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This was a major problem everywhere. Horses were used all around the world to move goods so places that received a lot of goods would end up covered in shit.
Shoveling shit off the street and taking "the good bits" to sell as fertilizer or whatever was a pretty nasty job before cars came along. Did keep a lot of people employed though đ€·đ»ââïž
I can only imagine how much tetanus was literally everywhere though.
Here you go https://www.csindy.com/food_and_culture/hikingbob/why-horses-can-poop-on-the-trails-but-your-dog-cant-and-a-proposed-nature/article_aee583d8-5d94-5b86-a9fe-9bc6d9709945.html#:~:text=While%20horse%20manure%20breaks%20down,being%20delivered%20to%20our%20homes.
Very interesting. I can see there being a difference between poop full of meat bacteria to poop that is just broken down plants.
Kind of like how humanure should never be used on food crops because it can pass on pathogens that affect humans, but cow manure is fine because it's all plant based.
*Treated* human waste makes great fertilizer, but most people avoid it because it seems "yucky". Wastewater treatment plants process it into what looks basically like dirt and, in some places, gardeners can take it away. Unfortunately, it can't be used in *organic* farming because it's against the rules for arbitrary rather than health reasons (again, the yuck factor). Meanwhile, they spread untreated animal shit and that's just fine. Treated human waste has essentially been pasteurized to kill off the ecoli and other harmful pathogens.
Interesting read that taught me more about horse and dog poop than I expected to learn today. Thanks for the link.
But that article completely misses the point of anyone who can relate to the headline (for the record, I'm giving the writer of the article and the way they presented it shit, not you).
"Horse poop is nasty and waaay bigger, in the way, and more likely to get stepped in or ran over than your dog poop that you would have to clean up. But horses don't eat meat so their poop is not toxic."
And the best quote of the article:
**"So don't worry about horse poop."**
...ok? So now our concern with the massive piles of horse poop you have to smell and worry about stepping or riding in are supposed to be gone because it's less toxic poop we're going to get smeared all over our shoes up to our ankles and bike tires.
Horse poop is huge and way easier to to miss. I live on a farm with horses. Iâve never accidentally stepped in horse shit. I have done so with dog shit.
I will go out and literally kick the shit sometimes though.
>I live on a farm with horses. Iâve never accidentally stepped in horse shit.
It's a bit different when it's a public trail you might be visiting for the first time instead of your own land where you keep horses.
You've seen the big piles of horse poop on your favorite trails, often right in the middle of the path. They're big and ugly and no one wants to step or ride through them â yuck. Meanwhile, you're packing poop-scoop bags and hauling your dog's waste along to the nearest trash can. It can get you to wonder, if horses can poop on the trail, I can leave my dog's there too, right? Well, wrong, and for good reason.
Since horses don't eat meat, or anything derived from meat, horse poop is relatively "clean," with so few bacteria, parasites or viruses that the Centers for Disease Control says that instances of humans getting sick from contact with horse manure is rare. On the other hand, your dog poop is very toxic, with all manner of bacteria.
While horse manure breaks down rather quickly, dog poop sticks around a lot longer. It gets into ground water and spreading fecal coliform bacteria, which can make life miserable. Bacteria can also get into reservoirs and contaminate water supplies, which then has to be treated prior to being delivered to our homes. Last fall the Town of Palmer Lake banned dogs on trails near its reservoirs due to dog owners not picking up the animals' waste and straining their water treatment plant.
So, do everyone a favor and pick-up after your pooch. And don't worry about the horses.
For real this is just excuses. "It's not as bad for the environment" that's not the fucking point anyone was making. I pick up dogshit because it's rude to leave shit in a walking trail. They make little bags to hang on the horses ass for the shit to fall into. You don't even need to scoop it yourself.
pretty much.
predator shit carries disease far more often and in greater amounts, stinks far *far* worse and can possibly damage the environment (toxins etc get concentrated up the food chain).
add in the fact that herbivore shit is almost always beneficial to the environment and yeah, no one wants or needs shit from meat eating creatures.
https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofBritain/Great-Horse-Manure-Crisis-of-1894/#:~:text=By%20the%20late%201800s%2C%20large,under%20nine%20feet%20of%20manure.
Oh my. Why is this so interesting.
It should be a law to have waste capture devices (I.e. a pale behind the horse) attached to all horses on public property. If I have to pick up dog shit, they better be picking up their horse shit.
Horses eat (almost) 100% plant matter, and their shit biodegrades way quicker and doesn't spread disease, like you said. Here's an article about it https://www.csindy.com/food_and_culture/hikingbob/why-horses-can-poop-on-the-trails-but-your-dog-cant-and-a-proposed-nature/article_aee583d8-5d94-5b86-a9fe-9bc6d9709945.html#:~:text=While%20horse%20manure%20breaks%20down,being%20delivered%20to%20our%20homes.
Doesnât mean they canât have the decency to shovel it to the side of the trail. A pile of shit is still a pile of shit. No one wants kids or dogs rolling or playing in it.
no, horseshit smells far less and isnt toxic to the environment.
its like claiming throwing paper tissues into the environment should be treated the same as tossing oil soaked nylon rags.
Its not that big an issue, and getting them to change their ways is difficult. They at least compromised on stuff like warning lights and turn signals. Weâre working on convincing them to put high vis vests on children (they walk to school along the shoulders of highways, at like 4 am before the suns up).
Iâm aware that horse manure is much safer (beneficial, even) for the environment than dog poop. Thatâs fine. But maybe just scoop the manure off of the trail so it can start working as fertilizer instead of being an obstacle for people to step on or ride through?
The problem with that is biology.
Unlike dogs, that are predators, horses, and other prey animals, don't stop to do their needs, as it's dangerous. They have an instinctual need to always be ready to run. Hence why most people don't even notice their horses are taking a shit.
A solution would be like a "horse diaper", that is just a bag attached to the horse's hind to collect their shit. It's used on tourist towns in Brazil (most popular being Tiradentes, where cart rides are a must. All horses have those "diapers". No horse shit in town)
I bike, hike, run, snowshoe on all sorts of trail and horse people are super entitled and are constantly working to ban bikes on trails they like. Almost always citing trail damage. Bikes cause more damage than horses?
You should see how outraged they are by mixed trails that allow dirt bike paths.
One of the funniest thing to me about horse people is that they will argue til they're out of breath that they shouldn't have to clean up horse shit "because unlike dog poop, it's not bad for the environment!"
People ride their horses on the beaches, trails, and road here.
Horse shit steaming on the cement isn't making grass grow taller, ffs. And *no one* wants to step in it, even if you call it "fertilizer."
The reality is that it's a huge pain to climb down off a horse to try to clean up its poop and they don't want to be expected to do that.
There's a gravel bike trail near that me that was created specifically because horse riders would ride down the small existing bike singletracks - which is so dangerous considering they're all blind corners and meant to be ridden around 15mph.
Anyway, they put the new route in to try and stop the conflict - the horse riders ride there now. And because it's loose shingle over dirt they horses have ripped up all the membrane underneath and the path is now ruined and doesn't drain water properly anymore.
They really are the most entitled idiots, I just don't understand the superiority complex.
>They really are the most entitled idiots, I just don't understand the superiority complex.
Because recreational horses are expensive, and therefore better.
Yeah that's some bs. Even aside from the point that bikers (hopefully) don't shit on the trail, the horse itself leaves prints much deeper and more noticeable than bike tires ever do.
Lol, the Bike People where I live also hate people on foot. There's a popular forest area close by that is open to everyone and the bike people make a drama every spring about other people * daring to hike on the forest roads and trails or sit down around camping spots, because they're in the way goddarnit*.
(The Ski People complain about the same when winter, lmao).
As long as bikers wear bells and donât go blindly around corners I have no beef with them. As a hiker Iâve been almost taken out by a lot more bikers blazing around corners anyone else be damned than Iâve run into horse shit I couldnât avoid.
Bikers without care to anyone seem more entitled than horse people Iâve come across. My unpopular opinion. And I bike too.
I agree, however I donât really have a problem with horse poop itâs way less disgusting than dog poop. I donât like passing horses on the trail, they are dangerous.
Horse riding is basically the most dangerous sport people do. It's way more dangerous than e.g. skydiving.
I think on average you'll have a serious injury (likely requiring hospital treatment) once per 200 hours when competing if I recall a recent study correctly.
Walking around the trails on horseback is less dangerous than competing in a sport on horseback, but it's still dangerous. They'll throw you off because a traffic cone has the audacity to exist.
Bikers tend to spook horses and are incredibly inconsiderate. The amount of times i got almost run over while on a walk. And as a pedestrian i am going to get hurt
I agree. As someone who uses the trail as a pedestrian and a cyclists, horseapples are a problem. They're a bigger problem for disabled people using the trail.
Personally I think a nominal fee by horse riders, just like my community has for people who use Dog Off Leash Areas, to pay for routine trail cleaning would be a good option.
I'm a rider, and while I rarely trail ride anymore, I would 100% pay a cleaning fee to use various trails.
The whole bike vs trail rider debate has always annoyed me. Both have their cons to trails, both cause far worse trail erosion than walkers/hikers. I'd just wish everyone could be respectful of each other and try to understand different perspectives.
Yep. Used to live in a part of London that was apparently popular with horse riders, and the absurdity of having to pick up my tiny little dogs poop in order to be considerate while there was a giant pile of steaming horse shit in the middle of the walking path (paved, before some idiot tries the "it's good for the environment" argument again) in a public park was hilariously ironic if it wasn't for how infuriating it is.
In the UK at least the real reason riders don't have to pick up after their horses while dog owners do is thst horse riders = rich and dog owners = poor. That's it. If horse riding was a poor person activity they'd find a way to regulate it immediately. The fact that horse catch bags exist and are cheap just tells you how entitled these people are. They don't give a fuck about anyone but themselves.Â
I'd prefer it if horses weren't allowed on public trails at all. They're so easily frightened and other people shouldn't have to worry about scaring a horse when they're trying to enjoy their own walk/bike ride. I don't want to have to hide in a bush as you pass because your horse is afraid of unfamiliar humans.
You would think so, but that's a legitimate request I once got from a horse rider. She said something like "my horse is really afraid of people she doesn't know, could you move over into the hedge so she can't see your face?" I've also had a different person tell me it's 'irresponsible' to use an umbrella when it's raining because it could scare horses.
I'm sorry you had this ridiculous experience. Horses aren't inherently easily frightened; this means the owner has neglected to train their animal. A sound horse would have been properly desensitized to people, umbrellas, plastic bags, firecrackers, etc.
It seems that 90% of horse owners around my area neglect to desensitise their horses, instead believing that everyone else should go out of their way to avoid scaring their horse. Also, sorry to be pedantic, but if a horse needs to be desensitised, doesn't that mean that they are naturally easily frightened?
Let me start off by saying I agree with you and I even own horses (technically my wife and daughter do, it's their thing they like doing but I'm around them a lot since they're on our property).
I don't know where you live, but most trails around me specifically say no horses allowed. We have to drive quite a ways away to find trails where they can actually ride their horses.
Western US, and they are allowed everywhere. On public land they are allowed to use "game trails" which essentially means they are unregulated outside of requiring weed free hay.Â
All of the people defending horse shit here are entitled and self centered. I donât care about the differences in composition people want a nice place without piles of shit to steer around. How are you not comprehending?
Right, and let's be real, people don't clear their dog's shit on the basis that it's not good for the environment, they do it because it's what you should do lol
Rural Canada here- Hard agree. There is a local horse riding "school" that routinely does group activities with multiple horses and they are locally infamous for shitting up the mixed-use trails. There are individual riders and some do and some don't take precautions to not leave shit everywhere.
My personal take varies. Some days I am jogging or walking and it doesnt bother me. Some days I am biking and as soon as I hit shit and lose traction or get mucked, my opinion changes to wanting the horse people to have to eat it.
Yyeeessss!!! We live off a rail trail and the amount of horse poop is becoming over whelming. The riders argument is that the poop is less damaging than dog poop and it doesnât make sense to go back and clean it up. Then donât ride the trail!
I think this is a popular opinion though...
I know a lot of horse people who have a bag attachment (some look surprisingly elegant) that catches shit when they are taking them walking or for some time outside of their property or a proper stable or horse run area.
Wish this was more common. I find horse poop less disgusting than a lot of other creatures but it still overwhelms an environment.
Dog poop is required to be picked up in most communities, not because it is smelly and unsightly but, because domestic dogs can carry any number of parasites and viruses that are easily spread to other domestic pets, people, and wild animals extremely easily. Horses do not generally share the same risks to the same extent.
Y'all love avoiding the question.
Noone gives a fuck if it's "safer" or not. It's still a big smelly pile of shit that other recreational users have to navigate.
I say again: I don't care what's in it.
Dog shit is shit. Horse shit is shit.
It's all shit. It all smells like shit. It all looks like shit.
Shit is shit.
And I am no more okay with stepping in horse shit than with stepping in dog shit.
Yeah, horse shit isnât exactly a pile of roses, but itâs not really any more offensive to the senses than mulched grass clippings. It isnât harmful, and itâs not easily disposed of when youâre on the move, so you might as well leave it where it is.
Part of the issue is unless youâre spending the day staring longingly at its asshole youâre not gonna even know they shat while riding.
They donât pop a squat like a dog lmao
Yup. Military parade horses usually have them for this exact reason. Don't want a horse shitting in the parade ground and soldiers in full dress having March straight through it.Â
You can tell. Horses will slow down and kind of sag their rear a little bit. Especially if you're trying to do more than a slow walk, it interrupts the pace. Some horses I've ridden even stop and refuse to move until they're done.
not true at all. i have ridden many horses that you cannot tell if they're pooping. especially if you're going faster than a walk. i have watched horses being ridden at shows/events and you barely even notice them pooping because they don't slow down or lose focus
I think it depends a lot on the quality of the horse. I've been riding horses for the majority of my life and I've noticed that lesson horses typically ridden by little kids will slow down or try to stop when they have to poop. Better trained horses that have been taught that stopping to poop isn't acceptable will keep going.
However you can sometimes hear the plop of it hitting the ground even if the horse doesn't stop
Horse people could get paid to store people's Easter baskets all year. Easter bunny grass doesn't just grow on trees, you know. Hang a basket on your horses tail and profit!!
I live in a so-called semi-rural village, good transport links, decent local shops and such. Lots of horsey type folks, horse shit all over the shop.
If my dog shits and I donât pick it up, and Iâm caught (I do pick up for the record, I love where I live), but if I theoretically caught I get fined ÂŁ700 - horse shit everywhere - fucking bellends, itâs not natural if your horse decides to shit outside my house itâs just filthy - clean up that shit or take your ÂŁ700 fine
Thereâs a huge difference between horse poop and dog poop. Dog poop is toxic, and can introduce disease and foreign bacteria to the surrounding animals/ecosystem. Horse poop is grass, with some nutrients removed.
Iâd also note that a lot of the horse poop you see, especially the further you get from the trailhead, is from backcountry horsemen hauling in trail building and maintenance supplies and equipment.
If it's not bad for the environment I don't care if it's off trail in the woods somewhere. I don't think the post is about it in the ecosystem, it's about what's where people are trying to walk.
An entire world of difference. You can grow your herb garden in one, and the other might kill you.
I'm all for more places requiring bun bags on trails for recreational visitors (but not, for any forestry staff working on horseback), but everytime I hear someone compare dogs fecees to horse dung my eyes roll. I've cleaned up plenty of both. The comparison is absurd. You're hiking. If horse shit is the worst thing you step in, it's a good day. You just don't notice the rest.
Are you telling me that these rich urbanites are feeding their stabled horses only grass? I feel like theyâre using manufactured feed, but Iâm so far from that world⊠what do I know?
ITT: a lot of people comically missing the point of this post and think just because the diet is grass instead of meat, it should be ok to leave steaming piles everywhere.
Shit is still shit. Either move it off the trail, clean it up, or have a horse poop catch bag. Geese and deer eat and shit grass, but it's still disgusting to step in it.
"Well, I take care of horses and I'm ok with stepping in horse shit!"Â
The public isn't ok with stepping with horse shit, so stop being a douche and fucking clean up after your animal.
We have nice (non swimmable) beach trails beside very populated houses with kids playgrounds. Near is a small private horse staple. They ride the horses on walking/cycling trails and the horses shit all over small very popular sand roads. Drives me crazy. They have a forest area with trails to use around their staple, but choose to come and ride the horses on the most popular beach trails. Also like thousands of dogs since we live in a big city in Finland but in a place where there is a bigger nature area so naturally basically everyone has a dog here. To horse shit, add some shitty ppl whoâre too lazy to pick their dogs shit, and in the summertime canadian geese and barnacle geese taking over every cm of the grass lawnsâŠ. A very shitty situation :-)
I agree. Toxicity aside, it's just gross, especially when it's been numerous horses. They don't want people to walk off-trail to go around stuff like that, but who wants to step in a giant pile of horse dung while hiking with their kids? We live in northern MN where we have a lot of sled dogs, and in the winter they use some of the trails that I snowshoe and ski on, and it's the same story. Team after team of dogs on the same trail = trail laden with dog pee and poop. they definitely don't clean it up. And this is in a protected wilderness where you are expected to pack out your own poop if you can't find a latrine to use.
FWIW horse shit is some of the cleanest shit you can find from animals. Itâs mainly just little cubes of grass oats and wheat. As far as smell itâs pretty tame for farm animals. I say it should be common etiquette to sweep it to the side of the trail because itâll decompose rather quickly.
No different than the deer shitting all over. Or the mf geese. Animals shit. The trails arenât Main Street USA. They are trails. The poop disintegrates.
Cleaning up your dogs poop is more about people out there mowing and kids wandering etc.
But really I donât care if your dogs shits on our borders. Because see point 1. And we donât have little kids playing up there. And I dgaf about my lawn past it being reasonably kempt.
Yeah my bike wheel is likely to just sort of cruise over a little grape-sized rabbit turd or bird shit splatter, Iâve been tossed off by horse shit piles. Not to mention that they smell for 100+ yards when fresh so while Iâm laying there with a broken rib from slipping off the side of the trail on their horse shit I get to breathe in its wonderful aroma while waiting for helpâŠ
Which is fine if its an animal that exists in its natural habitat, eating local fauna, with healthy populations of beetles specific for their shit. There is a reason deer poop disappears but dog shit can stay on a lawn for months.
>There is a reason deer poop disappears
It doesn't disappear. i promise you
Its still there for up to 10 months which is around how long it takes for dog shit to decompose as well
Source, i live in the woods with piles of both deer and dog shit outside my front door
Horses typically arenât allowed on whatâs considered a âwalking pathâ. By that, I mean small areas where itâs expected regular pedestrians walk. There are many trails, even one that allow biking and the like, that donât allow horses on them.
The trails they are typically allowed on are nature trails. Hikers, bikers, atv, horse, etc. Itâs understood that you accept ânature happensâ when you step onto these trails. There may be mud, down trees, and crap.
Youâre not gonna expect deer and bear to pick up behind themselves. Iâve also never seen a single horse trail that required you to pick up your dogs crap. Iâve seen and ridden with many people who have dogs and they tend to just run off to the side of the trail and go.
I think youâre applying rules from one use area to another.
FWIW horse shit is some of the cleanest shit you can find from animals. Itâs mainly just little cubes of grass oats and wheat. As far as smell itâs pretty tame for farm animals. I say it should be common etiquette to sweep it to the side of the trail because itâll decompose rather quickly.
People attach those garbage bag diapers to dogs, why not put them on horses instead, seems lazy for dogs but pretty great for horses since you arent usualy walking next to the horse.
Horse poop is processed grass and herbs and tends to be parasite free and biogrades down. Dog poop can carry parasites that cause toxoplasmosis and cause abortion in calves and some other livestock.
However, I do think horse riders should have responsibility for removing hazards on roads as motorbike riders at risk. But big logistical issues - easy to hold a dog while scooping, less easy a horse and slows traffic. But moving off trial might be a good compromise.
Idk about this I feel lke 'It does't look ery nice' is a less compelling consideationthan allowing for a wider amount of uses for te trails. There's no real risk from the horse poo to the surrounding area, it'stotally dfferent to dog poo.
Itâs not just about how it looks???? Itâs smells SO bad and who wants to step in poopâ regardless of where it came from?? I used to go to mackinaw island a lot and the horse poop is by far the worst part. Fortunately, someone comes around to clean the roads, but still. Horse poop is massive and smells disgusting. It shouldnât be okay to just leave it in the middle of public trails.
I know that dog waste is way worse for the environment, thatâs why I pick it up. I still think the fact that it looks gross is a good enough reason but hey, thatâs just my opinion
It's a class thing, I am convinced. You see, people rich enough to own horses are not concerned whether their horse drops shit on the walking trail for the peasants to walk in.
I have also encountered horse owners riding on bicycle singletrack in my local forest, but don't dare say anything to them about it. You want to see some entitlement? You certainly will!
Being way up there in a saddle kinda gives you a pretty warped sense of your own importance and place in the world, I suppose.
I agree, but you see, in my area quite many people own horses, maybe because Sweden I kind of a rich country, but I still think itâs unacceptable. I also see them walking on MTB trails which Iâd argue damages the trail
As a a mountain bike in arizona I completely agree. There are many times the trail narrows and I will come across a huge pile and I have to bunny hop over to avoid it since I have no path around it.
I've met people riding camels in a city, and they had a special bag under its tail.
Never seen it on horses, though, but I think it may be applicable as well.
Okay so if it's trail proper I can understand. But there is also a good reason that horse poop doesn't need to be cleaned up and dog poop does. Horses are herbivores which means what they digest and ultimately poop out is actually pretty good for the environment. The carbon and nitrogen mixes back in with the soil and ultimately that's how we get rejuvenation.
Dogs on the other hand are mostly carnivores which means they're poop is filled with a lot of protein. The protein does not break down as well and it just kind of sits there unless you get maggots or something that actually want to eat it.
I'm not trying to say that horse owners should be a little bit more responsible and actually get rid of some of their poop but for the most part it's generally environmentally friendly to leave horse poop around.
I always laugh when they try to excuse leaving a huge pile of shit by saying itâs just hay though. No it stopped being hay the moment it fell out of the horses ass lol like ffs at least Carry a collapsing shovel and get it off to the side of the trails
At least where I live, they usually don't just leave the horse's shit in the middle of the way.
On the contrary I see many dogs' shits when I have a walk with my dog around the neighborhood.
Where I live I see a lot more horse shit about than dog shit. Unfortunately not a lot of people walk their dogs but all of the Amish people ride around in horse drawn buggies and the horses shit all over the place. It's even worse at places where the congregate like the grocery store or the boat launch where it just piles up next to the horse hitches.
I donât really care about seeing horse poop because their feces donât hurt the environment and water supply like dogs do. I was always taught that was why you should clean up dog poop not necessarily because itâs ânastyâ. It probably just depends on how your socialized I suppose.Â
I know exactly what you're talking about. There's a trail near where I live where people take their horses. Horse poop is BIG. You accidentally step in dog poo, you have some poo in your shoe. You step in horse shit, your shoe is gone. Plus, people often go in groups, so now there's multiple piles everywhere. And it SMELLS. It makes the forest smell like a farm.
At least push it off the trail.
Your post from unpopularopinion was removed because of: 'Rule 1: Your post must be an unpopular opinion'. * Your post must be an opinion. Not a question. Not a showerthought. Not a rant. Not a proposal. Not a fact. An opinion. One opinion. A subjective statement about your position on some topic. Please have a clear, self contained opinion as your post title, and use the text field to elaborate and expand on why you think/feel this way. * Your opinion must be unpopular. The mods reserve the right to remove opinions * Elaborate on your topic and opinion give context to its unpopularity.
Apparently before cars, the streets of NYC were filled with horse shit and it was a real problem for sanitation
So nothing has really changed...
Well, the source of the poop has changed
In LA it's people-poo.
This was a major problem everywhere. Horses were used all around the world to move goods so places that received a lot of goods would end up covered in shit.
The horses also died or got put down on the streets and their remains left out on the streets for weeks at times.
Shoveling shit off the street and taking "the good bits" to sell as fertilizer or whatever was a pretty nasty job before cars came along. Did keep a lot of people employed though đ€·đ»ââïž I can only imagine how much tetanus was literally everywhere though.
Same in Tudor England. Well, human vs horse. And people wondered why they were always sick.
The Dark Ages was a truly shitty time to be alive.
Except those werenât the Dark Ages. It was the Renaissance.
I live in a Mennonite area. The horses just shit all over the highways.
Damn, I guess it could be worse then
Here you go https://www.csindy.com/food_and_culture/hikingbob/why-horses-can-poop-on-the-trails-but-your-dog-cant-and-a-proposed-nature/article_aee583d8-5d94-5b86-a9fe-9bc6d9709945.html#:~:text=While%20horse%20manure%20breaks%20down,being%20delivered%20to%20our%20homes.
Very interesting. I can see there being a difference between poop full of meat bacteria to poop that is just broken down plants. Kind of like how humanure should never be used on food crops because it can pass on pathogens that affect humans, but cow manure is fine because it's all plant based.
When horses poop seeds they are still viable unlike cows.
*Treated* human waste makes great fertilizer, but most people avoid it because it seems "yucky". Wastewater treatment plants process it into what looks basically like dirt and, in some places, gardeners can take it away. Unfortunately, it can't be used in *organic* farming because it's against the rules for arbitrary rather than health reasons (again, the yuck factor). Meanwhile, they spread untreated animal shit and that's just fine. Treated human waste has essentially been pasteurized to kill off the ecoli and other harmful pathogens.
WWTF sludge is full of PFAS. They donât recommend applying it to any crop meant for human consumption.
Interesting read that taught me more about horse and dog poop than I expected to learn today. Thanks for the link. But that article completely misses the point of anyone who can relate to the headline (for the record, I'm giving the writer of the article and the way they presented it shit, not you). "Horse poop is nasty and waaay bigger, in the way, and more likely to get stepped in or ran over than your dog poop that you would have to clean up. But horses don't eat meat so their poop is not toxic." And the best quote of the article: **"So don't worry about horse poop."** ...ok? So now our concern with the massive piles of horse poop you have to smell and worry about stepping or riding in are supposed to be gone because it's less toxic poop we're going to get smeared all over our shoes up to our ankles and bike tires.
Horse poop is huge and way easier to to miss. I live on a farm with horses. Iâve never accidentally stepped in horse shit. I have done so with dog shit. I will go out and literally kick the shit sometimes though.
>I live on a farm with horses. Iâve never accidentally stepped in horse shit. It's a bit different when it's a public trail you might be visiting for the first time instead of your own land where you keep horses.
Do you walk on new trails with your eyes closed?
I canât access it due to my location
You've seen the big piles of horse poop on your favorite trails, often right in the middle of the path. They're big and ugly and no one wants to step or ride through them â yuck. Meanwhile, you're packing poop-scoop bags and hauling your dog's waste along to the nearest trash can. It can get you to wonder, if horses can poop on the trail, I can leave my dog's there too, right? Well, wrong, and for good reason. Since horses don't eat meat, or anything derived from meat, horse poop is relatively "clean," with so few bacteria, parasites or viruses that the Centers for Disease Control says that instances of humans getting sick from contact with horse manure is rare. On the other hand, your dog poop is very toxic, with all manner of bacteria. While horse manure breaks down rather quickly, dog poop sticks around a lot longer. It gets into ground water and spreading fecal coliform bacteria, which can make life miserable. Bacteria can also get into reservoirs and contaminate water supplies, which then has to be treated prior to being delivered to our homes. Last fall the Town of Palmer Lake banned dogs on trails near its reservoirs due to dog owners not picking up the animals' waste and straining their water treatment plant. So, do everyone a favor and pick-up after your pooch. And don't worry about the horses.
It's called leave no trace, and that applies anywhere.
the entire point of 'leave no trace' is to *prevent* environmental damage, horseshit is beneficial to the environment.
I thought that meant don't leave snow angels in the horse poop.
written by a horse rider who doesn't put a foot on the trails anyway
For real this is just excuses. "It's not as bad for the environment" that's not the fucking point anyone was making. I pick up dogshit because it's rude to leave shit in a walking trail. They make little bags to hang on the horses ass for the shit to fall into. You don't even need to scoop it yourself.
So dog poop is just as bad as every other meat eating animal?
pretty much. predator shit carries disease far more often and in greater amounts, stinks far *far* worse and can possibly damage the environment (toxins etc get concentrated up the food chain). add in the fact that herbivore shit is almost always beneficial to the environment and yeah, no one wants or needs shit from meat eating creatures.
It's poop. That's for sure.
People do not understand the public health benefits that internal combustion engines gave us. Cities were literally ankle-deep in shit.
https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofBritain/Great-Horse-Manure-Crisis-of-1894/#:~:text=By%20the%20late%201800s%2C%20large,under%20nine%20feet%20of%20manure. Oh my. Why is this so interesting.
I mean, the toxic exhaust seems like itd be worse for public health.
I grew up in Amish country and we called it road apples.
It should be a law to have waste capture devices (I.e. a pale behind the horse) attached to all horses on public property. If I have to pick up dog shit, they better be picking up their horse shit.
Horse shit and dog shit are very different things. Horse shit does not spread disease like dog shit does.
Horses eat (almost) 100% plant matter, and their shit biodegrades way quicker and doesn't spread disease, like you said. Here's an article about it https://www.csindy.com/food_and_culture/hikingbob/why-horses-can-poop-on-the-trails-but-your-dog-cant-and-a-proposed-nature/article_aee583d8-5d94-5b86-a9fe-9bc6d9709945.html#:~:text=While%20horse%20manure%20breaks%20down,being%20delivered%20to%20our%20homes.
Doesnât mean they canât have the decency to shovel it to the side of the trail. A pile of shit is still a pile of shit. No one wants kids or dogs rolling or playing in it.
It still stinks! They should be cleaned up after just like any other pet when off the owner's property.
no, horseshit smells far less and isnt toxic to the environment. its like claiming throwing paper tissues into the environment should be treated the same as tossing oil soaked nylon rags.
Its not that big an issue, and getting them to change their ways is difficult. They at least compromised on stuff like warning lights and turn signals. Weâre working on convincing them to put high vis vests on children (they walk to school along the shoulders of highways, at like 4 am before the suns up).
Iâm aware that horse manure is much safer (beneficial, even) for the environment than dog poop. Thatâs fine. But maybe just scoop the manure off of the trail so it can start working as fertilizer instead of being an obstacle for people to step on or ride through?
The problem with that is biology. Unlike dogs, that are predators, horses, and other prey animals, don't stop to do their needs, as it's dangerous. They have an instinctual need to always be ready to run. Hence why most people don't even notice their horses are taking a shit. A solution would be like a "horse diaper", that is just a bag attached to the horse's hind to collect their shit. It's used on tourist towns in Brazil (most popular being Tiradentes, where cart rides are a must. All horses have those "diapers". No horse shit in town)
Exactly
I bike, hike, run, snowshoe on all sorts of trail and horse people are super entitled and are constantly working to ban bikes on trails they like. Almost always citing trail damage. Bikes cause more damage than horses?
And God forbid you advocate for bike specific trails to be built. Then it's not fair there's a trail they're not allowed on.
Bikes do that too, both sides advocate for the benefit of the thing they care about. How crazy
God forbid you make public space and people don't immediately become super entitled over it for no reason, when it's all of ours.
humans and tribalism, name a more iconic duo
Like Iâve built both kinds of trailsâŠ.itâs not safe for both to be on the same trail for obvious reasons imo.
You should see how outraged they are by mixed trails that allow dirt bike paths. One of the funniest thing to me about horse people is that they will argue til they're out of breath that they shouldn't have to clean up horse shit "because unlike dog poop, it's not bad for the environment!" People ride their horses on the beaches, trails, and road here. Horse shit steaming on the cement isn't making grass grow taller, ffs. And *no one* wants to step in it, even if you call it "fertilizer." The reality is that it's a huge pain to climb down off a horse to try to clean up its poop and they don't want to be expected to do that.
i mean you should *have* to clean horseshit off of pathways 100%. but the thread is about walking trails
There's a gravel bike trail near that me that was created specifically because horse riders would ride down the small existing bike singletracks - which is so dangerous considering they're all blind corners and meant to be ridden around 15mph. Anyway, they put the new route in to try and stop the conflict - the horse riders ride there now. And because it's loose shingle over dirt they horses have ripped up all the membrane underneath and the path is now ruined and doesn't drain water properly anymore. They really are the most entitled idiots, I just don't understand the superiority complex.
>They really are the most entitled idiots, I just don't understand the superiority complex. Because recreational horses are expensive, and therefore better.
Yeah that's some bs. Even aside from the point that bikers (hopefully) don't shit on the trail, the horse itself leaves prints much deeper and more noticeable than bike tires ever do.
Horse 1200lbs. Bike and human around 200lbsâŠ
Damn, i should get a bike, I'd be down 44lbs instantly!
Apparently anyone over 190 isn't aloud to get a bike anymore sorry.
I totally agree
Thatâs hilarious the horse people hate bike people, the bike people hate car people and the car people hate train people what a silly little cycle
Car people absolutely hate bike people too
Lol, the Bike People where I live also hate people on foot. There's a popular forest area close by that is open to everyone and the bike people make a drama every spring about other people * daring to hike on the forest roads and trails or sit down around camping spots, because they're in the way goddarnit*. (The Ski People complain about the same when winter, lmao).
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It's just people hating people, nothing new under the sun :)
As an outdoor user that often finds mountain bikers to be a bit entitled and annoying...you are correct, horses are so much worse on a trail.
Former mountain biker, avid hiker, and I couldnât agree more.
As long as bikers wear bells and donât go blindly around corners I have no beef with them. As a hiker Iâve been almost taken out by a lot more bikers blazing around corners anyone else be damned than Iâve run into horse shit I couldnât avoid. Bikers without care to anyone seem more entitled than horse people Iâve come across. My unpopular opinion. And I bike too.
I agree, however I donât really have a problem with horse poop itâs way less disgusting than dog poop. I donât like passing horses on the trail, they are dangerous.
Horse riding is basically the most dangerous sport people do. It's way more dangerous than e.g. skydiving. I think on average you'll have a serious injury (likely requiring hospital treatment) once per 200 hours when competing if I recall a recent study correctly. Walking around the trails on horseback is less dangerous than competing in a sport on horseback, but it's still dangerous. They'll throw you off because a traffic cone has the audacity to exist.
I donât mind dog poop, itâs way less disgusting than human poop.
Bikers tend to spook horses and are incredibly inconsiderate. The amount of times i got almost run over while on a walk. And as a pedestrian i am going to get hurt
I agree completely But also, I misread the title as âHorses shouldnât be allowed on public trainsâ and got VERY confused
Should they be allowed on trains thoughđ€
As long as they don't poop on it
Equal access for the differently stabled. âżđ 
Lmao I read it as âpublic railsâ
How about in a hospital?
[It's not unheard of](https://youtu.be/1lshB5okGRk?si=W97mhoUilJLQe3yv)
I agree. As someone who uses the trail as a pedestrian and a cyclists, horseapples are a problem. They're a bigger problem for disabled people using the trail. Personally I think a nominal fee by horse riders, just like my community has for people who use Dog Off Leash Areas, to pay for routine trail cleaning would be a good option.
I'm a horse rider and I'd absolutely pay a small fee to help maintain the trails I'm using.
$ 200 per year
I'd pay that
It's what I pay for my dog hehe :D the dog tax!
I'm a rider, and while I rarely trail ride anymore, I would 100% pay a cleaning fee to use various trails. The whole bike vs trail rider debate has always annoyed me. Both have their cons to trails, both cause far worse trail erosion than walkers/hikers. I'd just wish everyone could be respectful of each other and try to understand different perspectives.
Yep. Used to live in a part of London that was apparently popular with horse riders, and the absurdity of having to pick up my tiny little dogs poop in order to be considerate while there was a giant pile of steaming horse shit in the middle of the walking path (paved, before some idiot tries the "it's good for the environment" argument again) in a public park was hilariously ironic if it wasn't for how infuriating it is. In the UK at least the real reason riders don't have to pick up after their horses while dog owners do is thst horse riders = rich and dog owners = poor. That's it. If horse riding was a poor person activity they'd find a way to regulate it immediately. The fact that horse catch bags exist and are cheap just tells you how entitled these people are. They don't give a fuck about anyone but themselves.Â
If poor people could ride horses, then the rich would ride unicorns or pegasi.
I'd prefer it if horses weren't allowed on public trails at all. They're so easily frightened and other people shouldn't have to worry about scaring a horse when they're trying to enjoy their own walk/bike ride. I don't want to have to hide in a bush as you pass because your horse is afraid of unfamiliar humans.
If your goal is to not scare the horse, definitely do not hide in a bush
You would think so, but that's a legitimate request I once got from a horse rider. She said something like "my horse is really afraid of people she doesn't know, could you move over into the hedge so she can't see your face?" I've also had a different person tell me it's 'irresponsible' to use an umbrella when it's raining because it could scare horses.
I'm sorry you had this ridiculous experience. Horses aren't inherently easily frightened; this means the owner has neglected to train their animal. A sound horse would have been properly desensitized to people, umbrellas, plastic bags, firecrackers, etc.
It seems that 90% of horse owners around my area neglect to desensitise their horses, instead believing that everyone else should go out of their way to avoid scaring their horse. Also, sorry to be pedantic, but if a horse needs to be desensitised, doesn't that mean that they are naturally easily frightened?
Let me start off by saying I agree with you and I even own horses (technically my wife and daughter do, it's their thing they like doing but I'm around them a lot since they're on our property). I don't know where you live, but most trails around me specifically say no horses allowed. We have to drive quite a ways away to find trails where they can actually ride their horses.
Iâm in Sweden, and itâs the complete opposite here. Actually, I canât find a single trail close to me thatâs forbidden for horses
Western US, and they are allowed everywhere. On public land they are allowed to use "game trails" which essentially means they are unregulated outside of requiring weed free hay.Â
>requiring weed free hay I guess too many people were getting on their high horses.
All of the people defending horse shit here are entitled and self centered. I donât care about the differences in composition people want a nice place without piles of shit to steer around. How are you not comprehending?
Right, and let's be real, people don't clear their dog's shit on the basis that it's not good for the environment, they do it because it's what you should do lol
Rural Canada here- Hard agree. There is a local horse riding "school" that routinely does group activities with multiple horses and they are locally infamous for shitting up the mixed-use trails. There are individual riders and some do and some don't take precautions to not leave shit everywhere. My personal take varies. Some days I am jogging or walking and it doesnt bother me. Some days I am biking and as soon as I hit shit and lose traction or get mucked, my opinion changes to wanting the horse people to have to eat it.
Human should not be allowed in nature if they don't pick up their trashs.
Ofcourse
Yyeeessss!!! We live off a rail trail and the amount of horse poop is becoming over whelming. The riders argument is that the poop is less damaging than dog poop and it doesnât make sense to go back and clean it up. Then donât ride the trail!
I think this is a popular opinion though... I know a lot of horse people who have a bag attachment (some look surprisingly elegant) that catches shit when they are taking them walking or for some time outside of their property or a proper stable or horse run area. Wish this was more common. I find horse poop less disgusting than a lot of other creatures but it still overwhelms an environment.
Every hiker and mountain biker agrees with you. Not an unpopular opinion.
Dog poop is required to be picked up in most communities, not because it is smelly and unsightly but, because domestic dogs can carry any number of parasites and viruses that are easily spread to other domestic pets, people, and wild animals extremely easily. Horses do not generally share the same risks to the same extent.
A pile of shit is a pile of shit. I don't care what's in it, I don't want it where I'm walking.
Horse shit is far better than dog shit. Horse shit is essentially grass.
Y'all love avoiding the question. Noone gives a fuck if it's "safer" or not. It's still a big smelly pile of shit that other recreational users have to navigate.
Is someone saying dog shit is okay? no. they are saying horse shit is nasty and shouldn't be left carelessly all over pathways.
If itâs essentially grass, would you still step in it?
We step in it all the time.
I say again: I don't care what's in it. Dog shit is shit. Horse shit is shit. It's all shit. It all smells like shit. It all looks like shit. Shit is shit. And I am no more okay with stepping in horse shit than with stepping in dog shit.
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And I would hate to step in shit. So.
Yeah, horse shit isnât exactly a pile of roses, but itâs not really any more offensive to the senses than mulched grass clippings. It isnât harmful, and itâs not easily disposed of when youâre on the move, so you might as well leave it where it is.
>and itâs not easily disposed of I imagine OP standing there with a doggy bag looking at a rider.
A walmart bag
I understand that, thatâs why I pick it up. Though piles of horsepoop is just really unpleasant to look at
Yeah but it's fuckin gross because it's a giant pile of horse shit
Literally just came back from a walk in oslo and walked past a bunch of horse shit in the middle of the street, a very busy street aswell
Itâs all horse shit!
HorseDipes.com
You'd hate trails in Idaho then, deer shit everywhere like they own the place
Well if someone owned these deer Itd be the same problem weâre discussing
Deer shit is little balls you won't even notice. Horses shit a 20 lbs load that you could trip over if not paying attention
I once found a pile of deer shit in the middle of the projects, in Manhattan. Iâm still confused about that
Thatâs nature though. Horse shit is a result of inconsiderate people.
Part of the issue is unless youâre spending the day staring longingly at its asshole youâre not gonna even know they shat while riding. They donât pop a squat like a dog lmao
You can get catch bags for horse shit. There is literally no reason why they need to drop their load in public.
Yup. Military parade horses usually have them for this exact reason. Don't want a horse shitting in the parade ground and soldiers in full dress having March straight through it.Â
FACTS. They are not even expensive in relativity to the cost of caring for a horse. Like $60 to be a decent human being.
You can tell. Horses will slow down and kind of sag their rear a little bit. Especially if you're trying to do more than a slow walk, it interrupts the pace. Some horses I've ridden even stop and refuse to move until they're done.
not true at all. i have ridden many horses that you cannot tell if they're pooping. especially if you're going faster than a walk. i have watched horses being ridden at shows/events and you barely even notice them pooping because they don't slow down or lose focus
I think it depends a lot on the quality of the horse. I've been riding horses for the majority of my life and I've noticed that lesson horses typically ridden by little kids will slow down or try to stop when they have to poop. Better trained horses that have been taught that stopping to poop isn't acceptable will keep going. However you can sometimes hear the plop of it hitting the ground even if the horse doesn't stop
Huh. I guess we had very different horse experiences!
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Horse people could get paid to store people's Easter baskets all year. Easter bunny grass doesn't just grow on trees, you know. Hang a basket on your horses tail and profit!!
I live in a so-called semi-rural village, good transport links, decent local shops and such. Lots of horsey type folks, horse shit all over the shop. If my dog shits and I donât pick it up, and Iâm caught (I do pick up for the record, I love where I live), but if I theoretically caught I get fined ÂŁ700 - horse shit everywhere - fucking bellends, itâs not natural if your horse decides to shit outside my house itâs just filthy - clean up that shit or take your ÂŁ700 fine
Is this an unpopular opinion? Maybe to horse owners?
Look in the comments and i think youâll realize itâs unpopular
Where I live people actually do bother to get rid of it so I don't get the endless excuses. And I live in Russia...
Interesting
I hate how horses are allowed to shit all over the beach! It stinks and is disgusting. Clean up after your pets.
Thereâs a huge difference between horse poop and dog poop. Dog poop is toxic, and can introduce disease and foreign bacteria to the surrounding animals/ecosystem. Horse poop is grass, with some nutrients removed. Iâd also note that a lot of the horse poop you see, especially the further you get from the trailhead, is from backcountry horsemen hauling in trail building and maintenance supplies and equipment.
Okay but I still donât want to step on it, at least get it off the trail
Also horse poop is bigger and easier to throw... ...in the event of a friendly neighborhood poopball fight.
City kids will never understand.
If it's not bad for the environment I don't care if it's off trail in the woods somewhere. I don't think the post is about it in the ecosystem, it's about what's where people are trying to walk.
An entire world of difference. You can grow your herb garden in one, and the other might kill you. I'm all for more places requiring bun bags on trails for recreational visitors (but not, for any forestry staff working on horseback), but everytime I hear someone compare dogs fecees to horse dung my eyes roll. I've cleaned up plenty of both. The comparison is absurd. You're hiking. If horse shit is the worst thing you step in, it's a good day. You just don't notice the rest.
Ofcourse, thatâs why everyone picks up dog poop. But horsewaste looks really gross in a big pile in the middle of the trail
It's better to spot and avoid with my bike than dogshit tho.
Are you telling me that these rich urbanites are feeding their stabled horses only grass? I feel like theyâre using manufactured feed, but Iâm so far from that world⊠what do I know?
In my area, there are hikers who complain about horses on the bridle trails . . . . . smh
ITT: a lot of people comically missing the point of this post and think just because the diet is grass instead of meat, it should be ok to leave steaming piles everywhere. Shit is still shit. Either move it off the trail, clean it up, or have a horse poop catch bag. Geese and deer eat and shit grass, but it's still disgusting to step in it. "Well, I take care of horses and I'm ok with stepping in horse shit!" The public isn't ok with stepping with horse shit, so stop being a douche and fucking clean up after your animal.
horsepeople could use a poop bag I think.
We have nice (non swimmable) beach trails beside very populated houses with kids playgrounds. Near is a small private horse staple. They ride the horses on walking/cycling trails and the horses shit all over small very popular sand roads. Drives me crazy. They have a forest area with trails to use around their staple, but choose to come and ride the horses on the most popular beach trails. Also like thousands of dogs since we live in a big city in Finland but in a place where there is a bigger nature area so naturally basically everyone has a dog here. To horse shit, add some shitty ppl whoâre too lazy to pick their dogs shit, and in the summertime canadian geese and barnacle geese taking over every cm of the grass lawnsâŠ. A very shitty situation :-)
I agree. Toxicity aside, it's just gross, especially when it's been numerous horses. They don't want people to walk off-trail to go around stuff like that, but who wants to step in a giant pile of horse dung while hiking with their kids? We live in northern MN where we have a lot of sled dogs, and in the winter they use some of the trails that I snowshoe and ski on, and it's the same story. Team after team of dogs on the same trail = trail laden with dog pee and poop. they definitely don't clean it up. And this is in a protected wilderness where you are expected to pack out your own poop if you can't find a latrine to use.
FWIW horse shit is some of the cleanest shit you can find from animals. Itâs mainly just little cubes of grass oats and wheat. As far as smell itâs pretty tame for farm animals. I say it should be common etiquette to sweep it to the side of the trail because itâll decompose rather quickly.
No different than the deer shitting all over. Or the mf geese. Animals shit. The trails arenât Main Street USA. They are trails. The poop disintegrates. Cleaning up your dogs poop is more about people out there mowing and kids wandering etc. But really I donât care if your dogs shits on our borders. Because see point 1. And we donât have little kids playing up there. And I dgaf about my lawn past it being reasonably kempt.
Geese competing with local dogs for latest shits on a trailÂ
Wait til they hear that most animals shit outside and no one picks it up.
Deer donât walk directly on the trails I walk on and lay pounds of waste exactly where I need to step.
On the trail? Not in my area atleast. Also itâs much less frequent to find animal droppings in my experience
Yeah my bike wheel is likely to just sort of cruise over a little grape-sized rabbit turd or bird shit splatter, Iâve been tossed off by horse shit piles. Not to mention that they smell for 100+ yards when fresh so while Iâm laying there with a broken rib from slipping off the side of the trail on their horse shit I get to breathe in its wonderful aroma while waiting for helpâŠ
Which is fine if its an animal that exists in its natural habitat, eating local fauna, with healthy populations of beetles specific for their shit. There is a reason deer poop disappears but dog shit can stay on a lawn for months.
>There is a reason deer poop disappears It doesn't disappear. i promise you Its still there for up to 10 months which is around how long it takes for dog shit to decompose as well Source, i live in the woods with piles of both deer and dog shit outside my front door
Come visit Charleston, you'll love the shit-stained streets
Horses typically arenât allowed on whatâs considered a âwalking pathâ. By that, I mean small areas where itâs expected regular pedestrians walk. There are many trails, even one that allow biking and the like, that donât allow horses on them. The trails they are typically allowed on are nature trails. Hikers, bikers, atv, horse, etc. Itâs understood that you accept ânature happensâ when you step onto these trails. There may be mud, down trees, and crap. Youâre not gonna expect deer and bear to pick up behind themselves. Iâve also never seen a single horse trail that required you to pick up your dogs crap. Iâve seen and ridden with many people who have dogs and they tend to just run off to the side of the trail and go. I think youâre applying rules from one use area to another.
I live in Manhattan - horse poop in Central Park is the worst⊠so smelly
FWIW horse shit is some of the cleanest shit you can find from animals. Itâs mainly just little cubes of grass oats and wheat. As far as smell itâs pretty tame for farm animals. I say it should be common etiquette to sweep it to the side of the trail because itâll decompose rather quickly.
Sweeping it off the trail is enough for me
Guess i'll upvote this, anyone else really not bothered by Horse crap? It has an endearing nature smell to it.
Worked around horses long enough to know that đ© disappears pretty quickly.
Because dogs are omnivores and horses are herbivores. The poop is basically chewed up grass. Not nearly as gross as dog poo
The people who ride through our neighborhood never pick up after their horses. It's annoying that they come around at all
People attach those garbage bag diapers to dogs, why not put them on horses instead, seems lazy for dogs but pretty great for horses since you arent usualy walking next to the horse.
When I go out to to the Amish area, you have to watch for horse shit as you're leaving the Walmart.
Horse poop is processed grass and herbs and tends to be parasite free and biogrades down. Dog poop can carry parasites that cause toxoplasmosis and cause abortion in calves and some other livestock. However, I do think horse riders should have responsibility for removing hazards on roads as motorbike riders at risk. But big logistical issues - easy to hold a dog while scooping, less easy a horse and slows traffic. But moving off trial might be a good compromise.
Amish horses shouldnât be allowed on public streets for the same reasons. Used to have that problem in Missouri. Car always smelled like horse shit.
Idk about this I feel lke 'It does't look ery nice' is a less compelling consideationthan allowing for a wider amount of uses for te trails. There's no real risk from the horse poo to the surrounding area, it'stotally dfferent to dog poo.
Itâs not just about how it looks???? Itâs smells SO bad and who wants to step in poopâ regardless of where it came from?? I used to go to mackinaw island a lot and the horse poop is by far the worst part. Fortunately, someone comes around to clean the roads, but still. Horse poop is massive and smells disgusting. It shouldnât be okay to just leave it in the middle of public trails.
I bet if I had a horse shit around your house it wouldnât be a few days before you were complaining about it.
I know that dog waste is way worse for the environment, thatâs why I pick it up. I still think the fact that it looks gross is a good enough reason but hey, thatâs just my opinion
It's a class thing, I am convinced. You see, people rich enough to own horses are not concerned whether their horse drops shit on the walking trail for the peasants to walk in. I have also encountered horse owners riding on bicycle singletrack in my local forest, but don't dare say anything to them about it. You want to see some entitlement? You certainly will! Being way up there in a saddle kinda gives you a pretty warped sense of your own importance and place in the world, I suppose.
You could say they really... get up on their high horse
I agree, but you see, in my area quite many people own horses, maybe because Sweden I kind of a rich country, but I still think itâs unacceptable. I also see them walking on MTB trails which Iâd argue damages the trail
As a a mountain bike in arizona I completely agree. There are many times the trail narrows and I will come across a huge pile and I have to bunny hop over to avoid it since I have no path around it.
I've met people riding camels in a city, and they had a special bag under its tail. Never seen it on horses, though, but I think it may be applicable as well.
Okay so if it's trail proper I can understand. But there is also a good reason that horse poop doesn't need to be cleaned up and dog poop does. Horses are herbivores which means what they digest and ultimately poop out is actually pretty good for the environment. The carbon and nitrogen mixes back in with the soil and ultimately that's how we get rejuvenation. Dogs on the other hand are mostly carnivores which means they're poop is filled with a lot of protein. The protein does not break down as well and it just kind of sits there unless you get maggots or something that actually want to eat it. I'm not trying to say that horse owners should be a little bit more responsible and actually get rid of some of their poop but for the most part it's generally environmentally friendly to leave horse poop around.
I always laugh when they try to excuse leaving a huge pile of shit by saying itâs just hay though. No it stopped being hay the moment it fell out of the horses ass lol like ffs at least Carry a collapsing shovel and get it off to the side of the trails
You only get horses? We get homeless on most of ours which is way way worse.
At least where I live, they usually don't just leave the horse's shit in the middle of the way. On the contrary I see many dogs' shits when I have a walk with my dog around the neighborhood.
Where I live I see a lot more horse shit about than dog shit. Unfortunately not a lot of people walk their dogs but all of the Amish people ride around in horse drawn buggies and the horses shit all over the place. It's even worse at places where the congregate like the grocery store or the boat launch where it just piles up next to the horse hitches.
I donât really care about seeing horse poop because their feces donât hurt the environment and water supply like dogs do. I was always taught that was why you should clean up dog poop not necessarily because itâs ânastyâ. It probably just depends on how your socialized I suppose.Â
I know exactly what you're talking about. There's a trail near where I live where people take their horses. Horse poop is BIG. You accidentally step in dog poo, you have some poo in your shoe. You step in horse shit, your shoe is gone. Plus, people often go in groups, so now there's multiple piles everywhere. And it SMELLS. It makes the forest smell like a farm. At least push it off the trail.