Why are horses allowed to poop on roads and the owner now have to clear it up?

[ik9000]

Too many people have dogs vs horses. And the size of the latter's poop means you can tend to see it whereas doggy do lurks on the wet pavement/in the park grass/amongst the pebbles on the beach and unless you're specifically looking for it...

Plus dog mess is frankly revolting, whereas horse muck is much more like compost and less, what's the word, squelchy? Horse muck doesn't seem to have the inate ability of dog cack to find its way into every groove, stitch and dimple on a shoe. I've had to throw one pair of shoes out after dog cack got into (above) the outsole. Could never get the smell out of those.

[sammyc]

I lol'd (sorry)

that brief second of hope, when you can still believe it might be mud, oh please let it be mud..

[DDY]

On my motorcycle, I've once had to slow slow for a copious trail horse poop around a bend, though that didn't slow the driver of a car behind me who ended up inches from my number plate.

Dangerous stuff.

[Ttaskmaster]

On my motorcycle, I've once had to slow slow for a copious trail horse poop around a bend

Only once?
You must live in the posh part of the country, where they have road cleaners!

[Ferral]

This comes down to horses originally being a viable mode of transport and why they are still allowed on roads today as they are apparently still classed as a mode of transport.

We own 2 horses and there's nothing you can really do about it if they do something on the road while hacking out. Carry a snow shovel and a few black bags?!

The horses are my wife's so don't start on me, this is what she apparently knows about it. We do agree on the whole horse and trap on a 60 road, even hacking out on main roads during rush hour. Do it during the day while people are out at work so you aren't holding up the traffic during rush hour.

[kalniel]

Do it during the day while the peasants are out at work so you aren't holding up the traffic during rush hour.

Corrected that for you

[DDY]

Only once?
You must live in the posh part of the country, where they have road cleaners!

I don't know if I'd call inner London posh

[ik9000]

I don't know if I'd call inner London posh

I used to live near Barons Court and there was horse poop on the roads there - and that is spitting distance of the A4!!

The thing I find worse is stale horse pee. That ammonia stench tears at your nostrils... I remember going round Vienna where the centre is horse and cart crazy (fleece the tourists) and it just reeks of ammonia. Horrid. Ditto over in Bow where they have the police stables.

[BlueScream]

Do you think one way of looking at it is a bit like answering the question of why fox hunts remained legal for so much longer than cock and dog fighting?

[ik9000]

Do you think one way of looking at it is a bit like answering the question of why fox hunts remained legal for so much longer than cock and dog fighting?

No, not really.

[deejayburnout]

Imagine the size of the scooper you would need to carry.......

Black bag springs to mind.

Fair point though. They should be fined.

Poo is poo no matter where it comes from.

[ik9000]

Black bag springs to mind.

Fair point though. They should be fined.

Poo is poo no matter where it comes from.

I disagree. stepping in horse muck is annoying but I can live with it. dog cack is horrid and given the relative prevalence of the two is quite rightly fined. as people have write rightly pointed out the relative sizes also mean it is somewhat unrealistic to expect horse riders to pick up after their steed.

the dog poo fines came about after public lobbying due to the persistent nuisance of dog mess on pavements and people getting fed up of it. even comedians of the time did routines about it (Dave Allen et Al) so common was the issue. if horse muck becomes as similarly widespread they will no doubt issue similar statutes and fines but the fact is it is not nearly so big an issue. Nor anywhere near as unpleasant.

[Knoxville]

This comes down to horses originally being a viable mode of transport and why they are still allowed on roads today as they are apparently still classed as a mode of transport.

We own 2 horses and there's nothing you can really do about it if they do something on the road while hacking out. Carry a snow shovel and a few black bags?!

The horses are my wife's so don't start on me, this is what she apparently knows about it. We do agree on the whole horse and trap on a 60 road, even hacking out on main roads during rush hour. Do it during the day while people are out at work so you aren't holding up the traffic during rush hour.

Not going to start with anyone chap, I suppose I should clarify for people that haven't been able to read between the lines as you clearly can. Those exact circumstances played out on a very busy road near somewhere I do a lot of work and the holier than thou manner with which the local riding community responded to it really rubbed me the wrong way. People can feel free to disagree with my opinion but there was nothing safe or considered about what that chap did. Not for himself, the horse or other road users.

I used to see a lot of horses and riders on my way to and from Worcester as well, most of them being ridden on fairly busy, national speed limit A roads. Nine times out of ten you could tell if the animal and rider were used to being on the road and I wish I could say the ratio of those that were to those that weren't was the same.

In fairness, a lot of drivers don't react properly when they're approaching a horse and rider which can and often does have a negative effect on the animal but that incident has left it's mark with me to be honest. I can totally understand the desire to go out for a ride and that to move the animals from place to place there may be no better option than to take a main road under some circumstances but there are so many bridleways and country lanes if all you want's a quiet ride in the country.

So, yeah... I don't care about running into a bit of horse muck now and again (to try and be even a little bit on topic) but it doesn't make sense to me that we keep learner drivers and mopeds off motorways for good reason yet riders on horseback are free to consider dual carriageways and national speed limit roads a playground.

[ik9000]

yet riders on horseback are free to consider dual carriageways and national speed limit roads a playground.

that is madness. They shouldn't be on anything like that!

[Dareos]

im incredibly impressed that Kopite managed to run offline, or even online for that matter

I can't say its much of an issue here, i am in a largish town but my house is near the edge. I'm approximately 200 yards from "the country" and horses are commonplace and the dog owners round here clean up after their pets. Theres the occasional clump of the heavy stuff from travelling horses, but thats all.

Always felt that groundstaff at football grounds get a harsh deal tho, especially when theres a large mounted police presence.

On a side note, I did once enjoy the sight of 3 people attempt to catch a shetland pony that had decided to go on a runner, causing a 2 mile tailback. the wee bugger was dodging in and out of cars as its owners were attempting to corner him.

edit : between cars, not in and out of them, but the image made me laugh so left it in.