Help new horse neighbor and horses pooping everywhere

Benny1981

New Member
Aug 10, 2020
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Hello! I'm here seeking horse riders point of view on a situation I'm dealing with....long story..... So I live in a fairly rural area on a pretty busy road. A woman has bought the house a few lots down from my house. She has cleared the land for pastures and built a pretty nice horse barn behind her house. A little while later she has 3 nice big horses hanging out there. I thought neat it would be cool to see the horses riding past now and then? I've always liked horses just never got the chance to be around them. So it's not long the woman is riding down past my house to get to a woods trail that goes out to the back of my land and also ties into many other trails. Like I says pretty busy road with inconsiderate drivers flying by. So I notice she is kinda favoring my lawn to stay outta the road. No problem! I get it,she doesn't want to get hit. And I don't want her to get hit either,cool. So I see her go by occasionally sometimes with someone riding the other horses. I always smile and wave they wave back. I never really talked to her tho. So a year or so goes buy and I think she decided to board other horses probably to help pay for the sweet barn she built. So now there's 10-12 nice looking big horses roaming around down there. Very pretty and healthy looking horses. So now there's a group of younger women that ride 4-5 of the horses just about every day down past my house to my trail. Granted they never asked to use the trail probably be cause they didn't know it was my trail. But again I'm fine with it. I think trails are great and I ride my 4 wheeler out there and I hate it when people close down the trails. So I started noticing alot of big poop piles around on my lawn and on my driveway where they hug my yard to not get hit. It's like as soon as the horss gets 1500 feet from the barn one of them always poops a big pile of poop right where they ride thru my yard. So I was out doing some yard work and I see this group of young women riding down to my trail so sure enough just like clock work the lead horse stops and takes another huge poop right on my lawn. The other girls are kinda laughing at horse doing his poo for some reason ? ok, so I go over to them as they start to ride off and I calmly ask if they wouldn't mind mabey coming back later and cleaning up that poop and the others adding up around my yard. I know not to make a scene when people are on horses as not to spook them. She tells me in a bitchy tone horses shit wherever they want and we will never clean up horse shit, Deal with it!! So I just said what ever and the girls rode down my trail. So I approached the woman that ownes the barn and asked her if she could have it taken care of please. She says yes no worries, I added I would leave a shovel and a wheel barrow out in the corner of my yard so they can just clean it up easily when they get done riding or whatever the next day or two. So a couple weeks go by horses still pooping like clock work almost everyday no cleaning it up at all. How is it even possible for a horse to poop in the same strech Everytime? Here's my delema I really don't want to gate my trail cause i hate when people close trails. And then they would have no trails and I don't mind them passing over my lawn to stay safe, I mean they have chopped up the lawn with their hoofs but whatever the mower goes over it fine still but it kinda sux when there's piles of poop that are taller than the grass. Doesn't do so well then....... If they could make it another 100 feet they could poop on the trail and that would be great. What do you horse riders think of this? What would you do if you were there? Im really trying not to ruin they're fun but it's getting old now. Thoughts comments and opinions please. I don't want to be the a hole neighbor either. Thanks for reading!
 
I'd close the trail gate, stick a note on the gate explaining it's been closed as despite repeat requests no one is picking up horse poo off your property and they've been rude to you when challenged.

Whether you can hold a talk with them at their yard/barn with the barn owner present, to explain you are happy to open it back up on a trial basis on the provision that people drop their attitude and they pick up the poo from your garden.

I'm sorry they were rude to you, you sound like a great considerate neighbour.
 
Considering you haven't said or done anything about anyone using your lawn or using your trail for a few years, it puzzles me a bit that you have more issues with a poop on the floor than a load of horses.

Not knowing the set up, I don't know how easy it is to close your trail, it's your property that next door appears to using.

But can't the rider dismount and kick the poop somewhere? It seems a reasonable request if you are leaving tools where they tend to go, and horses are creatures of habit.
 
I know my horses will have the odd poo sometimes even two. Sometimes out on a hack they won't poo at all.
Yes they will get into a regular thing of always pooping in the same area. This can be combatted by kicking the horse on so then know they aren't allowed to do it in that area. Eventually it will break the habit. Some horses are also attracted to poo in that area because other horses have. So cleared up they'd be less inclined.

On your grass lawn could you put in some low posts and chain to act as a deterrent to stop them riding across it.
 
I’d have another chat with the barn owner and explain much as you have here, that you understand why they ride over your lawn to access YOUR trail but that you do need them to stop by later to clear away any deposits. She may have already passed your request on to them previously and not be aware they aren’t doing it, add in that you’d really hate to close the trail but feel you may have to if they can’t show you this small courtesy. If they still don’t do it close the trail on your land or put something around your lawn/yard to stop them using it.
Unfortunately horses will poop wherever and they can be creatures of habit and if it were on public land that’s a bit different but as you are being kind enough to let them on your property they just need to suck it up and do as you ask. I won’t clean up if my horse poops on a public road, but when we stop at the pub and they do it on their grass I always go back and clean up.
 
Honestly, I'd just fence off the section that you don't want them riding on, and have that be the end of it. You've already talked about it with them and your polite request for some consideration on their side has gone unheeded.
 
I'd have another word with the barn owner saying they still aren't clearing up any piles and that if this doesn't change with immediate effect then you will be closing the access to the trail. And if it doesn't change then do close it. Whether you then come to an agreement with them and open it again is up to you, but they need to take it seriously and at the moment it doesn't sound like they do.
 
I'd close the trail gate, stick a note on the gate explaining it's been closed as despite repeat requests no one is picking up horse poo off your property and they've been rude to you when challenged.

Whether you can hold a talk with them at their yard/barn with the barn owner present, to explain you are happy to open it back up on a trial basis on the provision that people drop their attitude and they pick up the poo from your garden.

I'm sorry they were rude to you, you sound like a great considerate neighbour.
I have been down to the barn talking with the owner a few times in the past few months about it. She always says yes they will help out but it never happens. It sucks too because I know they just ride on the lawn to avoid the traffic and i understand! No problem, I don't even really care about the hoofs digging up the lawn. My mower can go over the hoof tracks but when I get to a big pile of poop it doesn't work to good. It's like the horses see one pile and have to leave another in the same place. Its like they get a certain distance from the barn and they poop. And that distance just happens to be my yard? I just want them to pick it up every couple days and throw it in the woods and if they poop on the driveway or my wood chips mabey after they get back to the barn shovel that up but the yard it could be every 2-3days. I've told them this even left a shovel and a cart out by the wood line for them. They are gonna force me to close the trail and that is not what I want to do
 
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Close it. If they complain tell them that the deal is if a horse leaves a pile then they come back and pick it up when they get back from their ride, and while you're at it tell them to keep to the very edge of your lawn - no need for them to be digging up more than a narrow one horse wide track. I'd also be tempted to tell them you're putting cctv up to cover the track so that culprits can be identified since no-one would want to be identified as the reason the track is closed to everyone this may make them more considerate!
 
Considering you haven't said or done anything about anyone using your lawn or using your trail for a few years, it puzzles me a bit that you have more issues with a poop on the floor than a load of horses.

Not knowing the set up, I don't know how easy it is to close your trail, it's your property that next door appears to using.

But can't the rider dismount and kick the poop somewhere? It seems a reasonable request if you are leaving tools where they tend to go, and horses are creatures of habit.
The lady moved in and built her barn a year ago. She has 3 of her own horses and started exploring the area and found my trail that leads to a network of trails. I never said anything about it because it's just her occasionally passing thru. The problem started when she started boarding other horses for people about 3 months ago. Now there is 10-12 horses riding thru on a regular basis. And I'm perfectly fine with the passing over my lawn to stay off the busy road. I just don't want the multiple piles just left on the lawn and driveway on a daily basis... I'm gonna try and reason with the owner one more time before I gate it off.
 
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The lady moved in and built her barn a year ago. She has 3 of her own horses and started exploring the area and found my trail that leads to a network of trails. I never said anything about it because it's just her occasionally passing thru. The problem started when she started boarding other horses for people about 3 months ago. Now there is 10-12 horses riding thru on a regular basis. And I'm perfectly fine with the passing over my lawn to stay off the busy road. I just don't want the multiple piles just left on the lawn and driveway on a daily basis... I'm gonna try and reason with the owner one more time before I gate it off.
I have brought this to the barn owners attention 2-3 times and no results
 
Close it. If they complain tell them that the deal is if a horse leaves a pile then they come back and pick it up when they get back from their ride, and while you're at it tell them to keep to the very edge of your lawn - no need for them to be digging up more than a narrow one horse wide track. I'd also be tempted to tell them you're putting cctv up to cover the track so that culprits can be identified since no-one would want to be identified as the reason the track is closed to everyone this may make them more considerate!
Yes it hopefully would get there attention being closed for a few days,its funny how I give them an inch and they take a mile..... I don't mind them on the lawn so much, yea it gets a little riped up but my mower goes over it so all good it's when the horse stops and leaves a big pile it becomes a pain for me to mow around. And every horse down there is a very good sized animal, so I'm sure anyone can see how when they poop it's quite a mess even the ones that keep walking can leave an astonishing line of poo behind and that 10ish times a week sux
 
If no one's paying attention to your numerous polite requests, I'm afraid agree - close your trail with a notice that it will be re opened when and if riders agree to clean up any poop left on your grass/yard. Seems very rude of them to keep disregarding your appeals!
 
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Pick up all the poop they leave, take it back to their yard and dump it right in the middle, see how they like it.

I'm only joking I'd never do that in a million years! But I'd like to if I was in your situation. No real more advice to add, as others have said I would either try to talk to them again explaining that if they do not start poo picking a couple of times a week the lawn and trails will be closed to them with immediate affect. Or I would just close them now.
 
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The lady moved in and built her barn a year ago. She has 3 of her own horses and started exploring the area and found my trail that leads to a network of trails. I never said anything about it because it's just her occasionally passing thru. The problem started when she started boarding other horses for people about 3 months ago. Now there is 10-12 horses riding thru on a regular basis. And I'm perfectly fine with the passing over my lawn to stay off the busy road. I just don't want the multiple piles just left on the lawn and driveway on a daily basis... I'm gonna try and reason with the owner one more time before I gate it off.
Is it your lawn or is it what we call in the UK a verge in front of your lawn? B
Thing is because you never said anything to the original person riding through, and you never then said anything about the others using the grass and riding through as well, it could be a case of they see you as moaning about land you do not own.
You haven't set any clear boundaries, you didn't want to say anything and you are being ignored but still the trail is open.

Could I ride my horse on someone's lawn and cut down their driveway to get access to something? Absolutely not! The owner would be out as soon as they saw me. Why cut down someone's drive, that's weird.
 
Actually, don't you have enough suggestions already from elsewhere?
[/QUOT. Yes I do! Would you rather I just close the trail and say Fu to the riders? I wanted to see what horse people have to say about the situation. I actually give an s about people and I know how it is about losing trails from riding ATV and snowmobiling since I was a kid. Every trail I had was private and many were closed down because of stupid reasons! I'm giving these people the benefit of the doubt! I actually just confronted the riders 10 min ago for the second time and I'm on my way to the barn right now to talk to the owner lady.....stay tuned!
 
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