Greener Pasture While Going Green

Of course going green applies to the equine community, so being earth friendly I recently purchased a book titled Eco-horsekeeping by Lucinda Dyer. I try to use eco-friendly products in my home and hunt various markets for reasonable organic foods, but hadn't given much thought to my horses and my barn. I've been using fly predators for several years and am very happy with the results, and I use only natural shampoos and conditioners to prevent polluting the ground water. Every spring when the dandelions are in full bloom my husband and I have our annual conflict about what to do about those prolific yellow blossoms. My stance is to learn to love the dandelions.

This is a nice little manual and a quick read and reference book which is what we all love with our busy schedules. The contents cover everything from earth friendly cleaning, water conservation to pest control, land management, manure management and organic pet practices. Here are some of my favorite suggestions that I'm considering incorporating into my horse life. Going batty isn't what you might think (although winter is certainly testing me). With the ability to eat 1000 mosquitoes per hour, what's not to love about a bat? OK so you freak at the memory of childhood stories of bats getting tangled in your hair (and of dragon flies sewing up your mouth), but we're grown ups now! A bat house is able to house 50 plus bats, so this sounds like a win win to me. The book details how and where to place the bat house as well as ongoing care. Have thought about trying goldfish in the water trough to keep down mosquito larvae, but keep picturing some poor little fish in the bowels of my Fox Trotter. Remember Pinocchio in the whale?

There are reference to websites that tell you how to build your own inexpensive horsefly traps, how to manage soil and water conservation, deet free bug repellents that are worth using, and websites for equipment to harness solar and wind energy. The book contains individuals' stories of what they've found to be effective for managing horses and their environments in a green manner. Since I'm in Northeast Ohio and winter is providing me with a sabbatical from trail riding my Fox Trotter, this is a great time for me to plan how I might change some habits to create a better environment for all of us. So make a quick click to Amazon.com and treat yourself to a wealth of love the earth information

Happy Trails, Kathy Horsedrivensite.net