Steve, wouldn't it make sense to just train the horses to use the top of the hill and avoid you manually spreading it around yourself? Doesn't manure roll down hill?

Good editorial. I've gotten better at listening and compromising as I've aged, but the hard part is that if both sides aren't doing it, it still doesn't work out so well. I haven't reach the zen plateau where I can listen and compromise without expecting the other party to do the same. One technique I've used that helps some is to use a white board or flip chart to center the discussion, rather than having two people go toe to toe. List the points on each side, make them get it all on the board, then you've got a puzzle with limits.