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The GREEN HORSE - sustainable horsekeeping

DECEMBER/JANUARY 2007/08
Vol 29-4

In the December January 2007/08 issue of The Green Horse you will find the following articles:

Information Exchange - Reader’s Tips, Views and Questions.
Controlling Arena Dust
Bushfire Risk and Weed Watch - marshmallow by Nicola Field.
Seed Collection.
Growing Equine Herbs - aniseed by Fiona Adams
Things To Do in Summer
Deeds, Steeds and Weeds
Finding the Elusive Contractor by Chris and Tracey Ferriera

Controlling Arena Dust
by Todd Cunningham

With summer now upon us, it’s especially important to implement dust control strategies so your arena is a healthy and comfortable work environment.

One of the most common problems for those who ride and train in an arena is dusty footing. Kicked up into billowing clouds with every step, it hangs in the air, gets on your clothes, invades your tack, covers your horse in a fine film, collects in your eyes and makes its way into both human and equine lungs. Moreover, when the dust gets so bad that frequent watering is required to hold it down, the surface compacts as it dries. This compaction then needs to be broken up with the harrows, but that releases dust, which then has to be watered down, restarting the compaction process. So the cycle continues!

Dust is a serious health concern for horses and their riders, as it causes inflammations that decrease lung capacity and function, aggravates health problems such as asthma and pneumonia, and increases the risk of an infection developing. The long term soundness and performance of a horse is directly affected by the amount of dust in its environment, mainly because the presence of dust restricts the amount of readily available oxygen in the atmosphere. Furthermore, research has shown that horses require 3000 percent more oxygen while training and competing than while at rest - more than enough reason to ensure that frequently used work areas are as dust-free as possible.

Water
Less than 7 to 10 percent moisture in the surface of an arena, especially one consisting of a high proportion of sand, will result in it feeling ‘flat’ when ridden on and it not having much ‘cushioning’ effect. The good news is, however, that even a bone-dry arena that has no ‘feel’ to it will come back to life if the correct amount of water is judiciously applied to it and other maintenance measures are carried out to prevent the surface from becoming too compacted.

Before watering an arena, it is wise to find out the percentage of moisture that is already in the surface material, which can be done with the same type of probe used to measure the moisture content of hay bales. This enables Fiona Adams Equine Herbs and Herbal Workshops available Ph:0407 386 059 you not only to determine if the arena needs watering in the first place but also to estimate how much water will be needed to increase the moisture content to the desired level. For example, to bring a surface 7cm deep that is bone-dry to begin with up to an 8% moisture content, about 2,800 litres of water will be needed for a standard arena 60m x 20m. Once you’ve determined the total amount needed, a flow meter attached to the arena’s watering system is an easy way of working out how many minutes to leave the water on each time.

Setting up a sprinkler system for an arena can be problematic in a number of ways, including that it is diffcult to design something that gives an even coverage without leaving dry spots or saturated areas. Sprinklers are also notoriously high-maintenance in terms of breakages, blockages and gradual deterioration of parts over time due to exposure to the elements. Instead, consider purchasing a water wagon specifically designed for arenas, as these give an even distribution without creating any damage to the surface - as might be experienced with larger equipment such as a full-sized water truck. Being easy to fill up and to move around, a water wagon is also handy for drought management in that it can be used as a mobile watering system for livestock or trees.

Additives
Various moisture management supplements, available as both liquids and solids, can assist to control dust without the use of a sprinkler system or cart, or help to make your water supply last longer.

Flakes: When used properly, these products help keep footing consistent year round by drawing moisture from the air and turning it into brine. Organic-based surfaces that include shavings, wood chips and/or loam require more product to stabilise them and to maintain the optimal amount of ‘give’ than do those that are sandbased. Gravity and hoof action help work the flakes into the surface, while routine harrowing and raking ensures a proper mix.

Some flaked additives utilise calcium chloride or magnesium chloride, substances that can be hard on horse’s hooves and feet. If you choose to use these products, frequent oiling/moisturising of the hooves and rinsing them off after riding is recommended.

Synthetic Liquids: Another dust control procedure involves spraying a non-toxic synthetic liquid over the arena surface. Similar in principle to polymercoated sand, the liquid theoretically coats each particle, trapping the dust in the sand. Regular harrowing is required to keep the materials properly mixed and, with continued use of the area, the liquid and the sand content of the surface will degrade - meaning that additional applications may be required every 6 to 12 months.

Oils: Organic dust suppressants derived from a blend of natural oils are completely biodegradable, environmentally safe and don’t need to be mixed with water at the time of application. More importantly, theoretically, you then shouldn’t need to apply water as, once the product has been worked in, dust particles end up too heavy to become airborne.

Natural Liquids: Natural liquid soil conditioners, when applied to an arena surface, will permeate it - allowing increased absorption of water and thereby reducing the amount of watering needed to keep a dust-free riding surface. They ‘treat’ the soil by changing its structure, so fine dust particles come together to form larger, heavier granules. These granules are then able to trap moisture inside them, holding it deeper into the soil and preventing it from evaporating as quickly. You will still need to water your arena while using a narural liquid but each time you do, the product will be reactivated.

A word of caution about dust control additives. Some can actually make your surface With summer now upon us, it’s especially important to implement dust control strategies so your arena is a healthy and comfortable work environment. material compact and lose its ‘spring’ sooner, therefore many people still strongly believe that the best product for controlling dust is water. But, in these times of water restrictions, strategies such as these are worth investigating and trialling as a measure to keep dust in an arena to a minimum - thus maintaining a healthier working environment for your horse.

Finally, always ensure the product you decide upon is EPA approved (Environment Protection Agency) because the last thing you need is the product leaching into the surrounding environment and being hit with a whopping great big fine or similar.

Things To Do In Summer

Many of us see the warmer months as being the time to relax and enjoy a little rest and time off, however there is still plenty to be done on our properties in the leadup to and over summer.

If you have not already done so, prepare for the fire season by reducing fuel loads, establishing fire breaks and preparing fire fighting equipment. Ensure tree limbs in property entrances are trimmed so that Fire Service trucks can gain access to your property in an emergency. Summer is soil testing time, so do this early to plan ahead for fertiliser requirements. Contact your local Landcare Office or Department of Agriculture or Primary Industries for soil testing kits and corers.

Plan to de-stock early if necessary to avoid over-grazing. Ideally you need to maintain greater than 70 percent groundcover. If you cannot remove horses entirely, look at yarding or stabling for part or all of a day where possible.

Monitor your water supply for quantity and quality. Check salinity levels of dams and creeks during summer as they will be at their highest then. Also watch out for algal blooms in open tanks, water troughs and dams or soaks.

Control woody weeds (the taller bushy type as opposed to the prostate, flatter weeds) and summer burr weeds like bindii, afghan thistle, caltrop or doublegee. Distinguish any native grasses from weeds while they are out in head and mark out areas for future spraying programmes.

Plan your rabbit control program - especially in areas which have had good late rains meaning plenty of new plant growth - ideal breeding conditions for these pesky mammals. Contact your local Animal Control Board or Department of Primary Industries for assistance.

Do some property planning and outline a schedule of activities for the coming new year. Think about your visions for your property - how do you see it changing in the short term, mid and long term? Once you have decided on this, you can start to realistically plan and commit money and time. Failure to do so can mean goals are not met or tasks may be started and left unfinished due to over-committment of resources, which can be very disheartening. Incorporate your observations during the past year that may alter your plans. ie: water runoff bad in one particluar area causing erosion, feed very patchy in a certain paddock and horses won’t eat grass in certain areas, perhaps need to plant shelterbelt where winds are hammering pasture growth etc. Goals can then be set, placing priorities in order and allowing for realistic time frames. This planning can all be done in the cool of your office while it’s too hot to work outside - and it’s a great way to start the new year organised!