Question about horses on the trails...

[Seat Sniffer]

Where I'm originally from, It is rare to see horses on public trails for safety and sanitary reasons. I was prompted to think about this after I saw something at Daley Ranch that I personally found to be in very poor taste and inconsiderate of others. A couple horsey people pulled into the parking lot and decided to clean fresh poop out of their horses hooves and just leave it there in the middle of the parking lot for all to appreciate.

I have these questions about horse trail use in CA:

1)What rules, if any, do the horsey people have to follow for public trail use? Does it vary from place to place?

2)Are there any rules against leaving your horsey poop on public trails or in parking lots?

3) If a child is trampeled by an out of control horse on a public trail, what measures are taken with the horse? Does it get put down like a dog would for hurting someone?

Thanks.

[andy aka rut]

Interesting questions.
Horse poop.... I don't think the owners think their poop stinks.... no matter where they leave it.
But it really is a bummer if they clean out the hooves in the parking lot and leave the remains behind. I consider that sorta like leaving your trash behind.

I would think public trail use would be a general rule. Kinda like how the rules apply to mountain bikers and hikers. Just follow the rules on the signs.

Unfortunately, horse poop doesn't need to be cleaned up... for whatever reason.

A horse trampling a person... lets just hope that never happens.

[JOx2]

horse poop is environmentally friendly, the reason there's no rule about them horse $h!7.

[Seat Sniffer]

Thanks for the replies guys. Just wanted to get the facts straight. Although, I think the poop would do more good off the trail rather than right in the middle of it. Especially in fire damaged areas.

[BrewMaster]

We live right across from CHSP and have occasionally seen equestrians clean out their trailers on the street in front of our house, leaving sawdust and horse shit right on the street. I confronted one couple about this and they played clueless as if it was the normal thing to do. I let them know that I didn't appreciate their mess on my street.

Next time it happens I am calling the cops because that is down right inappropriate. These folks don't even live in our city, but feel it is ok to dump on our public streets because they are too cheap to pay the $10 fee to park in the CHSP equestrian center.

[Koke]

Originally Posted by JOx2

horse poop is environmentally friendly, the reason there's no rule about them horse $h!7.

Horse poop may make good fertilizer but it can make humans very sick. I think there should be a rule/law to make horse owners clean up after their horse because if you ride over it and it gets into your mouth or water bottle you are at risk for Giardia (it knocked Tommy Danielson out all summer in 2007) "Giardia, a microscopic protozoan parasite which infected his gastrointestinal system that Danielson suspects he picked up riding on manure-laden roads this spring in Spain's Catalunya."

"Giardia -- Giardiasis is a parasitic intestinal disease that is the most common disease of its kind to infect people in North America. It is unclear if Giardia intestinalis plays a role in gastrointestinal disease in horses, but horses do shed Giardia cysts in their feces, posing a potential theoretical threat of infection to humans. Giardiasis commonly causes transient diarrhea in humans, and the most likely route of transmission from horses to humans is via the fecal-oral route."

[jcampbell]

Originally Posted by Koke

Horse poop may make good fertilizer but it can make humans very sick. I think there should be a rule/law to make horse owners clean up after their horse because if you ride over it and it gets into your mouth or water bottle you are at risk for Giardia (it knocked Tommy Danielson out all summer in 2007) "Giardia, a microscopic protozoan parasite which infected his gastrointestinal system that Danielson suspects he picked up riding on manure-laden roads this spring in Spain's Catalunya."

"Giardia -- Giardiasis is a parasitic intestinal disease that is the most common disease of its kind to infect people in North America. It is unclear if Giardia intestinalis plays a role in gastrointestinal disease in horses, but horses do shed Giardia cysts in their feces, posing a potential theoretical threat of infection to humans. Giardiasis commonly causes transient diarrhea in humans, and the most likely route of transmission from horses to humans is via the fecal-oral route."

Looks like he really ate... shit?

[COLEKO]

Originally Posted by Koke

Horse poop may make good fertilizer but it can make humans very sick. I think there should be a rule/law to make horse owners clean up after their horse because if you ride over it and it gets into your mouth or water bottle you are at risk for Giardia (it knocked Tommy Danielson out all summer in 2007) "Giardia, a microscopic protozoan parasite which infected his gastrointestinal system that Danielson suspects he picked up riding on manure-laden roads this spring in Spain's Catalunya."

"Giardia -- Giardiasis is a parasitic intestinal disease that is the most common disease of its kind to infect people in North America. It is unclear if Giardia intestinalis plays a role in gastrointestinal disease in horses, but horses do shed Giardia cysts in their feces, posing a potential theoretical threat of infection to humans. Giardiasis commonly causes transient diarrhea in humans, and the most likely route of transmission from horses to humans is via the fecal-oral route."

I might be wrong on this but I believe horse poop can only be good fertilizer when its turned into compost. The composting process creates heat which kill the bad stuff.

[jcampbell]

Originally Posted by COLEKO

I might be wrong on this but I believe horse poop can only be good fertilizer when its turned into compost. The composting process creates heat which kill the bad stuff.

Horses are grazers meaning no meat = Great fertilizer with less ability to carry disease. Meat eating animals are different.

[Red Hot Sloth]

I've always wondered why they weren't regulated to remove their poop as well. My big nit pick is when parks are removing non-native species of vegetation from the land, and allow horses to traverse their trails...they poop, well, when a horse digests its food, it doesn't sterilize, if thats the proper term. So in effect, it is releasing its seed laden poop all over the joint, introducing once again non native species. Just some food for thought.

[destroyer]

Originally Posted by BrewMaster

We live right across from CHSP and have occasionally seen equestrians clean out their trailers on the street in front of our house, leaving sawdust and horse shit right on the street. I confronted one couple about this and they played clueless as if it was the normal thing to do. I let them know that I didn't appreciate their mess on my street.

Next time it happens I am calling the cops because that is down right inappropriate. These folks don't even live in our city, but feel it is ok to dump on our public streets because they are too cheap to pay the $10 fee to park in the CHSP equestrian center.

I would just follow them back to there house on your bike and take a crap in front of their driveway on their street and see what they say.

[Seat Sniffer]

Has anyone ever met someone who said "I think its awesome when horses poop in the middle of the trails, it will make the trail better" ? Are we trying to get plantlife to grow in the middle of the trail? or "Thank goodness those equine enthusiasts left their horse's poop on the street/parking lot. It will have a positive ecological impact sitting there until it dries up" ?

According to status quo, if I go vegan for a month, have my dookie lab tested and deemed to be environmentally beneficial, then I can defecate on the trail all day and people will thank me for it.

[danlorek]

personally I would be totally bummed if the horses no longer pooped on the trail. i live right on one end of penesquitos and work on the other so i often ride there.

the thought of horse dung no longer spraying off of my front tire brings about great sadness. not even that, but there is nothing better then the sweet pungent aroma of steaming horse poo.

[Koke]

Horse poop is also polluting the ocean and creeks in Malibu making it unsafe to swim.

[DeeZee]

Originally Posted by Koke

Horse poop is also polluting the ocean and creeks in Malibu making it unsafe to swim.

Inferior form of transportation. Freaking glue factories.



just kidding


















kind of

[Cowgirl]

Why don't we question the coyote poop?

[DeeZee]

Originally Posted by Cowgirl

Why don't we question the coyote poop?

Can't say I ever saw someone riding a coyote

[danlorek]

Originally Posted by Cowgirl

Why don't we question the coyote poop?

i love poop. even when there is no obvious owner to direct questioning to... oh wait, maybe that's why?