This is kind of crappy...

[Gramps Fish]

Tessa and I walked a 4 mile trail in a county park. The trail was very wide, made of hard packed dirt. The county says it is to be shared by walkers, joggers, bicycle riders, and horseback riders.

Signs at the beginning of the trail clearly state that dogs must be leashed and pet owners must clean up after their pets.

About half a mile down the path, Tessa squatted, and a small plastic bag came out of my back pocket, got filled, and then dangled from my hand as we continued down the trail in search of a trash can.

We didn't find a trash can. Nope, not a single one throughout the remaining 3 and a half miles of our walk. We did, however, find over a dozen piles that make me think the trail is fairly popular with people riding horses.

This was my first experience walking a trail that is used by folks on horseback. I'm wondering if folks riding horses usually clean up after their equine companions, or if the "clean up after your pet" policy generally applies only to folks with dogs.

Anyone have any thoughts on what is expected of horseback riders? And do you think I should contact the park district and see if they'll put a "this means horses too" sign under the one that says "clean up after your pet?"

In any case, remind me to be real careful if I ever take Tessa for a walk on a path where folks ride elephants!

Rob

 

[Tankstar]

people ride horses throuhg or dog park 9who does that? morons surley) and dont clean up. it makes us SO mad. yes I know horse poop is large, hard to clean up. and carrying a mucking rake is probably akward to do. but it should be done in public. it is rude. I hate paths thathave no garbage cans.

 

[Lolas Dad]

A few miles from here we have a beach that is five miles long. There is not one garbage can on it and not even in the rest rooms. They have a carry it in carry it out policy that actually works quite well. The beach is on a peninsula and one side is the bay the other side is the ocean. Not one place has a garbage can and in between Labor Day weekend and Memorial Day weekend summer you can only walk your dog on the bay side not the ocean side where all the sand is. Which means your dog can go in the bay but not the ocean.

I was there the day after Labor Day and Lola had a lot of fun running on the beach on her 20' leash. She squatted, I picked it up in a bag and carried it out, put it in the back of the truck and disposed of it when I got home.

As for horses, have you seen any "road apples" on the trails you were walking on?. A few weeks ago I was in Lancaster for puppy mill awareness day and seen a lot of "road apples" in the middle of the road and sides of the road where they get washed into the storm drains. Hope the water does not flow to their water source. The Amish are not required to pick up the "road apples" so I highly doubt the people are on the trails.

 

[AGonzalez]

What I'd like to know is that how do you expect someone on horseback to carry a shovel safely...and then a trash bag for the waste. Or do you think they should pick it up with their bare hands?
Not all horses are going to be "ok" with carrying such things, plastic bags make an odd noise, etc. The risk of stepping in horse apples is lower if you are looking where you are going (which you should be out hiking and such because of snakes anyway), much harder to miss a huge pile of horse poo than it is dog poo.

The only places I've seen with interest in cleaning it up are things like city parades.
Bun-Bag - Horse manure catcher or diaper. Sagle, Idaho

One thing, I'd MUCH rather step in horse apples than dog crap. There's a big difference in a carnivore/omnivores fecal matter and herbivore.

 

[Tankstar]

What I'd like to know is that how do you expect someone on horseback to carry a shovel safely...and then a trash bag for the waste. Or do you think they should pick it up with their bare hands?
Not all horses are going to be "ok" with carrying such things, plastic bags make an odd noise, etc. The risk of stepping in horse apples is lower if you are looking where you are going (which you should be out hiking and such because of snakes anyway), much harder to miss a huge pile of horse poo than it is dog poo.

The only places I've seen with interest in cleaning it up are things like city parades.
Bun-Bag - Horse manure catcher or diaper. Sagle, Idaho

One thing, I'd MUCH rather step in horse apples than dog crap. There's a big difference in a carnivore/omnivores fecal matter and herbivore.

I understand it is hard to carry. they could put on those fabric bag things that catch horse poop. I cant stand it. I dont want my dog rolling in it, or eating it. One reason why i stopped bring him to the barn with me lol.

We dont have any deadly animals to be on watch forhere. So I dont watch eevry step I take. I just think it is rude not to clean it up on family hiking trails. I clean up my dog poop. even though after a day or 2 it will basicly be a white power going back in to the ground. its call courtsey. Espeacially when they ride through a freaking dog park, and leave that behind. we have almost had our park closed due to all the poop, and I would say 75% or more was horse poop, not even dog poop.

 

[AGonzalez]

I don't know, I don't ride on any "family" or hiking trails...that's the point of a horse, off-roading.

Still, there's no way in hell my horse would allow one of those contraptions on him to catch poop and carrying a shovel on a spooky horse would equal disaster.

 

[Tankstar]

These are off roading trails. there is many differnt ones some are step and dangerouse, while others are safer. my point is there should be a way to pick it all up. as its massive and nasty to leave around.

 

[Boemy]

I've never heard of people picking up after horses. I'm dubious that the sign referred to them. To me they are more "livestock" than "pet", if you know what I mean. Also, they can pretty much drop horse poop while continually walking . . . It might be hard to NOTICE every time they poop, let alone pick it up.

 

[Xandra]

Around here, one of the nicest places to take your dog offleash is Lynn Canyon Creek and it is also frequented by horses. I've never seen a problem.

I thought it was kinda weird that horses are never picked up after, I thought surely there would be enough complaints lol. I personally don't care and agree that herbivore doesn't even come close to carnivore crap. That said if I had a horse I would kick it off the trail, IF I noticed, which isn't always easy.

As far as a lack of garbage cans, I'll go out on a limb and say I just chuck it 50 ft + off the trail. No one will step in it, no one else's dog will eat it, and since I use biodegradable bags the whole thing is gone in short order.

 

[dobesgalore]

As a horse owner and trail rider myself, riders don't dismount to clean up after their horses, however there are horse "diapers" that can be attached to a crouper strap on the back of the horse to catch the piles. I have used them, but the horse needs to be worked with on it usually. If they arn't used to a crouper, it may bother them some and cause some hopping around, as with the diaper hanging behind them. I found that if a horse isn't used to that feel, there will be slightly more than hopping around. That was just my experiance with diapers. Carriage horses in cities usually have to wear them. I think that if horseback riders are going to ride in public places where people walk, ride bikes etc... They should be required to wear diapers.

 

[Gramps Fish]

This was my first experience walking on a path shared with horses, and I have no idea what the "proper" etiquette is for cleaning up "road apples."

After mulling it over, I'm beginning to feel that if a horse is on a path shared with walkers, joggers, and bicycle riders, it is awfully inconsiderate for the rider to leave a mess in the middle of the trail (yeah, just as inconsiderate as folks who don't clean up after their dogs).

So I think I will send a note to the park district, suggesting that, regardless of their policy concerning "road apples" left on trails designated for horses only, riders be encouraged to clean up after their horses on any trails where horses share the space with walkers, joggers and bicycle riders.

I don't know about other areas of the country, but I've been seeing more and more "No Dogs Allowed" signs in community parks and large green areas. I'm sure part of the reason for the increased restriction on dogs is the number of folks who don't clean up after their pets.

I very much like the idea of shared use of trails. Just as I'd hate to see a "No Dogs Allowed" sign on this particular trail because a sizable number of dog owners didn't clean up after their pets, I'd also hate to see horses banned from the trail because a bunch of people complained about "road apples" left in a shared usage area.

Have a GREAT day!

Rob

 

[kms1167]

The trails at our favorite park are frequented by horses as well and they really leave a ton of crap behind. It doesn't bother me so much but as the trails are primarily for runners i could see it getting pretty annoying. I wouldn't really expect people to get off their horses to clean it up and I like the fact that we can all share the same trail so I guess its just something to deal with.

 

[Romy]

Meh, to me it's just poop. The logistics of cleaning up after an animal you're riding on is pretty ridiculous, unless it will tolerate one of those diaper things.

Then again, elk, deer, and bear frequent parks and trails around here, and elk crap is somewhat comparable to horse crap.

We gave up on Charlie rolling in/eating poop. lol, he jumps in the ocean daily anyway, so we're resigned to having a dog that smells like a rancid mule no matter what we do.

 

[darkchild16]

I just taught all my dogs to leave it alone. I grew up on a cattle and horse farm and we rarely had any issues with it once we trained them.

It did take alot of work at first though.

 

[Dekka]

For those of you who haven't spent time riding horses... some horses its pretty hard to tell they they are 'going' Its not like they stop, you can be trotting or cantering along (its usually pretty easy to tell when they are walking) and just 'go'

As well what do you think people should do with it? Horses are dangerous enough creatures as it is, lets not try to make trail riders carry things, or make horses wear diapers. A little horse poop is a lot less hazardous than a spooking bolting panicking horse mowing down walkers and tossing its rider..

Dog poop is much nastier than horse poop. (and yes I pick up after my dogs.. but not my horses)

 

[Tankstar]

I just think its nasty to be riding down a trail on my bike an dhaving to go through "road mines" of horse crap. I dont enjoy it and yes I do think it is ignorent to leave it be if this is a trail used by mountain bikers, dog walks and families out for a stroll in the woods and then horse back riders.

I understand you dont always notice. I rode horses for years (though havnt been on one in years now lol) so I understand you dont always notice.

Even just flinging it in to the bush would be better. I dont care what kind of poop it is. espeacially here where the have threatened to close the dog park due to all the horse poop. so yes I find it rude. becuase I love the dog park, and so do many others. and to be closed down becuase other domestic animals are coming in is rude of them.

 

[darkchild16]

For those of you who haven't spent time riding horses... some horses its pretty hard to tell they they are 'going' Its not like they stop, you can be trotting or cantering along (its usually pretty easy to tell when they are walking) and just 'go'

As well what do you think people should do with it? Horses are dangerous enough creatures as it is, lets not try to make trail riders carry things, or make horses wear diapers. A little horse poop is a lot less hazardous than a spooking bolting panicking horse mowing down walkers and tossing its rider..

Dog poop is much nastier than horse poop. (and yes I pick up after my dogs.. but not my horses)

I had a horse like that no matter what I did he would flip at something like that and you couldnt tell when he was going anyway.

Ive never cleaned up after a horse besides the paddock and stalls.

 

[Fran101]

horseback riding on trails here is fairly common and what they do is when the horse poops, they get off the hose and use a rock or something to push it off to the side, some of them even kick it off to the side then just wash their boots off in a puddle...
its not picking it up, but atleast its not in the middle of the trail where people are walking... and its nice of them to be considerate

 

[Tankstar]

horseback riding on trails here is fairly common and what they do is when the horse poops, they get off the hose and use a rock or something to push it off to the side, some of them even kick it off to the side then just wash their boots off in a puddle...
its not picking it up, but atleast its not in the middle of the trail where people are walking... and its nice of them to be considerate

exactly. I would love if people atleast did this. Nothing like mountain biking and going down a steep hill, not seeing that lovley pile, only to spin righ tthrough it. nasty.

 

[Dekka]

Once again you would have to notice... hmm and just thinking, it would mean a lot less trial riders (at least the ones I know.. they can't get on and off horses like they could when they were young)

edited to add... its also very hard on a horse to be mounted from the ground without someone providing counter pressure on the opposite stirrup... particularly if the rider is heavy or has to struggle into the saddle. The way a saddle is designed when you put all your weight on the stirrup you are in pulling on the horse's spine (towards you). The gullet of the saddle straddles the spine, and the pressure is such that it works out to be very significant.

I have had some serious instructors over the years who would not let us mount from the ground (it is imperative to know how.. in case you need to in an emerg) It just isn't worth the chiro bills.

So having trail riders getting on and off their horses regularly is likely going to be detrimental to the horses, unless there are things to stand on handy.

Oh wait.. why not just say No to the horses.. that is the way things seem to go these days.