Alayne Blickle, a life-long equestrian, is creator and program director of Horses for Clean Water, a program that promotes environmentally sensitive horse-keeping by offering education on manure management, mud reduction, pasture improvements, and eco-friendly horse facilities.

Monday, 10 Dec 2001

MAPLE VALLEY, Wash.

I’m up before dawn, as it’ll be a big day here on our 10-acre horse farm in Maple Valley, Wash. In a few short hours, I expect to have 50 or more vehicles driving up our driveway, full of eager horse-owners anxious to learn about the environmental practices of my farm. This is what I do for a living: teach people how to manage horses in a way that works for them, their horses, their neighborhood, and the environment. As the owner and manager of Horses for Clean Water, as a horse-owner, and as an environmental educator, I promote ways to manage horses that minimize non-point pollution.

Runoff from livestock manure reaches streams and wetlands and has a heavy impact on the environment: Sediments cloud the water, nutrients cause unbalanced vegetation growth, and bacteria contaminate shellfish beds. Even if a horse-owner doesn’t have a stream or other water source on their property, contaminated runoff from manure and soil erosion can still make its way into a local lake or creek or affect ground water. Poor farm management practices can also cause other damage to the environment, such as eroded stream banks, overgrazed pastures and soil erosion, and loss of wildlife habitat.

Giving a lesson in good horse-keeping.

So, today my job is to “sell” environmentally sensitive horse-keeping in a package that’s attractive to my fellow horse-owners. The name of that package is managing manure and reducing mud. Wintertime in the Pacific Northwest is a particularly challenging time for horse-owners, who have to face the daily sight of horses standing in thigh-deep mud and manure piles the size of Mt. Rainer. Aside from being messy, living in mud creates an unhealthy environment for a horse. Mud harbors parasites, bacteria, and fungal organisms that affect horse health. One horse produces around 50 lbs. of manure per day, adding up to eight tons per year. While this can be a space issue, it also causes problems with odors, flies, and runoff for the farm owner as well as the community.

So, what do I show and tell my audience of more than 60 folks? First, create a sacrifice area, more commonly known as a paddock, to keep pastures from becoming overgrazed and ruined. This paddock becomes the horse’s outdoor living quarters. I advocate managing mud in this area in two main ways: picking up manure on a regular basis and installing rain gutters on all barns and outbuildings. Diverting the clean rainwater away from livestock areas reduces the amount of nutrients and sediments washed into surface waters. It also means less mud for horses and horse-owners to slosh around in.

Composting horse manure is an excellent manure-management technique that we promote. On our farm we compost the yard and stall waste from six horses and reapply it to our four acres of pastures. Our pastures were so productive this past summer that even in a drought year we never had to irrigate and had more pasture grass than our horses could graze.

Planting native trees and shrubs is another important practice I encourage. I explain to horse-owners how more and more wildlife habitat is being lost each year as land is subdivided and developed. Even though pastures don’t provide good habitat for most wildlife, horse-owners can help offset habitat loss by growing a diversity of native plants in portions of their farm. I show them how native trees and shrubs can provide important benefits to farm owners as timber crops, windbreaks, buffers between neighbors, and firewood. They also provide a natural filtration system for nutrients, help prevent soil erosion, and provide habitat for wildlife.

Two hours later, we are done with the tour. We have looked at mudless paddocks with gutters, downspouts and drainage techniques, composting areas, worm bins for household food scraps, pasture management and rotational grazing, natural insect control methods, mudless, all-season riding arenas, and wildlife enhancement techniques. Inspired horse-owners are filing down the driveway while a few, still eager to chat, are hanging around the paddocks trading horse stories. Suddenly, a wonderful sight rewards my morning’s work; two very large birds soar out of the neighboring Douglas Firs and across our paddocks. As they tumble above the paddocks, turning away across the front pasture, we squint our eyes in an attempt to identify them. Bright white heads and tails give them away; two bald eagles are the grand finale at today’s Horses for Clean Water farm tour.

Now what can top that? That’s easy: Matt and I saddle up our horses and get ready to hit the trails! As they say, it’s a tough job, but …

Tuesday, 11 Dec 2001

MAPLE VALLEY, Wash.

Today I am heading into Seattle for a meeting, but before I can leave to go to a talk about other people’s horses, I need to take care of my own. Matt and I have six horses, five of which we keep here on our farm. Morning chores consist of feeding my program associates — the horses, three dogs, and two cats — as well as cleaning stalls and paddocks. Every day we pick up all the manure in the stalls and paddocks and put it in our compost bins. I strive to practice what I preach: Our horse operation is healthy for our horses, pleasing for our neighbors, a home for wildlife, and as low-impact as possible on the environment.

Like a horse out of water.

With farm chores behind me, I do my own daily exercise routine and prepare for my workday. Soon, I am heading my trusty ’84 Nissan pick-up towards Seattle in typical Northwest winter weather: 45 degrees, gray skies, mist. It’s not often I make the one-hour drive into the city, but sometimes it’s necessary. The necessity today is a meeting with the county’s solid waste and livestock departments, which have contracted with me to help create an event to teach manure management techniques to horse-owners. King County, where I live, has some 30,000 horses and over 1.6 million people. All that adds up to many different pressures on the environment. One big pressure facing the Northwest is a declining salmon population. Several species of salmon have been placed on the endangered species list, and more are listed as threatened. That means all of us — including my fellow horse-owners and me — need to deal with non-point pollution issues.

One reason why I’ve been hired to help create this event is that I have built a reputation for building bridges between unlikely organizations, such as government agencies, rural land-owners, and agricultural interests. My goal in such situations is to bring everyone together and find a way to meet each group’s needs as best as possible. Today, that goal translates to helping the solid waste division reduce the amounts of recyclable wastes taking up precious space in the landfill. For the livestock programs division, the goal is to reduce non-point pollution coming from manure piles. For horse-owners, it is to find a better way to manage the huge volumes of stall waste that acc
umulate each day.

Another reason I’ve been hired is that my programs have high success rates. The events and programs offered by Horses for Clean Water reach many thousands of horse-owners each year. Last year, in one project alone, 83 percent of participants implemented one or more change on their property as a result of what they learned in my classes, while 64 percent implemented three or more changes. Such numbers speak loudly in a region where non-point pollution reduction and protecting the environment are high on almost everyone’s agenda.

Here’s what we come up with in today’s meeting: Manure Madness. This will be an all-day event at the county fairgrounds offering education, equipment, and product demonstrations on useful ways horse-owners can manage horse manure. We will bring in different equipment dealers and venders, and demonstrate alternative, absorbent beddings that reduce the amount of bedding needed in a stall — and therefore reduce the amount of stall waste horse-owners have to deal with. We will have on-going educational presentations and resource professionals on hand, and will set up demonstrations of composting methods and different types of bin systems. The big draw — we hope — will be the give-always: The county has several thousand dollars to spend on supplies and materials we can give to attendees to encourage them to begin useful manure management practices and reduce stall waste at home. The country hopes to draw upwards of a thousand horse-owners to the event.

As I leave the big city, the weather is still doing the Seattle mist thing. I head the ol’ Nissan towards home, where the horses, dogs, and cats await me. Soon Matt will be home and we’ll go hunting for just the right Christmas tree in the woods on our property. After that we’ll trailer our horses to a nearby indoor arena to ride. All in all, another great day of horsing around.

Wednesday, 12 Dec 2001

MAPLE VALLEY, Wash.

I’m up early today, as I have a little road trip ahead of me: I’ll be heading north, almost to the Canadian border, for an afternoon consultation with some landowners, followed by a presentation to the Back Country Horseman of Whatcom County.

Hanging out with the girls.

But first, my usual morning routine: cleaning stalls and feeding the animals. I visit with each of the horses briefly as I clean and feed them, giving each one a good morning hug and checking to be sure each looks happy and healthy. The dogs cavort around me, barking and playing with each other, until I feed them their breakfasts and close them in their paddock; I’ll be leaving them behind today. Next, I do my exercises, eat, and get dressed. Between activities I check my email to be sure there’s nothing that needs my immediate attention. Along the way I gather together my materials for tonight’s presentation: slides and a slide projector, a laser pointer, and educational handouts for 40 people. I’ll be doing my “Preparing Your Horse Farm for Winter” presentation.

I always love the drive north to Whatcom County, and this one looks like it will be a winner. It’s a beautiful sunny day and yesterday’s rain is today’s snow on the Cascade Mountains to the east. The sun glistening on the snow-covered mountains makes it difficult for me to keep my eyes off of them and on the highway ahead of me. I drive through some picturesque western Washington agricultural areas, including the Skagit Valley, home to the springtime Tulip Festival.

As usual on this drive, I am reminded of how proud I am of my state. It has a great depth of diversity and natural beauty — from the dry lands on the east side with coulees, canyons, and vistas that rival those of Colorado, to the rainforests of the Olympic peninsula and the fertile farmlands of the Puget Sound area. It’s an awesome state, and I can never decide which part I like best. Often I catch myself thinking, “Maybe I’d rather live here… or there.” So I’ve just decided to tell myself it’s all mine! It’s all my great home!

My first stop this afternoon will be for a consultation at the home of two horse-owners. I follow their directions and wind along Whatcom County back roads up to their 10-acre farm near Whatcom Lake, a wonderfully isolated area. The farm owners, Tom and Gwen, are past class participants of mine and have recently purchased a beautiful piece of horse property. They would like my help with some mud management issues for their paddocks and arena, and are also looking for ideas on where to locate their compost bins. As we walk the property talking over the possibilities, I am impressed by their eagerness to do the right thing — not only for their horses but for the environment as well.

Two hours later, as I am heading towards my truck and thinking the consultation is over, I learn something very interesting: Tom and Gwen are musicians, and Tom is a songwriter. In fact, he’s written a song about me and invites me into the house to hear it preformed. The title? “I Scoop Poop in the Stable of Life.” I couldn’t be more honored!

After the concert I get back on the road and head toward Bellingham. I like Bellingham. The small college town has a charming mix of academic and rural life, all on the lovely Bellingham Bay. It has that “comfortable” feel, like a favorite flannel shirt.

I make my way through the old sections of town toward the bay, and find that my speaking engagement is at a spiffy yacht club with a spectacular view of boats and water. Back Country Horseman is a national organization that promotes trail riding and minimum impact on the wilderness. I am excited to bring my message of environmentally sensitive horse-keeping to another BCH group, as I feel our organizations are very compatible: Horses for Clean Water is about minimum impact at home, as well as in the backcountry.

As I give my presentation, my speech about mud and manure has to compete for everyone’s attention with a beautiful sunset over the water. Gold and orange light is tossed across the room, vying with my slides of horses in muddy and mud-less paddocks. I finish my lecture and enthusiastic discussions follow on how and where to begin with manure pickup and mud abatement.

Now the truck is heading south, towards home. I have a three-hour drive ahead of me, but I also have a lot to ponder and I know the trip will be pleasant. The day’s blue sky has turned to a clear night with lots of stars, and even with the highway lights, I can see them lighting my way home.

Thursday, 13 Dec 2001

MAPLE VALLEY, Wash.

Today is an office-work day, so I got to sleep in a bit. After my usual morning routine of caring for the animal crew and myself, I’ll be catching up on phone calls and emails (there’s always too many of both!), doing invoices and, where possible, dreaming up proposals for future projects. Running your own business means that you get to do things your way without anyone looking over your shoulder, but it also means that you are the accounting department, the development director, the technical assistant, and all the rest rolled into one.

I start my work by answering emails — never any shortage of these. There are 6.9 million horses in the United States, each of which creates eight tons of manure per year, which translates to a certain amount of job security for me. Several emails are from horse-owners in my area, but others are from farther away — California, Oregon, Connecticut, and even from Kodiak Island, Alaska. Now that would be a challenging place for horse-keeping! Most of the questions concern managing mud on horse property, as that’s the most pressing issue this time of year. One person, however, is looking for other manure management options besides composting. It’s a good question, and I make a note to keep track of the
email, as I might be able to reply to it in the regular monthly column I write for a regional horse publication.

With a little help from my feline program associates, who keep tip-toeing across the keyboard, I finish answering the emails and move on to the phone to return calls. The most interesting one is from a law firm in California that is working with a homeowners association to set up an equine management plan. The homeowners want guidelines for environmentally-friendly horse care, and the firm would like me to help them review the guidelines and offer input.

I also return a phone call from Oregon State University’s Cooperative Extension Service in Grants Pass, Ore. I have been working with the extension service to help set up a workshop for Grants Pass-area horse-owners in March, and we need to review some of the details. The workshop is to be called Horses & Mud 2002.

Next comes the necessary but monotonous paperwork: invoicing, record-keeping, and writing regular project reports. While I’m working on these, I allow my mind to drift to other potential projects. More than 7 million Americans are involved in the horse industry — that’s almost twice the population of Chicago! All those people and all those horses make for a significant impact on our environment. So I’m constantly asking myself: What new ways are there to reach this audience and help them minimize the damage they cause to the Earth?

Oops! Almost lost track of time. We have scheduled a working cow-horse lesson with our trainer this afternoon, and it’s time to go saddle up my pony and trailer him to class. The good thing about being self-employed is you can schedule breaks where you want them. But the other side of the coin is that the work will still be waiting for me when I come home. For now I put the paperwork, and my dreaming, on hold. I’ll be back later to work on both.

Friday, 14 Dec 2001

VASHON ISLAND, Wash.

Up extra-early today because I have a ferry to catch. I’ll skip my exercises (just this once!) and Matt will take care of morning chores for me. A ferry won’t wait if you’re late, and I need to get to Vashon Island to teach a class on Winter Horse Farm Management.

The Puget Sound region where I live is sprinkled with islands where people live and work. Vashon Island is one of those, a small island community close to Seattle; a majority of residents commute into the city for work via ferry. Like many island communities, it has a slower, more relaxed pace of life. Nearly everything on the island is imported by ferry, whether it’s groceries and supplies at the store or hay and shavings for the horse farm. Also typical of many Puget Sound islands, Vashon boasts a substantial, close-knit, and thriving horse community.

I’m joined today by one of my canine program associates, Tess. A 9-year-old Aussie-mix, Tess is the ultimate in friendly. I can use her help, even if it’s just to smile at me, as today I’ll be the whole show: I’ll do the set up, the registration, teach the class, answer questions, clean up, pack up, and leave.

I’m looking forward to the ferry ride and to spending my day on an island with fellow horse-owners. I also have a good friend on the island, whom Tess and I will visit afterwards.

I catch the 8:20 a.m. ferry and the ride is perfect. I feel so lucky to be able to spend the commute watching the birds and the water. As Seattle grows smaller and smaller and Vashon Island grows larger, it feels like I am leaving one world and entering another.

It’s just a short drive from the ferry to Vashon High School, where I’ll be holding the workshop. (That’s not surprising, as most things on Vashon are just a short drive from the ferry.) I arrive at the school and set out the signs announcing my “Horses for Clean Water Event.” I have been advertising this workshop for several months and hope for a good turnout. I arrange the chairs and set up my slide projector. I lay out row after row of the handouts and materials on mud and manure management for horse-owners. Shortly before 10 a.m, the participants began filing in. My program associate greets each one with a friendly woof and a generous wag of her tail.

The program goes well; a group of committed horse-owners turn up, and we cover mud management in the morning and manure in the afternoon. At the end, the participants have many questions about how to best implement these management techniques on their specific properties. They thank me for what they learned, and, as often happens, many tell me that they found my class much more interesting then they had anticipated.

Afterwards, Tess and I head to my friend’s house for a little visit. Susie and her family built their place themselves, complete with natural landscaping, large widows, beautiful wood finish, and warm lighting. Everything blends together, in harmony with the environment. Susie and I go for a walk with Tess and her big, black dog, aptly named Grizzly Bear. Even the woods on their property seem loved and cared for — favorite places have names, and benches and artwork have been incorporated into the landscape.

Life on Vashon Island seems so peaceful and quiet. Returning to the mainland will be such a contrast, especially with the traffic hassles on the way home, that I hate to leave … except that Matt and the horses will be waiting for me on my farm and it’ll be time to ride!