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The Scoop on Horse Poop
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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 |
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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!
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Jul 21, 2013
• 9,513 views
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Copper711
Wow!!!!!!1 that's lots of poop per day, lol.
Wow!!!!!!1 that's lots of poop per day, lol.
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Jul 30, 2013
• 9,141 views
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