Riding for the Future: Ecologically Sustainable Horsekeeping

by Meghan Marino
Equestrian Services, LLC

The Environmental Protection Agency defines sustainability as the ability of an ecosystem to maintain relative ecological integrity indefinitely. It also defines sustainability as the maintenance of ecosystem components and functions for future generations. As horse owners and enthusiasts, ecological sustainability is an issue that concerns us deeply. Diminishing land and natural resources are forcing us ride and house our horses on ever smaller parcels of land as cities and their suburbs continue to expand at a dizzying pace. With the U.S. Census Bureau projecting a population of over 400 million in the United States by the year 2050, this problem will only worsen unless measures are taken to ensure that smart growth practices are being implemented.

While many of us are concerned about the state of the Earth’s environment, we simply do not have enough time to devote to all of these worthy causes. Therefore, as horse owners, we have a responsibility to contribute to the causes that affect us most directly and ensure that our activities have a positive effect on the environment. By examining the effects that equestrian activities have on the land, we can formulate a plan to assure that we practice horsekeeping in a sustainable manner.

The first step towards sustainable horsekeeping is planning our facilities effectively in a way that is both functional and environmentally sensitive. With the aid of a qualified landscape architect or land planner, an analysis of the site should be performed, taking into consideration factors such as existing buildings, water bodies, landforms, slope steepness, and areas of poor drainage. Once the site is analyzed, buildings can be situated in a way that consumes less energy. For example, if you live in a cooler climate, situating your barn on a southern slope might ensure a warmer microclimate. Although the energy costs for a small barn are less than that of a home, a thoughtful placement of your building will not only cut down on energy costs, it will make the temperature in your barn more consistent, helping eliminate temperature extremes and maximizing your horse’s comfort. A correctly oriented and designed building should resist hot summer sun, while allowing low angle winter sunlight to enter.

Landscaping can also be utilized to make your facility more energy efficient, comfortable, and aesthetically pleasing. Deciduous trees planted on the southern side of your buildings will let the leaves shade the building during the summer months and allow sunlight to enter after the leaves drop. If your barn includes an air conditioning unit, planting shrubs that shade the unit can increase its efficiency by up to 10%. Along with energy savings and comfort, you will also have the added benefit of knowing that by adding vegetation, you are helping improve air quality and control pollution.

Besides planning your facility effectively, there are several management practices that can be implemented on a daily basis to ensure sustainability, efficiency, and comfort without expending additional time or energy. One of the most important components in making your barn ecologically sustainable is the selection of good bedding for your stalls. Using peat, for example, is not a sustainable choice. Because peat takes so long to form and is an integral piece of a wetland’s ecology, the harvesting of it from wetlands only contributes to the demise of a delicate ecosystem. Wood shavings are also an example of bedding that is not sustainable. Natural toxins present in pine and cedar are exposed when the wood is cut into such small pieces – when it rains, the toxins leach out of the wood and into the water table. This is not a problem in a short summer shower, however, if a large storm washes your shavings pile and its contents into a nearby creek, toxins leached from the wood will contaminate the water. Even if your shavings do not wash into a water body, the continual seepage into the ground will eventually contaminate the water table. A more sustainable choice would be permanent bedding, such as Equidry. Along with environmental benefits, permanent bedding such as this is oftentimes beneficial to your horse’s health and comfort.; For more information about bedding, refer to Karen Hayes’ book “The Perfect Stall” (www.theperfectstall.com).

Waste management is also an integral part of a sustainable plan for horsekeeping. If your facility is small and has a limited number of horses, it is often feasible for manure to be dealt with on-site. However, before you spread or otherwise use the manure, it must be properly composted to ensure that all parasites and weeds have been killed. Although composting can be somewhat labor intensive, if done correctly it can be a valuable, nutrient-rich, and cost effective resource as fertilizer for your pasture, lawn, or landscaping. It is also often possible to obtain funding or grants to build a facility for composting your manure. Due to issues concerning watershed contamination, various state and municipal sponsored incentive programs have been formed to help landowners compost their manure effectively and properly. For more information about composting and incentive programs, contact your local Cooperative Extension agent. Other resources that provide information about manure composting include the “The Rodale Book of Composting” (www.rodalestore.com) and “Field Guide to On-Farm Composting” (www.nraes.org/publications/composting.html).

For larger facilities, the answer to manure management may be to engage a manure removal service. When choosing a manure removal service, be sure to ask what is done with the manure after it is hauled off of the site – while some companies simply haul the manure to a landfill, others compost it and then sell or donate it to farmers or community landscapes. Other important questions to ask include how often manure is picked up, and if they provide storage dumpsters or simply pick it up from your manure shed.

Harvesting rainwater is also environmentally beneficial and cost-effective. If you are planning on using this water as potable water, a filtration system must be installed, but for use on your landscape, arena, or pasture, the water can be applied directly from your collection bins. Almost any type of material can be used for collection – plastic, wood, or metal barrels are all suitable choices for collection bins.

As equestrians, we have a responsibility to practice sustainable horsekeeping. It does not take an inordinate amount of time or money to apply these practices, and the benefits are enormous. No matter the size or scope of your facility, you can save money and have a positive effect on the environment. Being sustainable does not necessarily mean outfitting your barn with a greenroof or solar panels (although these are certainly viable options as well) – it simply means that you are utilizing practices that help minimize the impact of human and equestrian use on the land. In addition to having a more efficient, comfortable facility, by implementing these practices you will be impacting your environment in a positive way. You will also feel a sense of personal satisfaction knowing that you are making a difference by preserving the integrity of the ecosystem and guarding the land for future generations of equestrians.