Environmental Effects of Sport Horse Production Farms in Argentina

Abstract

Argentina is one of the countries that exports animals for equestrian sports. This paper analyzes the environmental effects of sport horse production farms in Argentina and proposes actions to minimize the environmental effects of this type of production. Twenty-six sport horse production farms in the province of Buenos Aires were studied. The proximity of the farms to a surface water body, the destination of the stall bedding, management practices and whether they receive veterinary advice were the characteristics analyzed in relation to feed, its composition and water consumption according to the performance of the animals. A nominal qualitative analysis on the impact was carried out considering three impact categories: low, medium and high. The association between the four environmental variables analyzed has shown that only two farms have a low environmental impact, while eighteen farms have a medium impact and five farms have a high impact. The results show that the role of the professional veterinarian is key in minimizing environmental impact and that the management of excretions and stall bedding should be reviewed in order to reduce the impact. This paper presents recommendations associated with water use, feed and manure management.