Alayne Blickle

Alayne Blickle began in the 1990’s as a pioneer in water conservation and natural resources conservation by creating the entrepreneurial consulting business, Horses for Clean Water, an award-winning internationally acclaimed education program that looks for horse-healthy, nature-based solutions to land management challenges. She continues this work today partnering with agencies, organizations, and horse owners throughout North America and worldwide. She is a regularly contributing writer and photojournalist to several equine publications. Alayne lives with her horse trainer husband, Matt Livengood, in southwestern Idaho where they raise and train AQHA horses and mustangs on their eco-friendly horse ranch. Contact her through the Horses for Clean Water website or through their ranch website Sweet Pepper Ranch. For more information contact Alayne at [email protected] or 206-909-0225.

Small Farm Makeover: Climate Change and Horse Keeping

July 8, 2024 by Alayne Blickle

Photo Credit Alayne Blickle

Simple Ways to Make a Difference When it comes to climate change, many feel that things are beyond our control—that we are living on a planet rocketing towards a brave new world of environmental change. While this is true in part, there still are several simple practices we horse owners …

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Small Farm Makeover: 10 Tips to Keep Flying Pests at Bay – Naturally!

June 17, 2024 by Alayne Blickle

Swallow box with nesting Violet Green Swallows. Photo Courtesy Alayne Blickle.

Biting Insects Can Lead to Serious Health Problems in Horses and Humans Ahh, summer… the long days, the sun and warmth. The season is wonderful in so many ways, except when it comes to those annoying bugs. Flies, gnats, and mosquitoes can make our horses’ lives miserable (ours too), and …

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Small Farm Makeover: Free and Natural Insect Control

March 26, 2024 by Alayne Blickle

Image Courtesy Alayne Blickle.

Free and Natural Insect Control One of my favorite times of year is the March/April time frame when swallows begin returning to the Pacific Northwest. These vivacious little birds overwinter in Central America and return to North America in time for the spring nesting season. These pretty little birds provide …

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Small Farm Makeover: Winter Preparedness on Horse Properties – Part 2 of 2

November 30, 2023November 25, 2023 by Alayne Blickle

Photo Courtesy Alayne Blickle

Take Winter by Storm! The dead of winter and early spring are times for damaging, dangerous storms in North America. Making chore efficiency updates on your horse property and having backup supplies on hand is helpful for getting through the most challenging time of the year for horse owners–and it …

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Feature Story: Winter Preparedness on Horse Properties – Part 1 of 2

November 25, 2023September 5, 2023 by Alayne Blickle

Regular manure removal is critical in winter. Photo Courtesy Alayne Blickle.

Fall Chore Efficiency Farmers and ranchers know the drill well—they use late summer and early fall to do their prep work for winter. Horse owners can take notes from our older and bigger cousins and do the same, as fall is the right time to get things done! Cooler temperatures …

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Small Farm Makeover: Spring Cleaning Tips

June 13, 2023April 24, 2023 by Alayne Blickle

Early spring is a good time to hang nest boxes. Photo Courtesy Alayne Blickle

Get Ready for the Busy Season Ahead! Earth Day is just around the corner on Saturday, April 20, 2023. In some parts of the country, daffodils are poking their heads up and may even be blooming. That means now is the time to get things done around your horse property …

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Small Farm Makeover: Composting Horse Manure-Simplified!

June 13, 2023December 22, 2022 by Alayne Blickle

Photo from Alayne Blickle

Correctly Managing Manure Doesn’t Need to be Difficult or Expensive There are many reasons why a mismanaged manure pile is a problem—from chore inefficiency to horse health issues (horses allowed to graze near their own manure are quickly reinfested by larva that hatch from worm eggs shed in manure), to …

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Small Farm Makeover: Create a Winter Paddock

October 19, 2022 by Alayne Blickle

Photo by Alayne Blickle

Considerations for Building and Locating a Sacrifice Area on Your Farm Probably the most important aspect of managing pastures is the time when you take your horses off your pasture. You can greatly improve the health and productivity of your pastures by creating and using a winter paddock or confinement …

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Fencing Considerations for Horse Properties – Focus on Safety, Appearance, Chore Efficiency, and Budget when Planning Fencing Projects

March 2, 2022 by Alayne Blickle

Photos from Alayne Blickle.

Horse owners agree that a well-fenced property is a beautiful sight and the cornerstone to proper management. When building or modifying a horse property, a primary consideration is what type of fencing to choose, and many great options are available. Here are a few guidelines to help you make a …

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Hog Fuel, Gravel, or Sand? Winter Footing Options for Equine Confinement Areas

January 3, 2022 by Alayne Blickle

One advantage of sand is that horses love to lie down and roll on it. Photo by Alayne Blickle.

The dead of winter usually comes with footing challenges for horse owners. It’s unhealthy for horses to stand in disease-causing muck and it’s difficult to get chores done when pushing a manure cart through ankle-deep mud. Plus, there are detrimental implications for the natural world around us since dirty water …

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Thank you for supporting the businesses that support The Northwest Horse Source

Thank you for supporting the businesses that support The Northwest Horse Source

Thank you for supporting the businesses that support The Northwest Horse Source

Thank you for supporting the businesses that support The Northwest Horse Source

Thank you for supporting the businesses that support The Northwest Horse Source

Thank you for supporting the businesses that support The Northwest Horse Source

Thank you for supporting the businesses that support The Northwest Horse Source

Thank you for supporting the businesses that support The Northwest Horse Source

Thank you for supporting the businesses that support The Northwest Horse Source

Thank you for supporting the businesses that support The Northwest Horse Source

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