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

BEATING THE BLACKBURY
by Rhiannon Brown – Envirapest
Loved by some for the fruit, slashed by others to protect pasture and bushland, the blackberry is a Weed of National Significance.

DEVELOPING YOUR OWN EQUINE TRACK SYSTEM
by Deidre Rennick
Before making any alterations to existing fencing on your property - or laying a new track - it is important to be very clear about what you want to achieve with your track and what your starting infrastructure will support.

EQUINE TRADES- The government will pay you to study.

SOIL - How well do you know your soil?-
by Teele Worrell
Healthy soil supports the right micro-organisms to enable the growth of healthy grass, which helps develop healthy horses that will get the right amount of minerals, protein, sugar and starch from their pasture.

ARE FLIES MAKING YOUR HORSE MISERABLE?
by Country Park Herbs
While horses may not be free of flies this summer, healthy horses are less appealing to them. If the hrose is not in optimum health it can give of detectable odours that attract those flies.

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.

The ELECTRIC CAR for towing
with Francine Allen
It’s not been an easy journey but horse enthusiast Francine Allen is out to show that towing a horse float with an electric vehicle is possible in certain circumstances.

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PREVIOUS ARTICLES
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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.

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. Its carrot-like odour can cause a horse that has eaten it to become addicted and seek it out. It is an insidious weed and very toxic as every mouthful can cause damage to the horse’s bronchioles and lung walls.

Crofton weed - (Ageratina adenophora) is beating the cane toads in its march south down the east coast of Australia. It’s also now prevalent in all other states of Australia.
This plant, a native of Mexico, loves conditions in this country and like the cane toad it has no natural predators here. Biological controls have had limited success to date, and funding for research is minimal.

By the time physical symptoms manifest, such as cough or breathlessness, much damage has already taken place. Crofton hardens damaged cells and lung walls ulcerate and crumble so basically the horse is asphyxiated – they stand with their neck stretched and hind legs camped out, all to try and get oxygen as the lungs start to flood. They can run blind, collapse and die. A horrible death for your horse, or anyone’s horse.

What to look for
Crofton weed is an erect, multi stemmed perennial plant which grows to 150cm in height. It’s extremely hardly, it layers itself and will sprout from any tiny piece of root left in the ground and, like many weeds, it relishes poor soil conditions.
The plant has maroon coloured smooth stems, the broad leaves are green and have slightly dog-toothed edges and it develops dense clusters of white flowers in spring.

CONTROL
Crofton weed spreads rapidly and can produce as many as 60,000 viable seeds per square metre. The most effective way of controlling this weed is by slashing and mowing, followed by herbicide treatments.

The job can be done manually, but it is important to get the underground crown dug-up and removed completely. A functional biological control agent has not yet been found for Crofton weed, besides the fact that goats are known to eat, and not be poisoned by the weed.

Regular slashing will reduce flowering and seedset, reduce the spread by seeds and the density of the plant. The slashed and dried plant, however, is still attractive and toxic to horses.
Take care to keep horses away until the plant has been completely removed from the paddock. After slashing, the weed is allowed to regrow from the crown to a height of 15–40 cm and then sprayed with herbicide. Chemical control appears to work best during late summer and autumn when weeds are actively growing.

WORKING HORSES
Do not work horses that have had access to the plant and are coughing or breathless, and it is suggested they should be thoroughly checked out by a veterinarian.

Any exertion increases the possibility of damaging the horse’s lungs or the bronchial tubes.

MYTHS SURROUNDING CROFTON WEED
There are quite a few myths surrounding this weed and horses, a few of which are addressed here.

UNTRUE
It’s untrue that horses that are being hard fed or on good pasture will not eat crofton weed.
It’s untrue that Crofton weed only damages horses when it’s in flower.

TRUE
It’s true that some horses will seek out Crofton weed even when on otherwise good pasture or hard feed.

It’s true that Crofton weed contains an addictive alkaloid. Crush a few leaves, stem and root to smell the carrot-like odour.

It’s true that Crofton weed is harmful to horses that ingest it at all stages of the plant’s growth, though it is thought to be at its most toxic immediately after flowering.

It’s true that every mouthful causes damage.

HELPFUL HERBS FOR HORSE
that are slightly affectd by Croton Weed.

Elecampane (Inula helenium) - this is my favourite expectorant (lung dredger), it is also bronchial-spasmolytic, which means it is specific to treat bronchial asthma and cough.

Liquorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) root – not to be confused with the commercial liquorice candy. Liquorice extract is a bronchial vasodilator giving more expandability to airways. It works synergistically (together) with Elecampane, a soothing herb to treat bronchial asthma and cough.

Thyme (Thymus vulgaris) – one of the best antibacterial, anti-microbial, antifungal herbs for the upper respiratory tract for coughs, sore throat and asthma.
Ask your qualified herbal practitioner to combine all three ... concentrated high-grade extracts only ... this is the medicinal form to give best results should your horse be slightly affected. Any airways disease will be improved by dosing with ginger and thyme tea.

Ginger Tea – good for upset or underactive gut, bloat and travel sickness, plus its scientifically proven to be effective against the common cold. Use the fresh root only (source from greengrocers or supermarket). Finely chop 2-3cm – add two cups of boiling water – let cool then pour entire contents over feed. Do this once daily, or a few times a week, depending on the condition of your horse.

Thyme Tea – brilliant herb for the entire upper respiratory tract - coughs, colds and sore throats. Ideally, use 5-10 sprigs of the fresh herb or two teaspoons of dried. Add to two cups of boiling water – let cool then pour entire contents over feed. You can give this 2-3 times daily, reducing the dose as symptoms improve.

The ginger root and the thyme can be combined in the same tea. Great for humans too!