Using simulation modeling to manage the environmental effects of the horse industry

The goal of the project is to increase the awareness and responsibility of horse stable owners for environmental care and to reduce the amount of nutrient and microbial runoff into waterbodies. The environmental information produced in the research and development projects of Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), Häme University of Applied Sciences and other organizations, as well as the requirements of the legislation, are applied to horse industry operators with the help of active interaction and virtual simulation modeling, and further as practical measures in the areas and horse farms selected as pilot sites. The project is implemented in the Kokemäenjoki catchment area, which is significant in terms of the nutrient load of the Baltic Sea, and where horse farming is practiced on a large scale and the density of horse stables is high. The project's implementers are HAMK (Bio research unit), Luke (Production systems) and The National Equine Competence Association of Finland Hippolis ry. In addition to the pilot horse farms, the company Polar Analytics Oy, which specializes in simulation modeling, Bio-Jussi Oy, the developer and manufacturer of water treatment solutions, municipalities (e.g. Ypäjä municipality), the main organizations of the horse industry, such as Suomen Hippos and the Finnish Riding Federation (SRL), as well as educational institutions and water protection associations, are involved in the project.