Why don't horse riders scoop the poop?

[Erichalfbee]

A white dog in poo...........I hope she doesn't partake too often.
My collie is always under the hosepipe. I wish there was a coin-in-the-slot dog wash...........so easy

 

[Ellem]

I wish there was a coin-in-the-slot dog wash...........so easy

There's one by me called Dirty Dogs. I didn't think they survive for long but they've been there a couple of years now, so obviously more people are willing to pay not to have the wet dog smell at home than I thought

 

[Erichalfbee]

Wet dog is OK.......... it's the other stuff ............................

 

[milkermel]

As someone who spends my working life with my arm up a cows backside I would beg to differ on this. Horses (and cows) consume vast amounts of fibre rich grass/hay/sileage.....ie vegetable matter and it's in the mouth and out the other end within a couple of hours. Dogs and cats on the other hand consume meat. Their excretea is far more unpleasant to deal with and as someone else pointed out can also contain harmful toxins/bacteria.

As a child, the entrance to my junior school ran alongside a getty, this ran along the backs of rows of terraced houses. The residents put their dogs out into the getty to do their business, the smell in the summer with the hot sun beating down made the getty not a nice place to walk. Horse (and cow) poo is relatively pleasant in comparison............well I know which I'd rather have my hand in

Frisbee

As my name suggests I also spend a lot of time at the wrong end of cows - if i had a choice of being covered in cow poo or dog poo i know which one I would opt for! I have had it happen on numerous occasions and it doesnt really worry me (in fact it can be quite funny on the right day!), hate it when one of my dogs is ill if i get just a bit on my arms!

Now what i do hate about horse riders is why they have to scream at me to slow down on a road that I pay to use and that I am traveling within the speed limit. sure that if their horses arent spooked by their riders screaming and waving their arms around at me then they will be fine with me passing in a gentle controled manor at 20mph!! Ps I do ride horses and motorbikes! If the horses are not steady on the road then they shouldnt use it!

 

[Luminos]

...and how do you suggest horses get used to traffic, if they aren't permitted to use roads?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

The problem never occurred years ago - it wouldn't be on the road five minutes before some keen gardener would scoop it up for the garden (in fact in a populated area there would be a mad scramble to get it) Fresh horse manure carries a lot of seeds but if you pop it in a hessian sack and put that in a barrel of water to soak (just top up the sack whenever you can) and you have a superb liquid manure - FREE!!

 

[Frisbee]

...and how do you suggest horses get used to traffic, if they aren't permitted to use roads?

I don't think you quite understand what the op was saying....apart from the fact that she is already a horse rider and therefore must use the roads. It's the attitude of some of the riders (not the horses) which leaves a lot to be desired. Of course horses have to get used to traffic, but their riders often seem to assume that because they are there you must treat them as if they are something rather special. I'm also a rider. I would prefer if drivers, rather than slow down excessively would just knock the accelerator off and cruise past giving a wide berth. Often on our local roads which are narrow, you get horses ridden two abreast. However hard I try as a car driver you cannot give them a wide berth as they are hogging more than half the road width, instead of one of them moving up so they are single breasted you just get a shirty look from them as if they have solo right to be there.

Frisbee

 

[greatbritishhoney]

Now what i do hate about horse riders is why they have to scream at me to slow down on a road that I pay to use

I would guess this is because pretty much every other motorist drives way too fast on country roads and the riders are sick of being treated like an incovenience.
It's a sad fact that road users of all types seem to have little respect for everyone else these days: the motorcyclists who do 80 in a 60 limit, tailgate cars and overtake on blind bends; the car drivers who don't bother to take their foot off the gas when passing dog walkers, people with pushchairs horses etc; the tractors that trundle along at 20mph with a queue of 20 cars behind then when they could easily pull over and let them past only; the horse riders that ride on inappropriate roads at inappropriate times; the cyclists that assume the rules of the road don't apply to them but have a fit if a motorist dares mention it; the pedestrians who see a car coming but step out into the road anyway. The list goes on and on.
A little bit of common sense and respect is all that's required.

 

[victor meldrew]

I don't think you quite understand what the op was saying....apart from the fact that she is already a horse rider and therefore must use the roads. It's the attitude of some of the riders (not the horses) which leaves a lot to be desired. Of course horses have to get used to traffic, but their riders often seem to assume that because they are there you must treat them as if they are something rather special. I'm also a rider. I would prefer if drivers, rather than slow down excessively would just knock the accelerator off and cruise past giving a wide berth. Often on our local roads which are narrow, you get horses ridden two abreast. However hard I try as a car driver you cannot give them a wide berth as they are hogging more than half the road width, instead of one of them moving up so they are single breasted you just get a shirty look from them as if they have solo right to be there.

Frisbee

Same thing with cycling clubs, they often ride two abreast in a column stretching back 50 ' or more and display a body language saying "Ha! we are here; tough"
Back to horses . too many young (Girls mainly) riders are allowed out on the roads without having proper control of their mounts , often on a skittish horse , not a safe combination IMHO.

Wigan is a highly urbanised area but where a bridlepath crosses the A577 ,there is a pelican crossing specifically for and sign posted for Horses/ cyclists !
Not all local authorities are anti horse .

John Wilkinson

 

[Brosville]

I'd agree totally about a lack of respect all round - we live in a "passing places" lane that used to be incredibly quiet (which always has had a liberal covering of horse manure), but nowadays, I suspect because of satnav, we have loads of "through traffic", much of which appears totally unable to reverse into a passing place immediately behind them, and will either try to force you into the ditch, or leaving you to reverse a hundred yards........ The grass verges are getting smashed to bits, and some of the worst offenders are teenage tractor drivers who'll cheerfully chew up a carefully-tended verge because they're too bally impatient to wait - the same ones who will refuse to pull over and allow traffic to pass them (who have all paid a fortune to be on the road........)
I don't "hang about", but view slowing down and giving a wide berth to riders as no hardship at all (as long as they acknowledge you've done so.......)
Bad manners even extend to bally bikeriders - the worst offenders being the "I belong to a bike club, my silly helmet confers immortality, so I'll ride close to the middle of the road, won't have/use a mirror, or EVER look over my shoulder, and will do my utmost to be a total pain in the ar*e to all other road users"
I'm looking forward to when fuel is so expensive as to be prohibitive, and it'll be pony and trap time! (and luxuriant roses all round)

 

[Luminos]

I don't think you quite understand what the op was saying....apart from the fact that she is already a horse rider and therefore must use the roads. It's the attitude of some of the riders (not the horses) which leaves a lot to be desired. Of course horses have to get used to traffic, but their riders often seem to assume that because they are there you must treat them as if they are something rather special. I'm also a rider. I would prefer if drivers, rather than slow down excessively would just knock the accelerator off and cruise past giving a wide berth. Often on our local roads which are narrow, you get horses ridden two abreast. However hard I try as a car driver you cannot give them a wide berth as they are hogging more than half the road width, instead of one of them moving up so they are single breasted you just get a shirty look from them as if they have solo right to be there.

Frisbee

No, I understood the OP perfectly.
It was the "If the horses are not steady on the road then they shouldnt use it!" part I was questioning.

I agree with Frisbee that it's preferable to pass wide and not too slow.

I am a motorist as well as a rider...and I know that some riders ARE bl**dy ignorant.

I have to say, I've yet to have anything but consideration and courtesy from motorcyclists, though, whether I'm horse riding or driving; they have a much faster mode of transport than me and I try my best to move over for them.
Simples.

 

[Frisbee]

No, I understood the OP perfectly.
It was the "If the horses are not steady on the road then they shouldnt use it!" part I was questioning.

There's a whole world of difference between a horse/pony which is young and in training for road work and a horse/pony which isn't suitable for road work by being too flighty/easily spooked etc. My last was fine in all traffic but big tractors with their accompanying trailers.....and these days they don't get smaller. I would ride him out on the roads but it was my responsibility to get him out of the way of such beasts, not the tractor drivers fault for being there.

I have to say, I've yet to have anything but consideration and courtesy from motorcyclists, though, whether I'm horse riding or driving; they have a much faster mode of transport than me and I try my best to move over for them.

Couldn't agree with you more.

Frisbee

 

[milkermel]

I realise that my wording may have come across a bit wrong last night, I was not meaning that it was my right to speed, sorry if i sounded arrogant.

Issue is that if the horse is skitish then riders could wear vest saying so but in the case of the few around us its more a case of they feel/anticipate an issue before it happens. The horses obviously arent skitish or nervous else the riders would have been thrown with their actions!

On a positive note though tonight on my back lane drive home there were two young girls out riding. They had obviously heard my van, taken their horses onto the edge of the road/verge and stood their horses at an angle so they could see me coming, Had a wave and a smile from both as I went by at a suitable speed. It was great to have two kids (who us older folk usually say dont have a clue) obviously know how to look after their horses well being and not be cantankerous screaming banchees. Hats off to them.

 

[taff..]

I'm looking forward to when fuel is so expensive as to be prohibitive, and it'll be pony and trap time! (and luxuriant roses all round)

there is a family that brings their kids to our village (infants) school by pony/trap, they seem to think that the yellow zip zags dont apply to them, and it's fine for their pony to crap outside the school gate while they are waiting for the kids at closing time, and leaving it there for the kids to walk through is perfectly fine


but to be fair, he is a horrible bloke and has wound me up to the point of wanting to knock his front teeth out more than once. mostly it's the way he talks to the other parents (mostly mums) at the gate is way out of order.


it's the same as people in every walk of life, some are nice, some are horrible, some are good ambasadors for their chosen pastime/hobby/whatever, some are complete dickeds

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

it's the same as people in every walk of life, some are nice, some are horrible, some are good ambasadors for their chosen pastime/hobby/whatever, some are complete dickeds[/QUOTE]


It seems that in all types of people that there are paragons and absolute nightmares. I was bought up with horses. when I was a lad there weren't that many horse 'users' in my area and when I walked our show horses drivers didn't seem to think we needed some consideration, so nowadays I do try hard when I'm driving -most people say thankyou and wave as we pass some are just damn ignorant.I asked the local rep of the British horse society about riders riding two abreast - she replied that this was their policy- meant to 'force' drivers to slow down even more - I explained it was unneccessary and caused bad feeling - they werent interested.
We have cyclists who think that giving one little 'ping' on their silly little bells means that pedestrians on our local footpath should dive out of their way and hurl abuse if you don't.Dog walkers who don't clear up after their mutts.rude and dangerous car drivers and inconsiderate or stupid pedestrians.
You also have thoroughly decent sorts in all groups
You just have to grin and bear it or try and sort it out, that's why I'm a councillor for what good it does