Balanced Horse Transport for Safer, Less Stressful Journeys
Balanced transport and loading horses so they travel facing the rear respects the horses’ needs for security behind, and can help reduce stress. In this article, Dr Sharon Cregier, twice awarded the International Animal Transportation Association (ATA) animal welfare...
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...
Open the Gates to Good Horse Welfare
When we picture scenes of animal cruelty, we generally imagine thin, malnourished horses in haphazard paddocks filled with abandoned cars, barbed wire fencing and empty gas cans. Less commonly associated with mistreatment are luxurious stabling facilities housing...
When in Doubt… Turn Your Horses Out!
Going down in history as one of the best Melbourne Cup wins, a horse named Kiwi, originally purchased to round up sheep, dashed to victory in the 123rd Melbourne Cup of 1983. With only 100 metres to go, and at 10-to-one odds, the chestnut gelding upstaged the best...
Can Bedding Improve your Horse’s Performance?
If you were asked how to optimise your horse’s performance, it is likely you will think about meeting his nutritional needs, following a strict conditioning regimen, or ensuring that he is in ‘good’ health... Would bedding even come into your mind? ‘Good’ sleep is...
Natural and Sustainable Horse Management
In this article, Jane and Stuart Myers explain natural horse behaviour and how to use it to implement a natural and sustainable management system. The more you learn about what’s natural for horses, the easier it will be for you to customise a sustainable management...
Active Stables Really do Encourage Movement
When horses live in certain open stable systems with functional areas and pasture access, they walk and run distances that are close to, or even the same as, those covered by many free-roaming equids. According to German researchers, domestic horses move an average of...
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...
Seven tips to manage your horse’s weight
These challenging times are affecting every aspect of our lives, including, for many of us, how we manage our horses. If you are turning your horse out daily or 24/7, check out these 7 tips to help you manage your horse's weight. Rates of obesity are considered to be...
War on Waste: Horse Feedbags
War on waste horse feedbags. Editors Note: In 2023, the RedCycle program was discontinued in Australia, and it is no longer possible for citizens to recycle soft plastics. Material: Feedbags are (generally) made from woven polypropylene. Abbreviated as PP, it is a...
War on Waste for Horse Owners: A Circular Economy
War on Waste for horse owners. The planet is drowning in plastic and, while a lot could be done at all levels to rein the tide in, right now, it seems that the plastics manufacturing industries want to lock us into uncontrolled plastic production for decades to come....
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...
Architects Offer Free Aid to Bushfire Victims
Architects offer free aid to bushfire victims Heartbreakingly, thousands of homes and farms in Australia have been destroyed or damaged by this summer’s devastating bushfires and in response, architects across the nation have put up their hands to help. Over 400 local...
Managing and Feeding Horses During Drought
Managing and feeding horses during drought: Drought conditions in various parts of Australia have coupled with the arrival of the non-growing (winter) season. Grass has turned yellow or brown and the pastures are being eaten down with only bare soils left. If you are...
Keep Them Safe With Horserail
Safe Fencing for Horses: Horse fencing has seen a great modernization over the last 20 years, with horse owners realizing that old fashioned wire and timber fencing really is not suitable for our beloved and easily startled animals. It is easy to see why Horserail is...
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....
Enrichment for horses
Enrichment means providing captive or domestic animals with a better housing situation and stimulation that replicate more closely what they would have available to them in their natural setting. The notion of enrichment for captive animals is a relatively new concept...
Riding Arenas and Training Yards: Part 1
Riding arenas and training yards: An all-weather surfaced area for training and exercising horses can be very useful, many would say essential on a horse property. It all depends on what you do with your horses. Here are some considerations and tips to help you decide...
The Ultimate Guide to Choosing the Right Fence
Choosing the right fence. From a practical and safety point of view, boundary and internal fencing are the most obvious structures that require attention when laying out your property to meet the needs of your horses (and potentially other animals). When you start...
5 Property Improvements for all Budgets
Property improvement. Here are five common changes that can be done at any stage on small and larger budgets to improve or redesign your existing horse property... When horses become part of your life and you are lucky enough to own one (or a few), the next best thing...
The Equicentral System: Practical examples
Grass Farmers: Land Management for Horses The Equicentral System is Jane and Stuart Myers’ complete approach to property layout, and provides practical solutions for sustainable horse and land management on your property. It is a system that works by utilising your...
All About Soil. Part 5, Using soil tests to improve horse pastures
Soil tests. In this All About Soil series, we have been ‘digging deeper into soils’ and explored what soils are, how soil is formed, the different types of soil (Part 1) and how they sustain life through the soil-food-web (Part 2). We learned about sampling and...
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...
Towing a Horse Float Safely
Towing a horse float requires additional knowledge and skill. All horse floats, trailers and caravans affect the performance of the towing vehicle, they affect fuel consumption, acceleration, braking ability, general control and manoeuvrability. And these effects...
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,...
Horse Training Course: Part 3 10 Easy Steps to Easy Trailer Loading
Training your horse to load Trailer loading. If you ever thought there must be a better and easier way to train your horse, this new training series by Kate Fenner is designed for you! Kate’s gentle and no-fuss approach will provide you with the tools and confidence...
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’...
Fencing Injuries and How to Prevent Them
Fencing Injuries and how to prevent them... This month, Dr Adrian Owen, a member of Equine Dental Vets, talks about the common injuries caused by poorly designed or maintained fencing. He encourages every horse owner to consider how they can protect their horses from...
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...
Managing Horses in Family Groups: Part 2
Breeding and weaning. Horses and People Editor Cristina Wilkins talks with veterinarian and pony breeder Tom Davis about his experiences managing a breeding herd as a single family group and his reasons for not weaning. A passionate advocate of welfare for both...
Managing Horses in Family Groups: Part 1
Managing horses in family groups. Horses and People Editor Cristina Wilkins talks with veterinarian and pony breeder Tom Davis about his experiences managing a breeding herd as a single family group. A passionate advocate of welfare for both horses and people, Tom...
Jane and Stuart Myers on Active Stable Systems
The HIT Active Stable is a fully automated system that allows horses to be kept in groups whilst at the same time allowing for individual feeding regimes. We were invited to visit the headquarters of HIT in Germany and also to have a look round a working example of...
Holistic Management for Horse Properties: Part 5 Practical Guidelines
Management guidelines. In the previous edition we discussed the process of decision-making and the seven tests that assist you with determining if you are making economically, ecologically and socially sound decisions for your horse property. This has been so far very...
Holistic Management for Horse Properties: Part 4 The Seven Testing Questions
Socially and environmentally responsible. In order to support horses and provide the food they are designed to eat, we must take care of our land. To create healthy pastures and adequate food for our horses (and for ourselves) we must ensure that our decisions are...
Holistic Management for Horse Properties: Part 3 Ecosystems Processes
Ecosystems Processes. As horse owners we are taking care of large herbivorous animals. In order to support horses and provide the food they are designed to eat, we must take care of our land. In turn, to be able to make the right decisions and create healthy pastures...
Holistic Management for Horse Properties: Part 2 Forming a holistic goal
Forming a holistic goal. To be able to make economically, environmentally and socially sound decisions in our lives and for our horses and properties we must have a look at the four key insights, that when taken together, proved to be critical to the development of...
Holistic Management for Horse Properties: Part 1 Introduction
Holistic Management for Horse Properties - Holistic Management is a new approach to decision-making and management that can be successfully incorporated in horse management. In this series of articles, Mariette van den Berg introduces the concept and goes on to...
Biological Pasture Management: Part 2 Healthy Soils
In part 1 we highlighted the importance of dietary fibre and pasture management for our horse’s health. The brief history that I presented on farming and pasture management methods should not be surprising, it is something that can be found on a simple internet search...
Biological Pasture Management: Part 1 Roughage and Pasture
Part 1 of a 3 part series on biological pasture management for horse properties. There are many commercial manufactured feeds for horses available. Horse feed companies promote their muesli or pelleted feeds in colourful bags and many horse owners see these as the...
