Adrian Chiles’s column about dog poo has prompted readers to consider other types of animal excrement and etiquette. While dog owners now routinely pick up after their pets, horse riders often leave large piles of manure on footpaths and bridleways, causing a nuisance.
Ros Ward from Durham writes that although it is now possible to walk in the countryside without watching your step for dog poo, horse manure often makes paths impassable. She questions why horse owners and riders are allowed to leave much larger, smellier and longer-lasting heaps, and suggests that riding stables should have a duty to clear up.
Jan Veenstra, a Dutchman housesitting in rural England, notes a “seismic cultural shift” in dog-poo etiquette but observes that the revolution has not extended to horses. He describes an incident where a rider left a steaming pile of manure on a track while he was scooping dog poo, highlighting what he calls the “Great British poo divide”. He argues that the treatment of animal waste depends on the owner’s place in the class system.
