Using manure for winter bedding?

Well, I'm a medical professional of over 40 years and have owned horses for almost 60 years, and I can tell you with certainty that there is no legitimate basis for what your boyfriend is doing. In fact, I'd want to know if a medical doctor I was trusting with the care of anyone I love was engaged in this unsanitary and outrageous practice, much less condoning and justifying it. Even if the stall is just a run in where the horses spend little time, the wet, microbe-ridden filth remains there to attract and spawn disease carrying flies and other vectors. The fumes from nitrogenous decomposition must be horrific, and can cause respiratory disease from exposure to it. Trust me, there is no justification for allowing horses to be kept on layers of accumulated manure and urine. Even fully composted and dried manure is less than ideal to use as a bedding material.

Maybe you could suggest hosting a gathering of his medical colleagues so he can see how they react when he shows it off to them.

Add....what your boyfriend is doing is not creating a deep litter bed. That is a whole other thing.

There is no excuse for that, it's a disgraceful way to keep a horse.

Either it's down to being cheap and or lazy, or he simply doesn't know any better, still it needs to change.

It is very unhealthy for horses to be standing and lying in their own crap and urine. It can cause a number of health issues, as well as rashes, sores (the dirt can also become caked on their coats and irritate the skin) and thrush etc, even breathing in the ammonia from the urine is not good for their health, it's also a breeding ground for parasites.

The horses should have proper bedding and should be cleaned out regularly, even if just skipped out each day and every few days cleaned out thoroughly.

He will only make more work by leaving a stall or shed to become that filthy anyway.

Straw bedding is reasonably priced, warm and relatively easy to clean out once kept well.

ADD

Then why not care for them properly in other aspects as well?

Even if they spend the majority of their time in the field, they should have a clean area to go into should they want and if the weather is particularly bad. All the more reason why it should be properly kept.

It would seem that he's just making excuses. Most decent vets would not consider that a healthy way to keep a horse.

This is NOT healthy! In the UK this would be cause for the RSPCA to pay a visit! The horse's breathing will be affected, their feet will suffer from thrush not to mention the build up of bacteria that should they pick up food from the floor! He should try eating from his toilet!

There is a form of bedding that some people use - and I have used it when my horse was too ill to be disturbed for a couple of months, called Deep Litter. Basically there is a good thick bedding, poohs are picked up, the bed is levelled and then a good thick layer is put on top every day, but the pooh needs to be picked frequently. The bed becomes warm, and this is good when it is winter but neither pleasantly smelling or desireable in the summer. The bed is then dug out completely and discarded on the muck heap and floors are disinfected and washed and allowed to dry before starting again. I do not like this very much because it is extremely hard work and highly "aromatic"!

Standing and laying on fresh manure IS a health hazard, and I'm really surprised your boyfriend doesn't get it.

Urine and feces contain ammonia, which can eat away at the skin and cause irritation at best, sores and infection at worst, especially in their hooves and heels. Soft, uneven footing is also not good for hooves. In addition,living like this increases the chance that the horses will keep getting re-infected with worms and parasites, since they can't avoid living in the filth they just excreted. In these conditions, worming is useless.

Edit: If the horses are outside most of the time, this is more acceptable. Horses left to themselves will almost never choose to lay down inside. As prey animals, they don't like being inside, and even in bad weather, even while sleeping, and most will choose to stay out even when shelter is provided. So chances are they're standing and laying down on the cleaner (?) ground outside rather than inside anyway. There's still no good reason to let the manure pile up, especially since it makes getting into shelter less attractice to the horses, but at last they're not stuck in there 24/7.

This is probably why the vet said it was okay (if that's the truth). However, what is "okay" and what's really right are, of course two different things. There are basic standards of care (an animal is surviving) and good ones. YOU know what's right here, because you are a good person and you have those nagging doubts. However, I wouldn't make this into a big issue with your boyfriend. Your description of the horse's care seems to indicate they're generally living great lives; it's just this one issue your boyfriend is slipping up on, and it's not too major right now, since the horses are free to roam.

Good for you for caring :)

I agree with the above posts :)

Urine does give off ammonia, which is bad for ANYONE to be in. And worming would be useless if the horse is just going to LIVE in the manure that would be housing the worms. It's strange, though, that the horses are living in these conditions but still appearing healthy. Does your BF have them annually visited by a vet? Has the vet had anything to say about this?

In regard to the above post about 'deep litter':

It sounds like they know what they're talking about, and if what your BF does is similar to this, the horse's should be fine. ^^ But does your BF do this, too, or is the horse's bedding COMPLETELY consisting of manure? Again, ask a vet!

This system is called "deep litter". I have my horse on it to save all the extra straw he needs in winter while he is in during the night. In the morning, while he is eating outside, tied up, I take a big strong plastic bag into the box and take out all the droppings ONLY. I leave all the wet in and add a fair amount of straw on top of that. Because he marches about he fairly churns his bed to bits, so I walk all over it, put the fork right through it and without lifting it, shove it across the floor until it is all compact and even.. His box stays warn as it's like he's on a manure heap!. It doesn't smell bad or anything. I take extra care with his feet so he doesn't get thrush or sore heels. They are thoroughly dried and I apply Sudocrem right into his skin all around his heels up to the fetlocks at the back of the foot.. Deep litter can become fairly "deep" so watch out for your horse's head if he gets too near the roof! I keep mine about a foot deep - then I remove some and fork it over and tread it down again. If the horse is on rubber matting it doesn't apply but he's on concrete. In about March/April, I will clear it all out, scrub the box from top to bottom and disinfect it all.

I think deep litter is a good thing.....

Oh No--don't do that you'll burn the roots. Manure whether it's cow, horse, sheep or chicken should always be mixed in with the soil. They are all good for the soil and your plants but they will all burn the roots if you plant directly in them because it is too concentrated. Composted manure is manure that has been composted to kill the weed seeds, but it is just manure. It is not compost like you get from composting vegetable matter, You are right to ask for old stuff because then the chance of weed seeds in it is much less

the reason its not practiced or endorsed is that its not sanitary! they should not be made to stand in their own muck. also, an accumulation of urine is AWFUL for horses. their feet can be very sensitive and hoof problems can become extremely serious, though they should always be taken seriously. responsible horse ownership means providing a comfortable and clean place to eat and sleep. if these horses are fed off the groud in their stalls, thats even worse. they would be ingesting some of their own feces. they can develop sores from standing in their own manure. if you would like some more feedback from professionals, ask the humane society about it. would you let a dog sleep in its own poop? horse like to lay down sometimes, i wouldnt lay in my poop! shavings or straw are really not that expensive and are clean and much more sanitary. im a little appalled actually... especially since you say he is a doctor. ask him if humans can live in their own poop? or if you'd want to?

That is a good way to give your horses thrush, a nasty infection in an otherwise minor scrape and a million other problems from respiratory issues to conjunctivitis and parasites. He is wrong, and the stalls need to be cleaned a MINIMUM of twice a week.

Thank you for your Caring-Heart! I would love to speak my mind, but I so love my Yahoo Q & A I would be kicked off forever. so I speak this; First, some of the most filthy people are dr., & I know this first hand I dated 2 of them. broke off & I ran! He should know better. any animal should NEVER have to lay down in their waste. not even a cow! and especially your devoted horse that gives you pleasure rides even on days it doesn't feel too well its self. but that waste has too many parasites to even count! they cause worms, in wounds, even a scratch can turn into an infection. boils appear out from no where! eyes get infected. thrush in hooves. absest hoof line. well, just too many to write. what you should do is get him a book about 'caring for horses'. if he becomes angry, then this is NOT then guy for your CARING Heart. thank you for posting this. and I so wish you well. please try & make this right. do they have a pasture they can run in? this would be better. they only need to come in 2 times a day to eat, then run & play. it's more healthy for them anyway. this is better for their blood flow & helps prevent winter stove-up. thanks.