Did you know that horses will not graze the grass within a 1 metre diameter of their manure for up to 300 days ?
Horses will poo up to 8 – 9 piles per day. Particularly on small acreage, this can become an issue if an effective Manure Management System is not in place. The method of which manure is managed on pasture is a subjective from property to property. However it is essential that a method is used to ensure that horses have plenty of pasture to graze.
Manure can be manually picked up with a rake or poo vacuum, and removed entirely from the paddock. This minimises the amount of time and distance that horses will avoid patches of grass where manure was. This also helps to reduce the exposure to potential parasites and bacteria that may be present in the faeces.
Alternatively, Manure can be spread around via rake dragged behind a vehicle, or kicked around, to minimise the concentration in set spots, and allow it to eventually break down and soak into the soil. Not quite as effective for parasite and bacteria exposure management, but better than nothing and good fertiliser for the paddocks.
Pastures can be rotated prior to being raked, and rested to help avoid overgrazing. However this isn’t always possible. Manure makes great compost and can be used on the gardens as an effective fertiliser.
Horses being selective grazers, particularly those on limited pastur, will be very appreciative of an effective Manure Management System.
– Skye Pickering Dip. Horse Business Management