Man, even the trails are getting...

[William]

... wiped out.


Spotted this on a local trail. You have to watch out for the horse poop...and now someone else's waste as well.

I've been hitting the trails more to minimize my time with inattentive drivers. It's been a mostly serene experience, but now I have to watch out for human feces littering the trail. There is a port-a-potti near this section of trail as well as restrooms by the park entrance about two hundred yards away. No reason to be doing it on the trails.

Some people suck.





W.

[mcteague]

It used to make me wonder back when I mountain biked. You are expected to clean up after your dog but horses leave TONS more waste and it is fine for the riders to just leave it. I'm not sure how practical it would be for them to pick it up but it sure would be more entertaining if the laws were applied to all.

Tim

[2LeftCleats]

My wife looks for interesting natural objects like driftwood, plants, etc. on our hikes. Twice in the last year she’s picked up rocks, only to find they’ve covered piles of human feces.

[Peter P.]

Originally Posted by mcteague

...but horses leave TONS more waste and it is fine for the riders to just leave it. I'm not sure how practical it would be for them to pick it up but it sure would be more entertaining if the laws were applied to all.

Tim

I'm sure equestrians could pack a shovel and toss the poop off-trail. But horse owners are more affluent and have better lawyers, so that puts them above the law, didn't you know that?

[merlinmurph]

Originally Posted by mcteague

It used to make me wonder back when I mountain biked. You are expected to clean up after your dog but horses leave TONS more waste and it is fine for the riders to just leave it. I'm not sure how practical it would be for them to pick it up but it sure would be more entertaining if the laws were applied to all.

Tim

I wondered that for years - until I found out that dog poop can be quite toxic, containing any number of pathogens. Really, just google it. When my dog is off-leash and poops in the woods, I'll make a good effort to pick it up.

I'm not asking equestrians to pick up the manure, but I sure wish they would shovel it off the trail.

[jamesdak]

Originally Posted by Peter P.

I'm sure equestrians could pack a shovel and toss the poop off-trail. But horse owners are more affluent and have better lawyers, so that puts them above the law, didn't you know that?

Dang..... I grew up on a horse farm. Never knew I was affluent, hell I sure felt pretty dang poor. Who knew....

[tomato coupe]

Originally Posted by mcteague

It used to make me wonder back when I mountain biked. You are expected to clean up after your dog but horses leave TONS more waste and it is fine for the riders to just leave it. I'm not sure how practical it would be for them to pick it up but it sure would be more entertaining if the laws were applied to all.

Horse manure is basically just liquid and grass. It has no known toxic effects on humans, so it doesn't pose the same health risk as human feces or dog feces.

[HenryA]

Hiked a very popular trail in the Smokies two weeks ago. Close to the trail head, maybe half mile in, same problem. Amazing.

[RobbieTunes]

Originally Posted by jamesdak

Dang..... I grew up on a horse farm. Never knew I was affluent, hell I sure felt pretty dang poor. Who knew....

We had a mule, you elitist!

[El Chaba]

#makewoodlandsanfrancisco

[glepore]

Originally Posted by tomato coupe

Horse manure is basically just liquid and grass. It has no known toxic effects on humans, so it doesn't pose the same health risk as human feces or dog feces.

This. And mounting/dismounting is a pain in the neck.
Have to chuckle because I have both horses and mountain bikes. I agree that horses can beat up wet trails. I also agree that mountain bikes can spook the crap outta most horses.

[oldpotatoe]

Make these free at all trail entrances...maybe?

https://thedyrt.com/magazine/gear/wa...camping-waste/

[Alistair]

Originally Posted by glepore

This. And mounting/dismounting is a pain in the neck.

Horse manure baskets are a thing, if you wanted to keep the poo off trails.

But, you're correct about the reason we don't mandate them. Once the piles dries, it's just old grass, and it decomposes pretty quickly.

[bigbill]

I ride mountain bikes, my wife is an equestrian who does trail rides. We head off in different directions. Our horse trailer has a fork mount.

As mentioned above, horse poop is harmless other than typically being in the middle of the trail. It is partially digested plant material, and it dries out quickly. People poop is nasty due to our diets. There are methods of doing it near trails, but most people are too lazy to dig a hole and bury it.

We were at Yellowstone for several days this summer. I was amazed at the dog poop left on trails. It's bear country; I'm not sure why people would hike with dogs. I live in the desert, and I see coyote scat all the time; they get a pass.

[OtayBW]

Originally Posted by Peter P.

I'm sure equestrians could pack a shovel and toss the poop off-trail. But horse owners are more affluent and have better lawyers, so that puts them above the law, didn't you know that?

I find that horse people are also the most demanding that cyclists slow down and give them room when passing. I do just that, or course, but I have always sensed this notion of entitlement from them. The horse poop thing makes a good point.