What To Do This Month In Your Paddocks

Enjoying a christmas drink!

• Remember to break the ice on frozen water troughs!

• Keep ground protected with a minimum grass length of 2cm (1in). If grass becomes any shorter, horses should be moved on to prevent boredom, ground damage and loss of grass cover.

• Rotation should help avoid the need to feed horses at pasture. If feeding at pasture is unavoidable, place forage in different places each day and away from frequently trodden areas (e.g. fencelines and gateways), to reduce ground disturbance.

• Did you manage to keep your New Year’s resolution to follow each month’s advice? Sensitive land use and management enable features distinctive to each area to remain. Horse-keeping can help to maintain a pastoral appearance in the landscape. Sympathetically managed stables and pastures can complement rural, urban and fringe areas. The environmental impact of the horse industry is partially reflected by the appearance within the landscape - the reins are in your hands!

Surrey Horse Pasture Project • www.surreycc.gov.uk/horsepastureproject • Tel: 01372 741783
Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty • www.kentdowns.org.uk • Tel: 01303 815170

Photo: Kent Downs AONB
Text: Kent Downs AONB & Surrey Horse Pasture Project