How do Horses Help the Environment?

Grazing Horses Helps the Environment

Horses are one of the most beautiful, strong, and majestic creatures known on the planet. They are highly powerful creatures that have been used by humans for various reasons such as equestrian, riding, racing, and other activities.

They’ve given so much to us and they continue to help us, day in day out. They’ve helped builders, farmers, businessmen, and many more.

Unfortunately, with technological advancement that is happening before our eyes, their use in daily life, especially in transportation, has greatly reduced.

Even though we may not use them the same way we used to, they are still very much beneficial to our planet and ecosystem.

I’d even say they are the most important contributors in keeping our ecosystem as well as our planet healthy, functioning, and clean.  

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10 Environmental Benefits of Horses

  1. Low Environmental Impact
  2. Prevents Damage to Landscape
  3. Safe for Travelers
  4. Biomass Energy
  5. Increase Farmer’s Profits
  6. Horse Manure as Fertilizers
  7. Ecosystem Heroes
  8. Save natural water streams
  9. Improve Biodiversity
  10. Picky Eaters

Benefits of Horses to the Environment

Low Environmental Impact

Horseback riding prevents damage to the land that occurs if you travel over it by car.

Riding a horse through trails consumes less energy and therefore has a lower environmental impact as well.

Prevents Damage to Landscape

People may accidentally wander off and destroy quite a bit of valuable vegetation or important landmarks while travelling. However, horses are highly skilled and trained, and so can guide the way without causing damage to beautiful landscapes around.

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This will ensure safety of travellers as well as ecosystems. It makes it easier for us to travel or hike around without causing any harm to the place we visit.

Safe for Travelers

Hiking with horses is a much safer experience around the woods. Constant sound and vibration made from horses marching through the area provides calmness to animals around the woods.

Many dangerous animals such as bears and snakes will not react to humans if there is presence of a horse around them while hiking.  They keep the animals in their ecosystem and homes.

Wild horses do so much for the planet that they are often considered to be natural healers of the planet.

Biomass Energy

Horses are considered to be one of the biggest contributors of renewable energy. Horses can produce up to 9.1 tons of manure every year. This manure can be converted into biomass energy that can be used on farmland.

Increased production of biomass energy will definitely reduce our dependency on Fossil Fuels.

Read More: Interesting Facts about Biomass Energy

Increase Farmer’s Profits

Even if the farmers do not want to use the manure, they may sell it off to other people or companies and make a profit off it. The manure can also be used to make clean and safe organic fertilizers which are more environmentally friendly than synthetic fertilizers.

A lot of farms do not want to use horse manure as fertilizers and so they can choose to sell these fertilizers to other farmers and make a profit.

Horse Manure as Fertilizers

The fertilizers made from horse manure are highly beneficial to the environment. They prevent air and water pollution from manufacture and use of synthetic fertilizers.

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Horse manure can especially be used in areas where there is constant water runoff. This was runoff of fertilizers into streams can be prevented.

Horse Manure fertilizers also improve soil quality and fertility. This, in turn, improves productivity on the farmland. They help to replenish nutrients back into the soil, thus keeping it healthy and creating a more effective field for crop growth.

Higher productivity on land means more vegetation. This will reduce chances of soil erosion on the farmland.          

Ecosystem Heroes

During their grazing and roaming period, they rebuild the world around them. In a way they allow rainforest flora to flourish and help the ecosystem thrive. They can create water sources for animals by breaking ice on lakes and streams, which most of the animals don’t have the strength to do so.

Horses help in the preservation of grasslands. Raising horses prevents overgrazing and promotes grass growth.

The grazing habits of horses help in the maintenance of many habitats of animals. Short dresses that are eaten by forces help to protect the smaller animals that may need to hide in this grass from predators.

Likewise, tall grasses are left uneaten by the horses, also aiding in the protection of larger animals. By keeping the spaces healthy and safe for horses, also, in turn, helps provide safe homes for other animals and vegetation.

Unlike cropland, a well looked-after pasture can retain at least 70% groundcover throughout the year. Rotating these lines and also keeping them well cared for not only protects horses but also the overall health of the farm, as well as the environment around it.

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Save natural water streams

Most farmers utilize trough watering for their horses. This helps to protect natural water sources such as rivers, streams, lakes, and ponds. The erosion is also prevented around the edges of these water sources and allows a natural flow of water to carry on without any hindrance.

Horses are now also being used for conservation of green spaces, rural landscapes, and parks. The use of horses in this area is helping to inspire areas to grow back naturally. This is a part of Urban Rewilding.

Improve Biodiversity

Just like birds, horses also help in the spreading of seeds. The seeds make their way into the digestive tract of horses from fruits. These then stay in the digestive tract for a few hours (while the horse travels distances).

The seeds are eventually excreted by the horses far away. The seeds are now in a new territory where they will grow and improve biodiversity of the whole region.

Note: It is very important that seeds are excreted on fertile ground.

Picky Eaters

Horses are very picky when choosing what to eat and what not to eat. They will eat weeds on farmland thereby reducing the competition for crops allowing them to grow and thrive efficiently.

Apart from eating, they will also trample unwanted weed and plants that may be harmful to the growth of healthy plants and grass. Somehow, their behaviour seems to benefit us in one way or another.

This shows us that horses are a blessing for us when it comes to providing environmental protection, promoting sustainability and enhancing fertility on farmland.

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