Horse riders have poo-poo’d claims that their animals are a risk after Guilsfield residents kicked up a stink about them fouling village roads.
And less than two hours after this 'scoop' went on line here, more than five million listeners heard the debate about Guilsfield horse poo on Radio 2's Jeremy Vine Show!
A spat has broken out over the mess left behind by horses on recreational outings from near-by stables, and villagers say their droppings are not only a health risk, but create a hazard for cyclists, prams and disabled people using motorised vehicles.
“It is awful,” said one disgruntled resident. “It has taken years to get the message through about dog mess in the village but these horses are leaving gigantic piles of the stuff all over the place. The problem then is that cars run over it and the mess is spread over a huge area. Surely this can’t be safe with so many children around?
“Guilsfield is surrounded by fields and country roads so why do they have to come and foul the village. We respect the riders by slowing down in cars around them, so they should respect the residents by cleaning up their mess.”
A local cyclist added weight to the argument by saying: “I nearly crashed at about 25mph swerving a big pile. You don’t want to be hitting that stuff at speed. I dread to think what would have happened if I hadn’t seen it when I did.”
Mywelshpool investigated the claims and was called to Aubet Drive, just 50 yards from the Primary School, where recently deposited droppings lay on the busy side road. On returning six days later, the droppings were still there and had been flattened into the tarmac, spreading over some distance.
But the horse riders have defended themselves, claiming they are doing their best to keep the village foul-free.
“Many riders don’t even come into the village anymore because we understand the concern,” said one, who asked not to be named. “It is a shame that perhaps one or two riders making a mess in the village are spoiling it for the rest of us.”
The Community Council has received several complaints and has debated the issue.
Chairman Glynn Turner stressed: “It has become a bit of an issue and needs to be resolved because planning permission has been passed for more local stables. We plea to all horse riders to clean up after their horses have made a mess. We get a lot of complaints from young parents pushing prams; cyclists and disabled residents about the problems this mess creates for them.”
Five good uses for horse poo:
- Makes an excellent fertilizer
- ummm
- errrr
- hmmm
- Makes an excellent fertilizer