"I use old quilted bedspreads found at garage sales for making saddle covers, carriers and gear bags--I can make quite a few items from a queen size. I make saddle pads, saddle bags, and cantle bags. I find canvas, Duck and all sorts of items at garage sales." --Karice
Pasture Management
"Don't overgraze your pastures. Overgrazed pastures cause soil erosion and continually lessen your chances of growing anything worth eating. Rotate your pastures or at least supplement them with hay." --Citabobita
"Manage your grass--most horses don't need on grass 24/7. Create a system where even on a small acreage your horses rotate, so one area is rested for a few weeks (and it's good to get it harrowed when you first rest it to get piles distributed and sunshine in to kill those pesky larvae). Especially in drought conditions, it's vital not to overgraze. This year our hay meadows look like a dirt road, so managing livestock is vital, so when we do get moisture there's a plant that's not been abused so it can grow. Rest and rotation is the best way to beat weeds--mowing or clipping, then rest. Not letting plants get overly rank is the other extreme: If plants are mature and tough, animals continue to go back to the short trimmed off stuff in that pasture, and over graze those areas." --Karice
Trail Tips
"Make a conscious effort to stay on 'legal' marked horse trails that are in good condition. Don't trailblaze and don't ride in the mud. The amount of erosion and soil damage caused by horses' feet is not necessarily trivial, not only to the environment but to fellow trail users." --QHAllAround
"Being both a biker and an equestrian I have the advantage of both perspectives:
- Large hoofprint 'holes' are awful and very uncomfortable if not downright dangerous to other trail users and negatively represent the impact of horses on the environment and trail system in a very obvious way.
- Manure (I know there isn't much you can do about this, but if it's a trail you frequent regularly volunteering for some trail maintainance and shoveling the large stuff off the trail occassionally would likely go a long way.)
- Massive erosion of trail banks because of horses veering slightly off trail (trying to pass, not paying attention, etc.)"
--QHAllAround
"Also try to find some time to help clean up the trails (remove broken glass, large rocks, tree limbs, fill in/smooth out major ditches, etc); these are generally organized events in my experience. Not only will you help the environment out some, you'll get to keep using the trails and may convert a few of us crazy bikers into people that can tolerate horses." --QHAllAround
"I'll repeat: STAY ON TRAILS and don't ride trails when muddy--erosion and the resulting sediment in streams (from horses, bikes and ATVs) is a huge pollutant and threatens much of our aquatic life. Stream crossings are the worst for this--I know it's fun to splash through, but try to avoid it if you can and use established and stable crossings only." --Solaris
Join in the conversation in the EquiSearch.com forum. Plus, read more "Going Equine Green" tips in the winter 2008 issue of Everything For Horse & Rider. Call 301-977-3900 ext. 0 to order the issue.
