Managing Horses On Small Properties

A dream shared by many is to run a few horses on a small property on the fringes of a city or town. This book shows how to combine sustainable land management practices with a style of horse keeping that will protect the health and well-being of your horses, as well as the land and its wildlife. Good property management does not need to be an expensive undertaking. Improved pasture means less feed bills, reduced mud or dust improves a horse's health and reduces vet bills, better manure management turns a liability into an asset. The reader is first introduced to the horse's natural behaviour as expressed in body language, intelligence, ability to learn, grazing, herd instincts and social behaviour. The book then goes on to cover all the basics of safe handling, routine care and common health problems. Property selection, property design, water supply, pasture management, horse facilities, fencing, trees and plants, manure management and equipment and tools are comprehensively dealt with in separate chapters. This is a practical book written with a minimum of jargon especially for those who are new to horse ownership and small properties. It will deliver real benefits to the landholder, including reduced horse keeping costs, better welfare of horses, increased productivity, and improved land management practices.

"A few horses on a small property on the fringes of a city or town somewhere is a dream shared by many people ... [this] shows how to combine sustainable land management practices with a style of horse keeping that will protect the health and well-being of your horses, as well as thew land and its wildlife ... a practical book written with a minimum of jargon especially for those who are new to horse ownership and small properties"--Back cover.

Keeping your own horses requires dedication, hard work, and a sincere interest in the well-being of your animals. This practical guide shows you how to design efficient facilities and establish effective maintenance routines so that your horses can stay happy, healthy, and safe on even the smallest plots of land. Offering expert advice on barn designs, fencing options, and pasture management, Cherry Hill stresses the importance of understanding horse behavior and environmentally responsible land stewardship as integral aspects of a pleasurable and rewarding horsekeeping experience. This publication conforms to the EPUB Accessibility specification at WCAG 2.0 Level AA.

This book is a guide to the sustainable management of a horse property. It covers the horse characteristics that you need to understand in order to manage horses and the land that they live on. It also covers a fresh approach to land management that encompasses horse welfare, good environmental management and time/budget saving strategies. This method is something we call The Equicentral System and we have been teaching horse owners about this system for several years now, in fact horse owners around the world have implemented this horse management system to great effect. Do yourself, your horses, and the land that they live on a favour and read this book!

Horse Pasture Management begins with coverage of the structure, function and nutritional value of plants, continuing into identification of pasture plants. Management of soil and plants in a pasture is covered next, followed by horse grazing behavior, feed choices of horses, management of grazing horses, and how to calculate how many horses should be grazing relative to land size. Management of hay and silage are included, since year-round grazing is not possible on many horse farms. A number of chapters deal with interactions of a horse farm with the environment and other living things. As an aid in good pasture management, one chapter explains construction and use of fencing and watering systems. Contributions are rounded out with a chapter explaining how the University of Kentucky helps horse farm managers develop their pasture management programs. The purpose of the book is to help people provide a better life for horses Provides the basic principles of pasture management for those involved in equine-related fields and study Covers a variety of strategies for managing the behavior, grouping, environmental, and feeding needs of grazing horses to ensure high levels of welfare and health Includes information on environmental best practices, plant and soil assessment, and wildlife concerns Explains pasture-related diseases and toxic plants to be avoided Includes links to useful resources and existing extension programs

The Joy of Keeping Horses is a celebration of how to best keep happy and healthy horses at home. With an emphasis on the differences between owning a horse at a boarding stable and keeping that same horse at your own small farm, this beautiful, clear guide is written specifically for horse lovers who are considering taking the plunge into farm ownership. Jessie Shiers lays out all the important facts and information, from purchasing property and building facilities to daily grooming and nutritional needs. Shiers also dispels some common myths and misconceptions about horses, and answers questions the novice owner may not know to ask. Along the way, she shares anecdotes from her own experiences and from interviews with other horse owners that demonstrate the main reason people choose to keep horses: the joy they bring to the lives of their owners.