Sustainability in the sport

[stangs]

The other day, I stumbled across this report on sustainability in racing. It got me thinking that a part of equestrianism’s social license may well become what the sport does/doesn’t do for the environment, given the land use, current carbon footprint, etc.

Do people know of what other disciplines are doing to reduce their environmental impact? Or what do people think the sport could do?

 

[teapot]

It's something I got asked about in my Stage 5/I business exams, so the BHS are aware of it at least

Solar panels on indoor school roofs would be my first edict if I was in charge! I find water usage in yards hard to stomach sometimes, so maybe having to collect rainfall for washing of facilities etc?

 

[TheOldTrout]

Using the heat generated by rotting horse manure somehow? In Victorian times they used to plant young seedlings, in pots, inside piles of horse manure and the warmth generated by the manure meant the seedlings grew up earlier.

 

[Widgeon]

I find water usage in yards hard to stomach sometimes, so maybe having to collect rainfall for washing of facilities etc?

I think that's the first thing I'd go for too. Also perhaps recycling of bale wrap the way some farmers do?

 

[humblepie]

Good thread. I had been researching this recently and Interested to see what people do. Anyone know of any sustainable or environmentally friendly plaiting bands or thread. Agree with water waste.

Some feed companies use recyclable packaging.

I think the British Racing School have a biomass fuel system for bedding waste.

 

[Bonnie Allie]

I would like to see our industry reduce plastic use. The cheap colourful plastic crappy brushes and grooming kits make me crazy.

Supplements in big plastic tubs. Why?

Rather than trying to recycle everything (unsuccessfully) let’s ban the plastic at production stage and work only with renewable materials. Typically they last well also.

 

[HashRouge]

It's something I got asked about in my Stage 5/I business exams, so the BHS are aware of it at least

Solar panels on indoor school roofs would be my first edict if I was in charge! I find water usage in yards hard to stomach sometimes, so maybe having to collect rainfall for washing of facilities etc?

Water usage is atrocious. I look back on my time as an SJ groom and can hardly bear to think about how much we wasted washing the horses before competitions! They were fully clipped too, so a hot cloth would have done just as well.

 

[Kaylum]

Our charity has a recycling scheme for people's old dirty ripped horse rugs. It's very popular.

I think fast fashion in the horse world is terrible. Again we sell preloved items to raise funds. This helps us and horse owners to keep costs down.

 

[Muddy unicorn]

Stopping ‘influencers’ peddling matchy-matchy cr@p would be a start. Rug manufacturers could stop having ‘seasonal’ collections - let’s face it no matter what pattern a rug starts out having, it will be mud-coloured within a week. Encouraging the purchase of fewer longer-lasting quality items over cheap and cheerful. Paper feed sacks instead of plastic. Old-fashioned string instead of plastic-based baking twine. Water butts on yards to collect rainwater, solar panels on barn roofs.

I suspect that lots of individual efforts by people at livery yards, equestrian centres and at home would have more effect than a big headline initiative from equestrian sporting bodies

 

[Reacher]

Our charity has a recycling scheme for people's old dirty ripped horse rugs. It's very popular.

I think fast fashion in the horse world is terrible. Again we sell preloved items to raise funds. This helps us and horse owners to keep costs down.

Can I ask what charity that is?
I have an old rug which I’d like to send for recycling - I’ll probably have to post though as don’t know if anywhere local

 

[Reacher]

Rotting manure produces methane which has a global warming potential around 25 times that of CO2.
But if we had local biodigester plants where farms and livery stables could send their manure it could be used to generate electricity . Or have a bio digester plant at a large livery.
Peasant farmers in some countries do it on a small scale , they have biodigesters to produce methane to cook off. I think someone on Ben Fogle’s tv program build their own biodigestor and used it to generate cooking gas. There’s loads of research and people experimenting with the idea but it needs to be developed and become mainstream and be another source of renewable energy instead of another source of greenhouse gas.
Eg see link
https://martinenergygroup.com/biodigestor-runs-strictly-on-cow-manure/

 

[stangs]

Solar panels on indoor school roofs would be my first edict if I was in charge! I find water usage in yards hard to stomach sometimes, so maybe having to collect rainfall for washing of facilities etc?

I’d like to think collecting rainfall would also make people more aware of how much water they’re using. Just thinking of a yard I used to know that pressure-washed before sweeping the yard down… every single day.

Stopping ‘influencers’ peddling matchy-matchy cr@p would be a start.

In an ideal world, any Instagram posts or YouTube videos about "a tour of my saddle pad collection" would be banned by law.

 

[Burnttoast]

Rotting manure produces methane which has a global warming potential around 25 times that of CO2.
But if we had local biodigester plants where farms and livery stables could send their manure it could be used to generate electricity . Or have a bio digester plant at a large livery.
Peasant farmers in some countries do it on a small scale , they have biodigesters to produce methane to cook off. I think someone on Ben Fogle’s tv program build their own biodigestor and used it to generate cooking gas. There’s loads of research and people experimenting with the idea but it needs to be developed and become mainstream and be another source of renewable energy instead of another source of greenhouse gas.
Eg see link
https://martinenergygroup.com/biodigestor-runs-strictly-on-cow-manure/

I've just started bokashi-ing my muck heaps (the first one will be ready to be unwrapped at Christmas appropriately enough ) It can be done on a large scale too. As it's fermenting rather than composting it doesn't release greenhouse gases and you don't lose OM so it produces plenty of compost for spreading. It is more trouble and more expense than just piling muck up and leaving it to it, though.

 

[Reacher]

I've just started bokashi-ing my muck heaps (the first one will be ready to be unwrapped at Christmas appropriately enough ) It can be done on a large scale too. As it's fermenting rather than composting it doesn't release greenhouse gases and you don't lose OM so it produces plenty of compost for spreading. It is more trouble and more expense than just piling muck up and leaving it to it, though.

I had to google Bokashi!
Is there a kit you buy? Would it be practical for 2 horses?

 

[Burnttoast]

I had to google Bokashi!
Is there a kit you buy? Would it be practical for 2 horses?

I'm doing it with two ponies (just dung, no bedding). I got the things you need mostly from agriton. Liquid activated microbes, clay pellets and crushed seashell (you can manage without the seashell if you have alkaline soils, it's to correct the pH balance). I bought DPM to wrap the heap (3 months' worth of muck at a time - in theory if you get the additives right it should be ready in 10-12 weeks)

https://agriton.co.uk/bokashi/

 

[Starzaan]

There is so much we aren’t doing in this country. I worked for someone who used all the muck from stables to power the farm - converted to biofuel on site. There were solar panels on every roof, and all rainwater runoff was collected and used.

 

[tda]

Rotting manure produces methane which has a global warming potential around 25 times that of CO2.
But if we had local biodigester plants where farms and livery stables could send their manure it could be used to generate electricity . Or have a bio digester plant at a large livery.
Peasant farmers in some countries do it on a small scale , they have biodigesters to produce methane to cook off. I think someone on Ben Fogle’s tv program build their own biodigestor and used it to generate cooking gas. There’s loads of research and people experimenting with the idea but it needs to be developed and become mainstream and be another source of renewable energy instead of another source of greenhouse gas.
Eg see link
https://martinenergygroup.com/biodigestor-runs-strictly-on-cow-manure/

Interesting article, but at half a million to install, and 10 years before payback starts I think most UK farmers will be waiting for more guaranteed funding

 

[Reacher]

I'm doing it with two ponies (just dung, no bedding). I got the things you need mostly from agriton. Liquid activated microbes, clay pellets and crushed seashell (you can manage without the seashell if you have alkaline soils, it's to correct the pH balance). I bought DPM to wrap the heap (3 months' worth of muck at a time - in theory if you get the additives right it should be ready in 10-12 weeks)

https://agriton.co.uk/bokashi/

Thanks I’ll look into this!

Interesting article, but at half a million to install, and 10 years before payback starts I think most UK farmers will be waiting for more guaranteed funding

I agree it needs government incentives and like any technology it will come down in cost

 

[MagicMelon]

I feel horses are probably far better for the environment than say cows (with all their methane), grassland is surely better than intensive crops. Cost would inhibit a lot of suggestions but I think just basic things should be encouraged like using water butts (I have one connected to my gutters which I have used a lot through the summer when our area was suffering from drought), using rotted manure onto the soil again (I use it on my veg patch) etc. Solar panels would likely be a good idea for electric or heating warm water for washing down etc.

 

[Orangehorse]

Using the heat generated by rotting horse manure somehow? In Victorian times they used to plant young seedlings, in pots, inside piles of horse manure and the warmth generated by the manure meant the seedlings grew up earlier.

I know someone who has a system of burning the used shavings from their stables in a boiler to heat the water for their indoor swimming pool. The heat generated dries out the used shavings before they are burnt. I think the chap devised the system by himself.

I'm not sure how many stables are in use because I have only been there when the whole stable block is full for a show, for instance, but I expect they have 12 stables in use normally.

I didn't notice any smell. I don't know if it is a cheap way or an expensive way to heat the water, but I suppose it savings on disposal, which is always a problem for any large number of stables.

 

[Orangehorse]

I feel horses are probably far better for the environment than say cows (with all their methane), grassland is surely better than intensive crops. Cost would inhibit a lot of suggestions but I think just basic things should be encouraged like using water butts (I have one connected to my gutters which I have used a lot through the summer when our area was suffering from drought), using rotted manure onto the soil again (I use it on my veg patch) etc. Solar panels would likely be a good idea for electric or heating warm water for washing down etc.

But cows are at least producing food for people. Horses are just an expense! Cows manure the land both when out grazing and in the winter when in yards.

 

[Orangehorse]

Rotting manure produces methane which has a global warming potential around 25 times that of CO2.
But if we had local biodigester plants where farms and livery stables could send their manure it could be used to generate electricity . Or have a bio digester plant at a large livery.
Peasant farmers in some countries do it on a small scale , they have biodigesters to produce methane to cook off. I think someone on Ben Fogle’s tv program build their own biodigestor and used it to generate cooking gas. There’s loads of research and people experimenting with the idea but it needs to be developed and become mainstream and be another source of renewable energy instead of another source of greenhouse gas.
Eg see link
https://martinenergygroup.com/biodigestor-runs-strictly-on-cow-manure/

There are already biodigester plants in the UK on farms. I'm not sure of the numbers, but it is something that is growing. Its a big investment though.

 

[tda]

There has just been a free range egg farm on countryfile, they have spent £1.8million on their biodigester and are still not in profit ?