AS we get into Dublin Horse Show season and as Ireland’s equine sector continues to thrive - from sport horse breeding to leisure riding and racing - our industry still faces a growing, largely overlooked challenge: what to do with the tonnes of manure produced every day. With environmental pressures mounting and fertiliser prices continuing to fluctuate, a practical, sustainable solution is perhaps overdue.

Last week, I recorded a fascinating discussion with three of the most innovative thinkers in Ireland for an upcoming podcast series, Racing Towards A Better World, a brand-new collaboration between The Irish Field and Horse Racing Ireland, looking at sustainability in racing. One of the topics discussed with our expert panel was the issue of manure recycling. One model discussed was the formation of regional co-operative networks dedicated to the collection, composting and recycling of equine manure. Our reader poll (below right) certainly highlights significant sector interest.

Rich resource

Ireland’s dairy and beef sectors have long relied on co-operative models to drive efficiency, innovation and community resilience. While traditionally associated with milk processing and livestock marketing, co-ops are now playing a growing role in managing farm waste - particularly manure - in a more sustainable and circular way.

Equine manure is a rich resource. When properly composted, it becomes a valuable organic fertiliser, improving soil structure, moisture retention and microbial health. Yet on many Irish yards, especially smaller livery or private stables, manure is still treated as waste - piled high, often left unmanaged, or carted off at cost. For urban and semi-urban yards in particular, waste disposal is an ongoing headache, constrained by local authority regulations and a lack of viable land-spreading options.

A co-operative model could turn this problem into an opportunity. A manure co-op would bring together local yards to pool resources, invest in shared composting infrastructure, and collaborate on sales or distribution of the end product. It could offer members regular collection services, quality-assured compost processing, and a revenue stream through sales to horticulture, organic farming or community garden markets.

Pilot co-op

Offering an example, in Co Kildare - home to both racing stables and small-scale yards - a pilot co-op could involve 20-30 yards or more within a 15km radius. Members would pay a modest fee for weekly collection. Manure would be transported to a central composting site with controlled aeration systems, managed by co-op staff. After a six to nine- month composting cycle, the resulting pathogen-free fertiliser could be bagged and sold under a local brand, with profits reinvested or redistributed among members, or offered as free fertiliser for paddocks and fields.

There are clear environmental upsides: reduced nitrate leaching, fewer emissions from unmanaged waste piles, and decreased reliance on chemical fertilisers. It also aligns with national goals under Ireland’s Climate Action Plan and the EU’s Farm to Fork strategy. Moreover, by cooperating, small and medium equine enterprises gain access to solutions previously only viable for larger operations. For this to work, local authorities and agricultural departments would need to support start-up costs, perhaps through grants or land access, and regulation must recognise composted manure as a marketable product, not a waste.

Economic resilience

By working together through a co-op model, Ireland’s equine community could shift from managing a manure problem to creating a sustainable resource - one that supports soil health, circular agriculture and the economic resilience of rural equestrian life.

Livestock manure, when properly treated and applied, is a valuable resource rich in nitrogen, phosphorus and organic matter. However, without coordination, over-application or poor storage can lead to nutrient run-off, water pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

Co-operative structures can enable practical manure recycling systems that individual farms may struggle to implement alone. As we’re seeing in the realms of equine health in Ireland, collaborative action can be powerful. Shared infrastructure, bulk logistics and collective knowledge are often the backbone of success.

As nutrient management becomes more tightly regulated, and as fertiliser prices remain volatile, co-operative manure recycling is no longer just an environmental initiative - it’s possibly an economic and strategic necessity. Ireland’s experience in co-operative agriculture makes it well-positioned to lead in this area, creating a blueprint for equine sectors globally.