I have been wondering on the local XC trails, do you guys have a problem with horses on the trails?? what about the waste left by these horses?? is it just me out here in my area or is this a local problem.
Horses.
- Thread starter SASQUATCH-J
- Start date
There were horses on the trails before mtn biking became popular - best to just live with it or move one. 
Holy crap dude, nothing is worse. We even had anti-horse poop league on this site for a while.
Argghh it pisses me off just to think about it! I can't count the number of times I have ridden through fresh piles of **** out at Hall Ranch and had the **** get all over me and my bike.
The horse users are by far the minority, yet they get all the concessions. Boulder open space actually has dog **** police to nab you if your dog leaves a nug anywhere, yet horses can leave these huge piles of **** in the middle of the trail and I guess its just OK!
Here in Bend the situation is a little better because we have many many miles of trails where horse are not allowed. But I was at a trail head a while ago and there were huge piles of horse **** right in the middle of the parking lot! The horse people don't seem to have any sense of responsiblity or courtesy.
A couple of weeks ago I was at the beach with my dog. I turn around and he's rolling in a huge pile of horse ****. I have to drag him into the ocean to clean him up, it was cold and I was wearing pants. Needless to say my day at the beach was pretty much ruined.
Until horse people learn to be a little more respectful of other users, I'm against them having access to public places like trails and the beach....
I don't really have a problem with them...when I see a horse, I ride up to a safe distance and dismount, putting my bike between me and the animal for safety and just walk past. Generally, the rider pulls the horse off the trail and tells me its cool to ride by that the horse is chill. Actaully raced a horse down through a meadow up in Ft. Collins...it was really fun...reminded me of the scene in American Flyers!
As for their waste...well, when it is fresh I avoid it...but once it dries some, I figure it is no biggie...considering it consists mostly of grasses and other plant matter.
I guess the one thing that does piss me off, is when horses are ridden right after a rain, so theyleave hoof prints inthe mud, the trail dries up and then you have concrete like stutter bumps in the trail.
As for their waste...well, when it is fresh I avoid it...but once it dries some, I figure it is no biggie...considering it consists mostly of grasses and other plant matter.
I guess the one thing that does piss me off, is when horses are ridden right after a rain, so theyleave hoof prints inthe mud, the trail dries up and then you have concrete like stutter bumps in the trail.
The Horse Lobby groups are well funded and have been established for years. You just can't fight them.
around here (norcal) they seem to be pretty nice but you run into a few who are stuck up bastards who think they own the trails. i think they should have to go around with baggies and pick up the horse sh!t just like people with dogs have to, then maybe they'll be a little more aware about where their animal is leaving 10 pound piles of stinky do-do.
yes, but the horses are helpless. :devil:
Horses aren't really a problem up here, it's the steamy piles from dogs and/or bears that we have to avoid. The dog sh!7 can be helped if the owners would respect the trails, but the bears tend not to listen when we complain!!
i see horse crap alot on the trails here, i just bunny hop over the piles. i also see weird crap piles with tons of little red seeds or berries in it
im not sure what kinda animal it comes from
im not sure what kinda animal it comes fromDrew that sh*t could be anything from bobcat, coyote, or even in some areas bear, just depends on what you have in the area and size. Unfortuantely you cannot arrest these animals for leaving behind feces on a trail. A shotgun might stop them from doing it though :devil:
The Ito
The Ito
We have tons of that around here. In our case, the bears are the cause of it. Just before their hibernation, they eat a lot of those fruits but they can't digest them...so they puke all over the place.Originally posted by Drew360
i see horse crap alot on the trails here, i just bunny hop over the piles. i also see weird crap piles with tons of little red seeds or berries in it
As far as I'm concerned, I'm the intruder so I can't complain...but riding in bear puke is not the best thing in the world.
yea i would suspect that it is coyote POO. there is a small chance that it is a mountain lion. i dont think we have bears around these trail though.
honestly though whatever they are they must use the local mountain trails as a nightime travel route or something because there is red speckled POO everywhere!
honestly though whatever they are they must use the local mountain trails as a nightime travel route or something because there is red speckled POO everywhere!
and horse sh1t
glass eating hippies could also leave that.
How ironic. My friends and I were just discussing this on Sundays ride. There were frickin' piles everywhere!
It would be nice if there was some ordinance stating that they have to scoop their horses crap just like dog owners do. However, gotta be realistic...could you imagine the size of the bag they would have to carry around? We're talking Glad, 50lb, triple-plys!
Anyway, not very likely to happen in my life time, so I just ride around 'em or as Drew360 suggests, just bunny hop over the steaming piles.
It would be nice if there was some ordinance stating that they have to scoop their horses crap just like dog owners do. However, gotta be realistic...could you imagine the size of the bag they would have to carry around? We're talking Glad, 50lb, triple-plys!
Anyway, not very likely to happen in my life time, so I just ride around 'em or as Drew360 suggests, just bunny hop over the steaming piles.
i usually manual through them and let it splatter up my back or roll around in it for fun. the most fun thing to do how ever is stop with your rear tire in it. lock up the front brake and start pedaling really hard like a burnout and sling the stinky doo on the slow guy behind you.
But fecal matter from native animals is not loaded with foreign bacteria and parasites like horse crap is. That's not good to leave behind in huge freaking piles.Originally posted by ito
Drew that sh*t could be anything from bobcat, coyote, or even in some areas bear, just depends on what you have in the area and size. Unfortuantely you cannot arrest these animals for leaving behind feces on a trail. A shotgun might stop them from doing it though :devil:
The Ito
As a fly fisherman I am particularly annoyed, since whenever a horse crosses a stream they have to pause and crap in it. I have seen it happen just a few yards from where I am casting. The bacteria and parasites their turds are loaded with aren't good for the streams or the trout in them.
Riding through piles isn't much fun either. In terms of trail damage, one horse will do to a trail what 10 bikes couldn't if they tried.
If it's in a national park or forest, I don't care if it's dog, horse or human: crap should not be left behind. Why shouldn't horses have to wear the crap collection bags like they do in cities?
Yeah, horses suck. hey tom, whats up with the whole kill scott thing? did he try to rape you???
i know ya cant do antyhing about the bears and the like crappin on the trail, but they like, live there, and its not like they crap all over the place.
I agree if you have to pick up after your dog, why not your horse as well!!
DAMN HORSES ALL THE HELL!!!
i know ya cant do antyhing about the bears and the like crappin on the trail, but they like, live there, and its not like they crap all over the place.
I agree if you have to pick up after your dog, why not your horse as well!!
DAMN HORSES ALL THE HELL!!!
One I rode through a large puddle that seemed to be freshly made. I thought that some biker had emptied out their water bottle or camelback on the trail. 20 seconds later I ran into a group of horses. It was a large puddle or horse piss I had ridden through.:angry: 
That, is most definatly sick!!!
i feel your pain, i nearly broke my collerbone becuase of a log laid across the trail around a corner for the horses to jump over.
they suck!!!
-J
i feel your pain, i nearly broke my collerbone becuase of a log laid across the trail around a corner for the horses to jump over.
they suck!!!
-J
There are lots of horses on one of my regular trails. Mostly they come out in the afternoon, so if you go early you get crap free trails. Also, they tend to stay on the tamer parts of the trails. On the big uphills/downhills and the narrow winding more techincal parts I never see anyone.
The big steamin' piles are pretty bad sometimes. And the occasional horse that is spooked by even a stationary biker is really uncool. I stopped for one last week and as the rider passed, I went for my water bottle and the horse nearly freaked out. Now I sit pretty much motionless if a horse comes by. IMO if the horse can't handle being around bikers/hikers/dogs it SHOULD NOT be on a public trail.
The big steamin' piles are pretty bad sometimes. And the occasional horse that is spooked by even a stationary biker is really uncool. I stopped for one last week and as the rider passed, I went for my water bottle and the horse nearly freaked out. Now I sit pretty much motionless if a horse comes by. IMO if the horse can't handle being around bikers/hikers/dogs it SHOULD NOT be on a public trail.
I like horses. They are a little tough, so they are best slow cooked in a stew or a roast. They go best with red wine.
i agree. the horse people always yell at me, even when im being polite, that i am going to spook thier horse. the trail rules for bikes say "Control your bike" but do horse owners really ever have control of thier horses?
-J
this is what needs to happen to horses:
Geez, I'm glad I wasn't riding shotgun in that car.
The other thing that horse riders do that bugs me is that they will stop in the middle of the trail. For what? Admiring the scenery?? They block the trail and then don't want me riding by and spooking their horses. I think they should stick to the wider trails and roads and leave the single track areas to bikers/hikers.
That's just my opinion, I could be wrong.
The other thing that horse riders do that bugs me is that they will stop in the middle of the trail. For what? Admiring the scenery?? They block the trail and then don't want me riding by and spooking their horses. I think they should stick to the wider trails and roads and leave the single track areas to bikers/hikers.
That's just my opinion, I could be wrong.
That is the funniest thing ive ever seen, it would suck to be in that car though. its workse best when they are hit with larger vehicles, like snowplows!!!
-J
-J
Now that was just brutally funny in a gallowsy-type way. :devil:
I guess the traffic cop must have flown completely over the car. That's what happens when you see "Man From Snowy River" and then think you can hurdle commuter cars like fences at a steeplechase!
Brutally funny, thats the way to be.
-J
-J
Horse people really bug me! The poop just bugs the heck out of me. I saw some people unloading thier trailer of poo at a parking lot right into the wildflowers, that has to be illegal, but my hubby rolled up the windows fast and drove away because he did not want to be embarrassed by my irrate yelling. One time I was running and came up behind horses, the lady turned and looked at me then continued to ride, for a mile I was behind a stinking horse until I ran all the way off the trail and around the stinky beast. Another time the rider was actually nice enough to stop her horse (in the middle of the trail, but at least she stopped) and said to go around. I had to go on the lower side of the horse which frightened me anyway. As I passed he reached our and bite at my shoulder, you know how horses do that not a real bite , but it scared me so bad I yelped. Well the lady had the gall to yell at me that I was spooking the horse. Now I grab a stick before I pass, I tell the person they better have control of thier horse. I will hit the horse if it comes anywhere near me. I am so scared of them. You asked for this rant. I hate horses and poo!:devil:
MMcG, MBC and I had a nice 10 mile XC ride today. Lots of horses on the trails for some odd reason (more than usual). All of the riders were very friendly to us. One horse got close enough to me to sniff my face. I pet his head, then the horse started to gnaw on MMcG's handlebar. 
It was cute.
It was cute.
LIES!Originally posted by I Are Baboon
MMcG, MBC and I had a nice 10 mile XC ride today. Lots of horses on the trails for some odd reason (more than usual). All of the riders were very friendly to us. One horse got close enough to me to sniff my face. I pet his head, then the horse started to gnaw on MMcG's handlebar.
Seriously, other than the Volkswagon sized pile of sh*t the horses leave behind, the equestrians I've encountered in these parts have been friendly. Now the assholes on motorcycles that were out today, that's another story.Originally posted by Ridemonkey
LIES!
Well the **** is the primary problem. If I pooped on your front lawn, but said howdy and have a nice day, would you still call me friendly?Originally posted by I Are Baboon
Seriously, other than the Volkswagon sized pile of sh*t the horses leave behind, the equestrians I've encountered in these parts have been friendly. Now the assholes on motorcycles that were out today, that's another story.
What do private farms and local public single track have in common?
I don't think it's so much that horses sh!t on the trails that bothers me... it's that they sh!t on the trails, and then say it's bikes that are ruining the trails. 
Most of the time I can handle assholes, but it's two-faced and self-contradicting assholes that really get me pissed.
Most of the time I can handle assholes, but it's two-faced and self-contradicting assholes that really get me pissed.
I don't mind the horses...
Don't even get me started on some of the people who ride them though...
Don't even get me started on some of the people who ride them though...
It depends on whether or not you provided crackers with the poop.
You mean aside from the fact that they've both got horse **** on them?
Seriously, I don't get it. Yeah, its gross when **** gets splattered in your face, but it happens so rarely that it just seems blown way out of proportion here. If you're gonna hate horses, hate them for how they tear up the trail.
Then again, silage is one of my favorite smells. Reminds me of spring....