|
The Scoop on Horse Poop
|
|
|
What’s something no one really wants, but misses badly when there isn't any? Manure! Call it horse buns, road apples, horse pucky, horse chips, horse hooey or horse apples, as much as we's rather clean stalls then our houses, we’d still prefer to be spending time riding, rather than shoveling. However, manure is so important, that if our horses stopped making it, we’d be in big trouble. Luckily, it’s also useful too. Here’s the scoop on horse poop.
Amount
 Horses eat a lot. And they poop a lot. A horse produces about fifty pounds of manure a day. They poop about eight times a day. If you've wondered why your horse’s stall always needs cleaning, you now know. This is an average of course, and depends on the size of the horse, and how much they are fed. Producing fifty pounds a day means the average horse produces nine tons of manure each year. That’s a lot of poop to scoop. If a horse stops producing manure, it’s time to call the vet.
Contents
What goes up must come down, and what goes in must come out. Horse poop contains fiber from grass, hay and grain, minerals, shed cells, fats, undigested seeds and seed hulls, water and dirt. Normal manure contains about 75% water.
Appearance
The appearance of horse manure will change depending on what the horse is eating. A horse that is eating green grass or bright green hay will produce green manure. If the grass or hay is brown, the manure will also be brown. All manure turns brown eventually, when it’s exposed to air and weather. A departure from the familiar 'road apple' shape could mean your horse is very nervous, or it may have a gastric problem and it's time to call the vet.
Odor
Horse manure has a distinctive smell that most people find inoffensive. Really stinky manure can be a sign of rapid change in diet, too much dietary fat or protein, bacterial infection, ulcers or internal parasites.
Uses
If you have a horse and a garden, you've got a built-in composter for your plants. Horse manure won’t burn plants like other manures, although it’s best to let it set for a few months before putting it on your gardens. This ensures that any e-coli in the manure is long gone.
Manure has other uses too. Traditionally, manure has been a component of adobe bricks. Horse manure is also a good heating and cooking fuel. Bricks made from horse manure are said to burn hotter than hardwood. You might not want to roast a marshmallow over the flame.
Horse buns make good hockey pucks as long as the weather is very cold. Horse bun hockey pucks used during a thaw can make the game rather messy.
Horse manure is relatively safe compared to cat and dog poop. It doesn't harbor zoonotic parasites or diseases except for e-coli. E-coli is killed by sunlight, so as long as the sun can get at it, there’s little worry if you fall face first in a pile. Just keep your mouth and eyes shut, and go wash your face.
Image Credit: © Andrey Shupilo | Dreamstime.com |
|
|
|
PonyBox
 MOD
50 pounds of poop a day. That's a lot of poop!
50 pounds of poop a day. That's a lot of poop!
|
Jul 21, 2013
• 10,174 views
|
|
|
|
Copper711
Wow!!!!!!1 that's lots of poop per day, lol.
Wow!!!!!!1 that's lots of poop per day, lol.
|
53 days ago
• 9,802 views
|
|
|
|
|
Related Horse News
|
|
What’s something no one really wants, but misses badly when there isn't any? Manure! Call it horse buns, road apples, horse pucky, horse chips, horse hooey or horse apples, as much as we's rather clean stalls then our houses, we’d ...
|
|
Using horse manure for fuel solves two problems. Manure is a renewable energy source and its production is relatively kind to the environment. And, it provides a way to clean up manure, which Finland no longer allows in landfill s ...
|
|
We hear a lot about global climate change caused by the fossil fuels we use to heat our homes, cook our food and power our vehicles. So it wouldn’t be strange that we long for simpler times when such problems (if you believe there ...
|
|
The FEI World Cup Jumping Show in Helsinki is being fueled by horse manure. Not only is the venue running on manure, the manure collected from the horses at the show produces enough energy to supply the show venue and a small haml ...
|
|
At a meeting in Germany, scientists are looking for ways to monetize carbon dioxide emissions. And horse manure has been part of the discussion. Dried manure has been used as a fuel for centuries. And methane gas made from manure ...
|
|
We know horse manure can be useful. Fertilizer, building material and beer can all be derived from manure, but the most traditional use is as heating fuel. And strangely enough, this is something pandas have discovered as well. Re ...
|
|
More News by Winniefield Park
|
|
For many people, summer holiday mode is over, and with everyone back to regular work and school routines autumn can feel like the real start of the new year. Here are the three horses that started the "new year" in the top spots o ...
|
|
In some areas, Ivermectin is being cleared from store shelves because it’s being inappropriately used by people who believe it’s an antidote for COVID-19. Experts are warning that taking Ivermectin, a drug commonly used for horses ...
|
|
What do you do when you are on the track of a violent hurricane and you have a stable full of horses and other critters? Tim Anderson of Tim Anderson Ranch and Horse Training explains his plan for preparing his facility and the r ...
|
|
The top ranked PonyBox horse on the first day of September was 16.3 hand Thoroughbred mare LI Super Trooper. Super Trooper is out of the 21st generation stallion Silent Darkness whose pedigree traces back to #1 stallions DF Volkhv ...
|
|
Almost too weak to stand, and left lying in the mud waiting for the dead stock truck, a small pony met the right people just in the nick of time. Months of rehabilitation, good food, and grooming resulted in a miraculous transfor ...
|
|
*M Pure Gold, who wears the MIAB brand, reached the #1 ranking and was in the top twenty for winnings, with 5,391,955 PB. At the age of 17, Pure Gold had a best jump of 103 inches. Her jumpoff record was 3,763 - 53 with a best str ...
|
|
The Paralympics are a showcase of athletic excellence and all of the sports including the Equestrian Individual and Team events are underway. You can watch online as athletes ride their horses in the dressage tests beginning Thurs ...
|
|
Like many events, the annual Appleby Horse Fair was delayed due to Covid. This year, the well-known event was held August 5 through 12. The town of Appleby in the Cumbria District of the U.K. rang with the sound of shod hooves, an ...
|
|
|
