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| Six Easy Ways to Practice Eco-Friendly Horse Care |
Horses connect us to nature in profound ways. Their powerful yet gentle spirits remind us that we are part of something greater than ourselves. As caretakers for these magnificent creatures, we have an obligation to treat the environment with the same respect and compassion we show our equine partners. Implementing green practices in horse management benefits the health of our horses, our lands, and our planet.
Regular Manure Removal Supports Horse Health and Reduces Environmental Impact
Scoop Manure Frequently for Parasite Control
Parasitic worms thrive in accumulated manure. By picking up manure every one to three days, the parasite life cycle is disrupted, leading to:
- An 83% reduction in infected parasite larvae on pastures
- Improved efficacy of deworming programs
- Decreased risk of parasitic disease and associated veterinary expenses
Frequent manure removal is the cornerstone of any green horsekeeping program. It lays the foundation for healthy horses and land.
Prevent Flies and Odors through Proactive Manure Management
Flies use fresh manure as an ideal breeding ground. A single cow patty can produce 600,000 house flies and 800,000 stable flies over one summer. Diligent manure removal suppresses fly development by:
- Removing egg-laying sites
- Forcing flies to scatter eggs over a wider area
- Reducing food sources for fly larvae
Without massive amounts of manure, flies struggle to complete their life cycle. Populations plummet, creating a more comfortable environment for both horses and humans.
Mitigate Soil Damage and Runoff
Livestock manure introduces excessive nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus into soils. This throws off the ecological balance and enables invasive weeds to infiltrate pastures.
During rainy seasons, these nutrients dissolve in water and run off the land as pollutants. This contaminated runoff degrades waterways, causing algae blooms and oxygen loss that can kill fish and other aquatic life.
By removing manure before rains arrive, runoff is prevented and pasture soils remain healthy and productive. Responsible manure management truly benefits all.
Convert Waste into a Valuable Resource through Composting
Horse manure makes an excellent addition to compost piles. As an "activator," manure heats up compost to speed decomposition. The act of composting horse manure confers multiple advantages:
Build Soil Health with Quality Compost
Finished compost contains an array of macro and micronutrients plants need to thrive. It improves soil structure, increases moisture retention, and fosters healthy microbial activity.
Amending pastures and arenas with one half to one inch of compost replenishes vital nutrients removed by grazing. It strengthens grass plants against drought, equine traffic, and other stressors for increased productivity.
Use Covered Facilities to Prevent Runoff
To prevent rain from saturating piles, build covered composting facilities. A three-sided structure with a roof offers suitable protection. Place the open side away from prevailing winds and downhill slopes. Divert runoff with a gutter if necessary.
Avoid compiling manure within 200 feet of streams, ditches or wetlands. Contact your local conservation district for guidance designing runoff control structures. Properly sited facilities ensure compost stays where it belongs.
Offset Feed Costs by Selling Quality Compost
Mature compost is a valued commodity fetching premium prices at nurseries and garden stores. Offer excess compost to neighboring farms and households.
Charging fair rates for compost offsets horse-keeping expenses while preventing piles from over-accumulating. Compost sales forge community connections, spreading awareness of sustainable land management.
Use Footing to Increase Horse Comfort and Reduce Mud
Mud spells misery for horse and human alike. It harbors bacteria, sucks up shoes, and makes chores supremely arduous. By surfacing high traffic areas, mud can be curtailed.
Gravel Offers Superior Traction and Drainage
Gravel combats mud in paddocks and around gates, troughs, and barn entrances. Compared to geotextiles, sand, or wood products, gravel:
- Provides firm footing without compaction
- Resists displacement from hoof traffic
- Promotes drainage by allowing water to infiltrate soils
For best performance, use clean 1/2 to 5/8 inch crushed rock, such as granite or limestone. Wash gravel first to remove fine particles (aka "fines") that inhibit drainage.
Apply 2 to 4 Inch Base Course
Construct a base course two to four inches deep for stable gravel surfacing. At this depth, hooves sink in slightly while remaining well supported, mimicking natural movement on firm ground.
Excavators make quick work of base construction. For small areas, a skid-steer loader suffices. Compact the soil before applying gravel to prevent settling issues.
Replenish Gravel Annually
Expect to add more gravel as surface stones get pushed into the soil profile. Hoof shear and loader tire friction grind away gravel over time too.
Plan for annual top-dressing of 1/2 to one inch of new material. This preserves drainage and ensures sound footing. Proper care means gravel surfacing solutions last for decades.
Employ Natural Pest Predators for Sustainable Fly Control
Manure removal and composting form the first line of defense against flies. Further fortify your farm by enlisting natural pest predators:
Install Birdhouses to Attract Insect-Eating Birds
Barn swallows, tree swallows, and purple martins devour astronomical quantities of flying insects. A single purple martin can consume over 2,000 mosquitoes a day!
Entice these voracious bug eaters by installing nest boxes specifically designed for their needs. Properly constructed and positioned nests offer safe shelter for raising young.
Put Up Nest Boxes Before Nesting Season
Research when swallow species arrive in your region to ensure housing is ready. As spring's first insects emerge, scout for potential nest sites and competition too.
Mount boxes 12 to 15 feet high on weathered wooden posts or metal poles. Include a predator guard if issues with snakes, raccoons or cats arise.
Provide Mud and Straw for Nest Building
Birds construct nests by cocooning mud and vegetation into cavity walls. Set out mud puddles enriched with straw near nest boxes. This makes material collection easier during egg brooding when parents are reluctant to stray far.
Adding a sprinkle of sand or grass clippings to the mud mix enables better adhesion to vertical surfaces. Your feathered partners will thank you!
Reuse and Recycle to Reduce Waste
Recycling should be the last resort in the mantra, "Reduce, reuse, recycle." Embracing reuse on horse farms conjures boundless possibilities.
Repurpose Pallets into Fencing, Furniture and More
Pallets are discarded in droves after a single shipment. Their rugged durability makes pallets prime for reuse around the barn.
Nail pallets together to construct stall walls, tack lockers, and feed bins. Use them as backing for natural pasture shelters too. Sturdy enough for horses, pallets also build great goat shelters and compost enclosures.
For quick and easy projects, make handy pallet shelves, saddle racks, brush boxes and feed troughs. Paint or stain them to match existing barn décor.
Create Decor and Useful Items from Horseshoes
Don't resign old horseshoes to the scrap pile. Forge them into clever hooks, handmade signs or southwest-style art pieces instead.
Horseshoes readily fasten to barn beams for hanging saddle pads, grooming totes and more. Screw shoes to stall boards as bridle, halter and lead rope hooks to keep tack orderly.
Transform Feed Bags into Transport Totes
Water resistance and ample capacity make feed sacks perfect receptacles for carrying all kinds of things. Line them with a garbage bag and fill with shavings or compost.
Stash bags in your trailer, tack room and barn entrance to haul mandated quarantine hay, soiled wraps or other messy items without making a mess. They collapse for compact storage too.
Reusing durable items already on hand lets you skip visits to the store. This saves fuel costs and curbs the further extraction of virgin resources.
Support Public Recycling Programs
Even avid reusers produce some waste. Responsibly manage what remains through community recycling programs.
Recycle Allowed Materials Per Facility Guidelines
Get up to speed on what your transfer station, waste management provider or local government allows. Common recycle categories are:
- Cardboard
- Metal food cans
- Some plastics
- Paper and newsprint
Prep materials properly by rinsing, removing caps, flattening cartons, etc. No good deed goes unpunished though—a few wrong items accidentally mixed in can spoil entire batches. When in doubt, leave it out or ask.
Save County Landfill Capacity
Recycling alleviates pressures on local landfills nearing capacity. Hauling trash to distant facilities increases collection expenses and pollution from extra truck trips. Support recycling to avoid these rising community costs.
Enable Production of New Goods from Old Materials
Recycled materials provide manufacturers renewable resources for creating fresh products. This spares forests, reduce mining activities, and lowers industrial pollution levels.
Close the loop by purchasing recycled paper, insulation, buckets, lumber and more. Using recycled goods bolsters market demand, leading to further conservation gains.
Conclusion
Implementing green horse management practices positively impacts horses, humans, and environmental health. Through everyday acts like collecting manure, building birdhouses, and reusing feed sacks, equestrians steward the sustainability of our lands and animal partners for generations to come.