Horses Leave Their Unwelcome Mark On Colorado Riverfront Trail

I love running on the Riverfront Trail, but I don't enjoy navigating around objectionable droppings right on the trail.

Dogs Are One Thing

A lot of people walk their dogs on the riverfront trail. It's a great place to hang out with man's best friend where both can enjoy some much-needed exercise. I love seeing people out with their dogs. I believe many of the dog owners take responsibility for their dogs and clean up after them when they do their job on the trail. Unfortunately, there are a few that don't. That means people who are walking, running, or riding on the trail have to be on the lookout for piles of crap that could lead to some unpleasant circumstances. It's a hard one for me to understand because there are plenty of dog clean-up stations along the way.

One thing that seems to be missing from the trail, though, would be horse clean-up stations. Yes, I said horse clean-up stations.

Horses On the Trail?

You don't see many horses on the Riverfront Trail. In fact, I don't think I've ever seen one there, but I have seen the evidence. When I first started seeing horse droppings I thought it was odd. I didn't realize horses were allowed on the trail, but, apparently, they are because I find nothing in the posted rules that says you can't ride a horse on the trail.

I understand it would be a bit inconvenient for a horseback rider to have to stop and clean up after their horse, but it seems like the right thing to do. Otherwise, someone else has to clean it up while everyone on the trail has to be careful not to step in it. At times, I have seen more than one pile of horse droppings in my path.

A Possible Explanation

I'm not a horseback rider so there may be a perfectly logical explanation for the fecal faux pas. Perhaps the rider is not aware the horse has done its job. Maybe it happened so quietly, the rider simply had no knowledge that a mess had been made. If that's the case it's perfectly understandable. But, if a horseback rider intentionally and purposefully ignores the horse hockey, to me that is being inconsiderate of the other trail users.

This certainly is not the biggest issue on the trail, it's just a little annoying. In reality, I don't think there are a ton of horses on the trail. The big thing for me is to discover horses are allowed on the trail. I don't have a horse, but if I ever do get one it's nice to know there is a place to ride - and I will definitely carry a small shovel and a bag.