Although a creek or river may not run through your property, managing horses and the land they’re on is important with regards to water means. Water can be affected by the environment through:
- Precipitation and runoff
- Condensation and transpiration
- The placement of facilities
Determining the Location of Facilities
Facilities shouldn’t be placed in areas where soiled bedding, shampoos and other runoff can end up in water ways like creeks and rivers. This means making sure that muck heaps are far from water sources, as per council regulations and wash bays have a drain that carries water into the local water systems to be treated before being recycled.
If not utilising a wash bay, anyone who is to wash a horse should be encouraged to carry out this task on a grassy area or in a grassy paddock. Doing so will help the water to be absorbed back into the pasture and decrease the amount of potential runoff that could lead to issues such as erosion, if pastures aren’t particularly prevalent in paddocks.
Considering the Effects of any Runoff
Reasonable amounts of rain can very quickly result in pools of water running down slopes or becoming stagnant in a flat area of a paddock. Horse owners should be aware of areas that are likely to result in runoff and avoid carrying out tasks that could be affected negatively by this.
One such example is the spraying of a hilly paddock just prior to anticipated rain. The result could easily be that the product applied to the pasture is swept away with the rain and carried elsewhere, where it shouldn’t be.
If water logging is an issue in paddocks, utilising sand or gravel may assist with draining. Digging out a drain away from areas that horses congregate – such as a paddock gateway – may also be of benefit and allow the property manager to determine where this water is encouraged to go.
Natural Water Sources on the Horse Property
Horses themselves can do substantial damage to natural waterways. If this is their water source, many hooves on a riverbank can lead to muddy waters that affect the local wildlife and potential plants along water courses being trampled and eaten, potentially leading to erosion issues or water sources that are no longer as protected by local flora as they previously were.
A simple solution to this problem is to restrict horse access to local waterways and instead utilise an automatic waterer, bath tub or other method to water horses. This will ensure that horses have consistent access to clean water, while not detrimentally affecting natural water sources and the surrounding environment.
Source
- Horses Land and Water Website, accessed 10/11/2011.
Chris Thomas - C. Thomas has studied and worked with horses since 2001. She teaches horse studies part time and is undertaking an Equine Science ...
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