Guidelines &
Best Management Practices for Horsekeeping
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Land size requirements Housing: space and shelter |
Pollution Prevention
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Guidelines and
Best Management Practices for Horsekeeping |
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Land size
requirements: Land size to maintain a horse is not as significant as is the care of the animal and its use. Criteria should be cleanliness in disposing of manure and exercise space for the animals welfare. For example, a horse kept on less than an acre of land, but that is adjacent to a park or public riding facility may be adequate. In a high-density urban area that has no exercise facilities or manure removal, less than an acre may not be adequate. Consider the intended use of the horse: show horses are confined to stalls and exercised in a ring; breeding stock is housed in open paddocks. |
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Housing, space and
shelter: Equidae need a large exercise area such as paddock, corral or pasture. They also need natural or man-made shelter from elements, both hot and cold. This can vary from a protective stand of trees, to a 3 sided-shed to a complete stable with box stalls. RSA 435:14 an adequately ventilated and dry barn or a windbreaker roofed with at least 3 sides shall be provided and accessible to horses (November 1 through April 15). Animals kept in paddocks or pastures with a roofed windbreaker shelter shall not be kept tied but shall be able to move around freely. Horses housed in barns or other enclosed stables shall have stalls of sufficient size so that the animal is able to lie down. Suitable exercise shall be made available. The housing structure should not be closer than 50 to adjacent property lines, and not closer than 100 to a neighboring residence. Horses should also not be penned or tied within a 75 protective radius around a water well. Man-made shelters should be clean and well ventilated with no drafts. Three-sided shelters should face south away from the prevailing wind, be located on an elevated, well-drained site, and should be accessible for feeding animals and materials handling. Pasture & Paddock The major component of a horses diet is good forage, such as hay or pasture. A horse that weighs 1000lbs. will eat about 500lbs. of forage each month. If your pasture has adequate moisture and is managed well as a crop by soil testing, fertilizing, clipping weeds and managing manure, you may require as little as ¾ - 1 ¼ acres per horse. Your horse will not eat grass that has been trampled or has manure on it. Overgrazing will also damage your pasture. For good regrowth, leave about 1/3 of the grass uneaten. Overgrazed pastures may never recover. To prevent overgrazing, subdivide the pasture so that the horse(s) graze any given paddock for no more than 7 days. Leave about 2" of grass and allow it to grow to 8" before it is grazed again. At least 4 pasture sub-divisions are needed to accomplish this. Paddock areas should be large enough for the horse to move around in comfortably, and well drained so that standing water does not accumulate. A minimum of 350 sq. ft. per adult horse is needed, with a minimum width of 14. It does not have to be grass, and may have other appropriate footing. |
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Fencing: Outside lots that are used for exercise and/or grazing should be fenced in a manner that is safe to both animals and people and located so that horses dont cause damage to a neighbors property. The fence must be VISIBLE to the horse. Fences should be constructed of: wood materials, woven wire, pipe, or PVC with a height of 48" and posts that are no more than 10 apart; or electric fencing (wide ribbon wire is the best because of visibility). Electric fence is best used as an interior fence and not as a major exterior fence. |
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Feed and Water: An average saddle horse weighs 1,000 pounds and will eat approximately 17 - 22 pounds of feed per day (total ration). Total ration is a combination of hay, grain and pasture. Salt should always be available to the horse. The horse must have plenty of fresh, clean water available at all times. The horse will drink 10-12 gallons/day depending on temperature, humidity, feed, and work. Remember that wintertime is no exception. Stock tank heaters may help keep water accessible at all times. Horses need supplemental hay during times of snow cover and when pasture forage is not available. Feeding hay also extends the grazing season on small acreage properties. How much hay to feed should be based on weight of the bales and nutrient value of the hay. Hay quality varies greatly, and can not be judged by color alone. Have your hay analyzed to determine nutrient value. You can get this done through your county cooperative extension office and your local Agway. An average 1000 pound horse will eat 20 pounds of medium quality hay per day. How much hay will you need? Calculating Amount of Hay Grain (usually oats and corn) should be added to the diet when the horses training, work, or activity increases. Young and old horses may also need grain. |
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Health Care: Its crucial to develop a partnership with a veterinarian prior to an emergency situation. Locate a veterinarian to consult about your horses routine and preventive health care. Vaccinations Internal Parasite control Foot Care Dental Care First Aid Manure Management |
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Pollution Prevention: Get started by making a map of the layout of your property. Show placement of barns, pastures, paddocks, streams, ponds, and wetlands. Ask yourself how you can improve the current layout and facilities. Look at how, where, when you collect, store, and dispose of manure. Learn and chart how the water runs off your property. Where does it enter and exit? Where are the slopes? Are there problem wet areas? Where is your well and septic system? Locate your neighbors on the map as well, and note appropriate setbacks. Then take these steps:
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Manure Management: The issues: collection, storage, spreading, composting, transportation, giving it away. Manure storage
design and management consultation is available Manure, Agricultural Compost, and Chemical Fertilizer Handling RSA 431:33
Definitions--in this subdivision: RSA 431:34 Best Management Practices. In consultation with the agricultural advisory board, the commissioner of environmental services, the United States Natural Resources Conservation Service, the New Hampshire agricultural experiment station, the University of New Hampshire cooperative extension, and other appropriate agencies, the commissioner of agriculture, markets and food shall identify and publish the best management practices for handling manure, agricultural compost and chemical fertilizer. Such practices shall be based upon the best available research and scientific data so as to permit the maximum use of nutrient and soil conditioning values, while achieving the least possible adverse impact upon the environment or human, animal and plant health.
Did you know that the average horse (1000 pounds) will produce about 50 pounds of manure a day, and 8 to 10 tons per year? Manure must be handled in a way that it becomes an asset and resource and not a nuisance. The majority of manure nuisance complaints are odor related. Fly and rodent populations will also be minimized with proper manure management. Fly elimination must start in the spring with an aggressive program. Fly traps and fly strips work remarkably well when coupled with a good manure management program. Rodents can additionally be discouraged from stable areas by keeping feed in tightly covered and rodent-proof containers.
Size your storage facility according to your number of animals and the number of days you intend to hold manure before use or delivery. To estimate the base size of your storage pad use the following equation: ~Number of animal units (a.u. = the average total weight of your animals divided by 1000 lbs., or 1 horse per a.u.) X number of days storage = cubic feet of manure ~Number of a.u. X cubic feet of bedding/day X number of days = cubic feet of bedding ~Cubic feet of manure + cubic feet of bedding = total volume ~Square feet of area required = total volume divided by desired storage height.
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Resources: NH Department of Agriculture, Markets & Food, 25 Capitol Street, PO Box 2042, Concord, NH 03302-2042 (603)271-3551 UNH Cooperative Extension, 59 College Road, Taylor Hall, UNH, Durham, NH 03824 (603)862-1520 Natural Resources Conservation Service, Federal Building, 2 Madbury Road, Durham, NH 03824-2043 (603)868-7581 New Hampshire Horse Council, Inc. References/additional
reading: Manual of Best Management Practices for the Handling of Agricultural Compost, Fertilizer and Manure, prepared by Agricultural Best Management Practices Task Force and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service for the NH Department of Agriculture, Markets & Food, revised 1998. Manure Management: Dont Waste a Valuable Resource, produced by Belknap County Conservation District as part of the Lake Winnipesaukee Watershed Partnership, 1999. Manure Disposal and Water Quality; and Manure Storage: The Latest Poop; two brochures by Rockingham County Conservation District. Nutrient Management and the Horse: A Practical Guide on Horse Manure Management, Composting, and Pollution Prevention; prepared by Litchfield County Conservation District, Torrington, CT, 1998. Guidelines for Space and Housing of Farm Animals, by David C. Seavey, Extension Educator, Agricultural Resources and John C. Porter, Extension Specialist, Dairy, UNH Cooperative Extension, 1999. A Plan for Intensive Pasture Management, by Bruce Clement, published in Critter Exchange, February 1999. Poisonous Plants in a Pasture Setting, by George Hamilton, UNH Cooperative Extension, 1994. Bedding for Horses, published as Wisconsin Horse Facts and Analysis by Wisconsin Cooperative Extension Service, by Ray J. Antoniewicz Horse Industry Handbook, A Guide to Equine Care and Management, American Youth Horse Council. Colorado Horse Care, sponsored by Colorado State University Cooperative Extension and Colorado Horse Development Board, 2000. H.E.A.P (Horse Environmental Awareness Program), 5 Ways to Prevent Pollution on Your Farm, and Horses - A Common Sense Approach, Kings Mark Resource Conservation and Development, Wallingford, CT. http://neirtnt.ct.nrcs.usda.gov/horse/ Guidelines for Horsekeeping and Best Management
Practices Funded in part by a Nonpoint Source Local Initiatives Grant from the NH Department of Environmental Services, with US Environmental Protection Agency Funds. With thanks to the review team at UNH Cooperative Extension, Department of Environmental Services, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and the Department of Agriculture, Markets & Food. |
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