By Jennifer Roberts

When you walk into the stall it hits you like a ton of bricks. Your eyes water, your airways burn and your nose begins to tingle in the most unpleasant ways. It is the unmistakable smell of ammonia.

Typically, when you think of ammonia, the pungent smell is related to urine. However, research has shown that dangerous ammonia is also found in feces as well. This means that it is much more prevalent in your horse’s environment than you may think. According to Michael Westendorf, of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, “A 1,000 pound horse will defecate approximately four to thirteen times each day and produce approximately nine tons of manure per year. The 1,000 pound horse will produce, on the average, 37 pounds of feces and 2.4 gallons of urine daily, which totals about 50 pounds of raw waste per day in feces and urine combined