permaculture

[Claudia Joseph <permie@earthlink.net>]

Hi,
Horses do not "basically take care of  themselves".  They are  
wonderful but not so bright when it comes to self preservation.  They  
will eat grain to the point of illness, given the opportunity.  They  
do better with some grain in the winter, not just grass.  Their feet  
need trimming to remain healthy.  They need worming regularly.  And  
there are several diseases - such as west Nile virus - that it is  
wise to vaccinate against.  When it is cold, make sure they are  
drinking their water or they can colic and die.  A dead horse is a  
very big experience. One horse is  lonely - they are herd animals and  
like to live in a group or have at least one other horse for company  
- sometimes they will buddy up with a chicken or goat.

They are wonderful for getting around on a piece of land quietly and  
yes, they can teach much.  They can be quite unpredictable and even  
dangerous for a beginner.  A romantic and impressive animal, they  
present many challenges.

Manure is an abundant resource both in the city and country.  Here in  
Brooklyn it is free for the taking and we use it to heat up the  
compost in the winter.  If you have very many horse and put them in a  
barn - which they seem to appreciate - you will have a huge pile of  
manure in no time.  Anyone know what to do with that big pile?  It is  
a problem for many horse owners and they pay to have it hauled away  
if they don't have room to compost it.  We used to sell it for $1 a  
bag when I was a kid.  Sometimes farmers come and get it.    You need  
about an acre of land for each horse.  Horses won't graze over their  
own manure so if they are always out you might need more space than  
that.  Rotating fields is useful in preventing depletion and  
compaction of the land.  Also, remember to give them a salt block -  
they need it.

I love horses and I have seen the down-side too.  Ask any questions,  
I like talking about them.
Happy trails,
Claudia


On Nov 14, 2005, at 5:08 PM, gaia wrote:

> hello.
> gaia here.  I love that you are considering horses in your  
> permaculture
> plans.  I am also attempting to integrate (one horse at a time)
> into my permaculture plan.
> for her beauty,intelligence, her fierce spirit, and her loyalty,    
> and the
> way that she shows me how to communicate more deeply with the  
> land;  for
> all of this, I am grateful for the horse that has come to lead me.
> her name is si marrone, Cimarron in English,
> and she is my teacher in the process of taking a conventional corn/ 
> soybean
> operation in Northeast Iowa and converting this to a permaculture   
> operation.
> As Lisa spoke of, horses basically take care of themselves,
> good grass pasture and water is all they require.
> and they give so much.  manure especially,  and their tremendous power
> which can help us with many tasks.
> not to mention their power and beauty.
> but you must choose an appropriate breed for your circumstances.
> Si Marrone is Percheron (old French out of Canada) crossed with the
> American Quarter Horse(Arabian and Thoroughbred)
> I would like to breed her with a Frisian or , my dream, a PasoFino.
>
> look forward to hearing from you.
> gaianne
> At 02:16 PM 11/4/2005 -0500, you wrote:
>
>
>
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