"Pick your droppings up from the road" Anyone else think xper

Fruitcake

Fruitcake

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Had strange encounter today when out for a ride. Horse did droppings on the road. When I was about 100 metres further up the road, a man started whistling and shouting at me. Turned around and he was waving his arms around, yelling, "Are you just going to leave this?" Not really sure what he wanted me to do. Surely people don't expect you to pick up horse droppings from a road!

ETA Not sure what happened with the title!
 
It seems to be an ever more common occurance which I guess is a symptom of our age in many ways. If it ever became a requirement I don't know how on earth we'd manage.
 
Fiona36 said:
Had strange encounter today when out for a ride. Horse did droppings on the road. When I was about 100 metres further up the road, a man started whistling and shouting at me. Turned around and he was waving his arms around, yelling, "Are you just going to leave this?" Not really sure what he wanted me to do. Surely people don't expect you to pick up horse droppings from a road!

ETA Not sure what happened with the title!
Click to expand...

Horse droppings is biodegradable , so I wouldn't worry
If it was dog muck then yes pick it up.
 
Was a time they'd have been fought over - less organic rose growing around these days.

I'd have gone with "Certainly, you're welcome to"
 
People are ridiculous!
When I lived in Portugal if your horse did a poo while hacking through the village it would be gone by the time you rode back through... The old folk practically fought about who would get to have it for their garden...!
 
I was riding around the very edge of a field (had permission) and my horse relieved himself. A dog walker said it was "disgusting". One of those killjoy, the world-owes-them-a-favour kind of people. The ones to like to complain about everything.

Dogs and people also use this field, she said. And they prefer to step in fox/badger/dog poo do they?

I could have been rude, but I smiled (teeth were well gritted though) and rode on, leaving my horse's "disgusting" trail exactly where it was.
 
Similar appeared on our local village FB group recently - it seems some people genuinely expect you to drive around your route later and collect them!
 
mytwofriends said:
I was riding around the very edge of a field (had permission) and my horse relieved himself. A dog walker said it was "disgusting". One of those killjoy, the world-owes-them-a-favour kind of people. The ones to like to complain about everything.

Dogs and people also use this field, she said. And they prefer to step in fox/badger/dog poo do they?

I could have been rude, but I smiled (teeth were well gritted though) and rode on, leaving my horse's "disgusting" trail exactly where it was.
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My dogs would thank you for leaving a tasty snack! Not so keen on the fox poo, they do need to be told to pick up after themselves.
 
There have been problems in a local small town with droppings on the pavement along a very busy road. Consensus was shouldn't be riding on the pavement anyway but at least get off and shove it into the gutter. Same thing on a bridle/walker/cycle path, what looked like elephant droppings right down the middle, again get off and move it sideways. It would be ridiculous to have to pick up or even push into gutter on a road, to have to stop, get off and faff about even in limited traffic would be an accident just waiting to happen. Horse poo usually just flattens as cars run over it anyway, well unless horsey does a grassy one then everyone gets a bit! :)
 
JillA said:
Similar appeared on our local village FB group recently - it seems some people genuinely expect you to drive around your route later and collect them!
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Actually, I do, if my horse does droppings in the village.
Horse muck is inoffensive to us, but some people find it gross
 
BHS Scotland produced this advice http://www.bhsscotland.org.uk/uploads/5/4/5/3/5453271/dung_guidance_leaflet_june_2010.pdf

They are concerned about horse manure on paths and tracks being used as a reason to stop horse riding access

If your horse dungs on a multi-use path, especially on a path used
by cyclists, wheelchairs or prams, it is courteous and responsible to:
• position your horse at the side of the path if you can before it
starts, or
• dismount and kick it to the side. Please only kick the dung
though, and not the path surface too.
As above for roads, it would be courteous to riding schools and livery
yards to do a regular “poo run” to clear dung from local paths.
 
Repeat after me, NOT A LEGAL REQUIREMENT SO AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN NOT A LEGAL REQUIREMENT SO AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN NOT A LEGAL REQUIREMENT SO AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN NOT A LEGAL REQUIREMENT SO AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN NOT A LEGAL REQUIREMENT SO AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN NOT A LEGAL REQUIREMENT SO AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN NOT A LEGAL REQUIREMENT SO AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN... just keep repeating until said person shuts up goes away or you are out of hearing distance from them, works for me.

Next time someone builds a housing estate right across your riding area, ask them if they are going to pick up their concrete and brick crap...
 
Jnhuk said:
BHS Scotland produced this advice http://www.bhsscotland.org.uk/uploads/5/4/5/3/5453271/dung_guidance_leaflet_june_2010.pdf

They are concerned about horse manure on paths and tracks being used as a reason to stop horse riding access

If your horse dungs on a multi-use path, especially on a path used
by cyclists, wheelchairs or prams, it is courteous and responsible to:
• position your horse at the side of the path if you can before it
starts, or
• dismount and kick it to the side. Please only kick the dung
though, and not the path surface too.
As above for roads, it would be courteous to riding schools and livery
yards to do a regular “poo run” to clear dung from local paths.
Click to expand...


Funny how authorities have no problem picking up everyone else's syringes with HIV and Hepatitis and crisp packets chewing gum lager cans bottles fly tipping etc etc etc etc etc etc, but all of a sudden we are a special case with a bit of minced up grass and hay, funny how they can build 300 houses next to me generating 600 vehicles filling my air and lungs with cancerous particulates and that's not a problem, repeat after me, WE ARE NOT SECOND CLASS CITIZENS WE ARE NOT SECOND CLASS CITIZENS WE ARE NOT SECOND CLASS CITIZENS WE ARE NOT SECOND CLASS CITIZENS WE ARE NOT SECOND CLASS CITIZENS WE ARE NOT SECOND CLASS CITIZENS WE ARE NOT SECOND CLASS CITIZENS
 
There is a local dog poo vigilante who sprays paint around dog pops left. He even does it to fox poo. I would love to meet him and ask him who he expects to pick the fix poo up.
 
I think a lot of non horsey people do. People at work have said that to me. Not sure if they would expect me to dismount on a road and then try and ride one handed carrying a big poo bag! Then if we filled dog poo bins with horse poo bet the dog owners would be complaining.

Luckily the horse I ride prefers longish grass so will normally position her bum in the verge to go.

I have gone back to retrieve poo when she went on the pavement. In the winter I go across the road to use a floodlit school. It's a short walk down a verge next to the pavement. On the way back she pooped but it went on the pavement so I trundled back after with the scoop to retrieve it!
 
Pedantic said:
Repeat after me, NOT A LEGAL REQUIREMENT SO AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN NOT A LEGAL REQUIREMENT SO AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN NOT A LEGAL REQUIREMENT SO AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN NOT A LEGAL REQUIREMENT SO AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN NOT A LEGAL REQUIREMENT SO AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN NOT A LEGAL REQUIREMENT SO AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN NOT A LEGAL REQUIREMENT SO AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN... just keep repeating until said person shuts up goes away or you are out of hearing distance from them, works for me.

Next time someone builds a housing estate right across your riding area, ask them if they are going to pick up their concrete and brick crap...
Click to expand...
I'm hoping that someone will collect the diesel etc fumes swirling around my house and my walking, cycling, riding routes
 
Having said I think the idea is ridiculous on roads on very small paved areas directly outside people's front doors (no front gardens) I have been on a yard that pick up later. Otherwise people with no need of manure would be stepping in it/wading through piles unnecessarily. Agree on multiuse paths (try finding a way to clean buggy wheels before carrying upstairs and bring them into a flat with no external water supply!). But roads and fields... Well...

PS I once had a ride who'd do the most amazing spooks at fly tipping. He could tell the difference between that and bin day - liked to laugh that he had better standards than the locals whilst I was being teleported!
 
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I think it's utterly ridiculous. I really want to do a video which explains why it's dangerous to try and pick it up.
We did used to have a sections of pavement to ride on and if a horse pooed on it, we'd go and get it after, since it was by permission, not a right and it was a 30sec walk from the yard!

Ned's are often so runny, that they're gone as soon as there's a light shower, or a car goes over it!
As Pedantic said, fly tipping and general litter is a lot more offensive to the eyes and dangerous that a bit of mushy grass!! Thankfully we don't get it a lot around here, but I have come across some very dangerous fly tipping.
 
Pedantic you obviously have your own axe to grind regarding your locality. Fly tipping is a big problem wherever you are and unacceptable but think some of the issue is sheer laziness coupled with the cost of waste charges. All the local authorities round here now charging businesses and not allowing van drivers etc... to use the local recycling/dumps.

And as you say horse poo is biodegradeable but think people being more aware of the issues with dog poo haven't helped us.

I have no problem kicking horse droppings to the side on to a grass verge if my horse does it in the middle of a shared path but tbh I am more likely to get my horse to step on to a grass verge on to the side when feel them going to poo. It is a small courtesy and now one of my boys does it automatically as he is so used to me asking him. Pooing on the roads I don't bother with as soon gets squished by traffic. However, I really get annoyed with other horse riders when they leave uncollected droppings in car parks for horse riding routes and show grounds when folks just don't clean up after themselves. No wonder horse people are viewed as stuck up and inconsiderate at times.
 
If on a multi use path or bit of pavement, I'll get off and kick it to the side. If your a wheelchair user or using a pram your going to end up dragging it into your home which isn't fair. That's how we horse riders get a bad name. On a road however it will degrade in a very short period of time and is completely harmless.
 
I don't ride on the roads, but do regularly ride in a public park. I go back and pick up any dung. "Normal" people don't regard horse poo in the same way as we do; it's not something they want their children falling into and I can sympathise (whilst at the same time thinking they are ridiculous, but there you are...).
 
I think the current very large horse (and human) population is probably a factor - when there were far fewer horses around no-one had a problem with the occasional dropping or three. This island of ours is desperately overcrowded now, even relatively ruyral areas where everyone wants to Escape to The Country
 
It's the townie / grumpies who will use this as an excuse to have a go at you. I believe what they really have a problem with is someone else being happy in public. They're bullies, and the poo is just an excuse.

However, one of my fields is down a little unlit lane which is the only access to the houses down there. The town clerk lives there and walks back from late night meetings, so I kick any poo to the side to save her from stepping in an unidentified squishy in the dark!
 
My neighbours used to rush out to pick it up to put on their garden, I also used to deliver bags of manure to them and they would give me produce from their garden in exchange. A friend of mine was riding a few weeks ago when her horse did a dropping on the road, a woman came out of her house to complain with the words that her children had to play on that road and therefore could she pick the disgusting, offensive poo up. Friend just rode on and ignored her but surely anyone who can allow their children to play on a busy road have a bigger problem than a bit of horse poo.
 
I've seen people have bother trying to pick up their chihuahua poo as it runs in circles attacking everything, I would think people would have more consideration for a beast 50 times the size.
 
We use a path alongside a busy a road to access off road hacking. Technically we shouldn't but the local police would much rather that we do this than cause mayhem on the already congested road. We tend to do a poo run if it starts to build up but try to keep the horses on the rather wide verge so it is not on the path for people walking/cycling/wheelchair users. The ridiculous thing is the residential area we are in are all big houses with beautiful gardens-you'd think people would be clambering to take of for their plants-which was always the case when I lived somewhere a tad more rural
 
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