Mud, Manure,Water

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Mud, Manure,Water PastureManagement That Works

• Karin Hunt
• Shadysprings Farm

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Watersheds Conservation

• The Northwest is trying to address endangered
  species such as the Coho Salmon.
• Oregons answer was the Oregon Plan that effects
  recreation, urban areas, industry, agriculture,
  forestry and fisheries.
• The Oregon Plan addresses entire watershed
  systems.
• Oregons answer for Agriculture was SB1010.
• SB1010s emphasis is on voluntary compliance and
  education with mandatory compliance when
  necessary.
• Shadysprings Farm has found that Conservation
  means a more efficient operation and helps us
  market our horses.

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Before expanding our barn we wanted to address

• Parasites flies
• Muddy winter pastures
• Dusty dirt fields in the summer
• Leading horses through the mud
• Thrush, Mud Fever Sand Colic
• Horse shoes ripping off in mud
• Filthy horses, halters turn-out sheets
• A growing mountain of manure
• Flooding stalls during heavy rainfall

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Problems We Faced..

• Mud in the Winter
• Dry dirt in the Summer

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Major Plans Included

• Gutters Downspouts
• Drainage Ditches, Culverts, Bio-swales
• Winter Paddocks
• Covered Manure Storage
• Vegetative Buffers Along Stream
• Pasture Maintenance

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Our Horses Are Jumping For Joy With Good Planning!

• Isla River Dancing . . .

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What is Mud?

• Mud is a mixture of organic material water.
• Reduce water or organic material and you will
  have less mud.

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Diverting WaterOur goal was to divert clean
water away from barns, manure, etc.

• Use large oversized gutters downspouts
• Run downspouts into ditches or drain tiles that
  divert water away from barns paddocks.

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Tools To Divert Water

• Drainage Ditches
• Culverts

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Divert Water Away From Horses

• Containment Pond
• Bio-Swale
• Drain Tiles

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We Added Winter Paddocks

• We added 5 types of paddocks.
• We wanted to share information on
• Construction methods
• Cost breakdowns
• How different paddocks held up
• Maintenance costs

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Project Goals

• Using winter turn-outs (paddocks)
• Created a healthier environment for our horses
• Reduced mud soil erosion
• Allowed pastures to rest (reseed bare dirt with
  inexpensive rye grass seed in fall)
• Protected our watershed

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Paddock Choices.

• Winter turn-outs can be a simple sacrifice area
  or
• Constructed winter paddock with drainage,
  geotextile fabric, gravel, and a top footing.
• Costs vary between application and use.

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Site Preparation

• Choose sites with good drainage
• Slope site towards drainage
• Drainage ditches to divert water
• Culverts or drain field
• Erosion cloth for drain fields
• Use a laser level to check grades
• Seed mulch slopes in fall

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Sand Only

• Inexpensive
• Use coarse sand
• Ask for fill or mason sand
• 3 or 4 inches deep
• Add more when needed

CAUTION! DO NOT FEED ON SAND! TOO DEEP CAN CAUSE
INJURIES
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Gravel With Sand

• 4 or 6 layer of 3/4 or 1 1/2 minus gravel
• Pack gravel
• Lay 4 inchs of fill sand
• Gravel will mix with sand
• No increase of bruising or abscesses from gravel

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Pros Cons of Sand.

• Pros
• Manure tends to dissipate
• No odor
• Inexpensive
• Add more as needed
• Cons
• DO NOT FEED ON SAND!! Sand colic!
• 4 inches. Deeper sand can cause lameness

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Gravel With Woodchips

• 1 1/2 minus gravel layer 4 inches
• Pack gravel
• Add a 12 inch deep layer of wood chips (we used
  cedar chips)

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Pros Cons of Wood Chips.

• Pros
• Safe to feed on
• Cons
• Check hog fuel for metal debris
• Wood by-products break down quickly
• Expensive
• Needs to be removed and replaced
• Collects manure and smells
• Manure should be removed

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Geo-textile with Gravel Sand

• We used a woven fabric
• Overlap pieces 12 inches
• 4 - 6 inches 3/4- gravel
• Pack gravel
• 4 inches of fill sand

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Pros Cons of Geo-textile.

• Pros
• Prevents materials from working into the soil.
  Initial cost is higher less expensive long term.
• Cons
• Horses love to play with and pull up the
  geotextile fabric when discovered.
• Do not use geotextiles on steeper slopes. Your
  material will move down the slope.
• Do not use geotextile with wood chips unless
  there is a layer of gravel first. Horses will
  slip.

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Cost Breakdown...

• Grading, culverts, and ditches 20 sq. ft.
• Sand only 15 sq. ft.
• Sand on gravel 31 sq. ft.
• Wood chips on gravel 40 sq. ft.
• Geotextile with 4 gravel sand 48 sq. ft.
• Geotextile with 6 gravel sand 54 sq. ft.

FOR MORE INFO...

• Price breakdowns and descriptions in your notebook

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Other Options

• Hog fuel- should be twice as deep as expected mud
  (minimum 12... 18 better)
• Gravel Only- Pit run or larger gravel with 5/8
  minus on top
• Geotextile with thick layer of 3/4 minus gravel
  or smaller

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Other Ideas . . .

• Space between paddocks
• Dont forget pathways

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Paddocks With Dual Uses . . .

• Outdoor Arenas
• Round Pens

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Paddock Size Suggestions!!

• Minimum 12 x 12 off of stall
• Exercise areas
• One horse minimum 20 x 75
• 2 horses 50 round pen or 60 x 80
• We housed 9 colts in a 36 x 100 area
• 6 space between paddocks prevents fighting

FOR MORE INFO...
For details on installing winter paddocks other
ideas. . . www.shadyspringsfarm.com
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All That Manure Bedding. . .

• Some people build mountains
• Some pay to have it leave
• We chose to implement it into our farm . . . .

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Our Answer Was Composting

• Composting kills parasite eggs
• It kills weed seeds
• It reduces your pile to half its size
• We uses it on our flower beds
• We mulch steep banks with it
• Our pastures love it
• We save on fertilizer expenses
• My neighbors love to get it
• I SELL IT !!!

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Manure Sheds Can Be Any Size

• Ours is 36 x 36
• Locate it away from water areas

• We sell the compost in the spring
• We apply it to our fields in the fall

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How To Compost

• Keep it covered
• Keep it moist
• Turn it

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Ways To Conserve on Bedding . . .

• Rubber Mats in Stalls
• 3/4 gravel underneath or concrete with slope
• Horses Dont Need A Mattress
• Stall Cleaning Ideas
• One Cart of bedding per Stall
• Pick Stall
• Put used bedding in center
• Place clean bedding at edges
• Loafing Sheds Ideas
• Add clean bedding over old
• Old bedding heats up keeping horses warmer
• Clean out in spring
• Bedding Types
• Straw (doesnt absorb moisture well)
• Shavings (no walnut / cedar allergies)
• Wood Pellets (less material used)

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The Hows Whys of Pasture Management
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Plan Your Pasture Layout

• Have many pastures attach to winter paddock,
  watering trough or hay feeders
• Plan gate placement for human, horse or equipment
  access
• If portable electric fencing is used for cross
  fencing then it can be removed to easily mow,
  harrow or fertilize entire field.

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Pasture Grass Has Three Stages . . .

• Dormant Stage

Vegetative Stage
Reproductive Stage
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When To Graze . . .

• Graze field before grass starts to go to seed
  (about 7)
• Move horses when grass is 3 tall
• By having at least 4 fields per group of horses,
  each pasture is grazed for 1 week and rested for
  three

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Care For Your Pastures Like You Care For Your
Horse . . .

• FEED!
• Fertilize or add compost to fields in spring and
  fall
• Have soil test done to identify deficient
  minerals
• Add lime to your fields
• On a Budget? Add Nitrogen in spring
• GROOM!
• Mow growth that horses didnt eat (usually weeds)
  so that it doesnt go to seed
• Harrow field to distribute manure piles, expose
  parasites to light and aerate soil
• BREED!
• Reseed damaged fields in fall (endophyte free rye
  grass seed)
• Newly planted fields should have limited grazing
  for two years

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Protect Our Streams. . .

• Leave vegetative buffers along streams
• Fence off streams

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In Reflection . . .
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The Choice Is Yours . . .

• Poor planning increases mud, parasites, equine
  health problems, weeds, and can even kill trees!
• It can decrease property values
• Angry neighbors may call in complaints

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Good Planning, Means Healthy Horses. . .
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Healthy Pastures . . .
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Healthy Streams Watersheds
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For More Information. . .

• www.shadyspringsfarm.com
• Call me at 503-799-7082
• Email me at horses_at_shadyspringsfarm.com
• Come to an Equine Tour
• Call to arrange a visit, and well show you
  around
• Shadysprings Farm
• 16340 NW Rock Creek Rd.
• Portland, OR 07231
• Batwater Station
• 80133 Quincy Mayger Rd.
• Clatskanie, OR 97016

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Breeding International Sport Horses