UNA, great topic! And contraversial as well. The
issue here too though is more that we as horsemen and
the general public need to become more aware of the impact we all have
on our nations precious protected resources. Land set aside
to be protected as a state/federal conservation preserve is done
so for important reasons. We need to fully understand those
reasons so as not to impact the environments and special ecosystems
within. You cannot do it unless you know the territory and what is
being protected. Those living near them need to be aware of their
valued resource. Those coming to them, need to follow the
rules. Those systems within are fragile and need to be treated as
such. But yet, how many times do people trash their skirts and do
other things to impact those special places? Yes and too many
times this is the case. If its not horse feed, its manure, or
garbage or atvs and more.
People come and dump their trash and do not clean
up, they drink and plop bottles and residue as they party and do not
clean up. They abuse the intent of the preserve and do likewise
irrepairable harm.
I cannot tell you enough the problems I
personally have as an adjoining landowner to a valued preserve and how
poorly it can be treated. Well, actually I could and could spend a
lifetime of writing about it and the complaints I have against
people who are indignant to management and tread on me.. For ten
years I have lived nextdoor to this preserve and as my boundary goes
through half of its bog and hence we too are very adamant
about who goes there for at the same time we have worked
extremely hard in doing what we can in protecting it and our land as
well and the private preserve within. We know the land and what we
should and should not do. Others dont. Many come and think they
can do anything it is they want to and think things are unreasonable. We
have spent this decade learning our preserve. You cannot come in
and be like a bull in a china shop and expect to not get some serious
feedback and its hard to drive it home to those who think the rules are
petty.
I have had discussions with the State
preserve people in its care. They have shown and taught me
many things. We have applied similiar management. The only
shameful thing is the manpower it takes to keep the State preserve
clean. We ourselves spent a huge amount of time and private
resources on the adjoining side. Lose one, you lose the
other.
With that said, there is an issue as to too
what weed is considered an impediment. Just because you are
purchasing certified feed does not make that pile of food worthy of
taking into an ecosystem that certain seeds within it are a detriment to
that environment. It makes it a difficult choice on what and where
to go to get your feed when you hop on the road. A weed is not
just a weed, it is a plant that is out of place. You cannot simply
say if it is certified it is right, it has to be regionally
certified as in the case of hay. Hay certified in Illinois might
not be welcome in another part of the county like New Mexico or
viceversa and it gets to be weed particular. Many horsemen think
hay is hay. To them it does not matter. Many think they can
come in and tear up a peice of ground too and expect hay will grow
there. Well without knowing how to, many fail.
Since a seed can vary in size and the smallest of
seed, to give you a simple example is the mustard seed, that plant
is a detriment that by virtue of its minute size could easilly be
carried in a pelleted feed. So with that said, one would expect
that the management of those growing the material to go into the
forage or would be diligent in the process of processing the pelleted
feed or cubes or the hay purchased and as would the horseman purchasing
such for his intent.. One could assume they destroy the germ of
that seed in the processing of the feed. That may or may not
always be the case. One could assume that a particular hay is
welcome over another source and therefore you need to know. It
gets sticky.
It is not always possible to have 100% pure clean
feed since many horseman or producers may not be savy in keeping the
feed clean by virtue of outdoor storage to which birds and rodents can
deposit foreign material through also their dung making that food source
still a carrier of a detrimental seed. I have serious issues with hay that might be stored outdoors and
as this could be the case. I have serious issues with
educating people about it as well. Now I am no expert, but
it does not take an expert to know that it is a matter of using
common sense. Regret, so many people lack so much common
sense. We have though raised our own hay and know what it is to
supply the demand. We walk our fields constantly and keep
ourselves aware of what should and should not be there.
Horses are generally not welcome in certain
preserves due to the manure. A
preserve such as ours, there are factors of the nitrates that come along
and how they can pollute the bog and water. How much is too
much? Hard telling, VERY HARD TELLING. And do you really want to
find out how much is too much and in the process destroy a special
place? Ignorance can come with a very high price.
As our world grows smaller, these special places
become more precious and rare. We need to all work cohesively to
take care of them. Likewise finding adequate producers to get the
proper material to carry on the road for feed.. that in itself can
become a great difficulty to the point of seeming unreasonable.
But a lot of people are unreasonable and really do not
care.
From the horsemens point of veiw, to say
requirements are unreasonable? THAT SOLEY DEPENDS ON THE PRESERVE
AND THE ENVIRONMENT THEY HAVE SET ASIDE TO PROTECT.
HORSEMEN Reason vs PRESERVE Reason...hmmm, Reason
vs Reason... will equate to treason on one side. The one protecting
the preserve is reasonable in its stipulations even though they seem
unreasonable to the other side.. There is only one logical answer
in that we has horsemen need one honor their logic in
that. Treading on such territory can get very sticky.
Practice searchs especially need to honor that. You are not out
there on a true mission, it is a staged event.
Just my humble thoughts knowing how I feel about
those who tread on my adjoining land with protected conservation
land and knowing first hand what the preserve is
protecting and what I am protecting as well and beleive me, I
am not selfserving.
For those who do not know to, it is hard for you to
protect something if you do not know how. For horsemen, the very
use of pelleted feed can be a detriment. Their digestive tracts
are meant to handle forage not pellets. Horses can and do colic
from the very gunk that glues those pellets together.. so while
there is a need for that type of feed, not all horses can digest
the pellets adequately and in time, the longer the horse lives the
pellets can and due gunk up their intestinal systems. Horse
eating hay the ground can colic from eating the dirt and
sand. Don't beleive me ask a vetrinary surgeon who specializes in
colic.
In thirty some odd years we
personally have had a horse that has colicked. We
eliminated the usage of such feeds that proposed to cause the
problem to the animals eons ago and our horses are living long healthy
lives. If they were not receiving adequate care, they would not be
living this long. Our oldest turns a certifiably 29 in human
years in less than a week. While her "showring" beauty has
wained, after all the mare has had some ten foals, and she does not
carry her weight like she used to she is doing fine. She has
survived West Nile at an age where most horses would not have made it.
So all I can say as others have told us, we must be doing something
right! Our vets have said she is
remarkable.
So in regards to certified feed, we walk a chronic
double edge sword when it comes to animal care and land care...and we
have to sometimes force ourselves to take it all in stride when
things get sticky. Not a cheery thought in economics when it comes
to the horsemans side, but lose a preserve and its reason to exist, it
is gone forever. That is a higher price to pay for something that
environmentally in the end is priceless.
Karen Nesbitt