Picking up your horse's manure may seem like an uneccessary task, but it does provide many benefits. Picking up manure daily can help you keep track of any changes that may be happening with your horse, as well as reducing parasites in your pasture.
Picking up manure the old-fashioned style by using a rake and cart (I highly recommend the Gorilla Cart) is very labor intensive, especially if you have a large pasture. However, for smaller pastures that are an acre or less, this is a very economical way of picking up manure daily. If you keep a consistent schedule by doing this every day, it can become an easy task and not be unmanageable.
For larger pastures, picking up manure at least once or twice a week can be manageable and beneficial. There are different options for equipment to pick up manure such as a manure collector or manure scraper. These can be costly so it's important to consider all of your options of what will work best for you.
Benefits of removing manure from a pasture:
Reduces internal parasite contamination
Eliminates a breeding environment for flies
Reduces the chance of having patches of rough grass or weeds
Gives your pasture a good aesthetic
Not only does picking up manure from a pasture benefit your horse, but it gives your pasture a good aesthetic. Who would want a neighbor with a smelly pasture next door? While benefiting your horse, your pasture will look clean and tidy.
Composting your Manure
You may be wondering what you should do with all of this horse manure that is getting picked up from your pasture. Many horse farms choose to have it hauled away from the property or compost it. One of the best and most useful ways to reuse your horse's manure is to compost it. By composting it, you can easily put it to good use in your garden or even sell it to other people to use in their gardens. Make sure to do your research or contact your local extension office to ensure that you are composting your manure correctly.
Stockpiling Manure
You shouldn't create a stockpile of manure near your horses, as this can attract more flies. If you do choose to stockpile your manure, the farther away it is from your horses, the better. If you have a temporary stockpile, you should remove the pile each year to allow the site to recover. Starting a new pile on a new site will help prevent an excessive amount of nutrient development in the soil. If you are not able to have multiple temporary sites, you can have a permanent site that consists of either asphalt or concrete.
Using Manure as a Fertilizer
Rather than picking up manure, some people choose to drag the manure across the pasture to act as a fertilizer. While this may seem like a good option, it's important to do it safely. If you choose to drag manure piles across the pasture, you need to keep your horse off the pasture for at least a few weeks as the manure can increase the amount of parasites. The longer you keep your horse off the pasture after spreading the manure, the better. You also shouldn't drag manure across your pasture during wet or cool seasons.
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