Green Horsekeeping Chronicles

Home Sweet Home

2010-05-21T09:57:00.000-07:00

Home Sweet Home

Since the spring of 2007 we’ve been planning a move to a warmer climate and drier times. It’s taken us a while, but Matt and I are ready to say “wagons ho!” We have sold our beautiful farm in Maple Valley, WA and are primed to set sail on a new adventure in Southern Idaho.

I share this with mixed feelings as I am immensely grateful for the time we have had in the Pacific Northwest. Now everywhere I go, I look and feel things like it may be my last time, at least for a long while. Last time to eat a yummy potato burrito from Casa Que Pasa in Bellingham. Last time to view the beautiful Padilla Bay in Bow, WA. Last time for an inspirational National Geographic lecture in the spectacular Benaroyal Hall in downtown Seattle...

It tears at my heartstrings to pull away from all this and the beautiful landscape. I shall forever miss my beautiful elk herd that lived in my backyard, the coyotes that played in our pastures and howled in chorus at night, the bald eagles that soared overhead, the black bear we’d occasionally startle in our woods… and “our” woods. How will I ever be able to say goodbye to my beautiful, beautiful woods? Matt and I loved the Indian Plum, the first flowers of spring, the Red Flowering Current we’d wait for in February heralding the return of the hummingbirds and the first crystal white Trillium flower. Matt and I loved to ride through the woods while having a contest to see who could spot the most Trillium.

I have learned much, had incredibly rewarding work experiences, and best of all, I have met all of you: the best friends and work associates I could have ever hoped for. I am humbled and grateful for all this, t the powerful, poignant memories and relationships which I hope will bolster me up as we head down the road to our next big adventure.

My promise to each of you is that I intend to include you in our future plans. I will continue my Horses for Clean Water work -- with some added new twists such as hosting 2-3 day workshops that include Idaho trail riding, retreats and get-a-ways. Along with HCW themes, these might feature guest speakers or clinicians, be cowgirl retreats geared towards women, or be about reining or other aspects horsemanship and riding. Matt and I also plan a small-scale guest ranch/horse motel and boarding operation so that our friends will stop by.

So stay tuned and keep in touch as I share our journey and plans for developing our desert ranch.

Memories from the NRHA 2009 Northwest Regional Affiliate Finals

2009-10-18T12:00:00.000-07:00

Blue skies and 70°F during the day. By night, golden sunsets with pink fluffy cloudy reflecting rosy light on the foothills. Free exhibitor cocktail parties—free beer in etched glass beer mugs; Octoberfest dinners with complimentary Washington apple cobbler for dessert; hanging out with our good friends Dan and Sue; cheering on our fellow Washingtonians as they competed and thrilling when they placed; petting puppies and admiring everyone’s dogs; shopping through the many fun venders including furniture, fancy high-end chaps, pictures, saddle and tack shops, book companies and so many more; cheering on a young upcoming reining trainer in the futurity, then experiencing that sinking dull feeling as we watched him accidentally do five spins (instead of four); seeing a photo of me and my horse used as a promotion for the show photographer...

These are just some of my memories from the 2009 National Reining Horse Association’s Northwest Regional Affiliate Finals held in Nampa, Idaho at the beautiful Idaho Horse Park this past October. In order to compete in the affiliate classes you had to be one of the top five in your club class—Felix and I qualified in three classes. And how did Felix and I do? Well, we tied for first in an NRHA Limited Non-Pro class. In our affiliate classes we didn’t do as well, although I was proud of our runs and of my horse. In a field of nearly 80 competitors, Felix and I got 7th in the Affiliate Novice Horse Non-Pro class—the payout and invitation to compete in Oklahoma City at the year end world show went to 6th place. I missed it by ONE place!! In all of my classes I was just very pleased to have qualified and made it that far, especially with a horse I had only been riding and showing since March. Felix tried hard and we both had a lot of fun. Felix is an awesome little pony, just taking everything in stride. Plus he’s so much fun to ride—quite an honor to have him to show!

Life’s a Beach

2009-09-24T12:00:00.000-07:00

Our boys taking snooze in the sun—all worn out from a day on the beach!

This week my friend Patricia and I took two of our horses to Ocean City, WA, a sleepy little town on the Pacific Ocean. We rented a sweet little studio apartment a few blocks from the ocean at a place outfitted for horses. There was a small round pen to keep our horses in and even a compost bin for manure. Each day we could saddle up and ride down the peaceful street to the ocean public beach.

Patricia and Felix on the beach.

The beach was a vast expanse of flatness—as long, as far as the eye can reach. Just beach to the left and to the right. With ocean reaching endlessly forward, over and over.

The horses’ reactions were unpredictable: young Felix was as unflappable as ever, even with waves, seaweed, vehicles driving on the sand. Nothing fazed him. Older Harley was unnerved by almost everything that came along including plastic bags, a passing gull, driftwood and seaweed. He kept tourists on the beach entertained with his sudden, unexplained shying at an odd piece of sea kelp or an old bag. Even so, it was fun observing new things and trying something new with the horses. The dogs thoroughly enjoyed the romp along the beach as well.

Alayne, Harley and Saylee at Ocean City.

I must admit that our favorite part was breakfast at the Shilo Inn in Ocean Shores; the yummy blueberry pancakes and the pleasant and friendly staff there were a wonderful way to start out a gray morning.

Update: Reining

2009-05-28T12:00:00.000-07:00

Off to reining show #3 today. This show, Washington Reining Horse Association’s “The Classic” is in Monroe, Washington. Matt and I are only showing one horse this year, partly due to a slowing of the economy and less work, but also due to the fact that both of my horses are on the injured list. I had planned to retire RB this year due to arthritis in a front knee. RB, a big strong horse, is one of the most physical reiners I’ve ridden. He was a blast (almost literally!) to ride and slide. You could tell he loved his job as he would give his all when he ran. Earlier this spring while on a trail ride he managed to pull a muscle somewhere in his hip. So, he’s on lay-up right now and is sick of it, ready to at least to get back to the trails.

Bob, my other seasoned reiner who accompanied me to Las Vegas, Arizona and elsewhere winning buckles, money and awards as he went, was diagnosed with chronic laminitis earlier this year. With that diagnosis, I became another of the heart-sick horse owners to travel down the laminitis road. While Bob’s laminitis wasn’t caused by metabolic issues (it was more than likely due to poor conformation combined with hard surfaces,) metabolic issues all come into play for him now. Where things like pasture, treats, and feed types weren’t issues before, they certainly are now. As we puzzle together a management plan and struggle to bring him back to good health, I have been forced to learn more and become even more aware of nutrition and metabolic issues in horse health. Hence the article this month's The Green Horse on safer grazing incase you have a horse with metabolic issues or just want to watch your horse’s waistline.

In the meantime we were lucky enough to have another talented horse, Matt’s young reiner, Felix. Matt was gracious enough to pass on showing this year and give me the opportunity to show his athletic young horse. I feel privileged to do so as this horse has tons of ability and can easily slide 20 feet, the hallmark of a reiner. Besides that, he is sweet and quiet. A winning combination in my book!

So, if any of you are nearby feel free to stop by the Evergreen State Fairgrounds to say hi to little Felix and I. And wish us luck!

2009 Las Vegas FEI World Cup—Dressage and Jumping

2009-04-21T22:57:00.000-07:00

I’m back from Las Vegas and I had a fabulous time. It was sunny and 80 degrees—my kind of wonderful! I went with my vet, Ramona Tingdale. A horsey friend who now lives in Las Vegas, Mary Kilgore, joined us for Saturday. Ramona had a client who gave her two free tickets plus $80/night rooms at South Point Casino—and I was lucky enough that she invited me to go with her. We used airline mileage to fly there and made it all happen "on a budget." We went for 3 days, Friday morning through Sunday evening; a whirlwind weekend! What a thrill to see all those world-class competitors up close. Such talented riders and their incredible equine partners. They were from many countries of the world that I wouldn’t expect—Japan, Columbia, Australia, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia—plus most of Europe and North America. It was breathtaking competition and so interesting to watch different riding techniques, see the horse’s reactions, hear it’s breath when the front feet landed a jump... it was just an incredibly wonderful experience that I am so grateful to have had.

Las Vegas is the only local where FEI jumping and dressage are held together, so that in itself was a treat. This event won’t be back to Vegas for a long time—at least 6 years now. The “Vegas” part of the event was amazing, too. I never expected to see laser light shows and fireworks combined with FEI Grand Prix riding. And there were an awful lot of guys in cowboy hats around—kinda made me feel at home! You know how the dressage crowd is often like the audience watching a golf tournament, rather quiet and reserved? I bet this was the ONLY FEI event where the announcer tells you to “Let the rider know if you see something you like.” This crowd never held back anything, so noise levels (and music!) were almost deafening—but in a fun way.

The dressage freestyle was UNBELIEVABLE! I couldn’t even trust myself to talk during most of it as I was choked up with emotion. It was simply breath-takingly beautiful, just like dance. The horses seemed to be floating on water, in time with the beat of the music and deeply immersed in the moment. The riders, too, seemed thrilled to be there. Most of them smiled through the whole test and positively beamed when they were done as they patted and patted their horses. They all were so very proud of their horses, gratefully acknowledging their partner's spectacular accomplishments. Scores were unusually high, one after another. The winning score for the dressage freestyle (Steffen Peters, who won the Grand Prix dressage on Thursday evening) was an 84.95, which, as I understand it, is a very high dressage score. I thought all 11 freestyle competitors were brilliant and I enjoyed them all. At the award ceremony Steffen rode his horse, Revel, one-handed doing piaffes and passages as well as lateral work in different gaits. The crowd refused to let him leave, giving him standing ovation after standing ovation. It was so fun, such a privilege to be there in person taking it all in.

Two Tip Sheets Now Available In Spanish!

2009-04-15T20:29:00.000-07:00

Announcing the same great information now available for our Spanish-speaking readers!

20 Things Every New Horse Owner Should Know

and

Fall in Place

Earth Day weed tips

2009-04-14T15:18:00.000-07:00

Even if you don’t live in King County or the Pacific Northwest, these tips and ideas are well suited for many parts of North America, and are a great way to get into the spirit of Earth Day.

It’s been a long, cold winter for most of us, but one great way to get over the winter blues and celebrate spring is to help out at a local park or natural area where you ride regularly. Earth Day this year is on Wednesday, April 22nd. Look for Earth Day work parties on April 18 or 25, but also scattered throughout this month.

Horse people can participate by pulling weeds at their favorite place to ride. In the Seattle area, one wonderful area is Bridle Trails State Park in Kirkland, which is hosting a weed-pulling event this Saturday, April 18, from 9 am to noon (see details below.)

For more on horse pasture management join me, Alayne Blickle, the King Conservation District and LMF Feed for a workshop on May 2nd in Issaquah, WA. We will cover horse pasture management, as well as how to integrate pasture care into your equine nutrition and feeding program, as well as health issues often associated with pasture grazing (founder and laminitis, Equine Metabolic Syndrome, Cushings, PSSM, etc). See HCW Educational Events for more details.

Happy Earth Day!

Alayne

Earth Day weed tips from the King County Noxious Weed Program

Sasha Shaw, Noxious Weed Education Specialist

King County Noxious Weed Program

Celebrate Earth Day by pulling English ivy. Nothing says Earth Day in the Pacific Northwest like tackling ivy. Just be careful around storm-damaged trees – never pull ivy down from the upper parts of a tree since this might injure the tree and will most certainly injure you if branches fall off. Just pry the vines off the bark of the tree up to where you can comfortably reach and all the way down to the ground. Ivy on the ground can be pulled up with a generous helping of elbow grease, a well-placed shovel, and clippers to cut off roots you can’t dig up.

The cold, wet spring has delayed some weeds, but others are already bursting with growth. Weeds are good survivors and our cold, wet winter and spring will be no problem for most of them. Expect to have a slower start for many weeds and don’t be fooled if it looks better than you expected in some places. The weeds are probably still there, just slower to emerge. On the other hand, many weeds have not been slowed down at all and it will be a challenge to get out to them quickly enough, especially now that we’ve finally had some warm weather. Remember that weeds are those plants that can survive better, grow faster and spread better than other plants. In fact, the tough winter will probably make some weed problems worse where tender ornamentals or even native plants were harmed by the cold and wet this year and weeds will quickly move in to the new territory if we are not quick to stop them.

April is a great time to mulch planting beds. Mulch inhibits weed growth and retains soil moisture. A couple of inches of fresh arborist chips (chipped up tree trimmings) or bark will save you hours of weeding this summer. Avoid piling on too much mulch around trees (10 inches or more is too much) and keep the mulch a few inches away from tree trunks. Too much mulch can act as a barrier—it repels water and deprives the tree of oxygen. Using compost as mulch is great for improving the soil and water retention, but won’t stop weeds, so it is good to add chips or bark on top of compost if you want to avoid pulling weeds.

Consider waiting awhile before cutting blackberry brambles if you can only do it once or twice this year. Of course it is best to keep blackberries cut back as much as possible if you are trying to starve their roots. However, time and resources are limited for most of us and you may not be able to get out there every week or so (which is what would be needed this time of year). If you can only cut your blackberries back once or twice this year, then wait until they have depleted some of their root reserves, so they don’t just grow right back again. If you can only cut them once a year, the best time to do so is actually when they are flowering. That is the time they have the least energy reserves and when cutting will do the most damage. However, if your plan is to cut them down and then dig up the roots, then by all means do it now! In fact, spring is a great time for that method, since the soil is moist and the brambles are easier to see before they leaf out fully.

Sign up Now for King County Noxious Weed Workshops

We are taking registrations for our annual noxious weed workshops for vegetation management crews and others who need to identify and manage noxious weeds. Session dates are May 6 and May 13. Topics this year include updates and refreshers on identifying and controlling priority noxious weeds, a presentation by Jeff Britt from WSDA on the “Keys to Legal Pesticide Applications and Record Keeping”, updates on using biocontrol in the county, and a special training session on using stem-injection guns to control knotweed. Participants in the stem-injection training can apply to borrow stem-injectors from the noxious weed program for controlling knotweed in their own projects. (By the way, for those of you just interested in knotweed stem-injection training, we will also be offering evening knotweed control workshops in June and July for county residents).The full agenda is on our workshops page. Both classes are free and open to the public but space is limited. WSDA pesticide license recertification credits have been requested for these classes (4 credits requested). Register at 206-263-6468 or sasha.shaw@kingcounty.gov. Please provide the name(s), agency or company, phone number and e-mail.

South Session: Wednesday, May 6, 8 am to 12 pm, City of Kent Shops Building, upstairs meeting room, 5821 W. James St., Kent, WA 98032

North Session: Wednesday, May 13, 8 am to 12 pm, Northshore Utility District, Northshore Room, 6830 NE 185th St., Kenmore, WA 98028

Learn about Washington’s Native Plants This Spring

The Washington Native Plant Society is now seeking applications for the Native Plant Stewardship Program in East King County. Participating cities in King County include Bellevue, Issaquah, Kirkland, and Sammamish. The 10-week training is held on Fridays from April 24 through June 26, 2009, in Bellevue. This training is taught by top professionals on various topics such as native plants, habitat restoration, invasive weeds, northwest ecology, and working with volunteers. In exchange for this free training, stewards will commit to 100 hours of volunteer service implementing the skills learned in these classes. Native Plant Steward teams will be formed to work on habitat restoration projects in each of the partner communities: Kirkland, Issaquah, Bellevue, Sammamish and east King County.

For more information regarding the Native Plant Stewardship Program and to download the application form: http://www.wnps.org/npsp/king/program.html. Application deadline is April 15, 2009. For questions about the Native Plant Stewardship Program please contact Dangelei Fox at npsp@wnps.org or call (206) 660-3968.

The Native Plant Stewardship Program is an education project of the Washington Native Plant Society's Central Puget Sound Chapter and is made possible by funding from the cities of: Bellevue, Issaquah, Kirkland (through a King Conservation District Grant), Sammamish, and additional funding support provided by a King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks Waterworks grant. Please pass along this information to others on the greater Eastside who might be interested.

Help Save A Forest: Volunteer for Bridle Trails State Park Restoration

The 480-acre Bridle Trails State Park, located where Redmond, Kirkland and Bellevue meet, is an excellent example of the kind of lowland conifer forest that used to cover most of King County. In addition to its many riding trails and arenas, the park supports a thriving forest with relatively few invasives, many healthy, mature conifers, and lots of young conifer regeneration in the understory. However, a number of troublesome garden escapees and other non-natives are invading, including English ivy, cherry laurel, English holly, and, of course, Himalayan blackberry. Since 2005, the Bridle Trails Park Foundation and park ranger have been organizing volunteers to attack the invasives as part of a new park stewardship program. This year’s Earth Day event will be the fifth, and the group has also had several smaller work parties each year. A total of about 350 volunteers have pitched in so far, and volunteers continue to be critical to the success of the project, especially with this year’s state budget crisis.

The goal is to reduce the invasive plants to levels that have minimal ecological impact. Many hundreds of plants have been removed, but some areas are coming back. This will be a long-term effort that will also include planting native plants in some areas.

Along with the stewardship program, the Foundation also sponsors nature walks for the general public focusing on plants, fungi, and birds in the park, as well as forest ecology. The Foundation and Park Ranger have also worked with three local schools, leading field trips into the park and providing classroom support. The group is also working on an interpretive trail focused on forest biodiversity. For more information please see the Foundation’s web site here or contact Jim Erckmann at erckmann1@verizon.net. You can help protect this great park by attending the upcoming work party:

Earth Day Event in Bridle Trails State Park

Saturday, April 18, 9 a.m. till noon, Bridle Trails State Park

Please join other volunteers and help control non-native, invasive plants in Bridle Trials State Park. Meet in the picnic area north of the entrance on 116th Ave. NE at NE 53rd St. Bring gloves and hand pruners, and wear sturdy clothes. Refreshments and lunch provided. Info on the Bridle Trails web site.

Tips for Reducing Weeds in Your Compost

I came across a very useful article on avoiding weed problems in your backyard compost. Although it’s best to avoid putting weed seeds into your own compost piles whenever possible, sometimes it’s unavoidable or preferable to other options. According to a press release from the Weed Science Society of America, the keys to maximum weed seed death in compost are time, temperature and turning. It takes 30 days of exposure to temperatures of 145 degrees or more to destroy many tough weed seeds. If your compost feels “uncomfortably hot” when you reach in, then you’ve probably got it hot enough. Turning and mixing are also key because that’s how you expose all the weed seeds to that hot temperature. Of course, as they point out, if you put compost onto areas with existing weeds, they will benefit from it as much as the plants you want to grow. So, make sure to manage your weeds as well as your compost. And please don’t put seeds of regulated noxious weeds into your compost–the risk of even a few seeds surviving is just too high. The press release also has more great tips on making great compost and reducing weed problems.

British Columbia Funds Coordinated Invasive Weed Control

In today’s world of budget cuts and worries about funding government projects, it’s nice to see some funding being dedicated to invasive and noxious weed control across the border. British Columbia shares many of the same invasive weeds as us and any work done up north benefits us as well. In addition to weeds crossing borders on vehicles, water, wind and so forth, there are many ornamentals brought in from British Columbia that could carry noxious weed seeds or even be noxious weeds themselves. So, hats off to them for working on a coordinated plan of attack to reduce impacts of invasive weeds and for dedicating some funding to make it work. Read more details in the recent news story on this from Alberta Farmer’s online journal: B.C. departments gang up on invasive plants.

New Ventures!

2009-03-23T06:00:00.000-07:00

In an effort to broaden my horizons and try some new ventures, I am expanding the educational programs we are offering at HCW. Here, on our Maple Valley farm in beautiful western Washington, we are going to be offering several new horsemanship events, including:

Annie’s Pony Rides—safe pony ride experiences for kids
Horsemanship Camp for Kids—introduces kids to “green” horsekeeping
Cowgirl Horse Camp and Adventures for Women—cattle sorting, trail rides and more!
Summer Guest Ranch—come live and work with us, and ride our reining horses!
Clinics—we have lots of good ideas here!

Our first clinic is coming up, Saturday, April 25th—the Barb Apple Natural Horsekeeping Clinic. Barb Apple is the Northwest’s own natural horsemanship clinician. Last summer I attended one of her clinics at her homey ranch in Roy, WA. Barb has a unique background, which she describes as a three-legged stool. One leg comes from working and studying natural horsemanship with world renowned clinician, Pat Parelli. Another leg comes from her friendship and training with Jack Brainard, often considered the father of reining. The third leg comes from her work in Centered Riding, as developed by Sally Swift. In this clinic at my farm, Barb and I team up to bring you hands-on help and information on our holistic approach to managing your horse and horse property. The morning session with Barb will help you and your horse begin to work together as partners. Barb is an excellent, caring teacher with effective and carefully developed techniques. The afternoon will be a farm tour of our eco-friendly farm, with tips and ideas on ways to set up and manage horse properties in concert with nature. This will be a fun, safe, learning-packed clinic. Please contact me if you have questions on this exciting event—or about anything else!

March 2009 The Green Horse

2009-03-23T00:00:00.000-07:00

The Green Horse is the official newsletter of Horses for Clean Water, published by Alayne Blickle, HCW Program Director

In this issue...

Message from Alayne: Keep Your Eye on the Donut
New Tip Sheet: The Swallows Are Coming
Three R’s of Spring Pastures
Equine Massage: For the Health of Your Horse
Farm Focus: SPD’s Mounted Patrol Unit Facility
Educational Events

Platinum Level Sponsor: Sweet PDZ Stall Refresher

Message from Alayne: Keep Your Eye on the Donut

Things happen for a reason; often times I am not happy about them and would have liked for things to be different, but usually there is some greater purpose or essential reason for why stuff works out the way it does.

New Tip Sheet: The Swallows Are Coming

One of our favorite subjects here at Horses For Clean Water is the arrival of the swallows in the spring. We have taken past TGH articles and researched some new information and combined them into a great new Tip Sheet.

Three R’s of Spring Pastures: Renew, Renovate and Relax!

Here are six of our favorite “think big, spend small” spring pasture improvement practices. These cost efficient measures will soon have you relaxing and looking out at some very happy horses.

Equine Massage: For the Health of Your Horse

If you’ve ever had a massage, you know what a relaxing and refreshing experience it can be. Massage feels great to animals too. Find out more about equine massage from HCW staff member and LMP Ellen Mosier.

Farm Focus: SPD’s Mounted Patrol Unit Facility

Learn about Seattle’s Mounted Patrol Unit and the horses that help protect our streets!
Saturday, March 28th, 2009, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon
West Seattle, WA
FREE!

Join the King Conservation District, Horses for Clean Water and the Seattle Mounted Patrol Unit for a guided educational tour of the facilities to learn how the facility is set up and how the police horses are managed.

This is a kid-friendly, handicap accessible event.

BONUS: At the conclusion of the tour, enjoy a 30 minute live demonstration of the unit’s police horses. Mounted officers will demonstrate troop movements, crowd control techniques, obstacle training and obstacle/harassment training. Then meet the horses...up close and personal!

For planning purposes we ask that you please register with us for this FREE event. Please contact the King Conservation District at 425-282-1904, or e-mail Paul Borne.

Educational Events

If you have any questions or would like to submit an article for publication in The Green Horse, please e-mail.

My New Dog, Rikki!

2008-12-31T22:00:00.000-08:00

What a way to brighten up winter—I got a new dog! This one comes with an especially emotional tie: Rikki belonged to my sister-in-law whom we recently lost to Inflammatory Breast Disease. On December 29th, Rikki made the long cross-country flight from North Carolina to Sea-Tac Airport, where I met her at baggage claim. I am excited to have this sweet, beautiful Australian Shepherd join our Maple Valley family, and especially honored to have such a special way to remember my beloved sister-in-law by.

White Horsekeeping

2008-12-18T23:28:00.000-08:00

“Green” horsekeeping doesn’t do much to describe my life today. Today it’s WHITE horsekeeping! And probably the most positive thing I can say about it, as a horse person, is that it’s very beautiful. Which it truly is. But as a horse person it totally cramps my style! I can’t ride or exercise my horses. I can’t haul my horses anywhere covered to ride and exercise them because the roads are too snowy and icey. I can’t clean paddocks well. I freeze when I’m out for any length of time... I know, I know. I need a little cheese with my whine. You would think that someone who grew up in the Chicago suburbs with all the snow and sub-zero temps we had there, and who lived in Anchorage, Alaska for several years, would be better equipped to deal with a couple weeks of snow and cold.

The reality is that riding and working my horses is so much a part of who I am that I never get used to “down time,” no matter how much I prepare for it.

A week ago we had about 4 inches of snow, which around the Pacific NorthWET usually doesn’t last long. But, thanks to Artic temps, this is lasting. And, adding insult to injury, last night we got more snow. The long-range forecast is for all of this white stuff to stick around for some time yet. Blah!

So it’s time to quite feeling sorry for myself and to start to work on some winter survival skills…. Stay tuned!

March 2004 The Green Horse

2004-03-15T00:00:00.001-08:00

In this issue:

Ready, Set, Graze!
The Swallows Are Coming!
Small Farm Expo This Month!
HCW Farm Focus: Couer du Cheval Arabians
March Book Review: The Faraway Horses

Ready, Set, Graze!

It’s that time of year when the grass starts to get greener and grow faster, but is it time to let your horses begin grazing on the pastures you’ve fenced off all winter? Putting horses out too soon can reduce the productivity of your pastures this summer and letting your horses graze too much can be dangerous to horse health. for tips on how to keep your pastures and your horses healthy.

The Swallows Are Coming!
Natural insect control for horse farms

A very special thing happens each year around mid-March when the swallows return to the Pacific Northwest from Central America. These pretty little birds provide us with hours of entertainment with their graceful flight acrobatics as they dart about catching insects. But these birds are not only fun to watch, they also provide us with excellent insect control—one swallow consumes about 6,000 insects per day! In this day and age when we all have concerns about the impact of chemicals on our lives, providing habitat for swallows at your horse place is a great alternative to insecticides. to learn more about attracting these beautiful birds to your farm.

The Original Birdhouse Book

by Don McNeil

Contains carefully detailed instructions and easy-to-understand drawings for 26 birdhouses, nesting shelves, and nesting boxes, as well as feeder and bath plans.

Small Farm Expo This Month!

Get the latest dirt on small farming practices and landscaping for rural acreage at the Small Farm Expo on March 27 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., King County Fairgrounds, Enumclaw

Puget Sound-area small farmers and rural landowners can get the most current information on livestock, crop and resource technologies, land management and more at the 3rd annual Small Farm Expo, March 27, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the at the King County Fairgrounds in Enumclaw. to find out more details about the Farm Expo.

HCW Farm Focus: Couer du Cheval Arabians

Tour a Vashon Island Arabian breeding farm
Saturday, April 24th, 10 a.m. to noon, Vashon Island, WA

Join HCW on Vashon Island for a free educational tour of Couer du Cheval Arabians. To register and receive a map contact the King Conservation District. to read more details and see some photos of this great farm.

Quote of the Month

It’s a matter of timing and of patience. Although it seems nothing is happening on the surface, there may yet be profound changes occurring down a little deeper. Waiting isn’t bad.

—Buck Brannaman

March Book Review: The Faraway Horses

A wonderful insight into the man behind the horseman. to read the full review.

The Faraway Horses (Hardcover) The Faraway Horses (Paperback)

If you have any questions or would like to submit an article for publication in The Green Horse, please e-mail info@horsesforcleanwater.com.