To view the previous 12 months issues please use the links above or
use the Backcopies link to view ALL previous issues

The GREEN HORSE - sustainable horsekeeping

Vol 29-2

In the August/September 2007 Issue of The Green Horse you will find the following articles:

Information Exchange - Reader’s Tips, Views and Questions.
Electric Fences - Earth Right.
Things To Do .... Aug/Sept.
Jaspin The Warrior.
Deeds, Steeds and Weeds.
GROWING EQUINE HERBS - Pau ‘d Arco by Fiona Adams.
Poisonous Plant Warning.
Fences Make Money.
Weed Watch - Lantana by Nicola Field
Stock WHIP Program.
Reading The Landscape by Chris Ferriera and Tracey Bell.

JASPIN THE WARRIOR by Katherine Waddington

After a second Gunnadorrah Station rescue (see Green Horse no. 66 regarding the old bloodline pintos from near Kalgoorlie), Sheila Greenwell and the Outback Heritage Horse Association are taking a winter break. Aside from selling on and re-homing another 12 young Gunnadorrah heritage horses (to cover rescue costs), the Outback Heritage Horse Association (OHHA) has been involved in the relocation and re-homing of Jaspin, an orphaned heritage horse colt from Woodbrook Station country near Roebourne, in the Pilbara, Western Australia.

Jaspin’s mother was hit and killed by an iron ore train when he was only a couple of months old. Weeks later, people reported seeing a starving, weak foal wandering in the bush some distance from the railway. A local woman, who had previously rescued a heritage horse from the area, drove out looking for the foal several times over ensuing weeks, but could not locate it. As if all this wasn’t bad enough, the chestnut colt foal was then attacked by dogs. He was finally found by local indigenous folk and brought back to a nearby station in the tray of a ute, almost dead.

The local woman who had been looking for Jaspin tracked him down and took on the onerous task of trying to save his young life. He was severely emaciated -suffering from malnutrition and lack of water. His legs were infected from dog bites and it was clear he hadn’t been weaned prior to his mother’s death. It took months for Jaspin (named by the woman’s son after a Pokeman Game character who is a warrior and never gives up a fight) to come back from the brink, but he has, thanks to the dedicated love and attention given to him by his human guardian angel.

Physically, aside from being a little small for his size, Jaspin appears to have suffered few ill effects from his ordeal. The woman, who already owns two horses, could not keep Jaspin and could not locate a good home for him in the north of the state, so she contacted the OHHA in an effort to find someone with the patience, time and experience to take on the orphaned colt. After some research and discussion, the charity offered to pay the majority of Jaspin’s travel costs south, plus relocate him with one of our members, an experienced horse person who is very excited about adopting Jaspin as her own.

Jaspin is now a cheeky, healthy seven month old who has been very surprised to find grass beneath his feet. The colt will spend a few weeks in Nannup, Western Australia, acclimatising and putting some more weight on, before proceeding to his new home near Dunsborough. When he is old enough and ready, he will go under saddle and hopefully into competition.

As many of you will know, ailing horses often make their own choice about whether to live or die. Many give up the fight. With a will to live as strong as his, the OHHA are confident that Jaspin will settle in well to the ‘south west’ climate, and provide many years of pleasure for his new owner.

If anyone wishes to ask after Jaspin or has any other heritage horse enquiry, please feel free to email the Outback Heritage Horse Assn Sec. wadifarm@bordernet.com.au

LANTANA by Nicola Field and Karen Orr

Lantana is often called the ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ of plants owing to its double nature. In cooler parts of the world it forms quite an attractive shrub. But unleashed in warmer, wetter areas, it can invade pastures and bushland and even poison livestock.

Lantana (Lantana camara) is a flowering shrub native to Central and South America. Introduced to Australia as an ornamental garden plant in the 1840s, the weed quickly escaped domestic cultivation and within just two decades had established itself in the wild. Lantana was first declared noxious in about 1920, and by the 1950s it had spread over more than 1,600 kilometres of the east Australian coastline. While Lantana can often be seen growing in neglected areas on roadsides and fence lines, it also grows in inaccessible bushland making eradication extremely difficult. Available in both erect and scrambling varieties, Lantana often forms dense thickets. It is easily identified by its four-sided stems with short, hooked prickles that make it uncomfortable to handle. The tooth-edged leaves are curved in an oval spear, and when crushed release a strong scent. Lantana’s flowers are its point of appeal as a garden plant. The tiny flowers are borne in dense clusters about 2.5 centimetres wide with colours varying from combinations of red, yellow and pink through to orange and white. The plant also bears a fruit – a succulent one-seeded berry (about 6 to 8 millimetres in diameter), which is green at first, ripening to a shiny dark purple/black.

As with other successful weeds, Lantana can spread in different ways. It ‘layers’, meaning it grows roots at the point where the plant touches the ground, to produce new plants. More typically though, it propagates through seed. These are ingested by birds and foxes, allowing dispersal over a wide area. Note too, Lantana is also an ‘allopathic’, meaning it releases chemicals into the surrounding soil to prevent the seeds of other plants germinating. Combined with its ability to form dense thickets, this allows lantana to completely dominate the understorey where it grows, and if left untouched, it can even take over the canopy layer of large tracts of native bushland. With the ability to produce up to 12,000 seeds from one plant in a single year, it’s little wonder agricultural authorities have declared Lantana a Weed of National Significance. In addition to its invasiveness, Lantana is poisonous to livestock, though because of its pungent aroma and taste, horses won’t generally eat it unless they are in poor pasture. In some cases, horses that have grazed around Lantana for long periods can develop immunity to its effect. It pays to assume this won’t be the case however as other horses can show evidence of poisoning in as little as 24 hours after consuming just one percent of their bodyweight in Lantana. Symptoms of Lantana poisoning are similar to those of St Johns Wort. These include skin sensitivity, eye jaundice, an inflamed and ulcerated muzzle and constipation and dehydration. Urgent treatment by a veterinarian is recommended.

Some landholders try to identify the more toxic varieties of Lantana by looking at the flower colour however this is not always an accurate guide. It is believed that red and pink flowering varieties are the most toxic, with orange flowered Lantana thought to be less harmful. Since prevention is better than cure, it is best to assume all types of lantana could be poisonous. With such potential for devastation, the best method of control is to prevent Lantana’s further spread. For large infestations, application of herbicides may be the only viable solution along with mechanical removal. Smaller areas can be cleared by hand though gloves are essential to handle the weed’s spiky stems. It is also essential to bag the weed to prevent the further spread of seeds. If the plant is disposed of at a garbage tip, be sure it is properly wrapped and tied to your vehicle to prevent the spread of Lantana on roadsides. Even with an area cleared, follow up inspections are a must to remove seedlings when they appear.

Despite its poor reputation Lantana is still sold at nurseries. Landholders with horses, or indeed anyone living near native bushland should think twice before adding this plant to their garden. It could be a case of buying a whole lot of trouble.