Horse manure on public footpaths a nuisance

The person saying they used to ride and would carry a small shovel is such a liar.. a shovel over rubber gloves... how did she carry a bag... honestly get a grip its frigin grass. Hardly going to kill you. I'm a women who doesn't have kids and I gotta put up with some really nasty smelly horrible brats who get in my way but I don't moan about it. It's called having to put up with other people's shit.. its life !

I'm in a wheelchair and came across horse manure on a footpath that I use, I had to go back as I couldn't get round it !!! The horses are not even supposed to be there because there are signs saying no horse. I used to ride and always carried a small shovel just in case. These days they don't seem to care

Comments here oinly reinforce many peoples perceptopn of the conceited arrogance and ignorance of those ego centric horse riders, FACT riding horse, bycicles, powered vehicles of any kind on a public footpath IS illegal.

Horse manure can pass several serious deseases to humans including salmonella, ringworm and many others that can be particularly dangerous to vulnerable adults ot children

In my opinion riding horses should be subject to the Highways act that other road user are subject to such as registration, insurance, and licensed.

Pleased to find this forum to join in the debate on horse ****
I don't suppose I used to notice it so much until 3 years ago as up til then I was a cyclist and walker and mainly cycled on roads and occasionally trailways and country parks and my walks extended to beaches.
Since 3 years ago when I be and a cockerpoo owner keen to access all of our vast choice of walking places suitable for my now 2 cockerpoos, it us a daily debate on where will be the least stressful place to " enjoy " our exercise together ?!
The beach is pretty much the most enjoyable as we rarely encounter those delicious things our furry friends like to eat or roll in.. there is no fox or deer poo on the beach , no horse **** , (no cyclists to negotiate either)
I am told that in Weston Siper Mare fir example that horses are permitted on the beach but have to ride along the tide line so that their **** gets washed into the sea!?
However that would be pretty unpleasant for the swimmers to share !

I don't want to walk my dogs at the beach everyday, I live near to a trailway which is well maintained by Dorset Councils , but the newest upgrade has seen a sign go up which allows all users qual access without any priority to any of them.
It also has no guidance on being considerate to each other ( as we all traverse it at different speeds ) so it is just a free for all .
Managed in the best part by people who think they have the right to do whatever they think the rules are , because there are none!
So each time I go to these places and get incensed by cyclists who don't slow down or ring their bell when approaching any other user, or go wild like a mad woman when my two dogs hungrily devour fresh horse **** , I think what can we do about this ?!
There must be some way when the population in general and the population of dogs and cyclists wanting to enjoy these outdoor pursuits , that we can make it more "user friendly " to coin a modern phrase !
Can we start a campaign to return to a time when Bridleways were for horses, footpaths were for pedestrians, and other parks, woodlands , and country parks were for the pleasure of people, dogs permitted at the discretion of the park owners .
And cyclists and cars on the roads or properly managed along promenades.

Where it is just a free for all , uncontrolled and vague directions , it will always be fraught with conflict .
I know I am getting older and less accepting that rules aren't firstly in place , but also understand that many take no notice of rules these days, because there is no way of "policing " our vast network of space with public access .

Surely it would be improved if there were basic rules or guidance ?

It's a beautiful frosty morning , best I get out and see what our day brings !
Good morning to you all !

We have the same peoblem in my village. We had a nice new footpath laid at the beginning of there years, replacing what was essentially not muxch more than a dirt track. Almost immediately horesriders started using it, leaving it littered with horse faeces. Horses hacking along the footpath also pose a considerable danger to pedestrians, especially children and the elderly, who have to jump out of the way to avoid being trampled. One day, a pedestrian is going to be seriously injured or killed by these anti-social yobettes. Attempting to speak to the riders is just met with a torrent of abuse - "We don't have to clear up so you can f*** off!"

Interesting, but the facts are: As the road is manic that is probably why the rider was on the pavement. In fact in law neither bikes nor horses should be although there is a law from 1835 which says horses can use a footpath in some situations.
By law horse riders do not have to clear up behind their horse.
Maybe children if the stand in it after being told not to, should be made to "suffer the consequences of their own actions" either go round smelly all day, then have to clean their own shoes. Huge teaching possibilities.

I totally agree with you, and by the way, horse riding on the footpath is illegal.
In the Main, they ride them for pleasure, not as a necessary form of transport, so why should the public have to tolerate the mess the horses make, I live in village where there are 3 women who ride their horses and show no consideration for anyone else who live there, it took the parish council four "No riding on the footpath " notices to stop them, as they simply tore them down, screwed them up and threw them in the street, Every week I and other residents have to shovel great loads of horse mature off the Main Street before cars and kids go through it and spread it all over the place.

We had a horse riding mother at the local primary school refusing to clear up the mess right outside the school gate. She said it wasn't illegal and didn't have to clear it up therefore she wouldn't.
You can imagine the other parents comments and how she was treated after this incident. The next day the headmaster cleared it up as he didn't want it trod all through the school. He did however make his point by clearing it up into a wheelie bin 3 metres away whilst the parents were dropping off their kids(excuse the pun)

Rule 52 of the Highway Code states that horses MUST NOT walk on footpaths or pavements : this is not 'advisory'. By definition "MUST NOT" in the Highway Code means it is a criminal offence. It is becoming increasingly dangerous to ride horses on roads in the UK, which is why I stopped. Apart from the risk to rider /horse there is the risk of litigation with regard to injury to motorists/ pedestrians. As a rider, you must be aware that your horse has the potential to spook or shy, therefore, should your horse end up in the road you may have to prove that you did not know that your horse had the potential to do this......get where I'm going? As a lifelong horsewoman I'm appalled at the arrogant little 'Lucindas' riding insane horses on public roads. And this also goes for 'manure' on roads. BHS states that riders should clean up 'on driveways and public areas' , but neglects to add that allowing a horse to be on a pavement or footpath, let alone defaecate on it, s a criminal offence. End of. It's no excuse that it's 'a dangerous bend' etc, you knew that before you deliberately took your horse on it.

well by law thay are not allowed on footpaths or walkways

Well I thought it was only me having a moan about horse dropping I have the same problem outside my home it's all up my car as cars have gone thru it it's spread like sludge also on the public path it doesn't matter if it's not a danger to public health like dog dirt it's not right when a human as to step on the road to avoid standing in in it and walking you pooch thru it when it's allover the pathway it's driving me mad especially when we have to clean are dog dirt 💩 up or £1000 fine well I think ther should be an inforcement to horse riders aswell

I totally agree. Have just tried to walk down a pedestrian lane, tarmaced and only some 4 ft wide, to find horse manure covered in the usual flies, making my dog walk a joke really. Because there are numerous notices to dog owners to pick up the mess and a bin to leave it in - and then dog owners are fined if found not doing their public duty. So why are horse owners allowed to get away with it? This footpath is an access to a popular beach and so kiddies run down there - is horse manure not equally a health hazard to children?

Yes I totally agree with you, why shouldn't horse riders get their foul up! on our daily dog walk there's always piles of horse foul on the pavements and its disgusting! rules for some & rules for others! i always take plenty of bags with me. but, if i didn't clean up after my dog i would most certainly get fined!

vc, I don't know about horses dumping on beaches; but the Apostrophe Demon appears to have dumped a load on your post.

what about horse's fouling on beache's then