Introduction

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

When horses are allowed access to watercourses, including creeks, dams, or erosion gullies, their hooves can easily disturb the fragile ground in these areas and lead to further erosion problems and disturbance of watercourse beds and banks.
 

Manure left in these areas, or which has been allowed to build up on slopes directly running off into a watercourse, can also pollute the watercourses as nutrients and pathogens run off, especially during periods of heavy rain.
 

Research has shown that young animals, including foals on lactating mares, can affect water quality through the introduction of Cryptosoridium and Giardia from their manure. Careful consideration needs to be given to planning the design and layout of paddocks on properties with foals, and rotational grazing rosters to ensure that lactating mares are not left with foals in paddocks without protected creeklines.
 

Studies have shown that livestock do better when fed on reticulated water than water from creeks and dams during summer, when these supplies become limited and higher concentrations of salts and other nutrients affect the taste of the water.
 

Horse riders on trails need to consider bringing water in a (collapsible) bucket from the creek to the horse, to avoid streambank damage.
 

Property owners also have responsibilities under legislation (Environmental Protection Authority's Environmental Protection (Water Quality) Policy 2003) to avoid discharging or depositing waste or pollutants into any waters, bores or onto land where it might enter the water.
 

Steps to achieve best practice

Suggested actions are:-

• Plan to fence off watercourses and riparian areas (at least 5 metres width from edge of watercourse), dams, erosion gullies etc as part of the property management plan.
• Plan to set up a reticulated water system on the property, which feeds to water troughs rather than allowing horses to access dams and creeks.
• Manage access to and/or across watercourses, e.g. stock crossing points or dam entry points.

 

 
Plan to fence off watercourses and riparian areas

 

 
Hooves can easily disturb the fragile ground in these areas and lead to further erosion problems and disturbance of watercourse beds and banks.

Links

• Legislation: www.dwlbc.sa.gov.au/legislation.html or www.parliament.sa.gov.au
• Land Management Program advisers: www.amlrnrm.sa.gov.au/services.html
• Horse SA: www.horsesa.asn.au
• A Legal guide for South Australian primary producers - SA Law Society, available from PIRSA offices, Natural Resource Centres (but note some legislation referred to is now superseded)
• Hoofprints - A manual for Horse Property Management - J. Foyel, Primary Industries SA. Agdex 461/10
• Managing Horses on Small Properties - by Jane Myers. Landlinks Press available through CSIRO publishing or Horse SA: www.horsesa.asn.au
• Horse Sense - Landlinks Press or from Horse SA www.horsesa.asn.au
• Check the websites from your State department of agriculture for additional books and fact sheets