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It's none more acceptable than dog fouling so why are there no by-laws about it?

There is more of it on the pavement leading from Hatston Park down past the golf course. Not very nice for folk walking there either.

The horse should not have been on this foot/ cycle path. It is not a designated Bridleway.

If this was dog dirt it would be a fine so why not a nag its all still poop.

Haven't heard of any fines being dished out for dog dirt. If there were, half Kirkwall's dog owners would be liable for one. I dodge them every day on the way to my garage in Manse Road.

Love that word 'gad' - I had almost forgotten it! Different fae 'gaddan about' of coorse!!

The narrow footpath between Royal Oak Road and Scapa Crescent is a prime pooping area for horses and dogs. Haven't heard of it being designated a bridleway either. Try getting a hold of Kirkwall's Bye Laws and you will come up against a brick wall like I did some time ago.

Why not indeed Isobel?

Well said all, People with horses seem to think they are a law unto themselves, Do what they want, Go where they want. We were out a walk the other night and went down the lane at the back of Eunson Kloss, half way down we were met by 4 thundering big horses with very young and lippy little b***h's on them. They took up the whole lane and told us to stand out of there way. We told the police about it and were asked " well what do you want us to do about it"

Do they think they are above scooping the poop!

How many of us clicked on that while we were eating?

I note that so far not one word of apology for this incident has come frome the horse fraternity.

I note that the "horsey" fraternity are saying very little about this. The same on the topic "horse **** on Orkney Forum. Martin and Fiona's comment says it all. We must just "stand out of their way" What damn arrogance!

Though not a horseman, or an apologist for horsepersons, I do rather feel Martin & Fiona left their post unfinished. What was their answer to the police's question? What do people want done? Should a poopscoop van follow every horse? Should every non-bridlepath be patrolled by wardens? Should horse riding in publc places be banned?
As a member of a generation that depended heavily on horse-drawn transport, for upliftng cargo from the piers, delivering goods in town, not to mention tilling the fields, cutting the crops, etc, etc, I suppose I'm inured to the presence of equine faeces. I like the inclusion of a pseudo 'cassie' (useless as it is) in the newly paved Stromness street, as a nod towards our four-legged friend of earlier days. Cases of humans catching diseases from horse-droppings are rare to the point of non-existence unless, as one 'authority' puts it, you eat a freshly-dropped hot bun. So what's the sensible compromise?
In my early chidhood in London, I used to see a man with a big bag on the handlebars of his bike, following delivery-vans, greengrocers' carts, etc, and scooping the poop with a small shovel. Turned out he wasn't a council employee but a rosegrower. Is there an employment opportunity here?
That's enough rhetorical questions for now.

It is a shame that the minority give the vast majority of horse riders a bad name. I live out of town so this is not an issue for me.
I would suggest some action. I am sure the riding club would be happy to speak to its members and remind them of responsible riding. I am sure they would not like this ground swell of disquiet to spread and would want both sides of the matter to resolve the issues. Being the lead horse organisation in the county they would I am sure want to work through this.
If you feel this doesn't work then try your local councillor and now you also have an Access Officer at OIC who I am sure will clarify matters.

You have all missed the point - dog s... is a product of goodness knows what the owner has fed them - yuk very smelly and unhealthy. Horse s... is a product of a majority diet of grass/hay etc. In the times where the horse delivered goods/milk etc, my Dad ran out to pick up the poop to encourage the growth of rhubarb- you couldn't put dog poop on your rhubarb or roses!!
There is a huge difference. Horse s... is a free fertiliser - take advantage gardeners - others stop pleeping

I'd rather put sugar on my rhubarb myself...but seriously, Anon, you're right. What horses produce is a good deal more wholesome than dog dirt, and although there is a lot of it, that at least means it is easier to spot and avoid.

Custard

I know that horse excrement is inocuous,and easy to spot and avoid. But I don't want to eat it, play with it, spot it, or avoid it. I just do not want it where it should not be. Before a horse can be on a path, the path has to be designated as a bridleway. This one is not.

Show a little respect to horse owners and riders you common oicks!

Watch it Shergar! You know what happened to your namesake.

on a lot of cities on the continent they use a sack behind the horse to catch it,a good idea i thought. They don't tolerate it on the streets and neither should we,its a hazard to motorists who have to try and avoid driving through it making a mess and making their car stink. Believe me i know, many a car i used to work on would be plastered under the arches with the stuff,n ot a nice experiance all because some "hoity toity" thinks they shouldnt clean up after their animal. Its 2011 not 1811. Clean up your act.