Horse-Proof Your Paddock

Plastic feeders are now designed to hook over fence rails to separate pasture mates during feeding and removed and cleaned when necessary. Water troughs should be drainable and inspected regularly for cleanliness, because stagnant water is an ideal environment for mosquito larvae, algae, and bacteria. The following companies feature reinforced plastic feeding and watering devices and salt holders designed for horses and other types of livestock:

Shelter
Healthy horses can adapt to turnout life well, as long as they can avoid exposure to wind, rainstorms, and severely high or low temperatures. Depending on how they are designed, loafing sheds can provide adequate shelter from most weather exposure. The organization Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas (ATTRA) has a practical online guide to economical construction techniques for small or temporary equine shelters. The organization's website is attra.ncat.org.

Steel pipe frame structures with reinforced membrane skins are a fairly old idea that has been given new life in equine management. They can provide economical shelter in many configurations. Energy Shelters of America (www.sheltersofamerica.com) is a company that specializes in this building type.

Moisture and Erosion Control
Soil strip drains, also called slot drains, are an economical way to control mud in paddock areas that can lead to bacterial infection such as mud scratches. This is a common problem in areas of the country with heavy clay and other non-drainable soil structures. Soil strip drains can be installed with a minimum amount of equipment and labor, bringing an immediate low-cost improvement.

Soil strip drains are an alternative to the traditional drain tile and gravel bed solution to drainage. They are rectangular , high-density plastic drain material wrapped in filter fabric. They are sold in convenient, lightweight rolls for easy transportation and handling. They are designed to eliminate mud by draining surface and ground water from the top 12 inches of soil, resulting in healthier, more attractive conditions for horses and other livestock.

To install strip drains, identify the area in which water or mud is a persistent problem. The soil strip drain re-distributes surface and ground water to areas of the property that allow water to drain more freely.
Begin by trenching a 2-inch wide slot into the soil, approximately 12-inches deep. The drains are placed in the slot and back-filled with a drainable material like sand or fine limestone screenings. A strip drain can dewater an area up to 48-inches wide times the length of the drain installed -- an efficient, low-cost solution that farm owners should love.

The following companies manufacture soil strip drains. They can be purchased at large hardware retail supply companies like Lowe's and Home Depot.

Pest Control
Proper feed management and storage in the vicinity of paddocks can minimize the infestation of birds and rodents that are naturally attracted to horses, their feed, and their wastes. The University of Nebraska's Neb Guide has extensive information on outdoor feed storage that can help the farm owner in practical ways.

Where permitted by zoning laws, freight containers can also serve as sanitary weatherproof feed storage containers for pasture areas. TPSI Containers of Gloucester City New Jersey sells new and refurbished freight containers in several sizes that can serve the relatively small 10-horse operation to large horse breeding operations of 50 or more.

Prevention is the key to success in this regard. Eliminating pests is far more expensive and time-consuming. It is also potentially dangerous to horses and their farm buddies (dogs, goats, etc.) when using poison and traps to correct a preventable infestation problem.

As most horse owners know, an hour of time saved on farm labor can mean an additional hour of time spent at leisure with a horse. Efficient and safe use of paddocks can provide the time savings and healthy conditions that both horse and rider need.