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The official newsletter of Horses for Clean Water, http://www.horsesforcleanwater.com
Published on the 10th of each month by Alayne Blickle, Director of Horses for Clean Water
Message from Alayne: This is YOUR test
Saturday, December 22nd, 2007. Anyone who’s attended my classes or farm tours will know what event that date marks. It’s the day you get to test the chore efficiency you’ve put in place on your horse property. Winter solstice is the shortest day and longest night of the year and it marks the beginning of winter. But I think that as horse people we can turn Winter Solstice into a sort of game and have fun with it. My challenge to everyone is for you to come home from work on that date and make it through all your horse chores with ease. If you can do that, then you pass the test with flying colors. My reasoning is this: if you can set up your place to be chore efficient on Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year, then horse chores are bound to be a breeze come summer!
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I am all about chore efficiency. As my good friend Noelle Richards says; if it’s too much like work, it’s just not going to get done! Whatever we can do earlier in the year to ease ourselves through the winter months is just going to make our horse lives that much nicer.
So take the test this December 22nd and let us at HCW know how you did. We want to hear from you and see pictures of your test. Let us know what works, what doesn’t work and what you still need in order to “pass the test.”
Some of the chore efficiency points you’ve probably heard me talk about are:
- Do you have sufficient lighting in outdoor paddocks to come home from work and pick up manure in your stalls and paddocks? Or does “additional outdoor lighting” still need to be on your Christmas wish list?
- Can you easily push your manure cart to the compost bin? Or is footing of some sort needed for walkways?
- Is your tack room dry and mold-free? Otherwise you may need to make adjustments, such as a fan for ventilation (purchase the March 2005 issue of TGH if you need help) or a marine dehumidifier (sold at boat stores.)
- Do you have enough lighting in your hay storage area to feed and check the quality of your hay? Can you be sure hay is free of mold, dust, weeds and foreign-objects?
- On the subject of hay, is your hay storage area dry and well ventilated so your hay will stay good and you won’t be losing hay to mold throughout the year?
- Back to manure management, are your compost bins covered with a tarp or some sort of roof so they aren’t becoming a sodden mess? (Costco sells great tarps in the marine section.) Is the tarp easy to manage—to remove and re-cover the bins?
- Do your manure management tools function properly? Manure forks missing tines are harder to use effectively. Metal handles are difficult to grip, especially in the cold. A nice, new manure fork with a wooden handle might make a good welcomed gift for someone under the tree. Are the wheels on your manure cart properly inflated or flat?
- Do you have a supply of bedding on hand for wet weather? Or is that an errand you still need to contend with later on, eating into any potential ride time left in the diminishing daylight?
You know my favorite part about Winter Solstice? The very next day we start getting more daylight and the nights begin getting shorter. So make a note of what you’re doing on the 22nd and let us hear from you. We’d love to see photos of how your test went. And I hope you’ll think of me on Winter Solstice because you know that I’ll be thinking of you!
Stay warm and Happy Holidays!
Alayne
Holiday Gift Ideas from Horses For Clean Water
Need some Holiday gift ideas? Here is a way you can support a good cause AND find a fun gift item for that horsey friend or family member. Or maybe you’d just like to treat yourself!
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License Plate Frame
$15.00 |
Demonstration Farm Sign
$24.97 |
Vertical Wall Calendar
$22.97 |
Monthly Tip Calendar
$24.97 |
Dealing with Boredom
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Heather Paton in Auburn, WA combats boredom with a recycled old roller brush from a street sweeper which horses can use to safely scratch on. |
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Claudia Griffin, Stanwood, WA, shows some of the horse toys she and her husband Steve use to combat horse boredom. |
When the harsh winter weather strikes and our horses are confined indoors for periods of days, dealing with boredom can become a real chore. Here are a few thoughts on busting boredom and keeping those equine minds busy to prevent bad behaviors from starting up.
Horses are designed by nature to always be moving and foraging. Research shows that horses left to their own free will eat 18 to 22 hours per day. Twice a day feedings with little other stimulation can lead to a very bored horse. Luckily, there are a few things we can do to help alleviate boredom in paddocks.
The first is feed more frequently; smaller, more frequent meals mimic a horse’s natural behavior. If this isn’t possible consider leaving additional, lower quality hay for your horse to browse during the day. On the advice of your vet, perhaps you can reduce the overall quality of hay and increase the amount.
Make sure your equine pals are still drinking water. A few tips include warming their water with hot water from your electric teakettle, adding a little apple juice or floating cut up apples in their water bucket.
Other boredom-busters include horse toys; a variety of toys are on the market these days including balls, licking toys (ones with sugar or salt in them) or ones with a food treat inside that encourage the horse to pursue the toy.
You may be able to make your own toys, perhaps a large ball or some other safe plastic object, or even a heavy branch from a non-toxic tree species (check with your veterinarian for their advice on local tree species which aren’t toxic). In the Northwest Western Red Cedar or Douglas fir are good choices.
A scratching post might help occupy some time for your horses and relieve itching. Recycle used items like old brushes and broom heads by securing them in your horse’s stall or paddock in an area where they can easily and safely rub on them.
Now also might be a good time to do those grooming chores we always put off, like an extra good curry, ear cleaning, bridle path trim or tail brushing.
Of course the very best advice for reducing boredom in your horse (and you!) is more mental stimulation: working with your horses and exercising them. If you are like many of us and don’t have easy access (without hauling) to a covered area, try some other creative approaches. If you have a safe indoor area, such as a barn isle, perhaps now is the time to work on ground exercises, stretching or even teaching your horses tricks. There are many resources available to help you with this. One interesting book you might like to read is Trickonometry, The Secrets of Teaching Your Horse Tricks, by Carole Fletcher and another is Stretch Exercises for Your Horse: The Path to Perfect Suppleness by Karen Blignault.
Plan now for activities that will fit your schedule and facilities as well as benefit you and your horse.
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Tip of the Month: Gutter Talk
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Special thanks to OP2S, Inc. for coding this calculator especially for Horses For Clean Water.
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If you already have gutters and downspouts in place take time this month to check and be sure they are functioning properly. Before we get much further into the heavy rain months, consider any cleaning, repairs or additions that need to be made to your roof runoff system. Are leaves and fir needles blocking gutters so they are overflowing? Are there holes in the gutters where they are rusting through? Has an itchy horse rubbed on the downspout, smashing the line so it is no longer functioning properly? Access your roof runoff system now to reduce muddy paddocks and keep clean rainwater clean.
You can find the annual rainfall numbers for your area by contacting your local conservation district office or by visiting one of these links:
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Reprinted by permission from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s newsletter, Crossing Paths, Winter 2007
Where Do Herps Go in the Winter?
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Pacific treefrog
Photo by Kelly McAllister |
Ever wonder in the winter time whatever happened to that toad, frog, or snake you saw in your yard last summer?
Reptiles and amphibians hibernate at this time of year in the truest sense of the term. Hibernation is a condition of dormancy and torpor found in cold-blooded vertebrates and invertebrates. Body temperatures of these animals drop in
relation to environmental temperatures to conserve energy and use reserves stored in tissue during times when food is less available.
Some warm-blooded animals employ a semblance of hibernation at this time of year, but it’s the cold-blooded creatures that truly hibernate because their body temperatures are not internally regulated.
Many terrestrial reptiles, such as lizards, snakes, and turtles, become dormant and hibernate by burrowing in crevices under rocks, logs, and in the ground below the frost line. Others immerse themselves in the mud at the bottom of a pond to escape the cold. Their metabolism markedly slowed, these wintering reptiles can sustain their need for oxygen by taking it in through the skin, which acts as like gills.
Freezing water ultimately destroys body cells and tissues. But frogs, salamanders, and turtles are able to survive, despite the reduction in body temperatures to just at or below freezing. As winter approaches, the water content of their tissues becomes reduced and the blood more concentrated.
To help your reptiles and amphibians make it through the winter, be sure to include piles of brush, logs, and rocks in your backyard sanctuary, and maintain natural mud sides and bottom in your backyard pond.
For more information see: WDFW Crossing Paths Newsletter.
Year in Review: Thank You to All HCW Participants in 2007
There is no time like now to thank everyone who attended HCW events this past year. YOU are the ones who make HCW successful! Thank you for helping to put environmentally sensitive horsekeeping practices on the ground! Here is an overview of some of you at the wonderful events we had in 2007.
Educational Events
Discover great ways to increase your chore efficiency, reduce mud, compost manure and make your horse life more pleasant this winter. Check out the web site, www.HorsesforCleanWater.com, for new events added regularly.
Olympia, WA |
Natural Ways for Managing Horse Properties |
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Wednesday, January 9th, 2008
6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
FREE!
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Learn how you can control dust, mud, bugs & weeds naturally, all while reducing dependency on fertilizers, herbicides and other chemicals. See different designs for low-cost ways to put native trees, shrubs and animals to work for you on your property. Get an early jump on managing your horse property and plan ahead for spring! Plenty of free parking after 5pm. Pick up free designs for bird & bat boxes, as well as resource info for purchasing native plants.
Registration and directions, Sara Carter at 360-754-3588x136 or e-mail or Karin Strelioff at 360-427-9436x22 or e-mail.
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Mason County, WA |
How to Design and Build a Winter Paddock |
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Saturday, February 9th, 2008
9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Location TBD
FREE!
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If you are tired of seeing your horses slosh around in mud up to their hocks then this workshop is for you! Learn about ways to eliminate mud and see many designs for winter paddocks. See footing examples, talk with vendors and construction experts that can give you the whys and hows of building a safe, mud-free, odorless outdoor paddock for horses.
Registration and directions, Sara Carter at 360-754-3588x136 or e-mail or Karin Strelioff at 360-427-9436x22 or e-mail.
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Maple Valley, WA |
Farm Tour: It’s a Guy Thing Here! |
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Saturday, February 16th
10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon
FREE!
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This horse owner, an endurance competitor, set up his farm 7 years ago after attending HCW and KCD events—and he testifies it’s been chore-efficient since then. See mud management in place and working, even in the dead of winter. View easy-to-use compost bins with unique aeration and cover, wildlife hedgerows, uniquely shaped paddocks designed to encourage horses to move, a horse-safe feed storage area and more!
To register and receive directions contact the King Conservation District at 425-277-5581x125 or e-mail.
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Issaquah, WA |
Workshops for Horse and Small Farm Owners |
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Thursday evenings
February 21, 28, and March 6, 13
6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Issaquah Salmon Hatchery
FREE!
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Hands-on workshops on livestock management practices. See a variety of options and work with technicians to discover ways you can have less mud, better pastures, manage manure and deal with wetlands.
Topics:
- Streams and Wetlands: Living with Livestock near Water - February 21st
- Mud Management: Record Rainfall/Record Mud - February 28th with Alayne Blickle as a guest speaker
- Manure Management: Got Livestock? Got Manure! - March 6th with Alayne Blickle as a guest speaker
- Pasture Management: Becoming a Grass Farmer - March 13th
To register and receive directions contact the King Conservation District at 425-277-5581x125 or e-mail.
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Maple Valley, WA |
Caring for Your Horse and His Home Workshop |
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Saturday, February 23rd, 2008
9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
$95 per person
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Are you new to horse ownership or do you have children who want a horse? Do you know what the regular health, dental and shoeing needs are for horses? Would you like to learn about shelter requirements and horse-safe fencing? Join Alayne Blickle and her horses on her Maple Valley, WA demonstration farm for an all day workshop geared for novice horse owners. Topics include horse behavior, horse and handler safety, planning your horse facility, how to buy a horse, nutrition and feeding, vet and farrier care, and pasture, manure and mud management.
To register or for more information contact Alayne by e-mail or call 425-432-6116.
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Auburn, WA |
Farm Tour: Paddock Paradise |
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Saturday, March 8th
10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon
FREE!
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Join us on a farm tour adventure to look at a new, creative approach to managing sacrifice areas. Modeled after author Jaime Jackson’s approach to managing paddocks in his book, Paddock Paradise: A Guide to Natural Horse Boarding , this farm has designed uniquely shaped, large, grassy paddocks that encourage movement. See the innovative designs firsthand and join in on a discussion on the pros and cons of this technique. BONUS: Come early to see demonstrations by students of Parelli Natural Horse-Man-Ship.
To register and receive directions contact the King Conservation District at 425-277-5581x125 or e-mail.
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Mason County, WA |
Understanding Forage, Hay and Equine Nutrition Workshop |
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Saturday, April 19th, 2008
9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Summerhill Farm, Shelton, WA
FREE!
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Learn how pasture management and horse health weave into managing horse properties. Speakers include HCW, veterinarians and other experts.
Registration and directions, Sara Carter at 360-754-3588x136 or e-mail or Karin Strelioff at 360-427-9436x22 or e-mail.
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Kirkland, WA |
Farm Tour: Urban Horse Property with a European Flair |
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Saturday, June 14th
10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon
FREE!
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This architect horse owner designed and retrofitted her small, urban house to become a comfortable horse property. Hear how she worked with neighbors and the community to blend in and ease concerns. See composting and manure management, paddocks, small grazing areas (formerly the back yard) and see trail access to Bridle Trails State Park. BONUS: Learn about the nearby equestrian park, Bridle Trails State Park, and the club that supports it, Lake Washington Saddle Club.
To register and receive directions contact the King Conservation District at 425-277-5581x125 or e-mail.
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Olympia, WA |
Farm Tour: Managing small acreage pastures to increase production and reduce weeds |
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Wednesday, July 16th, 2008
6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
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Join HCW at this small Olympia suburban farm and learn how to make your place healthier for your animals, more productive this growing season, less bothered by nuisance insects, AND more chore-efficient! This special farm tour will be held at an award-winning urban small farm with excellent pasture management techniques. See how rotational grazing can be used to actually improve your pastures and eliminate weeds.
Registration and directions, Sara Carter at 360-754-3588x136 or e-mail or Karin Strelioff at 360-427-9436x22 or e-mail.
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Olympia, WA |
Fencing Workshop |
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Sunday, September 7th, 2008
9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
FREE!
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Fencing is a key tool for good pasture management. Come learn the whys and hows of horse fencing. Learn about the differences between power and electric fencing, as well as what makes a fence safe for horses. Work with fencing experts to build a short segment of fence and learn how to do build a fence on your property.
Registration and directions, Sara Carter at 360-754-3588x136 or e-mail or Karin Strelioff at 360-427-9436x22 or e-mail.
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Olympia, WA |
Fall in Place: Preparing Your Horse Farm for Winter |
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Sunday, October 5th, 2008
9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
FREE!
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Join Horses for Clean Water for a workshop on how to prepare your farm so it will be easier to care for in the coming winter with less runoff, mud and manure. Learn techniques you can put in place to improve horse health, make chores and horse life easier and improve the health of the environment.
Registration and directions, Sara Carter at 360-754-3588x136 or e-mail or Karin Strelioff at 360-427-9436x22 or e-mail.
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