In addition to practices in your barn, there are also ways to "go green" in caring for your horse. Here are some ideas:
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For watering your horse, use automatic waterers to avoid wasted water.
Your horse only drinks what he needs. -
Use haynets or corner mangers to feed your horse. This helps eliminate wasted hay that has been trampled into bedding or becomes contaminated with urine or manure.
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Rather than automatically deworming your horse every 8 weeks (six times a year), consider doing a yearly fecal exam to determine what schedule and products to use on your horse. Many horses are "low shedders" and need to be dewormed only twice a year.
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Consider using only biodegradable products in your grooming process. Check the label. These products contain ingredients that can break down to those found in nature. Products should not contain phosphates, chlorine bleach, or dyes.
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Rather than a fly spray, consider using fly predators. Fly Predators are beneficial insects and natural enemies of flies. These insects never bother humans or animals but feed on fly larvae to interrupt the breeding cycle of flies.
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Recycle horseshoes. There are many people looking for "scrap metal" and horseshoes fill the bill. Or find an artist (or become one) who creates wonderful products with used horseshoes.
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Switch to recycled bedding products. Pelleted bedding has been shown to break down faster making it easier to compost.
