Horse manure is an excellent nutrient source for pastures and other field crops when properly applied at the optimum time and in the correct amounts. It contains nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, sulfur, and micronutrients, and is high in organic matter.
Leaving piles of poo around your paddock is known to kill the vegetation beneath and discourage re-growth. This is bad news when you're limited in grazing facilities. To keep your paddocks in tip-top condition, remove the piles of manure to allow the grass beneath to breath and receive enough sunlight to regrow.
Poo-picking your paddock, especially if it's a smaller one, helps to keep the pasture palatable as well as reducing weeds and the worm burden of any horses grazing the field. You should poo-pick at least twice a week and ideally more often than that.
You can use manure onsite by spreading it as a fertilizer on an open area, pasture or field. You can also haul manure offsite for fertilizing or composting. Use caution when spreading manure on pastures grazed by horses. Don't spread manure on pastures if there are more than 1 horse per 2 acres.
Cleaning manure from pastures accomplishes several important things: It reduces internal parasite contamination; It eliminates breeding habitats for flies; and, It minimizes adverse effects on water sources from drainage across a manure-ridden pasture.
So how long does it take to compost horse manure? Generally, it'll take three to six months for horse manure to turn into compost. The NRCS says this allows fertilizer nutrients to stabilize and weed seeds to be killed.
Management. Manure that is piled and left alone will decompose slowly. This can take three to four months if conditions are ideal. It can take a year or more if the starting material contains a wide carbon:nitrogen ratio (as is the case when manure contains wood chips).
Stalls need to be cleaned at least once per day. If horses are inside for more than 12 hours, stalls should be cleaned once and picked one to two additional times per day. Paddocks should be picked once a week. An alternative is to drag pastures once a week (depending on how much manure is in the fields).
However steer clear of adding horse manure to flowering and fruiting plants such as tomatoes, and peppers. Or if you do decide to use it mix it with other compost so it doesn't inhibit the growth of fruit and flowers.
The council has no enforcement powers to force horse riders to clear up after their horses. One of the reasons that there are no legislation or enforcement powers covering horse dung is that unlike dog fouling, horse dung from a healthy horse presents no risk to human health.
Dragging the paddock a few times each year during hot and dry periods can help break up and dry out manure piles while distributing nutrients back to the pasture.
Dump the manure in 3-foot-by-3-foot piles in a out-of-the-way location near the barn. Placing the piles near the barn makes transporting the manure easier and more efficient. Add a heat source such as the summer sun. Add water to the manure with a hose, or in the rainy season, let nature take its course.
Ideas for preventing dust and dirt and grass stains on your horse that spends a lot of time in the pasture: Have a designated rolling spot in his pen that lures him away from the mud and into a clean area. You can use shavings, wood pellets, sand, whatever he likes to roll in.
Owners/riders are expected to clean up any droppings left by their horse in a public place.
Manure not only piles up quickly, it is also a haven for parasites, leading to an infestation of flies and other insects and can even attract rodents. Thus, it is imperative every horse owner has a solid manure management plan.
Since horses don't eat meat, or anything derived from meat, horse poop is relatively "clean," with so few bacteria, parasites or viruses that the Centers for Disease Control says that instances of humans getting sick from contact with horse manure is rare.
This means horses that are not receiving enough roughage each day may start to eat feces to get the nutrients (i.e. fiber) that they are lacking. This could also apply to horses that are kept on poor performing or maintained pastures.
You can take your mower and break up all of the manure. You can get a drag and spread around all the manure. You can purchase a device to pick up the manure.
Horse manure has a higher nitrogen and nutrient content than cow dung. Moreover, horse waste contains significantly less water than cow manure; therefore, it can include up to twice as much nitrogen when dried. Horse manure requires composting or aging to kill weed seeds, larvae, and pathogens.
Spreading incompletely composted manure on horse pastures should be avoided due to the risk of infecting pastures with internal parasites. Manure should be spread at agronomic rates (rates equal to or less than plants will use in a year).
After application of any fertiliser a minimum of three weeks must pass before horses are allowed to graze the pasture, and even more time may be necessary in drier seasons.
“Composted horse manure is a great source of slow-release soil nutrients for a pasture or garden,” says Caitlin Price Youngquist, PhD, a soil scientist and an area Extension educator for the University of Wyoming, in Worland. All organic matter, including manure and bedding, decomposes eventually.
If you are a gardener and you have a source of either fresh or composted horse manure, then you are indeed blessed for horse manure is particularly good for most garden plants and vegetables.
Summary. Although less common than in foals, manure eating (coprophagy) in adult horses is still common. It is thought to most likely result from boredom and hunger. There are theories that it can be a consequence of lack of adequate forage or fiber, or other dietary imbalances or deficiencies.
Fall is the most common time of year for adding manure to a vegetable garden. The manure may be spread atop the soil or incorporated into the garden soil. Pig, dog, cat, and human waste should never be used in a vegetable garden.