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

WHAT'S EATING MY GRASS
by Rhiannon Brown - Envirapest

Does your horse get to graze the lush, green grass on your property ... or are you feeding the local bug population ?

WHEN YOU DRINK WHAT YOU CATCH
Cleaning the water tank
by Liz Tollarzo
If rainwater is the main source of water for you and your horses then maintaining the integrity of that water becomes a priority.

RABBIT CONTROL
Rabbits are an ongoing problem for most rural areas, causing significant environmental and agricultural damage but the floods that have affected Queensland and NSW have actually helped reduce the population by flooding burrows in those areas.

WINTER BLEND OF HERBS
by Country Park Herbs
A blend of herbs to warm the horse’s body from the inside.

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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.

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.

BUDGET
Consider your budget before making any decisions as this will have to include both the lighting and the installation, which will include poles, trenching for cables, electrician costs, and possibly upgrading your power boards. Lighting arenas, whether with mains or solar electricity will cost anywhere between $5000 and $150,000 depending on the type of installation, the area being lit and the amount of lighting required.

The amount of light you are wanting in the arena is called ‘lux’ levels - this indicates how much light will be provided at ground level, where you will be working your horse.

Terms such as watts and lumens will not tell you how much light will be provided at ground level. Watt refers to the power consumption of the light (not the brightness) and lumens is the output of the light. For example, a 70W solar floodlight can provide 10,000 lumens of light, but the brightness at horse riding level (lux) will vary depending on pole height, surface reflection, and light overlapping. Jeff points out that the light is not the same in all arenas.

“Green grass absorbs the light, while white sand reflects the light providing greater brightness.”

There are many aspects to consider before making decisions on what lighting will best suit your needs and Jeff explains how important this can be.

Although there is no set standard for horse arena lighting, there are guidelines and safe lighting recommendations depending on each arena.

“Obviously there will be different lighting requirements that depend on the activity performed: if you are just doing general groundwork then you may just need residential low-level lighting but if you are planning on jumping your horses then low-level lighting can be dangerous so you would requires bright overlapping light to prevent shadowing, and allow for 3D visual perception.”

Consider re-scheduling your jumping to a weekend during daylight hours and those late evenings can be spent on groundwork, light flatwork or other low-level lighting requiring activities.
Scheduling around daylight hours might help save on the requirements for arena lights.

Lighting levels should scale up depending on the activity you perform at night. For example: if just riding for fun you may get away with low level (car headlights) 5 - 15lux, but with groundwork or dressage you would want higher levels (floodlighting from above the arena) 30 to 50 lux, whereas if you were jumping horses then you would look at 100 to 150 lux or higher if competition/public arena safety standards are needed.

POLE HEIGHT AND NUMBER OF LIGHTS

Jeff termed the question of pole height as a “how long is a piece of string” type question. The height of, and number of lights will depend on the size of your arena. Jeff recommends eight lights for a 20x40m arena and 12 lights for a 20x60m arena. The lights can be attached to the fence of the arena or be placed on poles, which will allow the lights to spread over a larger area providing greater vision. Recommended for arenas are poles around 7-8 metres.

Other aspects to consider when looking into solar-powered lights are warranty, maintenance, serviceability, design and light distribution, especially if bought overseas. Decisions also have to be made on switching, light control, weathering performance, soft or bright lights, so selecting a reputable company and talking to a specialist can be the best way to find the right solution for your individual property.

Perhaps talk to a couple of companies so you know exactly what you will be getting.

Most offer free consulting in Australia. You may pay a bit more for upfront costs, but in the long term, it might be worth it.

Like any lighting the initial costs of lights and equipment, plus the cost to install, can dent the pocket, but with solar you know that once installed then your running costs are already covered by the sun.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jeff Florance from BlackFrog Solar Lighting Brisbane has 20 years experience in running his own solar lighting business.
Coming from a farming background, Jeff has his own Stock Horses and competes in Queensland. His business provides products, installation and servicing across Australia and New Zealand, as well as free, honest lighting advice.
PH: 0410 347 931 www.blackfrog.com.au