You could buy a manure fork and keep
It at your boarding barn or perhaps in your vehicle if it’s large enough like the bed of a truck. Make note of where your horse poops on someone’s driveway and on the way out just Chuck it into the woods. Easy peasey.
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I’m also kind of shocked by many of the attitudes displayed here. We riders aren’t the only people in the world, and it’s important to be willing to compromise in reasonable ways in order to keep access to trails, parks, and other places to ride out. It doesn’t matter who was there first… their property is their property. It’s one thing if somebody moves in and complains about what happens on the farm’s own property but this is happening in the individual’s yard/driveway.
I’ve been at several barns where there are neighboring properties with owners that allow riding on or across their land. In return, we agree to follow any rules that they have so that our presence isn’t a hardship to them and we don’t lose this privilege. I’ve been to parks that ask for manure to be removed if it happens in parking lots or other developed areas that see high usage.
At a previous barn, the owners started using some parts of the expansive property to hold weddings. We were requested to come back and clean up any poop our horses left near those areas. It was not difficult, especially since the odds of a horse regularly pooping in the same place are pretty low. On the rare times when this happened, I would just drive over to the area later with a muck fork and remove the poop into the woods where it wouldn’t be in the way. It took all of 5 minutes.
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OP, the only thing is that the riders you approached might not have been the ones to soil your driveway and might have resented being blamed for it. I know, because that happened to me. I was riding along a roadside and had a person in a car pull up and berate me for not cleaning up horse manure, which was actually not mine and did not even come from the barn I boarded at. I was pretty offended, because I do and did always make an effort to clean up after myself.
I definitely suggest an in person discussion with the Barn Manager or Barn Owner. The riders at the barn will need to educated and it should be coming from the Manager and/or Owner of the barn.
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Late to the party but yes I have (and would again) come back to clean up after my horse left a present in a driveway. I’ve also gotten off to kick manure off the trail etc if it’s in a place that would likely cause complaints. I’d rather take the few seconds to do that than present a bad image to the public
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I am absolutely stunned by some of the responses - get a life, too busy to return and pick up, etc…
Incredible. And not in a good way. With that mindset, why are you surprised when we lose access to trails or we have no community support for our lifestyle.
I know that I have worked very hard in my corner of the world to show my non-horsey neighbors that we horse folks are friendly and good stewards of where we ride - public road or private land. I’m really concentrating on the neighborhood riding in my post.
When hacking down my neighborhood road, or on my (many) kind neighbors land that I have been given precious permission to use, if my horse, or any other horse riding with me does the natural thing to them and passes manure, wherever, whenever, we dismount and, if appropriate, kick the manure off into the weeds, spread with our boot, yes, it stinks, and if necessary, walk a bit until we find something to remount from. I have also returned with a bucket and shovel at times to clean up if dismounting/mounting was absolutely impossible or the pile absolutely needed to be picked up and removed. My Etsy idea is to have a weighted flag to drop with the flag saying, “I’ll be back to clean this up”.
Maybe it’s because I live here. Maybe it’s because the older I get, the less tolerant non-horse folks tend to be towards horses and riders. Maybe it’s because I want my neighbors to think, “oh look honey, horses!!”, not “oh look honey, it’s the $%$$ horses”.
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Wow. Around here–former farm land but now heavily urbanizing–those that manage the horse trails through town BEG riders to return to pick up their manure, or dismount if they can to kick it into the woods. Because home owners, whether in the “right” or not will rescind the right of way allowing riders on their property or fence riders off.
This “my horse’s shit doesn’t stink” and “why on earth should I care where my horse poops” sentiment is literally losing riding space. Maybe not in your area–yet–but I, too, am pretty stunned at all those posting with that sort of response.
@Newtohorseppl I’m sorry the riders weren’t more amenable. Definitely go have a chat with the barn manager (who is the person who sets the barn rules) to see what can be done.
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I have been trail riding for about 30 years and I was definitely careless in my younger days. But now I understand that if we want to take our horses into public, we are completely responsible for everything that our horses do. If you are unable to dismount and mount your horse on trail, then it is absolutely your responsibility to note where your horse has pooped (or punched holes in a lawn, etc.) and go back and clean it up.
I think this poster seems like a very reasonable chap and if he politely asks a passing rider for a suggestion to solve this problem, that rider will likely spread the word and the problem will be solved.
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@Newtohorseppl, I swear to you that not all horse people are as entitled and inconsiderate as some of these responses. I think coming back to remove manure is a completely appropriate ask. I think it would be kind of you to have some leniency on how fast they remove it - coming back to remove it would be very reasonable and it would mitigate possible safety issues of riders dismounting in a potentially unsafe area.
And FWIW, you should not have to provide a shovel and bucket. If one can afford the luxury of a horse, they, too, can figure out a way to either buy or borrow a shovel to clean up after their animal.
I really can not fathom going through this world believing everyone should just deal with the problems I create - whether they are big or small. OP shouldn’t be burdened by inconsiderate riders on their private property.
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Asphalt, Tar,
Pavement. Hot top, sometimes ppl say hotmix. It has a bunch of names for whatever reason mabey depending on where ppl are from
That is probably your best bet, and that’s unfortunate the riders you spoke with were not considerate.
Do you specifically want the manure picked up, or would it be satisfactory if it was kicked into the ditch next to your driveway? That would make it easier for riders to deal with, rather than having to worry about transporting it back to their barn.
That said, if any horse pooped in the driveway of the barn I board at, or the last several barns for that matter, it would be expected that it be picked up. It shouldn’t be a stretch to expect the same of your driveway if people are going to ride across it.
I often ride down the road and the other day my horse pooped right in front of someone’s driveway. I felt bad about that, but we were on the blacktop public road. In a day or two it was not even noticeable. Especially if it rains, manure does disintegrate pretty quickly. I saw the owner about a week later when I was riding by again and they didn’t even mention it.
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I too think that @Newtohorseppl shouldn’t have to deal with piles of poop. However, when speaking to the barn owner/manager I suggest you be specific and avoid exaggerations like “horse poop all over my yard” or driveway. That sort of ridiculous statement makes people resistant to whatever the crazy person wants them to do.
I’m a member of a local riding club and we do ride in some places heavily used by local residents. While there are no signs regarding removal of manure, as a club we mandate that on those trails we stop and move it off the trail (either by boot or kitty litter scoop) and we help out those who can’t dismount or remount.
We always get the questions from new members who have used those trails and never bothered moving manure off, or insist that it’s not necessary. I’m very blunt if they persist. It’s enlightened self interest. We want to keep using the trails, so we move manure off trail. Riders are an easy target when people want to complain about poop on the trails. They won’t ban dogs because most of them want to walk their own dogs, even though the real issue is dog poop.
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But he did this and the riders acted like many of the posters here are doing, that it is horse manure and it is no big deal and they can not control where their horse manures so he should not be upset about it.
So freaking rude and out of line, but that is what they did.
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I think it’s an important point about losing access due to inconsiderate riders.
We have mixed use trails in our county, and there was a recent discussion on Nextdoor about horse manure on these trails. Runners don’t like to encounter it, people with baby strollers hate it, and there were riders who insisted that their horse’s poop is wonderful, eco-friendly, you should appreciate it etc.
One rider said she trains her endurance horses on these trails, they manure while trotting, the little gobbets of manure are just an enhancement to the natural environment, and people should be more appreciative of her public service.
OP, you are well within your rights to mind the horse doodoo in your driveway. Riders who don’t pick it up are doing a huge disservice to all riders everywhere. We will lose this privilege if we abuse it. Yes, your horse’s manure is a sign of gut health. No, the wide world does not value this sign as you do. Pick it up!
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Of course, you could always put a hotwire either side of the drive ! 
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What about posting NO POOPING in my driveway signs?? Can you put up a small decorative fence to make them go around your actual driveway?
I can understand why you don’t want manure in your driveway.
We have beef cows on my in laws farm and we live here too . The pastures we fenced are along the driveway and we put in cattle guards at each end of the drive so moving cattle to different pastures is easier.
The cows ( we have 15 currently) love to poop down the driveway and they are pretty accurate at getting it dead center where you drive. My inlaws were very upset about the manure on their tires and possibly having some still on there when parking in the garage and worried about people who may come down the driveway…
My first thought was " can’t you just go around the piles" I do ?? but instead when they are in that pasture I go out 2x a day and with my manure fork I scoop up all I can get ( after they plow through them) because it makes them happy.
I would go to the stable and tell them you will post signs and can they please go around your driveway when passing. You can also just scoop it up and fling it into the grass or ditch away from the house since you are the only place on your side.
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I’m quite a bit in your court here.
This is a debate fought every year all over the western us hiking and wilderness trails. There is a growingly large and vocal population of anti-mixed use/horses on trails. Despite the Backcountry Horsemen that do some much of the trial maintenance. If horse poop must be picked up in the city it will need to be picked up on trails.
This person does not appear to be interested in being educated in the rural lifestyle and its protocols, despite inheriting the family farm.
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I was not aware that the rural lifestyle and its protocols included dismissing a neighbor’s right to maintain their own property as they see fit, ie, without horse poop in the driveway, just because dismissing the neighbor’s rights on their own property is more convenient for other people?
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The OP said that he’s in a residential area, with a lot of houses.
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You should probably read the whole thread before you start making assumptions,especially about the family farm.
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I’m trying to get over there but very busy at work during the week I’m going over tomorrow or Sunday to talk…hoping for the best
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