The green guide for horse owners and riders: sustainable practices for horse care, stable management, land use, and riding PDF
Preview The green guide for horse owners and riders: sustainable practices for horse care, stable management, land use, and riding
THE GREEN GUIDE FOR HORSE OWNERS AND RIDERS THE GREEN GUIDE FOR HORSE OWNERS AND RIDERS Sustainable Practices for Horse Care, Stable Management, Land Use, and Riding HEATHER COOK The mission of Storey Publishing is to serve our customers by publishing practical information that encourages personal independence in harmony with the environment. Edited by Deborah Burns and Sue Ducharme Art direction and book design by Cynthia N. McFarland Cover design by Alethea Morrison Text production by Jennifer Jepson Smith Cover and interior decorative art by © Mutt Ink Illustrations by Michael Gellatly, except for insects page 144 by Cathy Baker Infographics by Leslie Anne Charles Maps by Ilona Sherratt Photograph on page 8 © iStockphoto.com, with additional photos on pages 93 and 164 by Mars Vilaubi Indexed by Nancy D. Wood © 2009 by Heather Cook Quotation on page vii from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages or reproduce illustrations in a review with appropriate credits; nor may any part of this book be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means — electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or other — without written permission from the publisher. The information in this book is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. All recommendations are made without guarantee on the part of the author or Storey Publishing. The author and publisher disclaim any liability in connection with the use of this information. For additional information, please contact Storey Publishing, 210 MASS MoCA Way, North Adams, MA 01247. Storey books are available for special premium and promotional uses and for customized editions. For further information, please call 1-800-793-9396. Printed in the United States by Versa Press 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA Cook, Heather, 1977– The green guide for horse owners and riders / by Heather Cook. p. cm. Includes index. ISBN 978-1-60342-147-8 (pbk.: alk. paper) ISBN 978-1-60342-148-5 (hardcover: alk. paper) 1. Horses —Environmental aspects. 2. Environmental protection—Citizen participation. I. Title. SF285.C59 2009 636.10028′6—dc22 2009007847 CONTENTS PREFACE ACKNOWLEDGMENTS PART I: Getting Started: The Big Picture INTRODUCTION: The Green Stable CHAPTER 1: Horse-Human Ecology How equines evolved from prey to partner, and how that affected the environment PART II: Creating a Green Farm CHAPTER 2: Put Green Energy to Work Earth-friendly solutions for your power needs CHAPTER 3: Understanding Your Land Planning and site selection CHAPTER 4: Getting Off on the Right Hoof Building green structures from scratch CHAPTER 5: Rebuilding and Refitting Going greener by adapting existing structures CHAPTER 6: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle How to have an environmentally sound barn with minimal consumer waste PART III: Eco-Equine Management CHAPTER 7: Manure Management Emphasize reduction and reuse CHAPTER 8: Water, Water Everywhere How to evaluate your needs and maintain and conserve clean water CHAPTER 9: Field and Pasture Rotation How to maintain pastures and protect the ecology with effective rotation and planting techniques CHAPTER 10: Ecofriendly Feeding Feeding 1 to 100 horses while minimizing your carbon footprint CHAPTER 11: The Chemically Challenged Horse An overview of the common chemicals we use on our horses with alternatives and disposal techniques PART IV: Riding Green CHAPTER 12: Showing, Breeding, and Winning the Environmental Way Considerations for the professional horseman CHAPTER 13: Small Eco-Hoofprints Environmentally friendly trail-riding strategies EPILOGUE APPENDIX A: Reader’s Guide APPENDIX B: Bibliography APPENDIX C: Resources and Best Practices INDEX DEDICATION To my husband, Randall, who believed in me. And my children, Michael and Emily, who believed Mommy would be right there as soon as she finished this last paragraph. I hope you grow up in a world where being “green” is no longer a new thing. And to my mom and dad: I guess some of those hippie genes rubbed off on your redneck, cowgirl daughter after all. And to my Heavenly Father, that we might tend and keep the earth you gave us. May we humbly accept this responsibility and know that to honor your creation is to honor you. The heavens belong to the Lord, but he has given the earth to all humanity. Psalms 115:16 PREFACE When you consider the age of our earth, it wasn’t so long ago that we thought the world was flat and the sun circled around it. There may come a day in our not-so-distant future that we look back on the early years of the environmental movement and marvel at what we did not know. As horse owners, we have a unique position that the average consumer does not: we have an intimate relationship with one of God’s creatures. Much different from your average dog or cat owner who picks up pet food at the local supermarket, we know how our horse relies on this earth for his food. We see the immediate connection between the health of our ecosystem and the health of our horses. We are often the first to recognize urban creep as cities expand into previous farmland and as civilization expands into untouched regions of our planet. I believe that we have a responsibility to ourselves, our children, and yes, even to God, to care for this planet and preserve her resources. The single most powerful natural resource on this planet is you.
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