Horse farming is growing in Sweden and there are about 350,000 horses in the country. Together, horses are estimated to produce 2.9 million tonnes of manure annually, which contains significant amounts of phosphorus and nitrogen. These nutrients can leach into the environment if the manure is not properly managed.

One of the challenges is that many horse farms are located in peri-urban areas with limited space and a lack of surrounding vegetation to absorb the nutrients. The nature of paddocks also determines the risk of nutrient leaching; when paddocks are trampled, the ability of the soil to bind nutrients is reduced.

Research shows that nutrient leaching from horse farms can significantly increase phosphorus and nitrogen levels in nearby water bodies, but this nutrient leaching is not fully accounted for in the calculations that underpin work on eutrophication.

In a new policy brief, researchers from Stockholm University Baltic Sea Centre, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and Södertörn University propose a series of recommendations to increase knowledge about the contribution of horse farms to eutrophication and to create incentives to reduce nutrient losses.

Read or download the policy brief:

Include nutrient load from horse farms in eutrophication work

Read the policy brief on the web:

Include nutrient load from horse farms in eutrophication work