I am currently boarding my horses but in less than two months they will be moving home- Yeah!!!

That also means we will have manure. They horses will have access to their stall, which will have shavings as beddings but they also will be outside 24/7.

So I will have manure in the pasture (only 5 acres) as well as a manure/ shaving mix.
What's the proper way to dispose of this- possibly even put it to good use?

Get a stall rake and go around your 5 acres
and throw the stuff as far as you can. It will
break up in little pieces and build up you soil.
Spray your 5 acres with "bugs in a jug" - beneficial
bacteria - this will quickly convert the manure to
a fertilizer. The stuff in the stall will be great for
trees shrubs, and grass. We lived in east TX for
18 years and never bought any fertilizer (before
we became organic). We just spread horse
manure and shavings and had far more grass
than I wanted and the trees did great. This will
really build up humus.
Robert D Bard

sandyacres said:
I am currently boarding my horses but in less than two months they will be moving home- Yeah!!!

That also means we will have manure. They horses will have access to their stall, which will have shavings as beddings but they also will be outside 24/7.

So I will have manure in the pasture (only 5 acres) as well as a manure/ shaving mix.
What's the proper way to dispose of this- possibly even put it to good use?
Congrats on your own place!

I compost my manure. I have 2 horses, so picking up their manure is not a daunting task. You can compost it, and then spread it, or if you don't have time/room to compost it, just spread it as you pick it up on the edges of the pasture, or in another pasture if you have multiple pastures.

I use a NewerSpreader Its small and easy to manuver. It holds about 2 muck buckets full. I use it spread raw manure and finished compost.

The stables where my daughters used to ride has a 3 acre "pasture" for about 20 horses. I put pasture in quotes because it's hardly a pasture. With all the animals it's just a beaten down area. But she also has about a dozen chickens running around all the time. The chickens keep the pasture manure pretty well spread out and take care of a lot of the fly and parasite problem.

Yes, 20 horses on 3 acres is hardly a pasture, more like a dry lot. The general rule of thumb is 2 acres for the first horse, and an acre for each additional horse. For the last 3 years, my 2 horses have shared 1.5 acres and I always had to supplement with hay. This summer I moved them to a new place and didn't have to feed a flake of hay until last week.

Regarding the flies, I've never had a problem with them. I have always fed my horses 1-2 oz of natural apple cider vinegar per day. It helps to keep the flies away. I think it also helps to repel them from their manure. Many people say that feeding them 3/4 cup of DE per day helps as well.

Kathy

Kathy, what is DE? I am going to have a couple of steers for the first time in my life this spring, so I was just wondering if I should do something about flies also. Will be keeping the steers on about one acre, from spring to fall.

Regarding the flies, I've never had a problem with them. I have always fed my horses 1-2 oz of natural apple cider vinegar per day. It helps to keep the flies away. I think it also helps to repel them from their manure. Many people say that feeding them 3/4 cup of DE per day helps as well.

Kathy, what is DE? I am going to have a couple of steers for the first time in my life this spring, so I was just wondering if I should do something about flies also. Will be keeping the steers on about one acre, from spring to fall.

I am SO sorry for not responding quicker. Yes, you definately want to control flies. DE is diatemaceous earth. For the cows, mix equal parts of DE, mineral salt, and seaweed meal. The seaweed meal, or kelp, will provide necessary minerals.