Willinga Park Bushfire: Planning and Preparation Paid Off
A decade of considered bushfire planning and horse property maintenance helped save an entire town. Willinga Park effectively blocked the advance of the massive Currowan Fire towards the coastal town of Bawley Point during Australia’s catastrophic 2019-2020 fire...
Encouraging Dung Beetles on Horse Properties
Encouraging dung beetles in horse properties: Dung beetles are very cool creatures! They eat and bury your horse or cattle’s poo, control insects and parasites, de-compact soil, cycle nutrients and hydrate your pasture - and they do it all for free. Dung beetle...
When the Drought Breaks… Hold Your Horses!
Horse pastures drought recovery After yet another dry and hot year in Australia, most horse owners and farmers are longing for some steady rain to kick-start the growing season and seeing some green and standing grass. And, while nature does seem to restore things in...
Building Resilience and Drought-proofing Your Horse Property
Drought-proofing horse properties. Australia is a country in the grip of extreme weather bingo. Over the last year we have seen record temperatures, prolongued dry conditions in some areas whilst in others, the drought broke with devastating floods and damage....
All about Soil. Part 4, Lab soil tests
Laboratory soil tests. In this exclusive Equine Permaculture series, we have been ‘digging deeper into soils’ and explored what soils are, how soil is formed, the different types of soil and how they sustain life through the soil-food-web. In Part Three (Horses and...
All about Soil. Part 3, DIY soil tests
DIY Soil Tests. In this Equine Permaculture series, we ‘dig deeper into soils’ and, to date, we have explored what soils are, how soil is formed, the different types of soil and how they sustain life through the soil-food-web. If you missed those articles, you can...
All About Soil. Part 2, The soil food web
In this Equine Permaculture series, we ‘dig deeper into soils’ and explore what soils are, how soil is formed, the different types of soil and how they sustain life through the soil-food-web. We will also discuss the importance of soil tests - in the lab and DIY -...
All About Soil. Part 1, Facts about soil
Facts about Soil. In this Equine Permaculture series, All About Soils, we ‘dig deeper into soils’ and explore what soils are, how soil is formed, the different types of soil and how they sustain life through the soil-food-web. Furthermore, we discuss the importance...
Managing Pastures for Soil Health – Part 2
Managing pastures for soil health, Keyline design. As horse owners, we care for large herbivores and, in order to support them with the food they are designed to eat, we must take care of our land. Making the right land management decisions - ones that will create...
Managing Pastures for Soil Health – Part 1
As horse owners, we care for large herbivors and, in order to support them with the food they are designed to eat, we must take care of our land. Managing pastures for soil health by making the right land management decisions - ones that will create healthy pastures,...
How to Compost Horse Manure
If you manage a property and horses, you would most likely have encountered pasture and land problems. While issues such as overgrazing, erosion, compaction, no grass growth, weeds and waterlogging are likely to be seen on smaller properties with high stocking rates,...
Equine Permaculture Design: Part 7 Make it happen
Equine Permaculture in action. Following on from previous articles, in Part 7 of this exclusive Equine Permaculture Design Series, Mariette van den Berg explains how the permaculture design principles are put into action. First with observation, then planning and...
Equine Permaculture Design: Part 6 Manage runoff and erosion
Manage Runoff and Erosion. Following on from last month’s look at how the shape of the land influences design and layout of a property, in this Part 6 of this exclusive Equine Permaculture Design Series, Mariette van den Berg gives some practical solutions for...
Equine Permaculture Design: Part 5 Slope and Aspect
Slope and Aspect Following on from last month’s concept of energy flow, in this Part 5 of this exclusive Equine Permaculture Design Series, Mariette van den Berg explains the design tool that permaculture design consultants use when deciding the best placement and...
Equine Permaculture Design: Part 4 Energy Flow
Energy Flow When it comes to horse property layout, it pays to consider the permaculture design approach because it aims to build systems that are easier to manage, more efficient and sustainable, whilst considering the health and wellbeing of all - people, horses,...
Equine Permaculture Design: Part 3 Property Layout
When it comes to horse property layout, it pays to consider following the permaculture design approach because it aims to build systems that are easier to manage, more efficient and sustainable, whilst considering the health and wellbeing of all - people, horses,...
Equine Permaculture Design: Part 2 Managing Resources
Managing resources. If we want to live and manage properties more sustainably - preserving natural systems and creating better environments for our horses and ourselves - we have to get smart with our resources. In this Part Two, Mariette van den Berg explains the...
Equine Permaculture Design: Part 1 Natural Systems
Natural Systems Permaculture, or permanent agriculture, is a design system for sustainable living devised in Australia by Bill Mollison and David Holmgren in the 1970’s. It is one of the movements that can help us use the land in a cleaner and less costly manner,...
Renovating Damaged Pastures and Soils
Renovating damaged pastures and soils - soil compaction The key problem on horse properties is compaction and, in this article, I’ll explain what compaction is and how to recognise it. I’ll provide some practical and integrative solutions for renovating damaged...
Equine Permaculture: Part 3 We Are Grass Farmers
We are grass farmers! When we own horses, we sign up to become the caretakers of large herbivorous animals that have adapted to eating a plant-based diet primarily made up of grasses. This is why we, as horse owners, should think of ourselves as ‘grass and forage’...
Equine Permaculture: Part 2 Sub-Dividing Pastures – Advanced Paddock Grazing
Sub-dividing pastures - advanced paddock grazing Most horse owners recognise a horse-sick pasture; the one with poor quality grasses containing weeds, compacted, eroded soils and manure build-up with parasite pollution. Some think the problem is caused by...
Equine Permaculture: Part 1 An Introduction
While many people begin to explore ways to make farming more sustainable and others think of the lifestyle choices they can make to help save the planet, the question is can horse owners be part of the solution instead of adding to the problems? To introduce this new...
