Composting Manure On Your Horse Property

Did you know that one horse will produce about 50 pounds of horse manure per day?  That amounts to over eight tons of manure per year.  That is a lot of manure!  On top of that, a horse will generate about eight to ten gallons of urine per day.  Just think as to how much manure and wet bedding all that adds up to in a year!  Now multiply it by the number of horses on the property.  All that makes one huge mountain on a section of your property taking up lots of space that you could use for something more useful, appealing and enjoyable.

Manure piles tend to be unsightly, attracting flies, decreasing the value of your property.  Plus, manure contains  worm eggs and larvae that were shed from within the horse, which can reinfect any horses grazing near the pile.  On top of that, any runoff from the manure can affect the quality of the water in nearby creeks, wetlands and well water.

So what can be done with all this waste?  It is called manure management.  

One way to manage manure is to compost it.  This will avoid many of these problems especially on small acreage horse properties.  Composting is a natural process where organic material decompose aerobically under controlled conditions.  Composting organic matter will decompose slowly, releasing nutrients into the soil.  This beneficial for gardens, lawns and pastures.  If you look around, this happens naturally in nature.

Micro-organisms in the manure and bedding give off a huge amount of heat as the waste breaks down.  This destroys the seeds from the weeds, fly larvae worm eggs and any other disease causing pathogens.

Before you begin your compost, here are some things to consider:

• How many horses do you have?
• How much manure will be produced?
• Will the manure be picked daily from stalled horses and paddocks or are the horses turned out in pasture?

Once you have answered these questions, decide where would be a good place to compost the waste.  It should be kept away from any water sources and wetlands, as well as barns and buildings.  The compost pile should be turned occasionally to add air to it, keeping it aerobic.

Composting in the long run will be a valuable source as fertilizer for your pastures, gardens and lawns.  (Gardeners love it!)  Plus, it is FREE.  It will also save you money.  One horse will produce up to $500 worth of compost value within a year's time.

Composting manure on your horse property will be very beneficial in the long run.