Boy this sounds very difficult. I think the ideas of getting a small utility trailer sounds the most efficient and cost effective in the long term. Let us know what you decide to do!
[QUOTE=Vindicated;8254494]
So, what exactly are your manure options?
You cannot compost on your own land? Or you cannot compost because you don’t have a tractor?
I don’t have a tractor either and my pile is hardly out of control.
I bed with the pellets and throw away very little bedding.[/QUOTE]
I had some compost piles going but they don’t want any piles out here. Also that was a temporary solution because our property is tiny. They don’t want piles of poo (even if it is composting).
Thanks for the ideas everyone. The dump area is flat. Down the road, a dump trailer would be pretty nice but at present I will likely need to go with a container system. I found some smaller containers with lids at home depot and think I might go with that for now- they would fit into one of the muck bucket carts.
I should have titled this post: “Adventures in Horse Poo!!!”
What about a few barrel composters? You might not be able to fit everything in there, but it can make a dent.
This is an example of a plastic compost bin.
When I lived in the city, they would give them out for free if you came in for a free composting training class. They’re not large but something like this wouldn’t be a pile of poo sitting out and depending on where you are/microclimate, two or three might be enough to keep up with one or two horses.
Alternately, something like it sounds like you found - short rectangle type containers with lids may work out in conjunction with a garden utility wagon or cart.
Here’s what I was doing and making money doing it. 
http://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/showthread.php?335492-Composting-in-Contractor-s-clean-up-bags
[QUOTE=Snowflake;8257834]
Here’s what I was doing and making money doing it. http://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/showthread.php?335492-Composting-in-Contractor-s-clean-up-bags[/QUOTE]
What is your method of getting the poop into the bags?
I put my manure in a little utility trailer. It’s a dump trailer, but i find it’s harder to unload if tilted up. It takes me maybe ten minutes to shovel 2-3 weeks worth of manure for two stabled horses out of it. I take it to a local garden place, but I have had to take it to the dump before.
One thing i did find out was that it’s a lot cheaper to take manure to the dump than household garbage. The per ton price is less than half if I recall. So it might be worth asking if you do take it to the dump. Also keep it tarped if it’s going to rain or snow or anything because that’ll just increase the weight you’re dumping exponentially!
The utility trailer is a no-brainer - wheelbarrow it all righ tup onto the trailer, drive to the dump once a week. Is there some reason the OP isn’t considering this? Its the most econimical and least back breaking. Around here we rent containers which are picked up.
I agree with the suggestion of a small trailer. If for whatever reason the poo has to be covered, just pop a tarpaulin over the top of it. Seems the most time efficient way of doing things IMO.
Makes me certainly appreciate that we don’t have such strict regulations where I live, that sounds like such a huge hassle.
I’ve use to square railroad tie sized “bins”. fill one, then go to second. By the time second is full, empty and spread first on lawn…So you raise your ground level but it takes forever, and is unnoticeable.
[QUOTE=Draftygirl;8258529]
What is your method of getting the poop into the bags?[/QUOTE]
Contractor bag lined muck bucket. Add a scoop of compost starter before sealing it up with a zip tie. Easy peasy.
If you could put the manure into a bin with good aeration, like maybe with a screened bottom and catch pan underneath, it would dry out and be much lighter to dispose of each week. So maybe you could have a screened container with a hopper on the bottom which could open and pour into the rolling garbage cans. Drying out the manure will also make it less bulky. Then, just figure out how full to fill the rolling garbage can in order to keep it light enough and easy to handle, and then buy enough rolling garbage cans for a week’s amount of manure. If you don’t overfill them, the garbage cans will last longer because they won’t get banged up so much when you empty them and handle them.
Or, maybe you could cut out some round pieces of screening and place them in the bottom of each can to keep an air space on the bottom, then put another screen on the top or make holes in the lid and glue a piece of mesh to keep flies out.
I think the heavy-duty cans will work just fine if you don’t overfill them.
I am astounded with all the ideas. A dedicated poo trailer might work. They also have a poo removal service which might be worth it to me as time is a premium and that would save time At present I put a tarp on the floor of the horse trailer and I’m dumping directly into that. Not ideal but OK for short term. I think one might be able to get away with composting here if one were sneaky about it. Problem is that our property is so small it would be hard to be sneaky. We have lots of neighbors all about.
