Manure and Nutrient Management

One aspect of caring for horses that is often overlooked is horse manure. Having an effective manure management plan is a best practice for a successful operation.

How to Complete a Horse Management Plan

All horse operations need to have a manure management plan, regardless if you run an equine business, own a hobby farm or have recreational animals.

The horse manure management plan should include an overview of the amount of manure produced per year, as well as its nutrient content and storage system. If you want to know where to begin, Penn State Extension has an online course that covers the writing of a manure management plan specifically for Pennsylvania farmers and property owners.

The document outlines how horse farm owners identify the timing, amount, and placement of manure, dirty water, and other organic waste. Knowing how to collect, store, dispose of or use the waste products produced by your horses deserves careful attention, if you want your horses to stay healthy.

Managing the manure that gets produced in your stables plays a significant part in running a successful equine business, but there are plenty more factors at play. Forage biology and species, environmental stewardship, grazing management and pasture renovation, fencing, and much more are equally important aspects of efficient horse operations.

Horse Manure Composting

One way to use the manure produced on your stable is to compost it. Composting requires more than just leaving the manure in a pile to rot. It’s a managed, aerobic process, part of which means you have to regularly turn the manure.

Done correctly, there are many benefits to composting on horse farms, such as the destruction of weed seeds and pathogens, and greatly reduced smell from the manure.

Manure Sampling and Parasites

The manure you collect on your horse farm can tell you a lot about the condition of your horses and whether they’re getting sufficient nutrients from the food they eat.

Manure sampling will also reveal whether your animals have parasites. Sampling for parasites is something you can do on your own farm. Penn State Extension has an equine parasite workshop that provides all the important details.

Knowing all you can about the health and care of horses in your stables means you can provide them with the best environment and all the necessary nutrients. Browse Penn State Extension equine resources for any topics you need information on.