Small Farm Makeover

Six Proactive Ways to Keep Your Horses Safe by Alayne Blickle   A wildfire can quickly become a real threat to rural landowners. When horses are involved, action needs to be taken quickly to save the lives of your animals and reduce property damage. Being proactive is the safest plan. …

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Boost Grass Plant Productivity and Keep Horses Healthy by Alayne Blickle It’s that time of year when the grass gets greener and grows faster. But wait! Don’t just turn your horses out without any management. Doing so will reduce the productivity of your pastures, in addition to creating possible health …

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Tips to Prepare Your Property for the Growing Season by Alayne Blickle   Spring finally here! That means now is the time to get busy tidying your horse property so you will be ready for the upcoming growing season. Here are a few tips to get you started: Get your …

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Ways to Alleviate Boredom and Improve Horse Health by Alayne Blickle When the weather is bad and our horses end up snowbound in their stalls it’s hard to say who gets more frustrated. I get pretty cranky when I can’t ride and I’m feeling sorry for my horses locked up …

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An Interview with Producer MJ Isakson by Alayne Blickle   This month, as a break from articles about small farm management, I thought NWHS readers might be interested in learning about an up and coming horse film produced by a Seattle native, MJ Isakson. This is a film about the …

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Fall is a Great Time to Nourish Future Grass Plants by Alayne Blickle   While it is too late in the year now to renovate a pasture, it’s not too late to lime pastures. Lime is not water soluble and will slowly neutralize soil acidity over the winter. Next spring …

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Give Your Horse a Clean Source of Water and Make Chores More Efficient by Alayne Blickle   Fall is your last chance to set up a water supply that won’t freeze or get icy cold before winter slips in the door and wreaks havoc. A horse drinks 8 to 12 …

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Important Considerations when Purchasing this Essential Piece of Equipment by Alayne Blickle   People often ask me what I think is the most important tool or piece of equipment on our property. They are probably expecting a response like a certain bit, bridle or maybe a tractor. I am quick …

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Turn Stall Waste into Valuable Compost by Alayne Blickle   Summer is the perfect time for construction projects and a key management component for horse properties is having something useful to do with horse manure. Composting is my favorite technique and while there are many bin designs and ideas for how …

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Sound Management for Uncertain Times by Alayne Blickle   A little more than a year ago, I was invited to travel to Australia to be the keynote speaker at a conference on horses and land management. One of the other speakers at that event presented material that changed some of …

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