Q: I have a smaller horse farm with five horses on it. What can I do to reduce the amount of manure on my farm so it doesn’t create an eyesore or attract unwanted insects?

A: According to the USDA, one horse produces 50 pounds of manure per day. If you add spent bedding to that equation, you can have a huge mountain of stall waste daily just from one horse, not to mention several horses. However, you can find ways to use that waste, turning it into a resource for you, your community, and the ecosystem around you.

For horse owners with pasture or cropland, composting is the No. 1 recommended manure management option by agencies and industry professionals. Before fertilizers were readily available and popularized, farmers composted livestock manure and food scraps and spread the finished compost on pastures, crops, and gardens. Experts typically do not recommend spreading fresh manure because of the risk of spreading parasites, pathogens (disease-causing organisms), and weed seeds. Spreading compost is excellent for soil health and pasture productivity. You can apply a thin layer of compost to pastures, lawns, gardens, and crops during the growing season.

What if you don’t have enough pasture to apply compost? Or maybe composting isn’t your thing? In that case you might need to explore off-site options.

Horse Waste for Dairy Farms

You can investigate whether you have a local dairy farm or other livestock operation that will accept horse manure. Dairies are often willing to take horse stall waste that contains bedding, viewing it as a highly absorbent, free material they can reuse as bedding for dairy cows. Most parasites and pathogens found in spent bedding are species-specific, so those affecting horses typically do not affect ruminants.

Horse Manure Compost for Landscaping

Compost tends to be much easier to rehome than straight manure. Creating nicely composted stall waste doesn’t take much more effort than stockpiling manure. With a little advertising and an easy-to-access location, you might attract enough people to take all of it—composted or not—particularly in urban areas with avid gardeners or landscapers. If you can help others load it with a tractor and bucket, that also makes it more appealing. You can also spread the word to local flower and garden clubs, nurseries, and native plant clubs, or post on Craigslist, Facebook groups, or other social media platforms.

Hauling Horse Waste Off-Site

If you choose to haul your horses’ waste off-site, you can either hire someone to haul it for you or you can get the equipment to do it yourself. Some of these businesses might take it for free or charge a tipping fee. Paying to dispose of manure off-site might be the easiest way to go if you have a mountain of manure, lack of storage space, or don’t have the time to research or implement other options. These businesses often take horse manure:

• Compost or topsoil companies; 
• Nurseries and flower gardens;
• Tree farms;
• Crop farmers;
• Organic growers; and
• Flower gardeners.

Check with your local garbage hauler or shavings supplier because they might be able to haul off manure for a fee and take it to a composting facility or topsoil company. Some compost or topsoil facilities rent drop boxes they deliver and empty. They usually charge pickup, rental, and disposal fees.

Take-Home Message

Smart manure management on small horse farms often involves using a mix of strategies. From composting and reusing stall waste to connecting with gardeners, farmers, or haulers, the right combination depends on your space, time, and goals. With a little planning and creativity, you can turn manure into a useful resource rather than a problem.