Introduction

Manure from grazing animals, including horses, is high in nutrients (e.g. phosphorus and nitrogen) and may also contain pathogens (e.g. cryptosporidium). Manure from foals (as with all young animals) contains higher levels of pathogens than faeces from adult horses.
 

Horse manure and soiled bedding from stables and yards can pollute watercourses and other water resources via water runoff, if the waste facilities are not well sited and designed.
 

Good waste storage and management is also important to avoid odour problems, which could offend neighbours.
 

Apart from that, it can build up and become unsightly.
 

In South Australia, property owners also have responsibilities under legislation (Environmental Protection Authority's Environmental Protection (Water Quality) Policy 2003) to avoid discharging or depositing waste or pollutants into any waters, bores or on to land where it might enter the water.
 

Steps to achieve best practice

Suggested actions that can be taken are:

• Check whether your local council has any specific regulations or requirements for horse waste storage.
• Consider putting in manure bays, or alternative structures that can safely contain manure and soiled bedding. Choose a type of bedding for which it is easy to manage disposal.
• Well designed manure bays should:
  • be roofed, to prevent rain falling on the waste and creating runoff that is loaded with nutrients and pathogens which could pollute watercourses,
  • be sited away from watercourses to avoid the risk of water pollution, and
  • allow good access by vehicles or other machinery etc used in disposal of the waste or transfer to composting areas.
• Regularly remove manure from the bays, then consider:
  • selling it in bags,
  • having it removed by a waste disposal company or by Council arrangement,
  • composting manure yourself for sale or re-use on the property,
  • having it collected to be composted by a composting company or community organisation who may want horse manure, e.g. community gardens, or
  • use horse SA 'poo pile online' (see links) For example, some properties have arrangements with waste disposal companies to fill removable lidded bins that meet these requirements (also see Cleaning and disposal of waste in intensive horsekeeping areas).

 

 
Consider putting in manure bays, or alternative structures that can safely contain manure and soiled bedding.

Links

• Legislation: www.dwlbc.sa.gov.au/legislation.html or www.parliament.sa.gov.au
• Local councils
• Land Management Program advisers: www.amlrnrm.sa.gov.au/services.html
• Horse SA: www.horsesa.asn.au
• Hoofprints - A manual for Horse Property Management - J. Foyel, Primary Industries SA. Agdex 461/10
• A Legal guide for South Australian primary producers - SA Law Society, available from PIRSA offices, Natural Resource Centres (but note some legislation referred to is now superseded)
• Managing Horses on Small Properties - by Jane Myers. Landlinks Press available through CSIRO publishing or Horse SA: www.horsesa.asn.au
• Horse Sense - Landlinks Press or from Horse SA www.horsesa.asn.au
• Check the websites from your State department of agriculture for additional books and fact sheets