The Super Simple Easiest Way to Compost Horse Manure

[@aceofspades5786]

Urban gardener here in UK, i store horse manure from livery yard in bulk bags and just leave it, no extra fuss. Excellent video and advice, keep it simple.

[@LD-vt5ou]

do you have to worry about the heat that gets produced in the bags?

[@aceofspades5786]

I'm a year in, so far no issues with heat, the bulk bags are white and in shade, rotting down well and prolific with worms

[@thundyfamfarm]

​@@aceofspades5786Awesome, so no turning at all? I'm in desert so I'll need more water but will likely expedite the process because of upcoming summer heat

[@billredman7025]

Thank you for the video. I have 5 horses and pile my horse mature with this method other than the tarps. Works perfectly. 👍🏼

[@ListenToYourHorse]

Excellent! The tarp is needed to ensure the manure gets to a high enough temperature to kill the worm eggs/parasites. But that would also depend on your climate/temperature.

[@LifeisAisha]

Best video on KZbin right now. Thank you for sharing your journey. This was amazing!

[@johncasey1020]

I've done enough horse whispering. Glad to see that you've found a way to process and use the manure effectively. Have a nice summer.

[@rachels4515]

I too am in the PNW, and this is what I was hoping would happen to my piles! I don't have horses but have been picking up manure from a local place. I am so exited.

[@ListenToYourHorse]

Awesome! 👏

[@DanaDelSol]

Excellent job of explaining the process and time!

[@timothywood5808]

You are amazing and wonderful to listen to..truly down to EARTH..

[@ListenToYourHorse]

Awwww thanks Timothy!

[@cristaus1]

It's a very good video showing the simplest way to Composting horse manure. Thankyou

[@ListenToYourHorse]

You are most welcome

[@karynpotts1370]

Great video - would you suggest to water it down quarterly if we live in Colorado - semi arid climate? Thx

[@christinelabrie1430]

Thanks for the video, I live in Washington state and can now have awesome soil soon!!!

[@rakishaking6626]

She just said it, PURE HORSE SHIT!! I LOVE HER...This helped me a lot. Thank you so much.

[@sadhbh5731]

Amazing masterclass 👌

[@ListenToYourHorse]

Awesome - thank you 🙌

[@vincebielka8106]

Loved the video. We have 3 horses and a ton of shit. Was looking for the easiest way to turn it into compost for the field. Am going to try your method

[@jusaverage6347]

i don't even compost their manure before putting it back out. I strip graze my guys, then put the manure back on the areas they're on and have grazed down. system has been working really well and I barely have any manure to deal with afterwards.

[@ListenToYourHorse]

As long as you have a climate that will kill any worms and parasites in your manure, then your system should work just fine. See my blog post for more details.

[@carolstevens1087]

Just have to be careful with the tarp. (And you may experienced this already.) Over a couple years, the tarp will break down and start tearing into very fine strips. They are hard to pick up because there are a crazy amount of them and they are small. I had covered my topsoil with it to prevent weeds from growing. When I moved the soil, I didn't get all the strands and are still finding some in my garden beds. It is funny though, some types of birds have been using those strips for their nests. We see the nests with these blue strips. So once it starts to come apart, maybe cut that piece out and don't let it shred. I didn't do that and I had so many of these strips around my yard and I am sure in the neighbours yards. By the way, I love your videos; your wisdom; the way you treat your animals. Your animals are beautiful!

[@ListenToYourHorse]

Yes, very good point! I've been putting duct tape on as soon as an area starts to shred and that works well. This is also the reason I've fenced it off. Big Mama Aude has a favorite game she likes to play with tarps.... she will grab a chunk with her teeth, trap the surrounding tarp with her hoof, then riiiiiiip upwards with her teeth - as the tarp tears/shreds into strips with the most satisfying sound effects accompanying her RIIIIIIIIIP. She then moves on to the next spot of the tarp and tears a new strip. She's like a human popping bubble wrap - same enjoyment!

[@carolstevens1087]

@@ListenToYourHorse That is a very good idea using duct tape. That story is funny. I was thinking of bubble wrap also as you were telling it.

[@chrisrogers8733]

I love how easy this is. I’m starting a garden and going to pick up horse shit to start composting. Now I’m looking forward to getting this going. I already have a compost going that turning a bunch of stuff and mixing. After seeing your video, I’m gonna do the same shit! Not pun intended.

[@BambiLocker]

What about flies and fly larva? No issues with that?

[@ListenToYourHorse]

No - watch the whole video and I'll show you that the horses have LESS flies on them because of where the manure piles are located. We also had a great symbiosis happening with wasp and hornet (who eat flies).

[@ryckproctor1721]

We live in New York upstate and have horses. You just make a pile, you don't need a tarp at all. You can keep adding a whole season, then push that pile back and add on top of it. Well also put our plant based food scraps in the current years pile. Then the next year you can use the first pile. Two years isn't needed for us.

[@ListenToYourHorse]

That makes sense - if you get a good winter with snow that really helps to break it down.

[@angelafestervan7596]

Yes, just a pile. No digging a pit with a tractor. No tarps. The ground has the worms, fungus, bacteria, and microbes to break down the manure. Digging the earth disturbs and kills all the organisms that we’re going to work on the pile. The air from the untarped pile allows a temperature gradient so that the organisms can move to dry or cool. Yes, the tarp makes the pile APPEAR to compost quickly but that appearance is rot, not compost. The tarp murders the organisms. Nature has this figured out, we don’t have to add plastic to nature, she doesn’t like it.

[@jhonandsuepile770]

Hi Jini thank you for the video sounds like the best bit of info I have heard so far I will certainly try that.

[@ListenToYourHorse]

Let us know how it works for you :)

[@LD-vt5ou]

so that big pile was sitting for a almost a year, what did you do with the manure you acquired after making that big mountain, start over and add the new manure to a new mountain of manure ?

[@ListenToYourHorse]

After a year, that manure was composted into soil - use for gardens or spread back out on the pasture to improve forage quality. After I tarp a pile for it's year-of-composting, I start a new pile. Once that tarp is on, it's left alone.

[@selenanieto8152]

Great video! Thanks!

[@hots4jc]

THANK YOU. I knew there had to have been an easier way.

[@jessie15382]

So do you have a couple of compost piles?? Since you leave it alone after it’s been tarpes

[@ListenToYourHorse]

Yes, I have 2 active and then the tarped pile.

[@frankbullitt4556]

Great video. I love my horse manure

[@veronicamartinezmedema8273]

Great info😊 thank you!

[@ListenToYourHorse]

Glad it was helpful!

[@sassy6292]

Thank you!!!

[@TaitGuy]

Good info, thank you!!!

[@ListenToYourHorse]

You bet!

[@mrknittle532]

I'm getting a 20' x 30' extreme heavy duty tarp from Harbor Freight that has a reflective silver side and a black side. Which side do you think it better? Should it reflect the heat or absorb it? Also, is extreme heavy duty going to block necessary air flow? I was going to go with it for the weather-resistance so it didn't fray apart in a year, but if it's going to suffocate the composting process, then I'll go with medium duty.

[@ListenToYourHorse]

You want as much heat as possible as that will kill any parasitic worms/larvae. And no, for this method, you do not need airflow. Just make sure the pile is moist when you tarp it.

[@terrible321]

Black side up to pull the heat in, silver side down to reflect the heat from the pile back on itself

[@nexus8633]

Great video!

[@lynnsoudan150]

Fantastic idea. One question, me being an idiot, what do you do with your used straw / shavings.

[@ListenToYourHorse]

You can put them in the pile too, no problem :)

[@another8125]

does it depend on what your horse eats, if theyre dewormed etc.?

[@ListenToYourHorse]

Worming is a much misunderstood topic - start here for my approach and what I do with this herd: listentoyourhorse.com/worming-horses-naturally-is-it-possible/

[@Pelagirl]

Do you just keep adding to it? I mean once you have a huge pile & tarp it, do you start a new pile in another spot? I really want to do this & I only have 1 horse. Lol!

[@ListenToYourHorse]

No, once you tarp it you just leave it. And then you start a new pile somewhere else. Have fun!

[@THF1424]

Horse manure is said to be a really good supplement for flower beds? UnLike cow manure. As always, Thank you Jini for sharing.

[@ListenToYourHorse]

After growing veggies in horse manure I CANNOT believe why one would use anything else?? I'm sure the flowers would respond in a similar way.

[@stellawaterway3928]

What would you do for a more snowy winter?

[@ListenToYourHorse]

Perhaps you don't have to tarp it... I can't say for sure as I haven't tested it.

[@cassandrarudolph1307]

How much manure do I use for the coverage I’m in zone 5 New Hampshire for winter

[@ListenToYourHorse]

Whatever manure you have!

[@cassandrarudolph1307]

Is it ok to use horse manure for flower bed ?

[@ListenToYourHorse]

Once it's composted down, it's just beautiful soil. I guess as long as the pH is where you need it to be... that's the only concern I can think of.

[@elkins4406]

My roses and perennials looooove horse manure. Annuals will want even more phosphorus on top of it to keep them pumping out those blooms all summer long -- once the manure has composted down, it's more like a really nice topsoil/compost combo than it is like a hotter fertilizer. It would still be a great place to start for annual beds, though, I would think.

[@pasturetenderusa]

Would be good to speak with someone there. Whats a good email address to reach y’all? Thanks

[@ListenToYourHorse]

You can reach us here: listentoyourhorse.com/contact/

[@pasturetenderusa]

@@ListenToYourHorse submitted. Thank you for the info.

[@llso-lovelightsoundoneness1606]

Did you see the one it's awesome? Which one? The horse manure one! Oh yeah that was my favorite lol! I'm so sorry I just don't mean how much I was loving the horse manure video and I just know there's got to be people out there like me who think sometimes there ain't nothing funnier than a simple truth LOL.... ☺️😁

[@ivyi1960]

Would it matter if there were shaving?

[@ListenToYourHorse]

Having shavings in the pile should be just fine.

[@kidcompany]

My donkeys would love many of those weeds!

[@HillbillyHen]

with a pile that high is there risk of fire?

[@ListenToYourHorse]

Not in this climate.

[@restfulplace3273]

One year is a long time for composting. Turn and add water

[@0oJoe]

Did you continually add 💩 to the pile? Or did you fill up the 💩 storage hole while the compost pile sat tarped for a year?

[@ListenToYourHorse]

Once it's tarped, I leave it alone.

[@ul8590]

“The compost looser of the decade”😂

[@curtissheppard1996]

Omg.. I wish.. I could just smell that.

[@bryonhills6172]

This is exactly what I want to do and then turn the chicken loose on it until the y eat everything they need.

[@ListenToYourHorse]

There's a video on YT of a guy who feeds hundreds of chickens on compost alone. GREAT idea.

[@hansstepford7824]

L

[@Madmun357]

The compost loser of the decade!! Well, I made BEAUTIFUL compost, but being brand new to this I threw it out in the sun and basically killed it all. Didn't plant anything.

[@ListenToYourHorse]

Nothing is lost - all those lovely microbes and soil organisms etc are helping wherever you placed it. :)

[@donaldanderson4139]

Horses shouldn’t be grazed where their manure has been spread .

[@ListenToYourHorse]

AFTER the manure has been properly composted - the heat from the composting process kills all parasites and eggs. Then it is not only safe, but beneficial soil to spread on pastures. If you live somewhere super hot, like Arizona, 3 weeks exposure to sunshine is enough to kill parasites and the manure doesn't need to be composted.