Powered by poo...

IMAGINE if your horse’s poo could charge your phone, power your television and even help save the planet.

Well, a top international showjumping and dressage show in Finland is taking going green — or rather brown — to the next level as 100% of the event’s electricity will come from manure.

The annual manure output of 14 horses is needed to power Helsinki International Horse Show (18-22 October), which hosts a World Cup qualifier CSI5* plus a CDI3*. The electricity will be provided by Fortum’s Järvenpää power plant and its origin will be verified by Fingrid’s “guarantee of origin” system.

It is believed this is the first time in the world that the electricity for a major horse show will be produced entirely courtesy of horse manure.

The company, Fortum HorsePower, provides a bedding delivery and muck collection service to yards across Finland and Sweden. The manure is taken away to create electricity and bosses estimate there are close to 3,000 horses in Europe “leaving green hoofprints”.

HorsePower is providing bedding for the 250-plus horses attending the show and will also collect the 135 tonnes of muck they create.

No muckheap issues, bedding delivered and saving the planet; what’s not to love?