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

CREATING A WEED MANAGEMENT PLAN -YOUR PROPERTY- YOUR WEEDS
by Rhiannon Brown – Envirapest
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.

WORKING WITH THE SEASONS
by Belinda Taylor
Managing pasture to maintain healthy ground cover.

HORSES ARE HERBIVORS, AREN'T THEY?
by Angela Davidson- The Horse Herbalist
So, if horses are ‘designed by nature’to be herbivors then should we be asking the question of why we are feeding products and supplements that go against the ‘Law of Nature’?

HERBS TO BEAT THE WINTER BLUES
by Country Park Herbs
What winter care and precautions may be needed to keep your horse healthy throughout the winter.

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PREVIOUS ARTICLES
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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.

Here we are and it’s winter again. Autumn is in the rear view mirror for all of us around the country, and we are now experiencing morning dew, chimney smoke and late night rug runs out in the paddock.Winter also means weeds. So let’s talk about making a plan for them.

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.

Keep it simple. Who knows your property best? You do. In fact, if you think about it for just a few short minutes, you probably already know where your weeds are, what paddocks are the worst, and what weed annoys you the most. So why not make this year, the year, to start biting into that weed cake, one bite at a time.

The first bite, is mustering up the energy to write a plan and draw a map. You don’t have to be an artist either, we call them mud maps for a reason. That said, our ‘friends’ at google have even taken satellite snaps of your property and with a few simple clicks and some printer ink, your map can be that work of art after all. I’d advise on two maps.
The first – The Master Map. This map is the overall view of the weed density as it stands on day one.
The second – The Annual Map. This map is for the weeds you are attacking this year.

Now the maps are on the table, raid the kid’s schools bags or that mystery third drawer where the highlighters are kept and grab a handful of them. Throw the maps on a clipboard and draw as you walk around the paddock, or walk around first and hit the dining table with a coffee and let’s begin.

THE MASTER MAP
On your Master Map choose different colours for different weeds and simply highlight areas all the weeds are in blocks or small dots and have a legend. The aim, obviously, is that over the years the areas taken up by these blocks/dots get smaller and smaller as your weed management skills pay off.

THE ANNUAL MAP
The annual map will generally look a little different. This map should highlight only the weeds causing the most destruction to the property and the weeds you are attacking this year.
Manual Weed Controllers

If you’re a manual labour lover who’s got time and energy in spades, choose to map only one or two weed species to pull/dig out to start with. Try not to get over zealous with your first map. Pick your most significant weed species then get to work and repeat. Time can get away on manual removal methods and as the season passes try not to get too far ahead of yourself.
Herbicide Weed Controllers

If you’re broadacre spraying yourself, or engaging a contractor, your annual weed map can be a little broader. A lot of weed management products will treat a large variety of weeds in one swoop depleting weed density fairly swiftly in the scheme of things.

In the August/ September issue we’ll talk about how to wear the weeds down and reduce them from your maps. These two particular months are what we call the ‘golden’ months for applying your weed control methods. Most of the annual weeds are generally up for the year, but haven’t flowered yet, making this the optimal time for controlling a lot of weed species.
So, map up, sharpen your weed weapons or dust off the old spray pack – the war is on its way.