An important decision to make when deciding how to best manage your property is how many horses you keep and how they are housed
and fed.
The choice of the horsekeeping system (i.e. paddocking with/without hand feeding, yarding etc. see 'Horsekeeping Systems' box)
for any property needs to take into account:
- the 'capability' of land on the property (see 'What is land capability', on Property Management Plan) - how
many horses can be kept without degrading the land;
- howmuchtime,moneyandotherresourcese.g. availablehow much time, money and other resources e.available yards, are available; and
- thetypeofhorseenterprise(e.g. showjumpers,racingetc).the type of horse enterprise (showjjumpers, racing etc).
As more horses are kept on a given area of land, more time, money, management and facilities are needed for it to be a successful enterprise.
A realistic approach needs to be taken so that the horse property can be well managed within budget, time constraints,
and to meet your personal goals, so that the horses are healthy and there is no risk of harm to the land or the environment.
Step 1
If you have a good understanding of the soils on your property and their limiting factors for
management, plus rainfall, slopes and location of watercourses, then you already have some understanding of the land capability.
Land management advisers and rural consultants can help you to assess land capability on your property and assist
with planning stocking rates, property layout and management (see links).
As a guide, if some parts of your property have any of the following factors, these are the types of land capability classes you have:
- potentialforsoilerosionpotential for soil erosion;
- susceptibilitytowaterloggingsusceptibility to waterlogging
- soilstrengthe.g. softwhenwetordustywhendrysoil strength e.soft when wet or dusty when dry
- salineareassaline areas
- soilpH(i.e. acid, neutraloralkaline,althoughaciditycanbesoil pH (neutral or alkaline, although acidity can be overcome)
- rockyareasrocky areas
- streambanks,watercoursesstreambanks, watercourses
- terrain-differentslopesandaspectterrain - different slopes and aspect
On land where horses are kept, land capability falls into three main categories, which are recognised as:
- All-year access: land that has no significant constraints,
and horses can be kept on it most of the time, except when spelling pastures etc.
- Restricted access: land with significant land capability limitations (e.g. winter waterlogging, steeper slopes)
and horses are only allowed access at certain times when conditions are safe.
- Prohibited access: land that is not suitable for horses, such as steep slopes in high rainfall areas
(1,000 mm+), sandhills, saline areas, creek lines and areas of native vegetation.
Table: Examples of indicative 'DSE' carrying capacity of good quality pastures in different districts in central SA.
These depend mainly on annual rainfall and climate.
| |
DSE/ha |
| Parawa |
15 |
| Echunga, Meadows |
13 |
| Mt Compass, Yankalilla, Cherry Gardens |
10 |
| Harrogate, Strathalbyn west, Middleton |
7 |
| Gawler/Roseworthy, Goolwa |
5 |
| Murray Bridge, Balaklava |
3 |
| Port Wakefield |
1.75 |
Source: Hoofprints
- Estimate the total nutritional potential of your property by multiplying your district's
DSE with the number of hectares of horse grazing access on the property (taking into account the months of the year horses can use
restricted access areas). See the following example:
| Example: |
(Cherry Gardens - 10 DSE and 900 mm average annual rainfall): |
| Area 1 |
3 ha x 12/12 months (all year access) |
x 10 DSE |
= 30 |
| Area 2 |
2 ha x 9/12 months (restricted access) |
x 10 DSE |
= 15 |
| Total for property |
= 45 DSE |
If you are going to keep light horses (10 dse each), then the potential stocking capacity is 45/10 = 4.5 horses on the 5 ha property.
The actual nutritional potential of your pastures may be lower than this if pastures are in poor condition or
pasture production is restricted by soil factors (e.g. shallow soil, low soil fertility etc).
Step 3
Work out the stocking rates you can use with your intended type of horsekeeping system.
Besides the nutritional potential of the property, the actual stocking rates used on horse properties depends on the type
of horse management system used. This is generally:
Low input system (paddocking, no hand feeding):
- Has fewer horses than the nutritional potential (stocking rate) of the land, and
- does not require stables/yards or a daily input of labour but does require pasture management throughout the year.
Medium input system (paddocking, hand feeding):
- Has the same number or marginally more horses than the nutritional potential of the land, and
- has stables/yards for routine management - e.g. horses may be stabled when the paddock cannot
withstand hoof activity or paddock cover is too low.
High input system (yarding):
- Has many more horses than the nutritional potential of the land, and
- has stables/yards where horses spend the majjority of their time and may only spend a few hours a day in the paddock.
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Best Practice
The number of horses on the property and the management system used is determined
by the land capability and the needs of the horse property manager.
High input system.
- Low inputsystem(paddocking, nohandfeeding) -
does not require stables or yards or a daily input of labour, but does require pasture management throughout the year.
- Mediuminput system (paddocking, handfeeding) - has stables or yards
for routine management - e.g. horses may be stabled when the paddock cannot
withstand hoof activity or paddock cover is too low.
- Highinput system (yarding) - has stables or yards where horses spend the majority
of their time, and may only spend a few hours a day in the paddock or being exercised.
Step 2
Work out your property's 'nutritional potential' (also called 'stocking rate').
Steps to work out the nutritional potential or stocking rate of the horse property are:
- Look up the 'nutritional potential' (i.e. dry sheep equivalent 'DSE' - see explanation
in box) carrying capacity of typical pastures for the district where your property is, in the table overleaf.
The livestock carrying capacity (including horses) or 'nutritional potential' of land is referred to in units of 'DSEs' (Dry Sheep Equivalents).
DSE = the number of dry adult sheep that can be kept on one hectare of good dryland pasture without supplementary feeding year after year.
The DSEs of horses are generally accepted to be:
| Light |
10 |
| Draught |
14 |
| Ponies |
6 |
Medium input system.
Low input system.
- Land Management Program advisers based in the Mt Lofty Ranges: www.amlrnrm.sa.gov.au/services.html (A free property advice service is available.)
- Horse SA: www.horsesa.asn.au or
www.horseslandwater.com
- Horsekeeping on Small Properties in the Mt Lofty Ranges - Soil Conservation Boards in the Mt Lofty Ranges. Available from Natural Resource
Centres and PIRSA offices.
- Land capability in the Mt Lofty Ranges - Soil Conservation Boards in the Mt Lofty Ranges
(available from Natural Resource centres and PIRSA offices)
- Hoofprints - "A manual for Horse Property Management" - J. Foyel, Primary Industries SA. Agdex 461/10
- Sustainable Land Use for Depastured Horses - RIRDC Bookshop: www.rirdc.gov.au
- Hoofprints - A manual for Horse Property Management - J. Foyel, Primary Industries SA. Agdex 461/10.
- Sustainable Land Use for Depastured Horses - RIRDC Bookshop:
www.rirdc.gov.au
- Healthy Land Healthy Horses - RIRDC Bookshop: www.rirdc.gov.au
- Managing Horses on Small Properties - by Jane Myers, Landlinks Press, available through CSIRO publishing or Horse SA online store.
- Pastures for Horses - RIRDC Bookshop:
www.rirdc.gov.au
- Check the websites from your State department of agriculture for additional books and fact sheets.
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