Methods to Reduce Water Pollution From Horse Manure

High concentrations of manure in paddocks can degrade local water quality and upset water’s natural balances.
Share
Favorite
Close

No account yet? Register

ADVERTISEMENT

Methods to Reduce Water Pollution From Horse Manure
High concentrations of manure in paddocks can degrade local water quality and upset water's natural balances. | Photo: iStock
As a “natural” part of this world, horses might seem like a positive addition to the ecosystem. But civilization and modern management systems can dampen these benefits and could even lead to water pollution, recent study results from Sweden have revealed.

“Yes, horses are natural; so in that case you need to make sure that you’re ‘using’ them in a natural system,” said Masud Parvage, PhD, of the Department of Soil and Environment at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, in Uppsala. High concentrations of feed and horse manure—in paddocks, for example—can degrade local water quality and upset the water’s natural balances.

In their study, Parvage and his fellow researchers investigated how phosphorus, nitrogen, and carbon leach into runoff rainwater from two different kinds of horse paddocks: sand lots and dirt (clay) lots. Phosphorus, nitrogen, and carbon concentrations in water are standard indicators of water cleanness, and scientists have previously established acceptable thresholds of these concentrations. Essentially, the lower the concentrations, the cleaner the water.

The researchers tested samples from various areas of the paddocks in a laboratory setting with simulated rainfall, Parvage said

Create a free account with TheHorse.com to view this content.

TheHorse.com is home to thousands of free articles about horse health care. In order to access some of our exclusive free content, you must be signed into TheHorse.com.

Start your free account today!

Already have an account?
and continue reading.

Share

Written by:

Passionate about horses and science from the time she was riding her first Shetland Pony in Texas, Christa Lesté-Lasserre writes about scientific research that contributes to a better understanding of all equids. After undergrad studies in science, journalism, and literature, she received a master’s degree in creative writing. Now based in France, she aims to present the most fascinating aspect of equine science: the story it creates. Follow Lesté-Lasserre on Twitter @christalestelas.

Related Articles

Stay on top of the most recent Horse Health news with

FREE weekly newsletters from TheHorse.com

Sponsored Content

Weekly Poll

sponsored by:

How much time do you usually spend grooming your horse?
439 votes · 439 answers

Readers’ Most Popular

Sign In

Don’t have an account? Register for a FREE account here.

Need to update your account?

You need to be logged in to fill out this form

Create a free account with TheHorse.com!