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1. Property Planning for Horse Owners

2. What is a property management plan?
Council requirements - horsekeeping
Consider the natural resources
Start with a vision
Map to land class
Draw new plan
Develop an action plan
Examples
CONTENTS

3. WHAT IS A PROPERTY MANAGEMENT PLAN?
It’s an ongoing process NOT a blue print!

4. It has THREE parts:
A. Your Vision
B. Overlay plans using aerial photograph to:
- Identify land classes
- Record existing infrastructure
- Draw a new plan based on managing distinct
land classes
C. Action Plan (priorities, timeline and costs)
WHAT IS A PROPERTY MANAGEMENT PLAN?

5. WHAT IS A PROPERTY MANAGEMENT PLAN?

6. Under the Development Act 1993, horsekeeping means:
‘The keeping or husbandry of horses where more than one
horse is kept per three hectares [7.4 acres] of land used
for such purposes or where hand feeding of a horse is
involved.’
Development approval from your local council is required
in these circumstances or when associated structures
(including stables and holding yards) for horsekeeping are
required.
COUNCIL REQUIREMENTS – HORSEKEEPING

7. Requirements may vary from council to council. It is
important to contact your local council so you know what
specific issues need to be addressed in your application.
Most councils will require you to address the following:
 Site plan – land must be < 12% slope (varies with
councils).
 Description of proposal – details of stables, yards,
paddocks. E.g. stables and yards must be at least 30m
from any dwelling or boundary, Stables must be a
minimum of 3.7m x 3.7m, have a wooden kick board to
1.3m, roof height of 2.75m. Yards need to be 50 to
100sq metres. Roof must have gutters to collect water.
Note: some councils require a screen of native
vegetation planted around intense horse keeping areas.
COUNCIL REQUIREMENTS – HORSEKEEPING

8.  Pollution prevention – avoid polluting surface or
underground water. Buildings may have to be 25 to
50m from the nearest watercourse. Manure heaps
should be covered and be at least 50m from any
watercourse.
 Water demand and use – include washdown areas
 Waste water disposal and water quality – avoid
draining into watercourses and keep separate from
septic tanks.
 Soil management - avoid erosion and keep a minimum
70% ground cover at all times
 Vegetation – do not damage native vegetation
 Air quality – dust and smell must be addressed
Note; The above are only examples , you must check
with your local council before applying for horsekeeping.
COUNCIL REQUIREMENTS – HORSEKEEPING

9. When developing a property management plan you should
always consider the natural resources and ensure there
are no negative impacts on the environment.
The following are some of these to consider:
 Protect all native vegetation (including grasses) and
maintain biodiversity.
 Avoid soil erosion and don’t overgraze,
 Grazing horses on sandy soils risks wind erosion,
 Avoid pugging soils, so do not graze waterlogged soils,
 Surface water quality should be maintained so don’t
graze animals in watercourses,
 Control weeds (especially declared weeds),
 Lime acid soils,
 Reduce the risk of fire.
CONSIDER THE NATURAL RESOURCES

10. Goals
Years 3 Yrs 5 Yrs 10 Yrs 20 Yrs
Personal
Farm
START WITH A VISION

11. MAP TO LAND CLASS USING AN
AERIALPHOTOGRAPH

12. Sources including:
• Google Earth http://maps.google.com.au/
• Nearmap https://www.nearmap.com/welcome-
new#welcome
• Private businesses e.g AEROmetrex Pty Ltd. 59 King
Willima St, Kent Town SA 5067. Phone: 8362 9911
• Mapland. Department for Environment and Water, Ground
Floor, 81-95 Waymouth Street Adelaide SA 5000.
Phone: (08) 8463 3999, Fax: (08) 8115 5594
OBTAINING AN AERIALPHOTOGRAPH

13. Walk around your property & identify obvious physical features
(land classes).
Include on an overlay:
Natural features (ridgelines, slopes, flats, gullies, watercourses,
drainage lines etc).
Native vegetation (include different qualities)
Degraded areas (saline sites, acidity, erosion sites).
Rocky outcrops
Soil types
Waterlogged areas (and seasonally restricted areas - due to
waterlogging etc).
These features are then grouped together into similar areas/classes
on the map, so areas of the same land class can be identified and
managed appropriately.
MAP TO LAND CLASS - THE FIRST STEP

14. Walk around your property & record on a second clear overlay
sheet all the permanent features which currently exist:
Include on the overlay:
• fences,
• gates,
• yards,
• sheds,
• tanks and water troughs
• raceways,
• irrigation systems
• others
Note: you could add these to your first overlay (use different
colour pen)
DRAW THE EXISTING LAYOUT AND
INFRASTRUCTURE – SECOND STEP

15. LAND
CLASS
MAP WITH
EXISTING
FENCES

16. Draw on a third overlay a new plan based upon land capability.
This need you to identify the land classes from overlay one and re-
fence to land classes.
For example, watercourse and dams should be earmarked to be
fenced off. Determine location and number of water troughs.
Wet boggy areas should be fenced to control stock access.
Steep and rocky areas should be isolated from other paddocks
Native vegetation should be fenced off from stock. If no stock -
identify the quality and record key actions, for example weed
control or replanting.
Saline areas should be fenced out.
Consider all other land classes.
DRAW A NEW PLAN BASED ON LAND
CLASSES – THIRD STEP

17. CONSIDER THE BENEFITS OF AN
EQUICENTRAL SYSTEM
All of the paddocks lead back to the surfaced holding yard. There is
shade/shelter and water in this central area. Hay can also be feed here.

18. CONSIDER THE BENEFITS OF AN
EQUICENTRAL SYSTEM
This equicentral system caters for horses and cattle .

19. NEW PLAN

20. Draw up a yearly work program which you know is
achievable both financially & physically. Break down
large/difficult tasks such as:
• Pasture renovation
• Broad-scale revegetation
• Weed control programs
• Fencing to land-class
• Rotational grazing
• Use of horse yards/stables
• Establishing shelterbelts
Keep the work plan in a highly visible location.
DRAW UP AN ACTION PLAN

21. Use a number of management techniques and DON’T JUST RELY
ON CHEMICALS:
- soil test & add fertilizer and lime acid soils
- rotationally graze (12cms to 5cms)
- do not overgraze (avoid bare patches)
- oversow with pasture grasses & legumes
- rotate hay paddocks to avoid a build up of annual grasses
- use low toxicity herbicides if necessary
WEED CONTROL

22. SOIL TEST RESULTS: Pasture in 750mm rainfall area,
average stocking rate 10 DSE/ha, not used for hay, unknown
fertiliser/lime history. Sandy loam soil, no major constraints to
root depth.
10 - 50adequate15 mg/kgExt Mn
Apply Zn1.2 – 2Low1.0 mg/kgExt Zn
1 – 2Adequate1.2 mg/kgExt Cu
Apply S>10Marginal9 mg/kgExt S
120 – 250Adequate150 mg/kgExt K
Apply P25 – 45Low16 mg/kgExt P
Apply lime5.2 – 5.5Acidic4.7pHCaCl2
Acidic5.6pHwater
RecommendationTarget level
pastures
InterpretationResult
SOIL TEST

23. Appropriate grazing:
- calculate a suitable stocking rate for the property
- rotationally graze from paddock to paddock
- strip graze or cell graze (consider electric tape)
- graze pastures when 12cms high
- rest when 5cms in height
- hard graze pastures in Spring where annual grasses and other
weeds are dominant
GRAZING PRINCIPLES

24. Overgrazed plants take longer to recover and do not maximise production
At 12cms
GRAZE
At 4 to 5 cms
REST
Allow to
grow back
to 12cms
ROTATIONALLY GRAZE SO PADDOCKS ARE
RESTED

25. Paddock 1
Graze to 4 to 5 cms
Paddock 2
Graze to 4 to 5 cms
Paddock 4
Graze to 4 to 5 cms
Paddock 3
Graze to 4 to 5 cms
ROTATIONALLY GRAZE SO PADDOCKS ARE
RESTED

26. Area Description Issues Action Timeline Costs
Main
Pdk
2ha
Weed control and
pasture
improvement.
Better grazing
management.
Main grazing
paddock, gently
sloping, some
water logged areas
in lower parts.
Equipment
friendly.
Slash or graze.
Soil Test
Fertilise /Lime
Oversow clover
Divide into 2
Oct 2018
Nov 2018
Apr 2019
May 2019
Aug 2021
$120
$200
$900
$500
$800
Good Ryegrass,
patchy Capeweed,
Annual Grasses,
poor clover,
Catsear, ungrazed
Water
course
and
dam
Water course is
badly degraded.
Dam wall is
damaged.
Woody weeds
and willows.
Dam wall has
damage due to
livestock.
Establish
reticulated water
system for stock.
Fence off dam
and watercourse.
August 2022
August 2023
$3,500
$3,000
ACTION PLAN

27. EXAMPLES

28. ISSUES
Paddock Salinity,
Pasture
improvement,
Weed control.
EXAMPLE 1

29. ISSUES
Watercourse
protection,
Reticulated stock
watering,
Rotational grazing
& horse agistment,
Waterlogging.
EXAMPLE 2

30. ISSUES
Rotational grazing,
Horse agistment &
keeping ground
cover.
Soil fertility /
testing.
EXAMPLE 3

31. ISSUES
Reticulated stock
watering,
Rotational grazing.
EXAMPLE 4

32. ISSUES
Reticulated stock
watering,
Shelterbelts,
Water quality,
Fence dams.
EXAMPLE 5

33. ISSUES
Stock shelter,
Soil fertility /
testing,
Pasture
improvement.
EXAMPLE 6

34. ISSUES
Severe gully
erosion,
No infrastructure,
Stock watering,
Rotational Grazing,
Stock shelter,
Soil fertility /
testing.
EXAMPLE 7

35. ISSUES
No infrastructure,
Rotational grazing,
Fence costs,
Shelter for stock,
Reticulated stock
watering.
EXAMPLE 8

36. ISSUES: Horse agistment and keeping ground cover, low
rainfall 390mm pa.
EXAMPLE 9

37. ISSUES
Watercourse
protection,
Rotational grazing,
Stock protection.
EXAMPLE 10

38. EXAMPLE 11

39. THANK YOU
Andy Cole
Land Management Advisory Service
M: 0437 299 268
30th May 2018