Going green – the steps you can take to manage your grazing land more sustainably

With growing pressures to become more environmentally conscious, what changes – both large and small – can horse owners make to become more sustainable? Alex Robinson and Luz Wollocombe discover some of the options for managing grazing land in a more ecological way, and find the benefits it can bring not only to the environment but also to our horses

While it’s perfectly healthy to use our horses as escapism from the real world, our responsibilities as individuals to negate the impact of environment changes cannot be ignored. Forward-thinking individuals are working hard to ensure the equestrian industry doesn’t get left behind when it comes to becoming more eco, and one of the key areas is managing grazing land more sustainably.

Let’s investigate some of the tweaks that we can make, whether we have a couple of acres or a large estate.

New Forest commoner Lyndsey Stride says that while the agricultural sector has been encouraged to farm in a more environmentally friendly way for some time, the message is yet to stick with the equestrian industry. She believes that recreational horse owners could learn – and benefit – from the way semi-feral ponies live in their homelands.

“Native ponies on moors, forests and fells are living in a natural way and contribute to an extraordinarily biodiverse landscape,” explains Lyndsey. “Looking at pasture management, there is a lot of talk in farming about carbon storage in grassland. Most recreational horses are kept on former agricultural fields, and as horse owners generally keep grass very short, the grass is placed under a lot of stress.

“Long grass is better at drawing up water and trace elements, and it puts more effort into growing its roots, which is good for the soil and carbon storage.
“We should strive for herb-rich pastures which aren’t being constantly grazed; the plants get more time to recover and therefore there is a much larger variety of grass species.

“Rotating paddocks – every month or so if you can – lets the grass rest. It will also benefit your horses as they’ll be eating a more varied and balanced diet. So many horses these days have hind gut problems or allergies, whereas ponies in the forest rarely need the vet out to them.

“As rotation helps with the issue of ground compaction, it helps prevent or deal with existing cases of mud and poaching, too. If you can find a four-foot strip around your field, fence this off, let it grow during spring and see what comes of it. It can only do the soil and grass good.

“If space permits, ‘paddock paradise’ [a track system] – the concept of an outdoor environment which mimics natural wild habitats – is another option. This way of keeping horses makes the ponies walk a long way, usually over obstacles such as logs, to get food.”

Managing grazing land sustainably through hedge planting

When it comes to fencing, Lyndsey says that while the initial cost outlay of planting a hedge with a future aspiration of laying it might be greater, the long-term benefits are plentiful.

“Post and rail usually doesn’t last forever,” Lyndsey adds. “Safety wise, there are no wires or broken rails in hedgerows. It might take up to 15 years to finish, but in the long run they are a source of shelter, food and are a habitat for wildlife. Plus, a good hedge promotes trickle feeding and encourages horses to eat from different heights.

“We’re in the middle of a climate and nature emergency and everyone has a part to play, though it’s hard to keep up to speed with the change of expectations; it’s fast-changing knowledge. If you own a field you are the guardian of that land and you have a duty to pass it on in the best possible condition.”

Our environmental hoofprint

As environment and horse health are inextricably linked, improving the ecological impact of keeping horses is mutually beneficial. Some of the large studs – which have more in common with arable and livestock farms rather than your average livery yard – have made giant strides in improving their environmental hoofprint. There is hope that their example will filter through to smaller outfits as they see what is possible on their scale.

James O’Donnell, chairman of the Thoroughbred Breeders Association (TBA) Sustainability Group and until recently the assistant stud director of the 6,000-acre Shadwell Stud in Norfolk, explains that the Environmental Act of 2021 was a major catalyst for positive change in the way all land in the UK is managed.

“Farmers will be assessed on what their environmental footprint is,” he says, adding that more Government grants schemes will be brought in as incentives. “Are they regenerating areas of their farm back over to nature? Are they improving wetland areas? Are they planting trees? It’s a massive step in the right direction.”

There is good news – a recent study conducted by the TBA and Racing Foundation indicated that, as low-impact grassland farms, studs have much less of an environmental impact than regular arable or livestock farming, which James terms “very encouraging”.

But there is always more to be done. John Corbett is in charge of sustainable agriculture at Coolmore Stud in Ireland, an area of around 7,000 acres and home to some of the world’s best thoroughbred stallions.

“Environmental welfare comes into everything we do at Coolmore, every management decision. It’s a high priority here,” he says.

John explains that Coolmore’s environmental strategy takes into account, “five key areas: clean water, fresh air, healthy fertile soils, biodiversity and a vibrant ecosystem”.

John’s previous training as an equine nutritionist means he is hyper-aware of the link between environment and horse health, and the phenomenal success of the Coolmore horses is testament to that.

“Nutrition starts with the soil and goes all the way through to the grass and the hay,” he says. “The building blocks must be in place for the foal to fill its genetic potential. We make sure there is nothing that could have a negative impact on athletic performance or lung development.”

The “greenest forage system” for managing grazing land sustainably

While not all of us are dealing with the pressure of growing Galileo’s progeny, we still want to do the very best for our animals.

It turns out that what is good for the horse is generally good for the planet as well. So how do we keep our fields in the best nick?

James O’Donnell explains: “The greenest equine forage system is to operate a rotational system, even on a small scale, dividing a paddock, grazing it one side and rotating it. In between, if there is an option to, I would suggest using sheep or cattle to follow behind the horses to take out the weeds and rough grass, but also to act as a natural fertiliser.”

Another advantage of sheep is that “you don’t have to roll the paddocks, which means less soil compaction”.

Perfect soil doesn’t come from heaps of chemicals. Coolmore uses compost made from their own waste on the least fertile areas of land – thereby recycling and fertilising at the same time.

Using manure to make compost is an obvious avenue to improve sustainability. Bridget Elworthy, founder and chairman of The Land Gardeners, a company dedicated to transforming the environment through compost and soil quality, says, “We love using horse manure in the compost. It is ideal to mix it with a carbon source – either straw, old hay or dry leaves.

“The benefits of proper composting reduce greenhouse gases and promote microbial growth which is beneficial for soil health, animal health and the health of our planet,” she says.

It’s also worth looking around for a local company for whom your festering muck heap might be akin to a pile of gold. Monaghan Mushrooms, an organic mushroom-growing company in Ireland, have been using horse manure for years. Their providers include the 65 horses belonging to Michéal Conaghan, whose family bred champion staying hurdler Paisley Park, and his partner Elizabeth Hayden, an event rider, who are both dedicated to finding ways of making their 150-acre farm in Kildare greener.

The Irish couple also emphasise the importance of increasing biodiversity.

“I’m in the process of re-fencing my fields,” Michéal says. “If you keep the fence four feet back from the ditches, it makes space for the wildlife – and you get a grant.” James agrees: “The days have gone where owners of equestrian set-ups needed to mow and strim every inch of their property to make it look tidy – if we are going to be responsible managers, it’s going to look a bit scruffier.”

James’s advice includes cutting hedges only every two years, planting wild-flower seed on unused areas and spending time removing weeds and ragwort by hand, rather than strimming as far as the eye can see.

At Coolmore, rewilding is taking place on a massive scale. John Corbett estimates that “over 20% of our landscape is given over to nature”. As for creating new habitats, when asked about planting trees, he responds enthusiastically: “We plant loads of them! Every year, we have a hedge-planting programme and a tree-planting programme. We have our own nurseries where we grow trees. This year, we planted around 8,000 metres of hedging. They provide loads of ecosystems and they sequester carbon both below and above ground.”

For advice on which trees to plant and when, James says he would “specifically go for the fast-growing, indigenous tree. Any kind of beech tree, a certain type of non-toxic maple tree or plane trees.”

Plant them in the winter or autumn to give them time to settle in and hey presto, you’ve got more shade, less mud and a whole new community of birds, squirrels and pollinators.

When it comes to sustainability in the equine industry, big studs like Coolmore may be leading the way, but all of us can work to keep our paddocks as diverse and healthy as possible. We can compost our manure and plant trees if at all possible. These may be small steps but if we all do them, they will significantly improve our environmental legacy.

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