I've finally located a source of horse manure for my garden! But I've got a problem: how to get it from where it is (a stable) to where I need it (my garden in the city). I have no truck, and absolutely no experience with manure. (At least not this kind.)

So...how can I transport it? I'm considering trying to put it in plastic garbage bags, but figure they're likely to get too heavy and break.

I'm also thinking about lining the back of my little Toyota station wagon with plastic tarps and just shoveling the stuff in.

What do you think? Is my car going to smell like poop for the rest of its natural life? Is there a better way to do this?

Thanks!

I recycle those kitty litter plastic containers which have a lid that fits rather tight. They do the job. Not too heavy when full, don't tear and leave manure in vehicle, etc. You could get the five gallon buckets at home improvement stores too. Michelle

I think my favorite suggestion was hiring a high school kid with a truck to haul it for you. Otherwise hit up friends...
Jason

I've used smallish cardboard boxes with tarps protecting the seats. The tarps are from the nursery, and I keep them in the car trunk all the time. Yes, the car will smell of manure for a little while! But it's worth it.

Forgot to say that DH absolutely refuses to carry it in his car, even though he has a hatchback and I have a small Toyota sedan. He's a doll, but he does draw the line somewhere!

I no longer own a truck, haven't for years now, and I miss it. I don't even attempt raw manure... I buy steer manure in bags, and those are aged.... I lay a sheet of plastic down, and make sure it extends over everything. One leaky bag is enough to make the car nasty....

Then I fold the plastic over the bags of manure and drive home with all the windows open. After emptying the car I very carefully remove the plastic. Even then, the car usually stinks for a few days afterward, so I keep the windows open.

Sealed up plastic tubs sounds best for your car. Or, find someone with a truck...just be sure to scrub their truck clean when done, with soap....

I second Jason's suggestion.

Dirt

I was so determined to get manure before we had our pickup truck that I filled about half a dozen rubbermaid-type containers, and carried several loads of those in my car. It didn't even smell bad, but our manure was already aged.
I agree with the others; it's worth the pain.

If your source of horse manure includes wood shavings, be careful NOT to include those in your vegetable garden, because they take years to break down and will compete with your veggies for nitrogen. You will end up with much more wood shavings that horse manure if you are getting the stable droppings, so it will be a real drag to deal with.

If you dig a trench in the ground and put in the wood shavings it will take maybe a year or more to get those to break down, but once they are unrecognizable they will be a good amendment to your garden.

And if it's straight manure, remember not to get your fingers near your eyes, nose or mouth, try not to get it in your tennies, wash, wash, wash after dealing with it.

First plus: you have a station wagon.

Second plus: you get a say in whether you haul manure. (Lucky. I don't.)

I found, when collecting coffee grounds from establishments in the area, that a large bucket with a sealable lid is the best for hauling anything that is wet and therefore a very nasty potential mess. You can pick up a lot of these buckets from groceries that sell olives and such: they just toss the 4-gal buckets out. Even the big stores will set them aside from the rest of the trash if you make it easy for them to help you (e.g. comply with their disposal schedules).

I also have a couple of cats, so I save the kitty litter buckets. It's hard to get a kitty litter bucket as large as a bulk olive bucket, though. The buckets are almost always square, too, so you can pack them in more tightly, and with less fear of tipping. Unless you're using plastic bags from landscaping companies (the kind that are used to haul gravel and sand), they're going to be too flimsy for manure hauling. The bucket is best. Metal handles are preferable to plastic. Tight-fitting lids are a bonus, but not essential, if you don't take curves too fast. :-B

If you dig your horse manure from the back of the pile, chances are you're getting aged stuff. It doesn't stink, so your car will not be fouled. If you're going for the steamy stuff... WINDOWS DOWN! For the next few weeks.

One of the guys at my community garden has been known to stuff his Oldsmobile's trunk, back seat to the roof, and front passenger seat, with bags and bags of leaves in the fall, for his garden plot. But he's single without kids, and a kook.

I'm not sure how much trouble you want to go through but here goes anyway. Do either of your vehicles have a trailer hitch on them? If so rental places will rent you a trailer, if no hitch, I know places like U-Haul used to have I think what they called universal hitches they could temporarly attach to your car for rent along with utility trailers, please don't think I'm an idiot, just trying to be helpful & keep the car smelling fresh. Luck be with ye.

Been there, done that, caught heck from wife too (kids as well). Good, heavy plastic bags, doubled, and handle with care so you don't puncture the bag(s) and leak some of the liquid (unbeknowenst to you) onto the carpet in the back. Whooee.