How do I manage manure at a horse facility responsibly and efficiently?

Manure management is one of the most time-consuming and most important ongoing responsibilities at any horse facility, affecting the health of the horses, the cleanliness and smell of the facility, the relationship with neighbors and local regulations, and the long-term condition of the land. Composting is the most sustainable approach for facilities with adequate space and time to manage the process correctly. Well-managed compost — turned regularly to maintain heat throughout the pile, kept adequately moist but not saturated, and allowed to reach high internal temperatures — breaks down into a stable, odor-controlled material that can be applied to pastures or gardens. The composting process also kills parasite eggs and larvae, reducing reinfestation risk when the finished compost is spread on horse pastures. Removal of manure from stalls on a daily schedule prevents the accumulation that creates ammonia problems, attracts flies, and requires horses to stand on wet, soiled bedding. Daily removal makes the task manageable — a stall cleaned once a day requires significantly less time than one cleaned less frequently with accumulated material that is difficult to remove. The location of the manure storage or composting area relative to the barn, the horses' living areas, and the property boundaries matters for both odor management and fly control. Positioning manure storage downwind of the barn and at a distance from the horses' primary areas reduces the fly pressure that manure piles inevitably create.