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Discussion on Trailhead Rant
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Member:
Cowgrl
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Posted on Tuesday, Apr 6, 2004 - 12:36 pm:
Hello,
I have a rant to air that is not aimed at anyone in particular, but to the trail riding public in general.
Trail riding is quickly gaining in popularity here in the US and probably Europe as well. With the increase, trailheads are getting a lot of usage. There is a huge tree farm close to my house that is a very popular place to ride on a weekend. My trail club put in a parking lot a few years ago and it is jammed most weekends when the sun is out. Here's the rant:
I am disgusted with people who leave their manure in the parking lot or sweep out their trailers into the lot before loading up to leave. Who do they think is going to clean up after them? Why do people do this? Not only is it unsightly but it's unhealthy. Who wants to park their rig, get out of their truck and step into a pile that the last person just left behind without a thought.
This parking lot is for multi-users so it is advertising that horse people are slobs and should be banned from the area. Places to ride are becoming more and more scarce and to treat a trailhead so shabbily is shameful. Being able to enjoy a park or national forest horseback is a privilege, not a right and should be viewed as such. With continued mismanagement, you'll find more and more areas are being closed to horses permanently. If you're an offender, next time you go trail riding, pick up the manure deposited by your horse and toss it back in the trailer and take it home. Educate others to do the same. Horsepeople need to raise the awareness of non-horsey people to show that we do care and are not slobs.
If we don't do something and start taking action, we'll find the only place to ride is the local arena or around the block.
For more information on Leave No Trace, visit
www.bchw.org.
End of rant. Holly
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Member:
Chrism
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Posted on Tuesday, Apr 6, 2004 - 5:24 pm:
Hey Holly,
In my neck of the woods, this seems to be the common practice at shows, trailheads, etc. Any place where folks trailer in for a day seems to be without muck buckets.
Maybe if you put up a sign asking folks to clean up after their horses at the trail head, it would help.
Otherwise, dopes like me would probably keep sweeping. 
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Member:
Lala
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Posted on Tuesday, Apr 6, 2004 - 8:00 pm:
I'm involved in two efforts in two towns to one establish trails for equine use (including a trail head) and to repeal a ban placed on horses using a multi-use trail they formerly used.
Soooooo, this is very interesting to me!
Do you think providing communal muck buckets would be helpful? How about signs asking people to use bucket, where to dispose of contents, and asking to generally clean up after themselves?
How does one keep the bucket on the premises? Tie down with cable? Honor system?
Any other ideas about establishing trails or regaining access very gratefully accepted.
thanks
Fiona
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Member:
Lhenning
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Posted on Wednesday, Apr 7, 2004 - 11:03 am:
Fiona,
One question comes to my mind . . . who will empty the communal bucket? It seems simpler to have people remove their own manure and take it back home. Perhaps a sign to remind them to do that would help. At least those thoughtful sort of people would comply and reduce the problem. It does seem like common sense to me, but some folks need a little more. Another thought, what if people were advised to moved the manure to a less walked-on area, such as behind trees or in tall grass? Could such an area be set aside for this purpose?
Linda
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Member:
Poppy
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Posted on Wednesday, Apr 7, 2004 - 9:01 pm:
Here in Northern California we have an active Backcountry Horseman's group. In our state parks we have manure bunkers. Horse people bring empty feed sacks so that people who want the manure we put into the bunkers have something to carry the stuff home in. VERY successful!!
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Member:
Goolsby
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Posted on Thursday, Apr 8, 2004 - 8:22 am:
Diane
Thats a great idea! I can always find people who want my horses poop for their gardens. It a good use for those feed bags too. The manure dosent bother me, its the trash, cans, bottles, paper along the trail that gets my goat.
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Member:
Chrism
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Posted on Thursday, Apr 8, 2004 - 10:07 am:
As a child riding in Germany, we'd go on an "outdoor" ride by first riding 2 by 2 through the city. If the horses manured on the way, you'd often see bystanders collecting it for their city gardens! Of course, this was years ago.
Also, I've heard that roses especially benefit from horse manure.
Locally, the farmers come frequently to the barn where I board to pick up the manure. While I've not gone looking for I, I believe our local fairgrounds also "recycles" manure for interested parties.
I like the idea of a collection area.
And, I agree it isn't nice to leave piles around, at least manure is bio-degradeable and "part of nature", while the plastic and other trash aren't.
But, now that I am sensitized, I will be picking up.
Cheers.
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Member:
Cowgrl
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Posted on Thursday, Apr 8, 2004 - 11:50 am:
What's wrong with taking the manure home with you for disposal or bringing your own muck bucket to carry it home if you don't want your horse to stand in it? Here's a scenario - suppose you have access from your house to a really nice trail system. One day you invite a group of friends to trailer over for a day ride. Maybe 10 rigs show up and they all park in your yard or out in the street. You have a great ride but after they leave you see they've all left the manure laying where it landed or swept out their trailer onto your driveway. How would you feel about that? Would you have wanted them to clean it up or is it okay that they left the manure?
There is a large sign board at this trailhead to clean up their manure and now that shedding season is here, to clean up all the hair but I have yet to see someone actually read what is on that board. One thing we (BCH)do at this particular tree farm is supply large garbage bags along with a nice note to people who are parked there. We'll leave it on their trailer or someplace where they'll see it to remind them to clean up after themselves.
Linda, at trailheads that don't get a lot of use, scattering the manure in the brush is okay but at the ones that receive heavy use, it'll eventually build up and become a breeding haven for flies. Yes, manure is bio-degradable but it takes a long time to break down. Another thing you can do is tie a small garbage bag to your saddle and pick up trash as you ride along. Maybe you can contact a few friends and schedule a work party for your riding area.
Taking care of the nation's trail system is everyone's responsibility. Preserve the stock owner's rights to riding on public lands by doing your part.
Thanks for all the responses. More ideas are appreciated.
Thank you Chris! Maybe more people will follow your lead.
Holly
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Member:
Goolsby
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Posted on Thursday, Apr 8, 2004 - 3:42 pm:
Holly
re your scenario, No. the manure would not bother me. I would probable see it as a gift, scoup it up and put it on my garden.
The local trails we use do not get that much traffic so manure build up is not a problem. I still think Diane's idea is great. It sounds like a win win situation. When I trailer, I never clean out the trailer until I get home and I usually have saddlebags full of trash (mostly other peoples). But if my horse takes a poop on the trail or on the street, I am not going to stop and get it. There is nothing wrong with taking your manure home and bringing your own bucket, but it is really hard to change people and their habits. If they are not going to abide by your sign I think leaving trash bags and nice notes would just piss some people off. Maybe just put up a sign that reads "FREE MANURE" Im sure you would get some takers.
Colleen
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Member:
Cowgrl
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Posted on Thursday, Apr 8, 2004 - 4:28 pm:
I have more than enough manure of my own to spread on the garden. You want some of our manure? I can bring over a few dump truck loads  . We had a bunch of friends out to ride at our house one day and most everyone cleaned up after themselves. There was one pile left by this one couple so we boxed it up and left it on their porch with a note - you left this behind, thought you might want it. They laughed so hard when they got it, they were on the floor.
The feedsacks are a good idea too. Unfortunately, there are too many people out there who really don't know they should clean up before they pull out. It really does create a negative impression. I don't get off and remove the manure from the trails, I'm just concerned with the trailhead itself. Why would leaving garbage sacks and notes piss people off? Would you be offended if one was left for you asking you nicely to remember to clean up after your horse?
The tree farm in question is privately owned and the owner is not particularly fond of horses and gets ticked when he sees all the manure and shed hair left laying around. He's been threatening to close the trails to all traffic which would be a major blow to the hundreds of people who use those trails. Our chapter has been working diligently to get people to clean up and if they don't, one of us does it for them. If the owner decides to close, we all lose.
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Member:
Goolsby
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Posted on Friday, Apr 9, 2004 - 9:00 am:
Holly
Sure. Bring it on. My horses are rarely stalled and the folks I lease from get any manure from the stalls and corral. Some people around here would fight you for a bucket of horse poop!
I agree with you, but it sounds as if your not getting much cooperation with your signs and notes. Do you state on your sign that the trails are in danger of being closed if manure is left behind? It’s sad that property owners end up posting their land because of thoughtless people that leave messes to be cleaned up by others. Some people just never get it.
No, I wouldn’t be offended, but you wouldn’t have to leave me a note because I wouldn’t leave a mess. As for why some people would be pissed off: I hate to rain on your parade but there are a lot of assholes out there. I was just thinking of how some people I know would react to being told what to do with their manure especially by someone that does not own the property. I know some that upon returning from a ride and finding your note attached to their trailer would not only sweep their manure onto the parking lot, but also DrOp their pants and take a dump on your note (yes, I know a lot of assholes). If you cant get the people to clean up their manure, focus on creating a market for it.
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Member:
Cowgrl
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Posted on Friday, Apr 9, 2004 - 10:23 am:
My you certainly do know a lot of a-holes!  No, we don't get a lot of cooperation. I was just there on Wednesday and there were a lot of piles left behind and tons of hair. Our club just had their monthly meeting on Tuesday and this very issue was brought up yet again. Our chapter of BCH are pretty much stewards of this parking lot and do all the maintenance and do work parties on the tree farm itself. This whole issue is an on-going problem and the only thing we can do is try to keep the area clean and hope the owners don't close it down for good. They already closed another section for the winter because they didn't want horses on the trails during the winter but to stay on the logging roads but no one listened so now there are gates up to keep everyone out until May.
I'd love to create a market for it but this area is very heavy into horses and anyone would be happy to give away their poop. When I worked for Boeing I put an ad in their classifieds that went out to all their locations on the web. I got a few takers but it's still piling up (no pun intended).
Oh well. Just continue the battle. Chin up and all that. See you on the trails.
Holly
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Member:
Goolsby
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Posted on Friday, Apr 9, 2004 - 10:39 am:
Holly
I sure hope you find a solution to this problem. Riding trails are becomming scarce in my area and peoples disrespect of property sure dosent help.
When I got my first horse I rode with a group of older (60's) horse guys. They would toss their cans and trash out along the trail. Of course, I would go retrieve the trash and put it in my bag. They made fun of me. It took a good 4 years, but I FINIALLY got them to stop doing this. So maybe there is hope for your situation.
Colleen
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Member:
Jojo15
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Posted on Saturday, Apr 10, 2004 - 10:59 pm:
Every trail system in our area is monitored by an organization of Trail Riders. As a group they organize a huge clean up and keep the property like they found it. You can't really leave it to individuals cause it will never be as good or clean as you found it.
The paving of a parking area seems to make the manure more apparant. Usually there aren't any paved parking, on our trail systems. and manure just goes back into the ground. And its common practice to toss it into the woods on the outskirts of the common area. And that hasn't been an issue.
If the manure is such a problem maybe the area is becoming too small for the amount of traffic and that is when its got to be policed more. And this owner might have to put a limit on the riders at one time in the area. I know they do that on the beaches here. You have to make a reservation, this way they know who is keeping the property like they found it and who is disrespecting it.
And my experience is usually horse people will clean up after themselves. Sometimes the trash and garbage left behind can be an issue, but manure isn't. Its beer cans, metal foils, bathroom materials, etc that aren't easily biodegradable that get me. I love being out in the middle of nowhere and see a metal tin or beer can on the trail....
jojo
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