Safeguard your horses’ health, your relationship with your neighbors and the environment by dealing with the manure produced in and around your barn every day. Dirty stalls and paddocks create a host of health problems because of the proliferation of bacteria that breaks down the structures of the hoof, irritates skin and releases ammonia vapors. Moist manure is also prime real estate for internal parasites and flies. The average-sized horse produces about 10 tons of manure in a year; add that to the 50 pounds per day of wet bedding produced and whether you have one horse, or fifty-one, you need a plan to deal with the manure that happens.

 

Step 1 – Reduce

The first part of any plan to deal with manure in a way that is less damaging to the environment should be to reduce the bulk of the material. Composting manure and bedding products will reduce its bulk by as much as 80% and people will come to your stable, buckets in hand, to collect the remaining organic fertilizer. A backyard barn owner can easily make composting bins of wood pallets wired together at the corners. The slats of the pallets provide important air circulation but each side can easily be removed for access to the pile. Add non-protein kitchen scraps, lawn clippings, or a few shovels full of already ripe compost to begin the ‘cooking’ process. Water the pile if necessary and occasionally pitch the composting material from one bin into the next to re-oxygenate the material and speed up the composting process. Unlike an unmanaged manure pile, composting manure actually becomes hot, making it inhospitable to fly larvae and other parasites. Having several compost boxes allows for one pile to be receiving manure daily, the second is in the process of breaking down and the third is ready to be used to fertilize lawns and gardens.

Step 2 – Re-use

If you have enough property to spread collected manure each day in a thin layer it dries quickly, rendering it uninhabitable to parasites and fly larvae. Dried manure is also virtually odor free so it doesn’t attract flies or annoy non-horsey neighbors, and it breaks down much more quickly, so it is less likely to run off into local waterways. Manure, spread in a thin layer, enriches the soil making it ideal for growing grasses appropriate for baling hay or grazing in the future. Manufacturers are creating manure spreaders designed specifically with the needs of horse owner’s in mind. Easily operated behind a lawn tractor, the spreaders are compact enough to maneuver in a narrow barn aisle, so cleaning and spreading each day is a breeze. Spread the manure and bedding in alternating fields, so that one is being used for pasture; one is receiving manure each day, and one is vacant for recovery and growth.

 

Step 3 – Recycle

Consider using recycled paper bedding in your stable. Not only does it make good use of a commonly disposed of product, but it offers improvements that wood shavings and straw can’t duplicate. Each bag of recycled paper bedding contains fibers of various sizes and textures that create layers when it is spread in a stall. Smaller pieces of bedding sift to the bottom to provide excellent absorbency, while larger, irregularly shaped pieces provide loft, softness and insulation that other products can’t match. Paper bedding also breaks down more quickly because the wood fibers are already so fine. The result is compost that can be used more quickly, reducing the need for large piles that require more maintenance. If your manure pile is removed and spread periodically, the job may not need to be done as frequently due to the reduced size of the pile as it breaks down. Paper bedding that is spread directly onto the field also dries and decomposes more quickly; enriching the soil and reducing the time that pastures aren’t suitable for grazing.

 

Ten Steps Boarders Can Take Toward a Healthier Planet

Boarding your horse makes for a unique set of challenges and opportunities to protect the environment. The key is to remember that every little thing you do has an impact on the planet and while each step taken to protect the earth is important, you don’t want to step on the barn owner’s toes in the process.

1. Remember to close doors behind you when you lead your horse in and out of the barn. In the summer having doors closed (and screened windows open) reduces the need for insect control products. In the winter a door left open, even for a few minutes can rob the stable or indoor arena of precious heat.

2. Use environmentally friendly products. Shampoo and insect repellents are the most frequently used products, but even things like liniments, mane and tail conditioners, and stable cleaning products all end up someplace. Select items that contain natural ingredients and use them sparingly.

3. Conserve water whenever you can. Not only is irresponsible use of water at the barn ecologically unsound, but it creates a hazardous situation for horses. Wet concrete is one of the leading causes of falls for both horses and people in a stable. Turn the water off while shampooing your horse; help barn staff to remember hoses that are filling outdoor water tanks so they don’t overflow; empty buckets of water containing soap or liniments down the drain rather than outside.

4. Recycle everything! One horseperson’s trash is another’s treasure and even well-used (but still safe) equipment is valuable to someone. Ask about putting items out with a ‘FREE’ sign at the barn or arrange a tack swap so that your discarded things end up with someone who can use them, rather than in the trash.

5. Stay on designated trails when riding outdoors. Riding in areas that have groomed paths or are flat and infrequently used protect the ground from erosion and provide safer footing for your horse. If you want to hand graze your horse, do so in designated areas.

 

6. Limit the use of electricity by turning things off if you are the last person to leave the facility. Lighting for long stable aisles and indoor arenas, heat lamps or drying fans over wash stalls and space heaters in tack rooms or lounges use a lot of power. Turn them down or off when they aren’t in use

7. Lead the way! Take the initiative to manage a recycling program in the barn. Collect aluminum cans and plastic items by setting out well-marked containers and hauling the items to a collections site. In just one year a central Minnesota stable collected and recycled enough soda cans, plastic bottles and daily supplement packages to buy a new complete set of jumps for the barn.

8. Package daily feed supplements in reusable plastic containers rather than plastic bags. The little bags can be eaten by a horse or blow around the facility, often ending up outside. Be sure that pre-measured supplements in the daily packaging strips are recycled.

9. Carpool whenever you can. If another boarder lives in your neighborhood, plan trips to the barn together to save fuel. Organize shared rides to club meetings, tack sales or other horse-related events. Hauling horses and traveling together to shows and clinics is more efficient and more fun.

10. Make arrangements to run fewer loads through the stable’s laundry facility by combining items with other boarders so there is a full load. If you have just a few leg wraps or a saddle pad to wash at home or the laundromat; share the job with another boarder.