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Sustainability is a topic that seems to be everywhere right now, but how feasible is sustainability for horse owners? As Ruth Dancer, CEO of White Griffin explains, equestrians have plenty of reasons to get behind implementing sustainable practices in their home and yard lives.
“Horse sport depends entirely on the health of the environment,” she tells H&H. “Whether it’s decent turnout with healthy grass, the quantity and quality of crops that farmers grow for feed and bedding, or even the risk of infectious diseases like West Nile Virus, recently found in UK mosquitoes, and African Horse Sickness coming to our country – climate change is a major factor in all these issues.”
There are many routes to sustainability for horse owners. As Ruth explains, it doesn’t have to be done in large-scale, expensive gestures. Rather, lots of small, low-cost changes can make a big difference.
“Ultimately, sustainability is one of the best ways of saving money,” she continues. “By using less electricity, fuel, and water, we are helping the environment and saving money too.”
So, how can we implement sustainable practices as horse owners? Read on for simple steps that not only won’t break the bank, but might also save you money.
Six easy steps to improve sustainability for horse owners
1. When it comes to waste management, the rules vary from county to county. So, it’s up to horse owners to enquire.
“Non-biodegradable waste is a difficult one to advise on if you don’t have good recycling provision locally,” says Ruth. “A failsafe is to choose companies that will collect your rubbish and recycle it for you.
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“There are bedding companies who will collect your plastic wrap and recycle it, there is even one that has reusable bags that you can return, so options are out there. Most of us have at least two bins at home, with recyclables in one and general waste in the other. So, why not do the same at the yard?”
2. Biodegradable waste can be harnessed and used to level up your grazing.
“One of equestrianism’s biggest waste streams is manure,” says Ruth. “Where possible, opting for bedding like chopped straw and storing muck heaps effectively means manure becomes an excellent resource that can be harrowed back into the land. This provides nutrients and helps move us away from the use of chemicals.”
3. Good water conservation practices are becoming more and more important, too.
“We often don’t think extreme water shortages are something to worry about in the UK, but we know that by 2030 many parts of the country will experience this,” warns Ruth. “This means that, in the coming years, water will become much more expensive, and regulations will be put in place surrounding the use of water.
“Water is fundamental to our sport and we can never be in a position where drinking water is restricted for our horses,” she continues. “So, as the third biggest user of water in the leisure sector, we must start investing now in infrastructure and technology that enables us to harvest rainwater for washing horses and tack, and if possible, consider the use of boreholes and arena surfaces that require far less watering.”
A rainwater harvesting system is out of reach financially for many private horse and yard owners. However, riders can start small. Try investing in a water butt to collect water for purposes such as cleaning buckets or washing horses down, or buy a limiter to turn off water supply once buckets are full automatically.
4. Sustainability for horse owners can be as simple as considering your buying habits and asking: ‘Do I really need this? If so, does it need to be brand new?’
“One of the biggest factors driving environmental problems is excessive consumerism,” says Ruth. “By buying less, or buying second-hand, you can save a lot of money while being more sustainable.
“Basic principles of reduce, reuse, repair, and recycle are all part of both a sustainable and low-cost way of living.”
5. According to Ruth, we can even make our horses’ forage more sustainable – better for them and the environment.
“We can do so much better than over-grazed paddocks containing nothing but ryegrass,” she says. “Herbs and wildflowers can be a wonderful natural aid to digestion, and reduce inflammation. By giving our horses options, we give them the chance to ingest what benefits them.
“I’d always recommend speaking to a vet before making dietary changes, but by introducing different grasses and herbs into your setup, you not only help your horse with a more varied diet, but create a better habitat for nature, enhancing carbon storage in the soil and even a more resilient root structure to help maintain the soil and reduce poaching in winter.”
6. Growing wildflowers is good news all round, low-cost and easy to do.
“Nature loves diversity; it thrives when different species can coexist,” says Ruth. “Therefore, by putting a range of different wildflowers into paddocks, not only do we see invertebrates and pollinating insects increase, but we also know that the soil health underneath is improving.”
Ruth adds that horse riders have the opportunity to make a big impact on biodiversity, which could be a boost for social licence.
“We have lost around 97% of our species-rich grassland in the UK,” she explains. “If equestrians make changes now, in the long term we can hope to restore some of what was lost. We could be key players in beginning to see our native British wildlife thrive again.”
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A horse owner and rider with more than 20 years experience, Bethany has been writing for equestrian publications since 2017. Over the course of her career, she has reported from major British Riding Clubs and British Dressage championships, covered Badminton Horse Trials and interviewed equestrian sport’s best athletes. Her work can also be found in Country Life, The Field and Breathe magazine.
