The Green Horse section provides practical information on managing environmentally sustainable horse properties, readers stories and tips, as well as advice and articles from equestrian experts in their fields.

In this issue of The Green Horse you will find the following articles

UNDERSTANDING AND CONTROLLING WEEDS
Horse owners take on many responsibilities to ensure the health and wellbeing of their
horses, and caring for your equestrian property is as important as caring for the horses and increases the list of day-to-day, and longer term tasks considerably.

GREEN HORSE NEWS

HORSE SHELTER DESIGN
Jenny Robinson from Meadows in South Australia explaines how she had designed her horse shelters.

PASTURE MANAGEMENT The 5:15cm rule
by Teele Worrell
Understand the best times to have horses on pasture and when to remove them can be a delicate balance .Instead of allowing the pasture to get long before letting the horses in you should aim for when the grass is around 15cm high and then remove the horses when the most heavily grazed areas are 5cm high.

CREATING AND USING THE SACRIFICE PADDOCK
Setting an area aside as a ‘sacrificial’ area or paddock is considered by many horse owners to be an invaluable component of their property’s set up and
design.

INSULIN RESISTANCE AND METABOLIC DISORDERS
by Angela Davison The Horse Herbalist
I s there a greater prevalence of
insulin resistance and metabolic
disorders now occurring in the horse population and, if so, is this related to the feeding and lifestyle choices owners make for their horses and ponies?

LAMINITIS - soothe and nuture witH herbs
by Country Park Herbs

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June July 23
CREATING A WEED MANAGEMENT PLAN - your property your weeds.
by Rhiannon Brown, Envirapest
Keep it Simple as making a weed management plan doesn’t have to be like studying for that master’s degree or passing your driving test for the first time either.

Apriil/May 23
SIMPLE FEED BUDGET
by Belinda Taylor
Although most horse owners are nervous at the prospect of creating a budget, a few quick
calculations can give you the power to compare prices and alternatives that can reduce your horses’ feed
costs, without impacting on their health and wellbeing.

February/March 23
CROFTON WEED KILLS HORSES
by Angela Davison
If you have this weed on your property then it is best to not have any horses in the paddock until such time as you can eradicate it.

December/January 22 23 PROPERTY PLANNING
-Working with your property- not against it.
by Teele Worrell
Property planning is about
using your property effectively
and efficiently and sometimes
starting with a clean slate.

October/November 22
WHAT IS EQUESTRIAN LANDCARE
by Teele Worrell
Part 1 In a series in which Teele will explore what equine landcare is, and why it benefits equine landholders

August/September 22
THE IMPORTANCE OF GROUND COVER
by Belinda Taylor
Ground cover, whether it be dead grass, weeds, hay, or mulch is the insulating layer that protects your soil from the extremes of temperature and erosion.

June/July 22
SOLAR FOR YOUR ARENA
Environmentally-friendly solar lighting for your arena will allow you to use your arena for longer, and as energy from the sun is free it is therefore an ideal long-term solution for powering lights. Jeff Florence from Blackfrog Solar, Queensland suggsted some solar tips.

April/May 22
MAKING THE MOST OF MOSQUITO CONTROL
by Rhiannon Brown - Envirapest
Climate change that has brought high temperatures, more rain and increases in humidity will provide ideal breeding grounds for the many species of mosquitoes, including those that spread the Japanese Encephalitis virus (JEV).February/March 2022

February/March 22
SUSTAINABLE DEWORMING
by Sophie Fletcher
There has been a relatively big shift in deworming treatment strategies in recent years, due to increasing levels of worm resistance to the chemicals we have been using for decades to control them, resulting in a lot of confusion among horse owners.

December/January 21/22
ARE YOU PREPARED FOR THE FIRE SEASON
In the many areas where horse owners live this season's fire preparation should be well underway; if you’ve not already started preparing your property for summer then now is the time to do so.

October/November21
SNAKE UNIVERSAL ANTIVENOM
The good news is that there is no longer any need for a snake to be identified to administer antivenom. A universal antivenom is now used that covers the five genus of snake that will cause serious harm or death.

August/September 21
BEAT THE BINDI
by Rhiannon Brown - Envirapest
The prickly weeds that grow on our properties across Australia usually have long classical Latin names, are often known by a variety of common names in different localities but are regularly called very rude names when we happen to stand on one (or a dozen) or when they find our hands as we are dislodging tangles in the horse’s mane or tail.

June July 21
BARN OWLS by Wendy Elks
A silent partner in rodent control.
Non-toxic pest management is the most humane and ecologically sustainable way of bringing nature back into some kind of balance during non-plague times.

April/May 21
LOVELY LAWNS
by Rhiannon Brown - Envirapest
On a horse property there always seems to be hectares of grass, but we all have that little bit of lawn we want to look luscious all year round.
It could be the entrance to the stables, laneways bordering the driveway, that little ‘special’ snack paddock or you could even dream of a beautiful green arena. So, how do we achieve this?

Feb/March 21
STABLE DANGERS
by Elizabeth Tollarzo
They say that horses are accidents-waiting-to-happen as they are inclined to find every conceivable way to injur themselves, usually just before a competition. Being aware of potential dangers in the stable - and addressing these - may help aleiviate injury.

Dec/Jan 20/21
HORSES AND HONEY BEES-
Can they share space on the property?
by Wendy Elks

Oct/Nov 20
SOLAR-POWERED PRODUCTS
by Celine Bønnelykke
In previous issues we have discussed the economics of setting up a solar-driven property, but if finances don’t stretch to installation of the whole package, there are ways to ease into the solar-world.

Aug/Sept 20 THE HIDDEN DANGERS IN OUR PADDOCK.
by Elizabeth Tollarzo
Horses love to run, play, buck and then run again and we often, through lack of risk assessment or management practices, place them in areas that are fraught with dangers.

JUNE JULY 20 GOING SOLAR ON THE HORSE PROPERTY Where to put your panels Part 2
Once you have selected what solar system best suits your needs, then you need to look at how you can maximise the advantages.

APRIL MAY 20 GOING SOLAR ON THE HORSE PROPERTY Part 2
Once you have selected what solar system best suits your needs, then you need to look at how you can maximise the advantages.

FEB/MARCH 20 ANTS AWAY
by Mark Brown Envirapest
So, what can you do to deter ants from your house and your stables??

DJ19/20 KEEPING SNAKES OUT OF THE STABLE by Wendy Elks
Snakes may be protected under Wildlife regulations in Australia, and they may be great for keeping the mice and rats down, but do we want to find them in our stables near our horses and pets?

ON19 - TERMITES- common myths
by Rhiannon Brown, Envirapest
Your house and stables are looking wonderful this spring, but do you know what is happening inside the walls of your brick or timber building?

AS19 - OUCH THAT HURTS
by Catherine Bird for Country Park Saddlery
The extent of the swelling is usually an indication of the severity of the infection or injury and the cause needs to be established before giving herbs.

JJ19 - MANAGING PASTURE
by Rhiannon Brown, Envirapest Healthy pasture means healthy horses.

A/M19 - STOP THOSE WEEDS
Property biosecurity
by Rhiannon Brown, Envirapest
Putting simple precautionary steps into place can make it tough for weeds to get a hold on your equine paradise.

Every horse property is different and the set up and infrastructure requirements can vary enormously depending on the size of the property, the number of horses and how they are being kept, their use and activity levels, grazing opportunities and pasture quality.

Functional areas that are safe and useable are essential, with an area set aside as a ‘sacrificial’ area or paddock considered by many horse owners to be an invaluable component of their property’s set up and design.

They are usually an area that is bare of grass and while it may not be as atheistically pleasing as green, pasture-rich paddocks that many aspire to, there are a number of reasons why a sacrificial area is considered a ‘must have’ on a horse property and can help to achieve and maintain those lush areas.

RESTRICTS EXCESS INTAKE
With pasture associated laminitis a concern for many horse and pony owners, a sacrificial paddock can be vital for your horse’s health, helping to reduce their risk of pasture associated laminitis by providing an area that can be used to restrict their feed intake and maintain an appropriate body weight while allowing for movement and social interaction with other horses, either in the same paddock or near the allocated area. It can also be helpful when a controlled environment is required for injury and health related recuperation time.

GIVES PASTURED PADDOCKS A REST
The sacrifice area can help maintain the health of your pastured paddocks as, while horses are contained in the sacrifice area it allows the pastures time to rest and for regrowth while preventing overgrazing and damage from hooves when wet. The area can be vital to avoid over-grazing and ensure the long term productivity of your pastured paddocks.

POTENTIAL BUSH FIRE SAFE AREA
While early evacuation in the event of a bushfire is always recommended, a sacrifice paddock can be allocated as the property’s ’safe area’ if an evacuation is no longer possible or practical. It is important that the area is not too small and there are no trees and buildings nearby that can burn readily.

CREATING YOUR SACRIFICE PADDOCK
When considering the most appropriate location for a sacrifice paddock the property’s terrain should be taken into account. An ideal location is one that is high, dry and flat with free draining soils to reduce the risk of run-off. Avoid areas near waterways to reduce the risk of sediment run-off, along with areas that slope as they will have a higher risk of water run-off, something best avoided given the lack of ground cover.

A sacrifice paddock does still require consideration and maintenance to ensure the soil does not become too compacted and result in drainage issues, which can become problematic and pose a health risk. Areas that are prone to becoming very wet and muddy should have access restricted and manure and wasted hay should always be removed regularly. A sacrificial paddock should have shelter and infrastructure for the provision of water and hay.

When set up and utilised appropriately it’s easy to see why so many horse owners consider a sacrificial area a necessity on their property.

We would love to hear how you created and use your sacrifice paddock.

Email:enquiries@hoofbeats.com.au