Farm Management

Dealing with Drainage Issues in the Pacific Northwest by Alayne Blickle, Horses for Clean Water   Managing the wet environment in the Pacific Northwest can be challenging. During winter excessive rain fall makes mud, an especially unpleasant reality for many horse owners. Mud is not just a nuisance; it creates …

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Learn the “Golden Rules” for Pasture Management by Alayne Blickle, Horses for Clean Water   If you are fortunate enough to have horse pasture winter is the time to baby it. It’s also important to realize that a good stand of grass is critical for environmental health. Grass roots hold …

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Start Now to Prevent Headaches Later by Alayne Blickle, Horses for Clean Water   It’s that time of year when the reality of the next six months hits us horse owners: lots of cold, wet, dark and windy weather. For most of the Pacific Northwest you can also add “snowy …

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Part 2: Precautions to Help Safeguard Your Horses by Alayne Blickle, Horses for Clean Water   Last month in Part 1 of this series we talked about a Pacific Northwest outbreak of blister beetles, a poisonous insect whose toxins can cause mild depression to death when ingested in alfalfa hay …

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Keep Your Horse’s Environment Healthy and the Neighbors Happy by Alayne Blickle, Horses for Clean Water   In the summer months especially, odors in gravel or sand paddocks can become intense—a real concern if you have neighbors close by. Besides being unpleasant for us, breathing ammonia is unhealthy for horses …

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How to Use Plants as Fire Protection by Alayne Blickle, Horses for Clean Water   Last summer wildfires raged across much of Western United States, including the Pacific Northwest. Since late summer is still fire season for many parts of the Pacific Northwest and since horse owners usually live in …

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How “Jam’n” Makes Chores More Efficient by Alayne Blickle, Horses for Clean Water   Horse life at home is all about chore efficiency, and sometimes the simplest solutions are best. One small thing we did recently at Sweet Pepper Ranch, our horse motel and guest ranch in southwestern Idaho, has …

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Getting the Tools You Need for Pasture Management by Alayne Blickle, Horses for Clean Water   It’s the right time of the year to be thinking of equipment for managing our horse properties. As we conclude this series on basic equipment for a small acreage, we offer some cost-effective suggestions …

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Wheel barrows, Manure Forks, and More by Alayne Blickle, Horses for Clean Water   If you’re new or relatively new to owning horse property, you may feel a little overwhelmed by the thought of acquiring all the equipment you’ll need to manage manure and pastures. Relax! You can actually do …

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