Horse manure management - A pre-study of manure collector equipment

There is great value in more horse manure being cleaned up, partly to reduce nutrient leakage to our watercourses, and partly from a resource perspective, where horse manure becomes a resource in a circular economy at a time of limited access to mineral fertilizers. Cleaning pastures also contributes to better horse health by reducing parasitic pressure.

The project will make an inventory of commercially available equipment designed to remove manure from horse pastures, for example horse poo vacuums, evaluate selected equipment and identify pros and cons and compile proposals for improvements or redesign.

The evaluation of selected equipment designed to remove manure from horse paddocks and pastures will be done through interviews, observations and tests at different horse facilities. It can be facilities that already use some kind of equipment today or those that set up as test facilities to evaluate one or more equipment identified within the project. Finally, demonstrations of machines and equipment designed to remove manure from horse pastures will be held at 2-3 larger equestrian facilities for knowledge sharing and dissemination of results.

The pre-study will provide a basis for continued development of new or existing equipment, in order to meet the needs that exist for an efficient and well-functioning collection of manure in horse pastures. In the long run, the project is expected to contribute to reduced nutrient losses, a better environment for the horses, an improved working environment for humans and a rationalization of the work in the stables.