Recipient Organization
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
G022 MCCARTY HALL
GAINESVILLE,FL 32611
Performing Department
Animal Sciences
Non Technical Summary
Pastures offer an economic and nutrient dense feed source for horses. However, owners and managers tend to struggle with pasture and manure management which can lead to negative environmental consequences. Horse farms across the U.S. present unique challenges because of their relatively small size, location near suburban areas, lack of owner knowledge of farm management and available resources, high cost of horse care and ownership, and the complexity of horse health and management. Therefore, collaborative research, outreach and education on pasture and manure management is critical to the health and well-being of horses, the environment, the long-term success of horse ownership and global One Health. Additionally, outreach, education and training are needed for veterinarians, farriers, Extension agents, agency and industry partners who also work closely with horse owners and managers. Adult horses produce over 50 pounds of manure and urine daily along with an additional 15 pounds of bedding. More than one-third of U.S horse farms (35.4%) have no manure disposal plan and leave their manure "to nature" (USDA-APHIS, 2017). Improperly managed manure presents significant environmental consequences including nutrient runoff to bodies of water, fly breeding sites, excessive odors, negative esthetics and localized accumulation of nutrients under stockpiles. Additionally, 39% of owners apply manure to pastures; however, horse owners tend to have high pasture stocking rates which can contribute to excessive parasite loads and anthelmintic use in equines. Research that investigates novel bedding types, composting methods and owner adoptions of BMPs may lead to reduced fly populations and antibiotic use; improved air, soil and water quality; and reduced parasite load and anthelmintic use in horses.?
Animal Health Component
95%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
95%
Developmental
5%
Goals / Objectives
Pasture Management Objective #1 Conservation of forage through application of grazing schemes that allocate time and space available for grazing may lend to facilitating a greater uniformity of forage supply throughout the year through stock-piling of both cool- and warm-season pasture plants during times of peak production. Additionally, the incorporation of cool- and warm-season annuals to complement perennial pasture may be a useful approach to increasing productivity per acre and extending animal grazing days. An increase in forage productivity per unit of pasture area along with improvement of uniformity of forage supply throughout the year should also decrease chances of overgrazing which in turn should have positive impacts on soil health.
Objective Number 1:
Pasture Management
1) Identify grazing management schemes that promote uniformity in forage supply across annual grazing cycles, and extend the number of available grazing days.
2) Identify warm- and cool-season forages suitable for stock-pile grazing with horses.
3) Determine the effect of incorporating warm- and cool-season annuals that complement existing perennial pasture productivity per acre and number of horse grazing days.
4) Explore alternative forage species to extend the grazing season.
Manure Disposal Objective #2 Improve manure disposal and composting techniques and promote their adoption on equine farms by:
1) Continue the study of different bedding types and effects upon on absorptive capacity, airborne particulate matter distribution, composting characteristics, and final disposition and use.
2) Determine the levels of ammonia emitted on horse farms, especially in stalls, and develop methods for reducing ammonia emissions.
3) Determine the effects of antibiotic use and resistance on the presence of antibiotics in manure piles. Objective 3 also deals with the subject of antibiotic use.
Outreach Objective #4 1) Undertake a survey about equine environmental management that can be given in any of the participating states.
2) Educate agency personnel (USDA-NRCS, county Conservation Districts, etc.) about the horse industry, horse farm management, and recommended practices for horse farms to empower them to work more comfortably and effectively with farm owners.
3) Increase access to environmental stewardship information and recommendations from research for horse farm owners and managers through online content and face-to-face trainings and demonstrations.
Project Methods
Pasture Management:Measurements of forage quality, botanical composition, and performance (health and behavior) of horses grazing bahiagrass pastures intercropped with rhizoma peanut. Twelve mature horses will graze either unfertilized bahiagrass, fertilized bahiagrass, or bahiagrass-rhizoma peanut mixed pastures (two blocks with three treatments per block) over two consecutive growing seasons (June-October). Forage, fecal, and blood samples will be collected every 28 days and analyzed for nutrient and metabolite concentrations. Horse body weight, body condition score, and body composition (fat mass determined using ultrasound) will assessed every 14 days. Behavioral observations (foraging, activity, leisure, drinking, defecation, and urination, bite and chew rates) will be recorded at two time points during the grazing season.Manure Management:Sub-Objective 1) Characterize the environmental impact of manure management practices (stockpiling versus composting) on equine operations. Task 1: Analyze manure nutrient analysis (TKN, Nitrate, Ammonium, TP) at different time points throughout the year (raw/freshly added material to more aged manure and composted stall waste). Task 2: Analyze ground and surface runoff water samples using drainage lysimeters and water runoff collection trenches installed on site to capture effluent and runoff from manure and compost storage areas. Task 3: Analyze additional water samples collected following rain events to characterize bacterial loads (E. coli and fecal coliforms).Sub-Objective 2) Investigate the use of Poultry Litter Treatment (sodium bisulfate) in equine facilities to help mitigate ammonia in the barn environment. Task 1: Examine the use of sodium bisulfate application in stalls, around manure storage areas, or even incorporated into stall waste to mitigate ammonia losses. Task 2: Look into the potential for additional application for sodium bisulfate use in equine facility manure management to help reduce external parasites and bacteria.Outreach:University of Florida will establish a large-scale composting system at a commercial equine facility as a demonstration site for farm owner education; develop tools and a website for farm owners to evaluate manure management BMPS; and hold two BMP workshops per year.