there for months, now flattened, but was a menace in its original state for parents and kids on their way to school and all other walkers. If I lived close to it I would have shovelled it on to the grass verge but the people who live opposite aren’t bothered by it. I’ve also seen cars drive straight through a load on the road and it’s sprayed out in all directions - lovely.

Could you take a photo of this path which is apparently always "absolutely full" of huge steaming piles of horse manure?

'Amazing responses - so because horses are vegan/vegetarian it’s totally fine for them to dump their massive loads on roads and pavements?'

This!

We should all be considerate to each other. So, riders understandably expect patience and kindness from pedestrians and motorists lest their huge animals get spooked and cause injury and damage so you'd think in return they'd clear up the crap, but nope. Consideration only goes one way it seems.

Exactly, people and animals need to get from A to B. How do you expect anything to do that except by road.
Your premise of not expecting horses to use roads because everything should come to them is flawed.

@JacknDiane There are no known toxic effects on humans from horse poo and no records of disease transmission from it. It consists of plant fibers, water, and nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus. It is widely used as garden fertiliser and has been for centuries. Basically it is harmless and wholesome. I'm surprised you aren't already aware of this OP. If you're solely concerned about getting covered in horse poo, then you must be surrounded by herds of incontinent horses. Horse droppings (even in the countryside) aren't exactly ubiquitous or cause for public hysteria.

Thanks for replying, it does answer my question to some extent though I still think rehab and training would be much safer in the yards/arenas away from the dangers of motor vehicles.

Except it often needs to be on flat, hard surfaces for safety reasons.

I didn’t know people like some of the posters here this really existed before reading this thread! It’s quite sad.

Horses also crap on pavements sometimes when the idiot rider has decided to ride on the pavement/footpath instead of a road (I'm not talking about bridle paths here!). That's utterly unacceptable as it forces people with prams, wheelchairs etc into the road as obviously they don't want to wheel through the pile of crap.

And to those who say it quickly washes off. No it really doesn't. There was a huge pile of horse shit on a narrow pavement in our village that lasted over a month.

@ShiftingSand "One such deposit has been there for months, now flattened, but was a menace in its original state for parents and kids on their way to school and all other walkers. If I lived close to it I would have shovelled it on to the grass verge but the people who live opposite aren’t bothered by it. I’ve also seen cars drive straight through a load on the road and it’s sprayed out in all directions - lovely."

I'd be more concerned about the toxic mass of pollution from cars around my kids. And don't even think about moving into the countryside, you and your kids would presumably need hazmat suits and/or therapy. I mean seriously, get a grip.

Nail on the head there.

This is about horseriders and when their animals foul public rights of way doing naff all about it.
There is no law against it. Horses were a mode of transport for centuries and therefore are not classed as pets unlike your dog. There is a law around your dog's shit though.

I pop my dogs lead on when I see a horse as I'm a considerate and responsible owner.
There's a law stating your dog has to be under control at all times. Unless you want a criminal record and your dog pts?

See the difference?

Horse shit is good for the garden/allotment . Consists of only vegetation. Dog shit is good for nothing other than germs and possibly diseases.

Happy to help. 👍

In what way was a bit of horse crap a menace?

Bit slippy was it? Get a grip.

Dog and cat shit is gross and, in the case of cats, usually toxic. Herbivore shit stinks when fresh but is useful. Years ago, if a horse dumped in the street, men would rush out with shovels because they wanted it for their garden.

What a sadly sanitised world we live in. Or at least in our heads, because it's so very far from it. Humans have almost destroyed the planet through toxic waste, deforestation, defiling the oceans and gratuitous destruction. The irony is inescapable. To think that these righteous parents are telling their children that horses have no place and yet disposal nappies, SUV vehicles and wet wipes are fine.

Shovel it up and put in on your compost heap to rot down - costs a fortune in garden centres. It's just pre-composted vegetables and hay.

It's only dangerous if you delve into the garden beds with bare hands. Are you doing much gardening this time of year? Also, you can catch toxoplasmosis from foxes as well and there's not a lot you can do about them.

My DH had toxoplasmosis years ago. He has worn gloves for gardening since then! Could have been cats or foxes to blame.

But anyway, the first response nailed it. Horses are vegetarian and their poo is much less horrible than dog poo (or human poo come to that).

Horses are vegetarian and their poo smells quite nice of processed hay/grass. Their manure gets used as fertiliser.
cat and dog poo actually stinks

The SUV driver is the most entitled individual in the universe (other than maybe private jet users).

I have read the whole thread so apologies if this has already been said, but the majority of riders do everything they can to avoid riding on roads but it is often the only way to reach a bridleway.

Thank you to all you drivers out there who slow down for horses (10mph) and pass wide, and dog walkers who keep their dogs under control. It is very much appreciated 🐎

Some dog walkers do think they’re being helpful by ‘hiding’ behind a bush if they see a horse approaching - unfortunately horses have amazing senses of smell and movement detection and know the dog is there, but think they must be a predator hiding and waiting to pounce!
So it’s best to let yourselves be seen and heard if possible.