Me thinks you may need to add a nitrogen product for a couple years. I don't think that you have ruined things...just have made them nitrogen short until the shavings rot well.

Hey, I add nitrogen anyway without your situation.

I think you're fine. I do this myself. Have been doing it like this for years. the only thing to worry about is what you're growing in it. I read somewhere one time about veggies growing in somewhat fresh manure amended gardens. Very general rule of thumb...

Above ground, no contact (like trellised tomatoes or peppers or corn) one month after application they can be harvested.

ON the ground, like vining cucumbers, cantaloupe, watermelons, etc, two months to harvest after application.

IN the ground like any root crop, three months to harvest after application.

So that's what I follow. I've never noticed any problems other than weeds, and I have those already, so what's a little more going to hurt? My sweetpotatoes did wonderful planted in May after a March application. Harvested in October. Corn did great after March application and July planting with peas growing in between.

Most everything takes at least two months after you plant it anyway, so I think you're safe with any amount of application before you plant.

You will be just fine. In my experience, no need for nitrogen, I have grown nice plants solely with manure, and if anything there was more bedding in mine. But keep an eye on the plants, if they are pale, water in a little N.

Till it again and till it deeper.

You did just fine, thats what I do every fall along with adding all the leaves I can get my hands on. I till a bit deeper, and then turn the sprinkler on and get about 2" of water on the garden and let mother nature do her thing. Sounds like you thought you got a lump of coal and found out it was really a diamond.

I think with that ratio of manure to bedding, plus a couple months to age before planting, there should not be a nitrogen problem. And it's long enough to not worry about microbes, as others have said.

Many years ago I spread horse manure directly onto the garden and later wished I hadn't done so. The ensuing problem I encountered was a garden of weeds. Unfortunately I fought the weed battle for years.

I still use lots of horse manure but only as an ingredient in hot composting. I sure hope the horse manure you acquired doesn't turn out to be as troublesome as mine.

You should really let horse manure compost for a while. From what I have heard they don't digest the weed seeds very well and those will sprout on you

The soil bacteria that would be digesting your manure will not be very active in USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 6 right now so little "breaking down" will be happening. They may be starting in to do that in March, but more will be happening in April as the soil warms more.
In theory, according to the USDA, NIH, and CDC, as long as that manure is in your soil 90 to 120 days before harvest you need not be too concerned about disease pathogens.

I'll join the chorus on 'you'll be fine'. The best gardens I've ever grown were pretty much straight horse manure and bedding, breaking down over the summer. The worms go crazy.

However, you may well get weeds depending on the quality of the hay that was fed the horses, but if you keep an eye on them and hoe them when they're small, its no biggy.

Thanks to everyone for responding! :)

I feel so much more at ease now, with the hope that things will turn out ok.
We had tilled that in and later I came on here to see what success others had, and I read story after story of bad reports such as the wood shavings will mess up the soil and take up too much nitrogen, the manure could be dangerous, etc.

So THANK YOU for resting my mind. And thanks to the person who said that things wouldn't be breaking down yet in my zone. I was concerned seeing all the round horse droppings just sitting on top of the soil!

One more question- someone mentioned a possible need for nitrogen source later on. Would a fish emulsion be a good bet? This is my first year to vegetable garden so I have lots to learn- obviously. ;)

If this is your first year to garden, then what condition is the soil...wornout, rich, poor, loose, tight, cloddy, sandy, clayey? All this plays into the need for any additional fertilizer. For myself, I would not want to depend on one horse manure enrichment total.

I had the soil tested a couple of months back. The report said everything was good except it needed nitrogen. Being organically and non-GMO minded, I wanted a natural source. My folks only used animal manure on our gardens when we were young, so I figured the horse manure mix would be fine.

The soil in this garden is basically loose, breaks up easily but not sandy soil. I've had clay soils before, and this is not clay either. I guess just normal TN dirt? :) medium brown color and it was really easy to till.

Horse manure, unless it contains the liquid, isn't noted to be super high in nitrogen. If it does contain most of the liquid, it will have fair nitrogen.

The dry weight analysis of horse manure is often listed in the 0.7-0.3-0.6 range. While not near what a 10-10-10 synthetic fertilizer is it is known to be a "hot" source of Nitrogen because that N is pretty readily available.
Almost every soil test report I have seen over the last 45 years has suggested adding 2 pounds of Nitrogen per 1,000 square feet, whether the lab tested for N or not. That is not very much and in a good healthy soil probably not really needed.
Perhaps these simple soil tests will be of some help,
1) Soil test for organic matter. From that soil sample put enough of the rest to make a 4 inch level in a clear 1 quart jar, with a tight fitting lid. Fill that jar with water and replace the lid, tightly. Shake the jar vigorously and then let it stand for 24 hours. Your soil will settle out according to soil particle size and weight. For example, a good loam will have about 1-3/4 inch (about 45%) of sand on the bottom. about 1 inch (about 25%) of silt next, about 1 inch (25%) of clay above that, and about 1/4 inch (about 5%) of organic matter on the top.

2) Drainage. Dig a hole 1 foot square and 1 foot deep and fill that with water. After that water drains away refill the hole with more water and time how long it takes that to drain away. Anything less than 2 hours and your soil drains� too quickly and needs more organic matter to slow that drainage down. Anything over 6 hours and the soil drains too slowly and needs lots of organic matter to speed it up.

3) Tilth. Take a handful of your slightly damp soil and squeeze it tightly. When the pressure is released the soil should hold together in that clump, but when poked with a finger that clump should fall apart.

4) Smell. What does your soil smell like? A pleasant, rich earthy odor? Putrid, offensive, repugnant odor? The more organic matter in your soil the more active the soil bacteria will be and the nicer your soil will smell.

5) Life. How many earthworms per shovel full were there? 5 or more indicates a pretty healthy soil. Fewer than 5, according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service, indicates a soil that is not healthy.