As we conclude this series on realistic equipment considerations for small acreage horse places, we offer some suggestions to help you manage manure and pastures without going overboard on expensive equipment. In Part 1 we covered manure management equipment and started on pasture equipment. In this second half we finish pasture management equipment and discuss alternatives to buying new equipment.

Pasture Equipment
Continuing on from last month, here are some pieces of equipment that can help you to manage your pastures. Equipment needs vary according to the size of your property, the number of horses, the amount of pasture you have and the other types of farm tasks you need to do.

> A small, ground-driven manure spreader is a wonderful implement to have. Use it, pulled by your riding lawn mower (or other 4WD small vehicle), to spread your composted horse manure on pastures in the late spring and early fall. There are many varieties of manure spreaders and you may need to shop around a bit to find the perfect one for your farm. Just be sure it is adapted for horse manure and not cow manure! Cow manure is softer and more “pie” shaped which often makes a difference in how the tines in the spreader are structured. For small operations the ground-driven version is best. Be sure the spreader is a size your pulling vehicle can handle and that it’s not too big or long to maneuver around your pasture areas and into corners. Stay away from manure spreaders with wooden sides or bottoms as these can rot out quickly.

> A small utility trailer can come in quite handy. Get one that can be pulled by your riding lawn mower. Use it to haul hay bales to different locations, water to the back of the property, fencing materials and tools, trees to be planted—even garbage cans to the end of the driveway (often a long haul if you live in a rural area).

> The type of fencing equipment you’ll need will depend on the type of fencing and posts you use. If you aren’t lucky enough to have access to a tractor with an auger, fencing can be installed with hand tools including a post-hole digger, a tamping rod, a post pounder (for metal t-posts) and a come-along (for stretching wire fencing).

> If you don’t own a tractor (and many folks don’t!) a pasture harrow, ground driven manure spreader, or utility trailer can be pulled by any small 4WD vehicle such as a jeep or small pick up.

Alternatives to Buying New
> You may not want to spend a lot of money on tools you’ll only use a few times a year. Your first option is to buy used. Start by checking out the weekly papers dedicated solely to classified ads or any regional agricultural newspapers in your area. They usually have farm, horse, equipment and tractor sections. Also, look for equipment auctions held at local livestock auction yards. Talk to your horse friends and neighbors about the equipment you want—they may know of a friend-of-a-friend who is getting out of horses or moving and has farm implements to sell. Or, simply when driving around an agricultural area keep your eyes open as you may come across used equipment for sale.

> Renting equipment is another option that can save you the headache of maintenance and storage. Many equipment rental facilities have all sorts of farm implements for rent. Or borrow from friends and neighbors. You may be able to trade something you have in exchange for something you need. For example, trade some of your firewood for the use of a pasture harrow. Or trade a day of your labor for use of the neighbor’s tractor or riding mower.

> Another option is cooperative purchases. This could be between horsey neighbors or perhaps within a horse club or organization. Issues like maintenance, storage, transport and liability should be worked out and agreed upon beforehand. Examples of cooperative purchases could be a manure spreader or fencing equipment.

> When all else fails, consider hiring someone to do the work for you. When you add up how much it costs to purchase, maintain and store equipment it might be more cost-effective just to hire out. A farmer or other experienced person who has the proper equipment and expertise to do the work can get it done quickly and well.

If you start out with a selection of the equipment covered in this article you will be well on your way to good manure and pasture management techniques for your horse property.

Good luck and good horsekeeping to you!

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Upcoming FREE Horses for Clean Water Educational Events:

Living With Elk & Deer Learn about co-existing with these beautiful creatures including their habitat needs, their peculiar and sometimes annoying habitats and how to mitigate and control damage from elk around the home and farm. WA Dept of Fish and Wildlife will be the featured speaker. Tuesday, September 22nd, 6:30 pm to 9 pm, Maple Valley Community Center, Maple Valley, WA.

Workshops for Livestock Owners Join the King Conservation District for four FREE hands-on workshops in late October/early November on livestock management practices. Learn techniques that will help turn your farm into a more useable place for you, your animals and the environment -- less mud, better pastures & great ways to manage manure! Maple Valley/Covington, WA.

To register & receive directions contact the King Conservation District at 206-764-3410, ext. 125 or Roseanne.Campagna@kingcd.org.

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New Horses for Clean Water Project
Targets Snohomish County Youth

Late this spring Horses for Clean Water was awarded a 3-year Centennial Clean Water Fund grant through the Washington Department of Ecology. This new project will target the 4H youth of Snohomish County and will offer specially produced educational materials and programs on environmentally sensitive horse keeping practices. Project partners in the program include the Snohomish Conservation District and WSU Extension.

Snohomish County is one of Washington’s fastest growing counties and like many counties faces many water quality challenges, including pollution from livestock. As Snohomish County grows, large farms and tracts of land are being divided into smaller, non-commercial farms. One of the most common kinds of livestock on these farms is horses. In fact, Snohomish County contains the largest 4-H horse club membership in the nation. Having a horse can be a wonderful experience but if horse property isn’t managed well, it doesn’t take long for a green field with a creek to be turned into a muddy mess, with manure and sediments floating downstream. In this, the horse is left living in mud in the winter and surrounded by weeds and dust in the summer – not good for horse health.

With nearly 1,000 members, Snohomish County 4-H horse clubs provide an excellent opportunity for young people to learn about horses and horse care. This project will link horse farm management and horse health to water quality protection, an essential connection for any future horse owner to make. "Life skills education is the cornerstone of 4-H programming,” says Jana Ferris, WSU 4-H Extension Educator. "Acquiring the knowledge necessary for making sound decisions about horse ownership and environmental stewardship is crucial for our program members." 4-H horse clubs will learn about mud management, composting manure, ways to manage small pastures, eliminating poisonous plants, stream bank protection and many other exciting topics.

The project will focus on providing education directly to 4-H members, parents and leaders in the form of presentations at 4-H events, special farm tours, an educational manual developed especially for youth and a take-home checklist on horse farm management.

Through the Snohomish Conservation District the project will also provide farm plans, technical assistance and cost-sharing to help horse farm owners throughout the Snohomish Basin.

Horses for Clean Water, now in its 6th year, is an organization that has successfully worked with horse owners throughout the Northwest to provide education on horse farm management and water quality protection. Techniques such as mud management and composting manure offer ways to care for horses that benefit the horse, the farm, the owner, the community and the environment – all win-win-win solutions. HCW creator and Program Director, Alayne Blickle, is a King County horse and farm owner. Alayne, an environmental educator well known for her enthusiastic and down-to earth approaches to horsekeeping, is a passionate equestrian herself who trail rides locally and competes regionally in reining events.
To learn more about this project contact Horses For Clean Water at 425-432-6116 or Alayne@horsesforcleanwater.com. Contact the Snohomish Conservation District at 425-335-5634, ext 108, or WSU Extension at 425-357-6044.