Now they've really gone and dung it

Published on Saturday 31 October 2009 18:47

IT IS an indelicate issue which is causing a stink in some of the nation's leafiest suburbs.

Homeowners and horse-lovers are engaged in a malodorous battle over the increasing amount of dung deposited on paths and driveways on the fringes of urban areas.

The British Horse Society Scotland (BHSS) admits that it is receiving a growing number of complaints about the end product of leisure riding.

Concerned that the conflict may fuel calls for legislation, the education and lobbying body has now launched a campaign urging riders to clean up the dung left by their mounts.

The 4,880-member BHSS's "Dung Guidance" leaflet – to be distributed to agricultural shows and riding schools - outlines key steps riders should take to minimise upset.

Describing the strategy as "a sensible move that could help preserve your rights of access to certain areas in the future", it asks riders to clear dung from driveways and public roads by kicking it to the side or into a gutter. It also advises carriage drivers to carry a shovel and bucket and riding schools and livery yards to conduct "poo runs" to clear dung from paths.

The dung problem is worst in central belt areas, where riders share paths with walkers and cyclists. "Hotspots" include Milngavie, north of Glasgow, and towns in Lanarkshire and Stirlingshire, although complaints have come from as far afield as Galloway, Moray, Wick, and Caithness.

Recent studies have revealed there are 4.3 million riders in Britain, 2.1m of them riding at least once a month. The number of horses in private households has increased from 900,000 to 1.2m in the space of nine years, with the total horse population in private and professional yards reaching 1.35m.

The conflict echoes other land-use issues thrown up by land access reform in Scotland, which have increasingly pitched different groups of recreational users against each other.

Douglas Flynn, a countryside ranger with Stirling Council, said: "There are a lot of paths that are affected by horse dung. It's not a pleasant experience for a lot of people.

"There are residents in Strathblane, for example, who are aggrieved at having to push their child's buggy along paths where there's dung."

Although some riding schools do carry out "poo runs", it is not commonplace, Flynn said. "There are an awful lot of other horses that aren't being cleared up after," he added. "The education message isn't getting across."

Helen Todd, development officer for Ramblers Scotland, agreed that horse dung was a growing problem. "No-one can afford to build three paths next to each other, one each for walkers, cyclists, and riders," she said, "so it's important riders respect all users."

Some riding organisations are anxious that unless self-policing works, legislation similar to the Dog Fouling (Scotland) Act 2003 could be brought in which would require riders to dispose of the dung, or else face a fine.

The BHSS is hopeful that by urging the thousands of riders who take to horseback each week to better respect other users of tracks and paths, they will not lose access and be forced on to busy roads.

Helene Mauchlen, the organisation's development officer, said: "The Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 is about the right of responsible access, and if you are letting your horse poo on a shared path or track, and that then gets caught up in the treads of a buggy or a wheelchair user or a cyclist, that's not responsible - it's a terrible thing."

She added: "Self-policing for Scotland's horse-lovers has to be the way ahead. Most people agree the guidance is a good thing, and we need to stamp out dunging before it becomes a problem.

"If riders don't start doing it, there's a very real danger they'll get kicked off tracks and be forced to use roads, where someone could get killed."

The BHSS is targeting riding schools in particular, many of whom are based near built-up areas, and share scenic tracks with other users.

"Some schools are carrying out poo runs, but I wish they'd do it more," Mauchlen added. "If they're not respecting other people, it could harm them. A riding school's business depends on the quality of its access."

Dr Tim Watson, chairman of the Scottish Equestrian Association, the governing body for equestrian sports in Scotland which counts numerous riding schools among its membership, said: "The sensitivities of people differ on this issue. Horse dung is not harmful like dog or cat faeces."

But usually, it's not feasible to dismount a horse when you're riding just to clear up dung. Of course, if there is a trek of around a dozen horses using a track, the organisers have more responsibility to clean up."

The contentious issue of dung is not confined to Scotland. In Ireland, legislation introduced earlier this year ordered all jaunting cars operating in Killarney National Park to fit dung collectors – or equine nappies – to cart horses.

Council officials in Blackpool have also made compulsory the use of such collectors on the town's famous horse-drawn landau carriages.