Equitana 2012 Program MB Equine Services
At this year’s Equitana, MB Equine Services will host two presentations on horse & land management. In the first presentation we will highlight the current challenges we face in horse and land management and how we can move forward with property/pasture planning and decision making to restore our land and improve the health of our horses. In the second presentation we will discuss in more detail ecosystem processes and tools how to regenerate the land. Unfortunately we don’t have enough time to go into all the details about grass growth, development, grazing and land planning, horse management and nutrition. So after the presentation come and see us at the Horse SA Stand #473 Epsom Hall. We will also be visiting the Hoofbeats Magazine Stand #292 Grand Hall.
Decision Making in Horse & Land Management – Where to start when you want to regenerate your pastures & land?
Mariette van den Berg & Nick Huggins
Thursday 15th of November
11:45- 12:45 am
Healthy land= healthy horses – Ecosystem processes and tools for regenerating your land.
Saturday 17th of November
3:45-4:45 pm
Holistic Management for Horse Properties Part 5: Pasture Management
O
vergrazing and over-resting pastures are common problems on horse properties, which may result in ‘horse sick’ pastures with poor quality grasses, accumulation of weeds, compacted and eroded soils, salinity and populations of parasites. Moreover, overgrazing can also trigger the accumulation of Non-Structural Carbohydrates (NSC) in grasses, which puts horses at risk of developing digestive and metabolic disorders such as acidosis and laminitis.
This means that when we keep horses in captivity we must aim to mimic this natural migrating and foraging process and therefore we must manage and plan the movement of our horses. If they are left in any one place too long, or if they returned to it too soon, they will overgraze plants and compact and pulverise the soils. Many horse owners will use a rotation system if they have multiple paddocks available for their horses, however generally the management and rotations are done randomly without an actual plan.
A proper grazing plan is important for maintaining healthy pastures and by using the principles of the Holistic Grazing Planning as described in “Holistic Management – A new Framework for Decision Making” we are able to get a clearer picture of where horses need to be and when, and this determines how you plan their moves. The Holistic Grazing Planning procedure was featured in the previous edition.
Without correct management this will result in overgrazing of grasses. To be able to provide sufficient amounts of grass to meet the dietary needs of your horses and avoid overgrazing or over-resting the grasses in your paddocks, you must develop a proper grazing plan. However, to be able to apply the plan we need adequate knowledge on how grasses and legumes grow and leaf management. This will provide us with a clearer picture of where horses need to be and when, and this determines how you plan their moves.
Read more about grass growth & development in the latest edition of the Horses & People Magazine!
Regenerative Pasture Management Workshop – Korrumburra Victoria (South Gippsland Landcare Network)
South Gippsland Landcare Network’s “Regenerative Pasture Management for Horse Properties” Workshop.
Event details:
Date: Friday the 23rd of November
Time: Registration at 9.30am, commencing at 10am. This event will finish at 2.30pm.
Location: Amenities complex, Korumburra Showground/ Korumburra Football Club Grounds, South Gippsland Hwy, Korumburra. Plenty of parking is available onsite.
Lunch and morning tea is provided, please let us know if you have any special dietary requirements before the 15th of November to katew@wgcma.vic.gov.au.
Any questions prior to the event please contact 56625759
Any questions on the morning of the event please contact 0400141929
Please fill out the attached link so we can get a better understanding of the horse characteristics of people attending: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/68BG66L
Click here for the Workshop Flyer
Equitana & Workshop A4 Booklets
We have recently updated the MB Equine Services books. They are available via Blurb.com in soft-cover copy and e-book format for Ipad & Iphone. Now we have them also available in A4 booklets! You can obtain a copy at our workshops/seminars and Equitana. You can also order them directly from our books page.
Dressage Riders & Safety helmets
The FEI Dressage Committee strongly recommends that all riders should wear properly fastened safety helmets when training and in pre-competition warm-ups at all international Dressage shows.
Riders still have the choice of wearing protective headgear in the competition arena. However, there is a movement happening in the dressage top and we see more elite riders with safety helmets during their GP dressage test (like on the last London Olympics).
In Europe there was up till a few years a very loose policy when it came to riding with helmets (maybe still in some countries – I can only speak of my experiences in Holland and Germany). It was advocated in the riding schools, but once riders started to ride at private training stables and/or at home and they entered a certain level we kind of left the helmet on the bench (including myself!). However also in Europe we see more dressage riders with helmets in their training and competition arena. Now I would not think twice about wearing a helmet! It’s a must – as horse riding (even at top level) is and remains a dangerous sport ( we work with flight animals! they can do “horse” things at any time!).
Because I support this movement and would like to set a good example 🙂 I also made my “Logo” Rider wear a safety helmet!
For more information about the importance of wearing helmets:
http://www.riders4helmets.com/
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