Introduction

Property owners in South Australia have a responsibility under Sections 131 and 133 of the Natural Resources Management Act 2004 to not damage watercourses and to maintain them.
 

Most soils get very soft when the soil is wet, with the exception of sands.
 

If horses or other animals have access to wet soil areas, this can cause:

• 'pugging' - holes left from hooves sinking into the soil, which damages soil structure and leaves a hard compacted soil when it dries out,
• damage to pasture plants and root systems of grasses e.g. 'skid marks', and
• development of bare areas which are prone to soil erosion, particularly along drainage lines.

Pugging can also increase water ponding after rainfall, which leads to build up of bacterial and algal growth on the ground. When this runs off, it can contribute to water pollution of dams and creeks.
 

Wet soil ('waterlogging') is mainly an issue on properties in higher rainfall areas, where certain areas of land can be wet for a number of days or weeks each year. Waterlogging mainly occurs in low lying areas, on soils with poorly draining subsoils, on areas with shallow watertables, soils around springs and seeps, and drainage lines. However, in some places sloping land can be affected by waterlogging.
 

In drier times of the season, there may be signs of winter waterlogging such as holes left from pugging, and sometimes by the presence of waterlogging indicator weeds such as dock.
 

It is important that horses are kept off seasonally wet (waterlogged) areas, wet seeps and drainage lines when the soil is wet.
 

Steps to achieve best practice

Suggested steps to take are:-

 
Step 1

Identify any areas of the property that are wet much of the year, become wet in winter or after heavy rain, including drainage lines. When you do a property management plan, you mark these areas on an overlay that shows different land classes on the property (see Property Management Plan).

 
Step 2

Look at ways you can restrict horse access to these areas when the soil is wet:-

• If you have a low input horse management system, you could use temporary electric fencing to cordon off wet areas in winter.
• Consider permanently fencing off wet areas into separate paddocks (i.e. fencing to land class) so that horses can easily be kept out when the soil is wet.
• Plan to agist horses off property during wet periods.
• Locate feeding and watering areas well away from areas that get wet.
• Remove horses to yards and/or stables.

 
Step 3

Look at ways to improve wet areas. You can get advice on this from rural consultants and advisers (see links).

• On any badly pugged areas, take horses out of the paddock to spell the pasture, and re-seed pasture on these areas if it is in poor condition.
• Sow waterlogging-tolerant pasture plants on wet areas.
• Consider including swales (i.e. broad, low contour banks) and tree plantings to slow down, absorb and disperse excess water movement down slopes.
• In some cases, waterlogging can be reduced by soil treatments (e.g. gypsum) or installation of drainage systems, but this may be costly and impractical.

If you are looking around for land for more intensive horsekeeping systems, try to select a property that doesn't have much seasonally wet land.

 

 
It is important horses are kept off seasonally wet areas.

 

Links

• Hoofprints - A manual for Horse Property Management - J. Foyel, Primary Industries SA. Agdex 461/10
• Land Management Program advisers based in the Mt Lofty Ranges: www.amlrnrm.sa.gov.au/services.html