This is kind of crappy...

I couldnt have gotten on and off ranger like that when we were first riding he was 17 hands high and Im 5 ft tall. But we needed to do it for training purposes.

Plus it was dangerous to be using a tool or something and hold him much less tie him to a tree.

oh poo.. lol i edited my post as fast as I could you managed to post before I could finish (though it wasn't exactly the same as my edit)

Exactly I have NEVER mounted right off the ground except in a emergency and I always tried to do it other ways.

I'd say no for horseback riders, because I mean... a horseback rider cannot possibly hold on to a grocery bag sized bag while still riding, especially how there is no garbage cans, that would suck.

Wow, in the five years I've been riding our riding instructors ALWAYS told us to mount from the ground, because in show competitions, you do not have a choice, they don't provide stools or anything.

As for the damage, yes, you do have to put all your weight on the stirrup, but no it will not damage your horse's spine as long as you mount properly. Any good saddle pad will protect the saddle from creasing into the spine.

Edit: Unless it is a person who weighs like almost 200 pounds lets say and the horse is under 15hh ... then, alright yes it could. For the most part though anyone weighing under 130 about will not damage a horse's spine if they are at least 15hh. As long as you are mounting the right way and the saddle pad is in the right place, and that the girth is not too tight or loose.

No we are talking warmboods here. And almost everyone I know takes a little block (even though most shows have a mounting block) or simply gets a leg up, or have someone hold the stirrup. You don't see many people mounting from the ground.. (except at the western shows I have been too.. but the horses are all pretty small in relation to the riders)

I have been told this by vets, chiropracters, top riders (ie olympic level) I believe I read something about it in a vet journal or on a vet university site (or maybe it was kentucky reaseach) And it was tall (in relation to rider) horses mounted from the ground.

one of the places i walk my dogs sometimes is a rails to trails- nice cindered pathway with grass/mulch to the side (and appropriately wide for a horse except at road crossings). horses are supposed to stay off the cindered pathway but they often don't. i don't care so much as my dogs are on leashes and don't get access to the poop, but i wonder how parents with little kids feel about it.

you keep a eye on your kid and tell them to leave it alone????

I dont worry about bev when we go home, I just keep her from it.

Not if you feed the horse beefaroni like Kramer did on Seinfeld :rofl1:

I don't have a huge problem with people not cleaning up after their horses. Horse poo isn't gross, they are a herbivore so its completley different to the fecal matter of a carnivorous/omnivorous animal like a dog. I imagine a dog poo doesn't break down as fast as horse poo and it certainly isn't as good for the vegetation as a horse crap would be.

Does Nobody else see the pun? "This is Kind of crappy?" .. hahahaha
That is all.

Tell that to the farmer in PA who also raises puppies. They use in on the farm fields of produce and there is no law against it.

LancasterOnline.com:Newsup mills in deep dog doo?

I don't know about that... I would much rather step in poop and get it on the bottom of my shoe, than have my shoe completely sunken ankle-deep in a pile of it... whether the poop is from an herbivore or a carnivore. Also, my dogs' poops turn white and dusty within a day in the sun. I have yet to see horse poop do that.

I get irritated when ever I go to the lake, because some of the trails are blocked off by horse poop. You have to walk around it in VERY tall grass and that freaks me out. I have only ever ridden on private property, and I would definitely feel uncomfortable allowing a horse to leave a huge pile in the middle of a walking/biking trail.

I've never cleaned up after my horse on the trails....

I think were all forgetting WHY were supposed to clean up after our dogs...
It's NOT because it looks gross... It's because carnivor waste contains potentially dangerous Bactria! Some of that Bactria can cause blindness, sour stomach and respitory issues...
The waste of a herbivores does not contain née he number of potentially serious illness causing bacteria, there's a reason it's not suggested to use dog poop in your compost bin, yet horse and cow manure is perfet for the garden... ( raw fed dogs don't hav as many but here's still nasties in there)

YES I think it's inconsiderate of riders allowing mass piles of poop to build up in one spot...
And if a special trail has been provided for horses I think they should use them...
But requiring a rider to scoop after their horse is dangerous and will remove many riders from the enjoyment of trail riding...

Again all poop is "gross" but the reason we scoop after our dogs is not be ausw it looks yicky or is inconvenient when st

When stepped in...
It's because carnivore poop can be a serious health hazard!
Carnivore keepers often are required to wear masks when doing pen clean outs...

Actually, the reason I clean up after my dog has nothing to do with germs, disease, rules, or regulations. It has more to do with taking responsibility for my pet and being considerate of others.

I may be a bit old fashioned, but if I make a mess, I feel I'm responsible for cleaning it up. If I'm walking a dog and the dog makes a mess, then I feel I'm responsible for cleaning up that mess.

So if Tessa squats and poops in the middle of a trail, I'm going to clean up the mess because I don't want to inconvenience other folks sharing the trail. After reading all the other posts in this thread, I don't see why the same common courtesy wouldn't apply to folks riding horses on a trail they share with walkers, joggers, and bicycle riders.

So I guess my feeling is that if someone riding a horse is going to leave any "road apples" where they might fall, that person should probably stick to paths reserved exclusively for horses and stay away from paths shared with folks walking, jogging, or riding a bike.

I really appreciate the responses everyone has made to my original post - the letter I'll be sending to the park district is going to be a LOT more effective because of what I've read in this thread.

Have a GREAT day!

Rob

I have ridden horses that I don't notice when they poop. Others will stop to poop. The horse I currently ride - there's no way I could clean up piles on a trail ride (not that I trail ride with him, but still...). I have to have someone hold him to mount. I also use a fairly large mounting block to get on, as he's tall and spooky and I'm short and fat (and uncoordinated). He spooks at everything. To have a bag with me on top of his is asking for a disaster.

As far a carnivore vs herbivore poop...I'd rather bathe in herbivore poop than walk through carnivore poop. I used to volunteer at the zoo. I cleaned the hippo pit, which involves spraying large amounts of hippo poop with a high-power hose. It splatters everywhere. Surely I have ingested my fair share. That does not disgusts me though. Ingesting even a small amount of carnivore poop though...ew.



ETA: If you regularly go where there are no trash cans, you may consider a PooBoss utility vest. It's a vest for your dog that can hold a roll of bags (has a dispensing hole), and has a mesh pocked to put the used bag in. It also has another pocket for cell phone, keys, whatever. The dog really doesn't mind carrying his own poo on his back lol It's also reflective.

agreendog.com - Home Page

See this is where i have issues. Why not learn to deal? For example I have had loose dogs and even leashed dogs harrass my horses. Your dog rolls in poop its icky. Your dog spooks my horse and we go crashing through trees, or horse rears and goes over I can die. Dirt bikers are usually decent but I have had some that wizz right up behind my horse and pass with in inches. Not only is that dangerous for the rider, its dangerous for them. Hikers are usually no problem. (unless they are a hoard of children who then try to swarm the horse.. but that has only happened once)

Horse poop isn't 'icky' it doesn't stick to things the way dog poop does, it isn't 'squishy' so you can't loose a shoe in it, it doesn't carry the same bacteria.

Horses were here first as well. How about you stay off trails if you can't train your dog to stay out of the road apples? (the old train don't complain motto) No one is making you use those trails. You want to stop people from using the trails all together (the riders) because you can't walk around some horse poo. Its simple and hygenic to pick up after a dog, its not simple and creates no hygene problem for horses.

The reason it is responsible to pick up dog poo is because it is a hygiene problem.

LOL I had just noticed this now, then saw that you had already mentioned it