With good management, you can turn manure from a liability to an asset.

Manure from one horse is worth $150 in fertilizer per year.

Below are some tips from AQHA Educational Marketing Alliance Partner Country Living Association.

Manure is “black gold.” The manure from one horse is worth $150 in fertilizer per year. However, manure can also do harm if it is in the wrong place or not handled properly. Raw manure or manure attached to eroding soil can wash off the land and into the nearest stream. There its nutrients and bacteria can cause algae blooms, kill fish, degrade shellfish beds and pollute drinking water. These small things add up to a big pollution problem.

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Here’s how to turn manure from a liability to an asset:

• Move manure piles to covered facilities for winter storage.
• Fence animals away from the stream with a buffer of shrubs and trees planted next to the stream to filter runoff.
• Locate water tanks in each paddock away from the stream.
• Divert rainwater from the animal yard and into the stream using roof gutters, downspouts and tile.
• Divert uphill drainage away from the animal yard and into the stream.
• Collect manure every one to three days.
• Store and cover manure to keep nutrients from leaching away.
• Compost manure to produce a valuable resource.
• Stockpile manure during the fall and winter.
• Spread manure during the growing season.

Get discounts with AQHA corporate partners, show at official AQHA events, enroll in horseback riding programs and receive America’s Horse magazine. Become an AQHA member today!