8/ JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 THE RIDER The Way of Horses: What’s Up, Doc?


ommend composting. Composting reduces the


total amount of waste that needs to be removed and con- centrates the beneficial nutri- ents. The heat generated by composting kills parasites, bacteria and insect eggs. Fully composted manure will not at- tract adult flies. Plus com- posted manure is easy to get rid of….people love it for their gardens. It can take up to eight


By Eleanor Blazer Copyright @ 2018


of it.


All horses produce manure – and lots The average 1,000-pound horse pro-


duces about 50 pounds of manure a day… and this does not include the bedding. When you consider the horse eats about 25 to 30 pounds of feed a day, the manure pro- duction is an amazing feat. (Of course the difference is moisture and body tissue waste.) The dilemma you face is what to do


with the manure and soiled bedding? Re- search invariably turns up “build a com- post bin”. I have yet to see a compost bin at any


of the stables I have visited during the last 30 years. I’ve seen huge piles of manure –


some bigger than houses. My mother has a pile almost as old as I am. Over the years neighbors have re-


moved some of it for their gardens. I once set it on fire – which was not a smart thing to do. It smoldered for weeks. Luckily Mom lives in Ohio and gets lots of rain. So what are some options for getting


rid of horse manure? Environmentalists, the Co-operative Extension Service and others highly rec-


months for raw manure to turn in to useable compost. The length of time can vary accord- ing to the ambient temperature. But composting takes ef-


fort. You can’t just dump the manure in a pile. A composting bin needs


to be constructed on a flat well drained piece of ground. It needs to be easily accessible for both filling and then subse- quent removing of the com- post.


Moisture, air flow and


temperature will need to be managed. Moisture is man- aged by either covering the pile or adding water. Air flow is managed by turning the pile or inserting pipes. Temperature is managed by either reducing the size of the pile or increas- ing it.


Contact your local Co-op-


erative Extension Service for plans and instructions on building and managing a suc- cessful composting operation. There is also composting infor- mation on the internet. The majority of horse


owners just pile the manure in a huge heap behind the barn


When deciding where to


put the manure pile, consider possible contamination of water (ponds, creeks and wells). A 50-foot grass buffer strip is recommended between the pile and water sources. A manure pile holding


area can be helpful. This struc- ture features a concrete floor; berms that offer drainage con- trol and walls that will keep the pile in one spot. The walls also help with the aesthetics of the stable. Once the pile reaches im-


mense proportions (or the neighbors start to complain) it’s time to get rid of the pile. The easiest way to get rid


of the manure is spreading it on your own land. This re- quires a tractor, manure spreader, a front-end loader (or a strong back and manure fork) and land. There are some draw-


backs to spreading raw manure and bedding on your land. The horses will not eat grass that has manure on it. If there are weed seeds in the hay you will be seeding your pastures or


fields with weed seed. It is possible you will be spreading internal parasites to your pas- tures (a good de-worming pro- gram is mandatory).


If you don’t want crops


stunted, you must treat the daily amount of manure col- lected. Treat it as you take it from the stall. You need to add nitrogen in the form of ammo- nium nitrate or ammonium sul- fate fertilizer at the rate of ½ cup per day to 40 to 50 pounds of manure. Just sprinkle it on the manure mixture after it’s been loaded in the wheelbar- row or spreader. Urea fertilizer will not work because the ni- trogen can be lost into the air. Another option to get rid


If the


manure is mixed with sawdust or wood shavings the grass or crop in the field will be stunted.


Susan Dahl Continued from Page 6


www.facebook.com/rrlashbrook - for organiz- ing it and looking after everything.” There will be another ranch horse clinic this summer. For more information, please


“It started in Ontario in the same year as when the AQHA made it a standard VRH class in 2014. The shows started in Ilderton at the OQHA shows. They also have the class now in Orangeville, and Carp. Some of the saddle clubs like Mid-West are starting to have classes as well. The Northeastern Reined Cow Horse Alliance held a ranch riding class at their 2017 show at REACH (Clinton, Ontario). Fall fairs like Harriston are starting to get the class down to the grass roots.” Lastly Greg commented: “I want to thank Lashbrook


Roxanne -


Ranch Riding in Ontario Greg Crispin on ranch riding in Ontario:


of the manure pile is to pay a farmer or commercial hauler to remove it. Do not fill in low areas


with manure. It is organic, and when wet will turn into a bog. The bacteria and parasites it


contains create unsanitary con- ditions. Make sure you remove


manure from your turn-out area, dry-lot or riding arena and preserve the good footing you have provided for your horse.


We all want a neat, clean


stable for our horses. With proper management manure should not detract from that goal. * Earn a Bachelor of Science degree in equine studies or cer- tification as a Professional Horse Trainer or Riding In- structor. Start your new career as a riding instructor, horse trainer, or stable manager. All courses are online. Visit www.horsecoursesonline.com for information.


check Greg’s


Saugeen Bluffs Horse Campground - www.svca.on.ca/ca_details.php?page=horse- camping . Putting my spin on clinics and the


Saugeen Horse Campground Reinersue @KISS Reiners


About Susan Dahl Susan Dahl, ORHA/NRHA past multiple cham- pion, writer, blogger, author and clinician, re- tired certified professional horse trainer. Owner of Foundation Reining Training Centre in Durham, ON. She specializes in effective horsemanship, and reining. For more informa- tion on her services: judging, clinics or resale horses, please contact her on facebook, her website: www.reinersuehorsemanship.com or reinersue@hotmail.com


www.facebook.com/greg.crispin . You can get more information about the


facebook page -


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