Facing the Reality of What Happens on Horse Trails in Newport Beach

Re “Cleanup Rule Is a Bur Under Their Saddle,” Jan. 2:

The flap over uncollected horse poop in a newly annexed section of Newport Beach is urban idiocy piled high. What seems to have escaped the good bureaucrats of Newport is the fact that the equestrian estates with their horse trails, poop and all, happily existed before incorporation. An expansion of political boundaries doesn’t alter the basic biorhythms of horses. Unlike the dogs at which the urban ordinance is aimed, horses cannot be house-trained. Horses often poop without their riders’ knowledge and certainly without their permission.

Horse poop happens randomly; deal with it rationally.

Ed Cobleigh

Paso Robles

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Horse enthusiasts seem to believe that their fecal matter doesn’t produce an odor. Indeed, if we are to believe their assertions, horse doody approaches an ambrosia of sorts.

Please. If horses are allowed to move about public areas, their handlers need to clean up after them like any other responsible pet owner. If horse riders feels unsafe dismounting and performing this task around their 1,000-pound animals, perhaps they should reevaluate their capability to manage their horses in a public environment. I suggest these horse folks take a moment to appreciate the context in which the city allows them to enjoy their animals. If they can’t maintain their pets as the rest of us urban dwellers do, perhaps a ranch in Montana would provide a better venue for their hobby.

John Hunt

Fullerton

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What a shocking story. The elite won’t clean up the mess their horses make? Typical behavior for those who believe they are above the law. Police on horseback have bags attached to their animals that collect their waste. Why can’t these spoiled, obnoxious people do the same?

Skip Houston

Laguna Beach