an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

LAND MANAGEMENT FOR HORSE OWNERSLAND MANAGEMENT FOR HORSE OWNERSLAND MANAGEMENTFOR HORSE OWNERS

n order to help you care for the Chilterns countryside, amongst the finest in England and Wales, the Chilterns Conservation

Board has produced a series of advice notes for land managers. These form a Landowners’ Guide to the Chilterns. This brief Iguide is intended to provide owners and keepers with some basic advice on land management that benefits both the Chilterns

and the many horses kept there. In the context of this leaflet, horses refer to ponies as well, unless mentioned otherwise.

Pasture managementGrazing management is a difficult balance between having

sufficient grass cover in the winter months, and ensuring

that grass intake during the spring and summer months is

restricted. Grass is by far the cheapest and healthiest form

of food for your horse so it pays to manage it well.

An excess of grazing could be closed off for hay

making. Old meadows rich in grasses, wildflowers and

clover make excellent nutritious hay. It is worth getting to

know the local farmer who might be able to do this for

you.

Where mineral licks or hay are provided, move them

around so that no one area becomes poached (muddy,

churned conditions).

Good pasture management is an asset to the countryside

How many horses per acre?Soil conditions dictate the number of horses and ponies

that can be kept on a given area; on the poor chalk soils

of much of the Chilterns, two acres per horse would be

preferable to one but with good management one could

be adequate.

Regularly move hay feeders to prevent poaching

Trees and HedgesHedges and trees are a vital part of the Chilterns landscape

and provide shade and shelter for horses in all seasons.

ProtectionUnfortunately horses can be quite destructive, stripping bark

from trees and eating all the leaves and new growth on

hedges. Such behaviour can be a sign of boredom, hunger or

nutritional deficiency and can eventually kill the hedge/ tree

in question. Ensuring there is sufficient grass and providing

mineral licks can help. Fencing off specimens, purchasing tree

guards or painting with an anti 'crib-biting' liquid is another

solution.

MaintenanceHedges require maintenance to prevent them from growing

into trees and losing their effectiveness as a windbreak and a

stock proof barrier. They can be mechanically trimmed (or

‘flailed’), hand trimmed, coppiced (cut off at ground level and

allowed to re-grow) or laid. Please see our other leaflets on

hedge planting and hedge management. Ideally hedges that do

not run alongside a road or pubic right of way should only be

trimmed every 2-3 years to allow development of berries

which form on old wood. These are a vital source of food for

birds especially if left over winter and this routine will also

save you money.

Dead trees can just as valuable to wildlife as those living.

Where possible they should be retained and made safe by

removing unstable limbs. Dead trees provide nesting sites for

birds, roosts for bats and homes to many rare insects and fungi

not found anywhere else.

An overgrown hedge

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT

Tracy Adams Farming and Land Use Officer Chilterns Conservation Board The Lodge 90 Station RoadChinnor Oxon OX39 4HATel: 01844 355523email: tadams@chilternsaonb.org website: www.chilternsaonb.org

an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

SummaryWell-managed grassland, hedgerows and trees can make a positive contribution to the local landscape and countryside of the

Chilterns as well as on the health of the horse and ponies that live in them. Considering any proposals you may have for your land in

terms of the wider countryside and how it might look, will help you do your bit to keep the Chilterns special and probably be of

benefit to your horse or pony. Additional information on all the subjects mentioned in this leaflet is available on our website

www.chilternsaonb.org

A well managed hedge offering good shelter

IMPORTANT NOTE!No works should be carried out to hedges or trees between

the end of February and beginning of September when birds

are nesting. To wilfully disturb nesting birds is an offence

under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

GARDEN MACHINERY lCHAIN SAW & FENCING SPECIALISTS lGREEN CLOSE WORKS lLONGWICK lPRINCES RISBOROUGH lHP27 9SG

TELEPHONE: 01844 343663 & 345975 lFAX: 01844 345884

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Overgrazingincreases the risk of harmful worms accumulating in

the pasture threatening your horse's health.

in wet weather can cause 'poaching' which can lead to

mud fever and lameness.

increases the amount of weeds such as ragwort, which

is fatal to horses.

causes valuable nutrients to

be lost from the soil.

IMPORTANT NOTE!If any of the land you graze is rich in

flowers and different grasses, for example

an old hay meadow, it will benefit from

being managed slightly differently than

normal grassland. Little or no fertiliser or

chemical sprays have been applied to it in

the past and so it is often referred to as

being 'unimproved' or 'species rich'. It is

rare both nationally and locally and is very

important for wildlife. Further information

should be sought on the most appropriate

management.

Please contact us for more details.

Species rich pasture

FertilisersAvoid artificial fertilisers wherever possible. They can lead to

a loss of wildlife habitat, and the rich grazing they encourage

may cause potentially lethal laminitis. Before fertilising, a soil

Tractor towed machine used to pick up manure from pasture

Fencing Historically fencing styles evolved to take advantage of

local materials. In the Chilterns the traditional field

boundary was a hedge, which would have been laid to

contain livestock. The majority of field boundaries in

Chilterns are still hedges which contribute to the

landscape and provide an important wildlife habitat.

Any new fencing should try to benefit the appearance of

the local countryside as well as being safe and

functional.

Ideal fencing; well maintained post and rail in front of a mature hedge.

An electrified top wire protects the fence and the hedge behind.test should be taken to establish pH, and the balance of potash,

phosphate and nitrogen. This will establish what, if any

fertiliser should be applied.

Dung

A typical horse weighing about 450 kg, produces around 20 kg

of manure per day, or around nine tonnes per year.

Collecting droppings regularly reduces numbers of harmful

worms in the grass meaning you may be able to worm less -

consult your vet. It increases grazing area and reduces weed

numbers. Store droppings on a muck heap out of sight (and

scent) of neighbours if possible and avoid tipping in hedge

bottoms/woodland edges which will smother and kill wild

flowers, many of which are now rare or even legally protected.

By law, muck heaps should be a minimum of 20m from a

water course/ditch. If you have several horses, purpose built

machines are available which are towed by tractor/quad bike

to pick up droppings.

The Boundary FenceThe best option is a mature hedge with a post and rail in front - it blends into the

landscape, forms a good wildlife habitat and provides shelter from wind and

rain. The post and rail prevents horses pushing through the hedge. Alternatives

to post and rail are post and wire/wire netting or wooden posts with wide

electric tape. Brown and green tape is preferable to white or other colours as it is

much less visually intrusive for you and your neighbours. Contrary to popular

belief, white is NOT the most visible colour to horses as proved by recent

American research.

Internal fencing This has the potential to cause a high degree of visual impact depending on the

management system chosen. Temporary electric fencing can be very useful as

long as it is kept taut and removed when not in use. Choose brown or green

plastic stakes and tape as horses can see it more easily than the colour white and

it minimises intrusion on the countryside.

White tape is much more visually intrusive than green or brown

WeedsNot all plants apart from grass are weeds! Buy a wildflower

guide and learn to recognise other plants such as herbs, many

of which are extremely palatable and beneficial to horses and

wildlife. By law, land occupiers are required to control certain

'injurious' weeds including; Common Ragwort, Spear Thistle,

Creeping Field Thistle, Broad leaved Dock and Curled Dock.

Small areas of thistles and nettles can be left near hedgerows

for wildlife.

Regular cutting or 'topping' of the paddock should stop

weeds seeding and spreading but in the long term it may be

necessary to dig them up.

Keeping the grass height to 5cm(2-3 inches) during the

growing season and 2 cm (1 inch) in the winter, will help

maintain ground conditions, especially in winter.

Spot treating with herbicide is an option, but horses may

need to be excluded for a given period. Only a person who has

obtained a certificate of competence can use a pesticide for

professional (or agricultural/horticultural) use. Diluted

versions of certain herbicides are available from garden

centres but may not be effective.

an Area of Outstanding Natural Beautyan Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty