Introduction

Horse property facilities such as stables, yards and exercise areas need to be well designed and managed to avoid environmental and neighbourhood problems such as:

• excess odour (especially from urine),
• excess noise (potential concern to neighbours),
• rodents (attracted to stored feed and spilt feed),
• dust and mud, and
• pollution of water resources from water runoff.

(also see Management of horse feeding, watering and congregating areas).
 

These potential issues should be considered when you are putting up new horse facilities or upgrading existing facilities, because of their potential impacts on your neighbours, and because of certain environmental regulations (e.g. Environment Protection Act, 1993 and Environment Protection Policies and the Natural Resources Management Act, 2004 ).
 

Steps to achieve best practice

Suggested steps to take are:-

• Discuss your plans with your neighbours and if there are any issues, aim to negotiate a solution that is reasonable and meets both your needs.
• Design and manage stables to control odour from urine - install an impervious floor, regularly clean stable floors and replace bedding material.
• Design and manage stables to control odour from urine - install an impervious floor, regularly clean stable floors and replace bedding material.
• Manage manure so that odour problems are avoided - regularly remove manure from stable collection bays and around intensive work areas.
• Surface high horse traffic areas with a suitable material that will prevent dust or mud problems.
• Keep horse feed in sealed containers, promptly clean up spilt feed, and use baiting for rodent control. It also helps to use large containers when feeding horses so that they don't spill much feed on to the ground.
• Design and locate stables, yards and ancillary buildings so that you will minimise potential noise and odour problems for your neighbours e.g. adequate buffer distance from neighbour's property/house.
• Install gutters on stables and shelters to control stormwater.
• When planning loading and unloading areas for horse floats, consider ways to minimise noise and odour for your neighbours.
• Look at maintenance, re-routing or upgrades for any trails utilised around the property, to ensure that water moves off the trail and does not form pools or erosion channels.

 

 
There are several issues to consider when siting new facilities.

 

 
Good design and management will avoid environmental and neighbourhood problems.

Links

• 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
• 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.
• Hoofprints - A manual for Horse Property Management - J. Foyel, Primary Industries SA. Agdex 461/10
• 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)
• 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.
• Horse Sense - available through CSIRO Publishing or Horse SA online store