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The GREEN HORSE - sustainable horsekeeping

DECEMBER JANUARY 2012
Vol 33 No 4

In the December January 2012 issue of The Green Horse you will find the following articles:

Information Exchange - Reader’s Tips, Views and Questions  
The Importance Of Water Quality
Growing Equine Herbs: herbs for allergies by Jackie Rive
Mouse Plague
Green Product News
Sustainability And Greening On Horse Properties - the tropics by Andrea Carmody
Tree Belts For Fire Protection by Rod Bird
Weed Watch - The Bellyache Bush by Nicola Field
Permaculture For Horse Property Owners (Pt7) forage trees and shrubs by Mariette van den Berg and Nick Huggins

The Importance of Water Quality
The most important nutrient in a horse's diet is one that is not always added to feeds.
by Amanda White www.equinehealthau.com

Providing horses with a continuous supply of good quality water is an important part of horse care and ownership. Horses need access to clean, fresh drinking water at all times and sometimes many different water sources can be found on a horse property. Horses may be drinking out of dams and rivers or automatic waterers and troughs that are supplied by rainwater or town water supply.

Guidelines for the quality of drinking water for horses will generally apply to all livestock and information can be found at the local Department of Primary Industries.

Water samples can be tested for physical and physiochemical properties, excessive nutrients, toxic compounds and microbes. Physiochemical properties can include salinity, water hardness and water pH. Salinity is the level of dissolved salt in the water. Hardness is determined by the water's concentration of calcium and magnesium. Excessive water hardness can create mineral deposits on the water pipes and affect the efficiency of some disinfectants. Water pH is the level of acidity or alkalinity.

Contamination of water through fire or flood can also be a problem. For example, after a bush fire wind borne material such as ash and soil from paddocks may blow into dams. Once in the water the organic material provides food for bacteria and algae already living in the dam. The organisms multiply and use up all the free oxygen in the water. The result is putrefaction and such water is unpalatable to all livestock.

The best way to improve water in a natural source once contamination has occurred is to aerate the water. This can be done by pumping the water to a tank and reticulating to a trough. If aerated water is returned to the dam then the organisms will quickly remove all the air again. It is best to use the clean aerated trough water until the dam is refilled by natural sources. It is also a good idea to site water troughs away from trees to avoid excess leaves accumulating.

Water testing kits are readily available online and through stock and feed suppliers.

Water Quality Tips

• All automatic waterers, buckets and troughs should be cleaned and checked regularly to ensure continuous water supply.
• Remove any algae, leaf matter, dead animals, such as mice or rats, or bugs daily.
• Where possible ensure the water source is not contaminated by faeces or remove faeces from the water on a regular basis.
• Aerate water as much as possible.
• Do not allow horses access to paddocks with contaminated or stagnant water.