The Horse Pasture Management Project is Britain's first and only Council supported on-line resource providing horse-keepers with advice on how pastures can be managed not only for the well-being of grazing equines, but also for the benefit of the landscape, environment and wildlife. Read on for information about the Project's advisory Calendar or scroll down to find links to advice pages.

The Horse Pasture Management Project web pages

Problems associated with horse pastures are not only experienced in Surrey - they are evident in many areas of the country. The information on these web pages should therefore be of interest to horse-keepers both within and beyond the county of Surrey. However, please be aware that the Project can only provide further assistance to horse-keepers within Surrey.

African Horse Sickness

The Horse Trust and British Horse Society have produced a guidance note about this disease which is largely confined to Africa and thankfully has so far not been seen in this country. The disease is carried and transmitted by members of the Culicoides family of midges. Wise simple precautions to protect horses from midges include: use of fly spray; use of sweet-itch style rugs which cover most of the horse's body and head and stabling horses during times of peak midge activity (i.e. late afternoon until the sun is fully up). In addition, it is advised that screening stables with pyrethroid protected mesh may help. Midge populations breed in damp areas so minimise populations around stables and grazing by ensuring taps and troughs don't leak and keep muck heaps under control. Horse owners and keepers should familiarise themselves with the symptoms and should maintain vigilance.

The 2008 Surrey Horse Pasture Management Calendar

The advisory calendar is A3 size (A4 size when closed) with high quality and colourful illustrative equine photographs and monthly land management advice accompanying the date boxes. Advice contains information specific to Surrey's Landscape Character Areas and also more generic points (e.g. how to go about applying fertiliser, when and why practices such as harrowing and rolling should be carried out etc.) The Calendar will help horse-keepers to keep pasture in good condition whilst also assisting wildlife, the landscape and the environment.

Are you entitled to receive a free copy of the 2008 Surrey Horse Pasture Management Calendar?

The Project has built up a database of people owning or managing horse-keeping sites in Surrey. This enables the Project to distribute pasture management guidance it produces directly to the target audience. The Advisory 2008 Horse Pasture Calendar was distributed in December 2007 to all people registered with the Horse Pasture Management Project as owning or managing land where horses are kept. If you own or manage land in Surrey where horses are kept but are not registered with the Project, please Contact the Project now to register on the database and receive your free 2008 Calendar. The size of the site and type of equestrian use (commercial or private) is not important - our aim is to assist all horse pasture managers so that they can contribute positively towards Surrey's environment, biodiversity and landscape quality. Please note that only the site owner or manager can register as resources do not allow for literature to be sent to individual riders or people keeping a horse at a commercial centre. Stable managers are asked to display material sent by the Project in a visible place where clients can refer to the information. If you ride or keep a horse at a commercial stables and a 2008 Calendar is not hanging prominently please ask the manager if they have received a Calendar and put them in touch with the Project if they have not.

If you are not eligible to receive a free copy of the 2008 Calendar, would you like to purchase a copy?

For the first time, the Project is pleased to be able to offer people who are not eligible for a free copy of the Calendar the opportunity to purchase a copy at a very reasonable cost! Anyone can purchase a copy of this attractive and informative Calendar whilst stocks last but it may appeal most to people owning or riding a horse or to managers of horse-keeping sites outside of Surrey. The Calendar costs just £4.99, including VAT and postage within the UK. To purchase a copy please visit the Surrey County Council On-line Shop.