HADLOW BSc(hons) STUDENTS PAY A RETURN VISIT TO STONE CIRCLE LIVERY

A big 'THANK YOU' again to the Equine Department at Hadlow College. 16 Students visited Stone Circle Livery as part of their Industry Perspectives component of the course. Visits from Hadlow are becoming a regular event. We like to spread the environmental word and it is great to meet enthusiastic young people that want to follow a career in the equine industry. They spent their time learning about the organic principles of Stone Circle Livery, the environmental work undertaken and growing appeal of organics in the equine sector. Susi, the Livery Manager at Stone Circle Livery said, "Again, it was a real pleasure to meet the students from Hadlow and we wish them well for the future. We see more students year on year and we are glad we can get involved. It's great to be able to share our business vision with young people who can make a difference". Hadlow has a world class reputation and here is what they say about the BSc(hons) Equine Management Course: This comprehensive degree programme covers all aspects of Equine Management and equips graduates with the necessary skills to run their own equine business. Structured to allow you to pursue a programme which reflects your experiences and interests, the course is a mix between theory and practical outside demonstrations, visits and seminars. You will cover the training and breeding of horses, equine science and estate management. You will also be given the opportunity to take part in a European study tour to gain a further insight into the wider aspects of the industry.

http://www.hadlow.ac.uk/course-details178.aspx

HANDING OVER THE TROPHY FOR KENT ENVIRONMENT BUSINESS OF THE YEAR

Actually we get to keep the trophy. Stone Circle Livery, as Kent's Environment Business of the year 2007/2008, were at the awards to see the award handed to the new Environmet Champion of Kent for 2009. It was a great evening hosted by former BBC South East Today presenter Geoff Clark. The picture shows Susi and Paul at the awards.

A 16th century pub, the Rose & Crown in Selling, near Faversham, beat off stiff competition to land the award at the Environment Awards for Kent Business black tie ceremony, which took place at Port Lympne Wild Animal Park on Thursday, September 24 2009. They have reduced waste by 70 per cent which means that 80,000 litres of waste has been recycled rather than going to landfill. Electricity usage has been reduced by 19.2 per cent, which equates to a saving of nine tonnes of carbon. By including green alternatives in the company’s business plan, gross profit margins have increased six to nine per cent year on year. Congratulations go to the Rose & Crown for all their hard work - it is an amazing achievement.

Five theme winners were chosen from a shortlist of 12. Awards were given to: Maidstone Leisure Centre (for environmental engagement), Ashford-based GSE Haulage (for innovative partnerships); H+H UK, based in Borough Green, (for achievements in resource efficiency), Dover-based John Shirley Ltd (for commitment to the environment); and Tunbridge Wells based Real Hair & Beauty (for sustainable business management).

STONE CIRCLE LIVERY FROM ABOVE

A little and quick blog entry. This is Stone Circle Livery from the air. You can see the stone circle if you look hard enough. The l-shaped stables are visible as are the arenas. More updates soon. It is raining hard nearly every day so the workload goes up.

Autumn Light

Your reward for getting up early is paid in light. The autumn is famed for mysterious qualities as the climate changes. Ideal for ghosts and ghouls as the strange shadows and shapes form in the dark of early evening. The mornings are draped in mist or fog during the months of October and November. The difference between mist and fog is visability. As the sun tries to break through the moisture heavy air it lights up the sky golden yellow. It is great to see the horses in this light and makes you feel glad to be alive. As the sun rises the mist drops and it all changes to a very soft light with blue skies. You can see a pheasant flying startled by the camera as quiet as it was. Stunning.

SOIL ASSOCIATION ORGANIC CERTIFICATION FOR 2010 – APPROVED.

We are proud to announce that we have attained full organic status for our hay and forage for 2010. We have had full organic status since 2003 so this is our 7^th year. Running your pasture in an organic system is a lot of hard work and the yields are less compared to a conventional system that uses stimulants to aid growth. The benefit of not using pesticides is obvious. You wouldn’t like to eat food that had been treated with chemicals and neither would your horse. (We can’t speak for your horse of course). There has been much debate about organic food recently and if there are any direct health benefits. This has been the focus of media attention. Our view at Stone Circle Livery is that the hay and forage must be better and more natural with out artificial intervention. More importantly is the effect an organic system has on wildlife and the environment. Wildlife flourishes and we have seen insect numbers rise. You can see this happening by seeing the increase in birdlife and mammals. We now see many raptors and this can only mean that the food is around to feed them which means more small mammals and rodents which in turn means there are more insects to feed the small mammals. Still with us? Good. So, yes there are health benefits for your horse in an organic system but best of all the wildlife flourishes too.

BRITISH HORSE SOCIETY APPROVAL FOR 2009/2010

The British Horse Society did a spot inspection unannounced and we are pleased to say Stone Circle Livery Passed with flying colours again! It is a credit to Susi and the team that Stone Circle Livery continues to attain and maintain excellent high standards. Well done everyone!

THE STONE CIRCLE AT STONE CIRCLE

Here’s the reason we are called Stone Circle Livery. Stood at the top of a hill in the grounds of Stone Circle Livery is a stone circle that looks across the valley. There are many alignments with the sun and moon. This picture was taken at sunset on October the 25th. No special day but a great sunset.

KNOW NO BOUNDARIES.

The extra land (18acres) at Stone Circle Livery has had to be fenced to put a clear boundary. As you can see we have used a half sawn post with stock netting and a single top wire. Plain top wire is miles better that barbed wire and in our view, there is no place for barbed wire.
The style is a type that allows dog access and the double step actually helps those that might not be as agile as they once were.

TRACKS = MILES OF EFFORT

Autumn is a good time to see the raw structure of your planting. As the leaves fall you can get a clear picture of where needs planting up and where doesn’t. For many years we have been creating riding tracks around the grounds at Stone Circle Livery. These are either tracks through newly planted woodland or hedgerows that mark the field divisions. We have also done gentle clearing in woodland to provide tracks too. Nothing better than on a crisp Autumn morning riding through leaf covered woodland tracks. Peaceful, calm and beautiful.

LATEST NEWS

Well, the blog has been a little quiet. Time is the biggest reason. Sorry to those that follow it. Anyway, lots of new posts coming soon. We have some very exciting news. Stone Circle Livery is expanding and we have purchased a further 18 acres. You can see it here in these pictures.

Some of you will know that we have created a few new paddocks and taken that grazing out of hay production. It is being used for horses and sheep. This means we have had to create new hay crop. All of this takes time - lots of time. The new ground has to be fenced, then we have to seed it. Paul is very excited about doing a hedgerow transplant. Instead of a garden fork he has a JCB! No one knows what the result will be but if it works it will be amazing.

After planting the organic grass seed the ground will be put in to organic conversion for land and forage and that will take two years. The wider open areas mean we can run a herd of horses for those owners and horses that are comfortable with that. For those that aren't there are plenty of new individual paddocks.

Some of the Stone Circle Liveries are doing well and the rosettes are building up. We didn't think of where to put them when we built the yard so thinking caps on as to where they might go? As Kent's environment business of the year we are looking forward to passing on the honour to another company at this years awards. It promises to be a great night on the 22nd September with Kent's leading environmental businesses celebrating the good work that they do. Port Lympne is the venue and it is a black tie event. Posh frocks at the ready!!!

The organic hay is all in and amazingly even with the strange weather the quality is excellent - probably the best we have ever had. We are about to restore another pond. This has been done in consultation with Kent Wildlife Trust. You'll see the progress here. We have a rabbit problem. We like rabbits but there are quite a few of them now. 6 rabbits eat the same as one sheep. So a plan is being hatched on what to do?

This year has been the busiest year we have faced. We are pleased that the yard continues to be a leading light in the equestrian world and we thank our dedicated customers and their horses. Stone Circle Livery will be talking at the Blenheim Palace lectures on the 3rd March 2010. So if you are there we'll see you.For those that like to Tweet you can follow the adventures of Jerry Organichorse and friends by going to www.twitter.com

The nights are getting dark and no one likes that but it does give us the evenings to plan and think and that has to be a good thing. Happy autumn from all at Stone Circle Livery.

PASTURE ON THE MEND

Last year, the horses were put in the hay field near the start of the rain season. On clay soil, a horse will damage the ground beyond repair in a matter of days. They sink down deep and push the grass sward with them. The ground becomes rutted and when it dries it is almost impossible to walk on. It is also dangerous for horses as they can get injured on really uneven ground.

So what do you do? Well, there is only one way to fix it and that is reseed. This means you have to plough, harrow, seed and roll in either September or spring. We lost 6 acres of hayfield because of this. It will take 3 years for the sward to become strong. It may take longer for us as we are an organic livery yard and we don't use fertilizers or sprays. In addition, organic grass seeds are 8 times more expensive that regular seed. As a guide, in cost terms including the overseeding it will be around £1,500 in seed and labour. The field yielded about 400 bales (A non-organic field could treble this amount with the addition of fertilizer.) so we will be 1,600 bales down over the next 4 years before the field is back to full production. (If it wasn't organic this process would take half the time as you could use artificial inputs to aid and stimulate the growth - the cost is about the same as what you don't spend on seed you spend on Nitrogen).

The pictures here show the field just after the reseed process had taken place in April. We'll take a few pictures in September to show you how it is coming on. We plan to overseed in November. There are places where the seed has not taken so we will have to attend to those areas in isolation. We may also have to scarify the ground to raise a light seed bed and apply more seed to strengthen the coverage. It is all a bit of an experiment that needs constant monitoring. The biggest issue is losing the hay. Fortunately we have another 20 acres to hay at present that is natural pasture/meadow so none of the horses will miss out.If you want to know more about planting pasture there are a couple of links below. Most of the reference out there is from North America. Talk to a seed specialist before planting as different grasses do different jobs and take better in different areas.

http://www.seedguys.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=tips.mainv

http://www.bostonseeds.co.uk

BLUEBELLS AT STONE CIRCLE LIVERY

OK, we know that the bluebells have gone now but we are behind in the blog entries. These pics were taken when the bluebells had passed their best really. Still, the pics give you the idea. Always a great display along the woodland ride! There are 11 different types of Blubell - bet you didn't know that? So, if you are really keen you can follow the links below and identify what variety of bluebells you are looking at. Ours are 'Hyacinthoides non-scripta' - the common bluebell.

http://www.nhm.ac.uk/nature-online/british-natural-history/survey-bluebells/bluebell-identification/index.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluebell

Organic Livery Poll Results

We had a poll of opinion about organic horse livery here on Blog Spot. We wanted to know what you guys thought. Here are the results to the 3 options we listed.

1: Love it. It is great for the horse and the environment = 89%

2: Love it. It is great for the horse = 6%

3: Love it. It is great for the environment = 2%

4: You people are mad hippies = 3%

So, overall it seems that 89% of you think the Stone Circle Livery concept rocks. Deep down we are mad hippies so congratulations to the 3% that got it right.

Have a go at our new poll on the environment and livery yards.

You can visit Stone Circle Livery at http://www.stonecirclelivery.com

Deer at Stone Circle Livery

The Fallow Deer is on the increase in the UK and at our last Soil Association inspection we spotted prints in the earth that were identified as deer. Now we have the pictures too!

The two here are young and impossible for us to tell between male and female but we suspect they are two females. All of the Fallow deer have white spots on their backs, and black tips at the ends of their tails.

They are grazing animals; their preferred habitat is mixed woodland and open grassland. At Stone Circle Livery we have sheltered open grassland with surrounding wooded areas so it should come as no surprise that deer have started to appear. As more woodland is planted we should expect to see more of them.

Wikipedia has some great information on Fallow Deer as does the British Deer Society. Follow the links below for more information.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fallow_Deer

http://www.bds.org.uk/fallow.html

Global warming, do they really mean ‘global wetting’?

We have noticed that we are getting long dry spells then a downpour that lasts a few hours. The clouds maybe there but the rain in general is not coming. Strange to think then that we are getting wetter weather in general. The dry spells combined with showers is ideal for plant growth and we have seen an amazing developments in both tree and hedgerow planting and pasture.

The climate change experts are talking in terms of ‘global wetting’ and the forecast for a sunny 2009 seems improbable. At Stone Circle Livery we have started to monitor the weather at the livery yard to help us plan the seasons in a more effective way. It will take a while to get reliable data but at least we can see the trends and try to predict what actions to take.

Weather information can be found the BBC by following the link below or the actual weather at Stone Circle Livery can be found on our weather page by also following the link below.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/weather/hi/about/default.stm

Spencer Rowell – Photographer at Stone Circle Livery.

Spencer is probably most famous for his ‘Tennis Skirt” and “Man with Baby” pictures. Both images became very popular Athena posters. Since those early days, Spencer has continued to create award winning photographic work. Spencer was at Stone Circle Livery to shoot some new ads for us that demonstrate the harmony of environmental care and welfare combined with horse livery. Hopefully you should see the images in the press soon.

Spencer’s work can be seen at http://www.spencerrowell.com/

Practice makes perfect

Stone Circle Livery is a small and quiet livery yard. This means there is excellent availability of the arenas and facilities. Instructors and their students can spend valuable time learning and practicing without having to rush because of other bookings. The arena lighting extends the day in the winter months. In addition to the 60m X 20m rubber surfaced arena there is also a 20m round pen with American safety rails. Both arenas have cameras that record to DVD or internet download to record your lessons. The pictures show Kerry making the most of a quite day practicing her jumping.

It’s RDA season at Stone Circle Livery

Now the summers here the Carriage Driving for the Disabled group based at Stone Circle Livery are in full swing. Drives out along the lanes still prove popular and the group meets once a week. The pictures show the group departing for a pub drive with the horses looking on. It takes a lot for a pony to become a carriage driving pony but with plenty of training and expert handling they provide great benefit for man disabled people. You can follow the lnk below to find out more about the RDA.

www.rda.org.uk

Don’t count your chickens.

Chickens are great fun. We lost one a while ago which is not unusual as foxes are always a threat. This time though we lost it to a dog kennel. The hen had been laying her eggs in a disused dog kennel and as the picture shows she had been going there quite a while. The hen has now been reunited with her hen house. You can buy a kennel like the one featured from Forsham Cottage Arks. It seems that their kennels offer you the option of keeping chickens too!

www.forshamcottagearks.com

4,000 TREES PLANTED SO FAR IN 2009

This planting season has seen us plant 4,000 trees in the form of new hedgerows and woodland. We have also planted some in-field trees and windbreak barriers. A hedge we planted 5 years ago is now 12ft wide and really strong so the results are worth waiting for. We have planted 620 metres of new hedgerow, a 300 tree copse and some specimen trees for structure. The interesting areas for us are an experiment with a 50 metre run of red dogwood and smaller runs of field crabapple and wild rose. We have also planted a run of 30 poplars to give one of the rides a more imposing setting. The picture here shows the specimen paper birch trees at the house entrance opposite the manege. Most of our trees are sourced locally from Hopes Grove Nurseries in Tenterden, Kent. We have found he quality of the trees and the advice to be excellent.

You can visit Hopes Grove here http://www.hopesgrovenurseries.co.uk

SPING LAMBS AT STONE CIRCLE LIVERY

We use sheep as biohoovers. They are good for the ground. It is a small flock of 17 but the numbers have swelled to 26 thanks to a good lambing season. We have Soay and Southdown sheep. Both breeds are on the Rare Breed Survival Trust Endangered List.

You can visit the RBST here http://www.rbst.org.uk

NEW PADDOCK = NEW PASTURE

To get the season off to a good start in terms of grazing we have created a new 2 acre paddock. Finally the ground is hard enough for the horses to be out all day if need be. The rain and clay soil tend to make a mush quite quickly so winter and the prolonged wet weather is a nightmare.






Fencing is a huge investment for livery yards. The new paddock you can see here cost around £6,000. It is a half round post with half round twin rails configuration. Some people like a third rail but it is not necessary unless you have very, very small ponies. If you are ever erecting your own paddock the rails need to be on the inside of the fence posts. This is so the horses don't push them off. If you see dropped rails it is because they are positioned on the wrong side or on an adjoining paddock. We learnt the hard way!




A fence like this is expected to last around 25 years. If you plant a hedgerow alongside it then by the time the fence has rotted the hedgerow should be strong enough to form a natural division. This has massive benefits for wildlife and horses prefer it.

BEACH RIDING SEASON OVER

Saturday the 21st March was the last open day for riding on the beach until October. Those that made it were rewarded with glorious sunshine. The beach rides are half an hour away from Stone Circle Livery and offer miles of riding. The beaches start to fill up with people now the spring is here so riding is not available until they start to clear again in the autumn. It is possible to ride outside of these times but special permissions are needed and they are usually only granted at very early times in the morning so you have to be dedicated. Below is the text from the www.rother.gov website that explains how riding at Camber works.



When can I ride my horse on Camber Sands?

The current byelaws regarding horse riding on the beach are as follows: "No person shall on the seashore break in any horse or other animal, or ride or drive any horse or other animal in a race or so as to cause danger or annoyance to any person using the seashore".

In view of the fact that more people use Camber Sands during the summer season, i.e. between Easter and the end of September, there is greater risk of horses causing danger or annoyance to persons using the seashore. Therefore, horse riders are advised not to take horses onto the sand after 8.30 a.m. or before late evening during this period. It is also always best to choose the best tide, i.e. low tide.

The gates at the main car park at Camber will be locked at 20.00hrs on Fridays and Saturdays and on a Monday if a Bank Holiday follows it.

Horse riding on the sands during the summer season is at the discretion of the Coastal Control Officer based at Camber who can be contacted on 01797 225207; camberoffice@rother.gov.uk



HORSE RIDING IS RESTRICTED TO:

Summer (Easter – 1 October)

You may only ride early mornings and be off the beach by 8.30 am or in the evening after 7.00 pm, both subject to the Coastal Officers approval.
Weekends are best avoided as they are inherently busier, our car parks are locked until 8.30 am, hence parking will not be available. It is also always best to choose the best tide conditions i.e. Low tide.

Winter (1 October to Easter)

Outside of the 'summer season' riding is unrestricted, but please base your visit around low tide as much as possible and be aware that even winter weekends can be very busy.
Horse owners have a duty to clear up any horse mess from the car park before leaving.
The gates at the main car park at Camber will be locked at 8.00 pm on Fridays and Saturdays and on a Monday if a Bank Holiday follows it.



Western Car Park is not accessible for horse boxes or high sided vehicles.
Horse riding on the sands during the summer season is at the discretion of the Coastal Officer based at Camber who can be contacted on 01797 225207.

For information on tide times visit: BBC Tide Tables

HEALTH AND SAFETY SPOT CHECK PASSED WITH FLYING COLOURS

Many of you know there is a move by government in the UK to license livery yards. Licensing means that all livery yards will have to demonstrate good Health and Safety practices. If you are looking for a livery yard make sure you ask to see the health and safety policy of the yard - it is there to protect you and the people that work there. Not having a policy says a lot Stone Circle Livery is a British Horse Society Approved Livery Yard. Part of the approval process is to demonstrate a robust Health and Safety policy at the yard. The Environmental Services did a spot check on Stone Circle Livery and we are pleased to report that there were no issues and the inspector reported that high standards were maintained. So well done us! he picture shows the certificate they give you at the inspection. It will be hung on the wall at the yard for all to see.

KENT SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS BREAKFAST

Stone Circle Livery was honoured to be asked to talk at the Kent Sustainable Business Breakfast held at the Kent Science Park and hosted by the Institute of Directors and Kent Business Link. Sustainable energy was a hot topic as were renewables. Stone Circle Livery has a long-term ambition to turn over to wind power and many new allegiances were formed that help to make this a reality. Renewable and recycled horse bedding was discussed at length and many new ideas were brought to the table. Stone Circle Livery believes that equestrian businesses can play a big part in creating a sustainable future for us all.

THE SNOW MUST GO ON

A busy livery yard has to go to work in all weathers. Here you can see a few pictures from around the yard as the snow began to fall. Ellie's pony, Fairy wasn't sure about the snow but her thick coat seemed to be doing the job. The falling flakes made all of the horses a little excited and it was great watching them belt around the arena enjoying themselves. The design of the yard at Stone Circle LIvery came in to its own with the large overhang providing excellent shelter from the snow blizzards. When we first proposed this design to the planners they were not too keen on it but if anyone out there is building a yard and needs pictures on why a large overhang is an essential feature please let us know and we'll send you some. It may help with your planning application.

OH. SNOW

Well it came down hard and stuck. We haven't had snow like this for 18 years apparently. Trains are cancelled and roads are closed. The horses went out today in the snow but were glad to be back in again. The pictures show in and around Stone Circle Livery with a full coating of snow. As we write more snow is forecast overnight so maybe we should ask the farrier about snow shoes! We watched an owl flying low over the snow covered fields and saw a stoat bouncing along a fence line. The funniest thing was watching the kittens trying to work out what snow is. Yesterday and today have been spent fitting stop taps at every automatic water drinker. Just in case we get a big freeze. You can check the forecast at http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/ To see the current weather at Stone Circle Livery, go to http://www.stonecirclelivery.com/weather.asp

CARBON COUNTER AND OFFSETTING THROUGH STONE CIRCLE LIVERY

If you visit the CARBON CALCULATOR page on the Stone Circle Livery Website, not only can you calculate your carbon it calculates how many trees it takes to offset this carbon. There is also the opportunity to buy trees directly from the web page through a secure payment gateway instantly. Carbon Offset certificates can be ordered as an email pdf file or sent in the post as a pre-framed certificate. The certificate states how much carbon you have offset. Stone Cicle Livery plant many trees and this is an excellent opportunity to do your bit for the environment. You can also calculate a friends carbon and offset that too and give them the certificate as a gift. Visit the site now to offset your carbon. www.stonecirclelivery.com.

NEW LIVERY SERVICES FROM STONE CIRCLE LIVERY

We have Five Full Livery Services at Stone Circle Livery with no hidden extras.

Luxury Livery. £125 per week.
Luxury Schooling Livery. £230 per week.
Luxury Eco Livery. £150 per week.
Luxury Eco Schooling Livery. £255 per week.
Luxury Holiday Livery. £155 per week.

As times change clients want different things from their livery services. At Stone Circle Livery we have responded to these demands by creating new livery services. Our livery has always been luxury but now we are offering SCHOOLING LIVERY and ECO LIVERY. In addition to these two new exciting livery services we are also offering HOLIDAY LIVERY for those who want their horse to have a holiday whilst they do. The Schooling Livery Service allows for your hose to be schooled whilst the Eco Livery Services let you directly help environmental programmes that you and your horse can enjoy.

See below for the full range of services included in the price. We want you and your horse to be happy so if there is anything not listed or any special services you require please contact us via the contact page on our website at www.stonecirclelivery.com or info@stonecirclelivery.com and we'll do our best to accommodate you. Best wishes from the Organic Team at Stone Circle Livery


The Luxury Livery service includes:

Large and well ventilated brick built stable for your sole use.
Haybar and automatic water drinker
All GM-free feed, organic hay and bedding
Organic pasture and grazing
Worming
Attending vet and farrier visits
On site fully qualified veterinary nurse
Administering medications
Turnout / bringing in
All mucking out
Grooming
Tack cleaning
Off-road riding around 60 acres
Use of 60X20m rubber surfaced arena
Use of 20m silica sand round pen
Personal stable web cam viewable from anywhere in the world
Arena cam recording with viewing afterwards via web streaming
Free wireless internet access
Free Stone Circle Livery email address if required
Online payment system
Personal locker facility
Kitchen and common room with Telephone, TV, DVD, CD and ipod dock-station
Shower
Equine library with over 400 books free to borrow
Access to wide instructor network for all styles and abilities
Disabled access and toilet facilities

The Luxury Schooling Livery service includes:

In addition to everything above, the Luxury Schooling Livery Service includes schooling by a qualified BHS II for 3 one hour sessions per week. 'Service' washes for horse boots, bandages, numnahs and some lightweight rugs. Washed and dried as necessary.

The Luxury Eco Livery service and the Luxury Schooling Eco Livery Service includes:

You get all of the same services with our Luxury Livery and Luxury Schooling Livery services but they come with one very big difference. £25 of the weekly livery fee is used to fund environmental projects. Stone Circle Livery will match this amount making it £50 going in to tree planting programmes, pond restoration work, wildlife habitat creation and tree planting and hedgerow projects. Being an Eco Livery client you will be able to see the conservation work first hand. You will also receive regular updates, photographs and certificates showing what your money has achieved in environmental terms. As en Eco Livery client you can use this status as part of your own carbon offsetting.

Other Stone Circle Livery Services:

We don't do DIY Livery – sorry but we keep the yard exclusive for our clients. We do consider part livery if you have skills that we can use across the yard. Contact Susi the Livery Manager to discuss.

Short Stay Holiday Livery

Sometimes it is great to give your horse a holiday when you take yours. With this in mind, Stone Circle Livery offer Holiday Livery. Up to 4 weeks Luxury Livery at a standard charge of £155 per week. Schooling is extra if you need it. You will be assigned a webcam so you can keep in touch with your horse whilst you are away. We can have your horse collected and brought to Stone Circle Livery and returned at an agreed additional cost. Let the Organic Team do all the work whilst you take a well-earned break.
What isn't included in the Stone Circle Livery service: Vets fees, Farrier fees, Feed supplements. We are happy to accommodate your requirements and all of the items above can easily be included in your full livery package by separate negotiation. Contact Susi the Livery Manager.

STONE CIRCLE LIVERY HELP LAUNCH 2009 KENT BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT AWARDS

As winners of 'Kent Environment Business of the Year 2007/8' Susi the Livery Manager at Stone Circle Livery was invited by Alex Green the Kent Business Environment Awards Organiser to help launch the Environment Business Awards for 2009. You can see Susi and Alex in these pictures at Port Lympne Wild Animal Park at the launch of the Awards. The 2009 awards presentation will take place at Port Lympne. Businesses from across Kent are encouraged to compete for the prestigious title: 'Kent Environment Business of the Year 2009'.



The Awards, sponsored by Kent County Council, Business Support in Kent CIC, the Environment Agency, the Kent Messenger Group, and E.ON, recognise and reward the innovative environmental and community work undertaken by Kent businesses.

In the 21 year history of the Environment Awards for Kent Business, hundreds of organisations - of all sizes and business sectors - have demonstrated excellence in corporate responsibility and environmental performance. As well as the thrill of taking part, these market leaders have enhanced the reputation of their businesses and gained a valuable competitive edge through good practice. These awards showcase how business in Kent is making a positive impact on the environment and community. Previous winners can be seen here and entries need to be submitted before the 30th April 2009 closing date.

http://www.kent.gov.uk/environment/our-environment/business/environment-awards.htm

WEATHER STATION LIVE AT STONE CIRCLE LIVERY

The SOLAR POWERED weather station at Stone Circle Livery is now all up and running. It gives very accurate weather reports for actual conditions in real time at the livery yard. This will be combined with a weather-cam in the very near future so you can see the actual weather too. This will help livery clients at Stone Circle Livery make the decision on wether to go riding or not. You can see the read out on the Stone Circle Livery website under the weather page. The picture here shows what it looks like. The recent cold weather has given us some fantastic photo opportunities. Here you can see the wild grasses in the deep frost, the open hay fields and the Stone Circle Livery sign at sunrise all looking very chilly. Thank you Sophie for the pictures.

http://www.stonecirclelivery.com/weather.asp

You may need a Flash Player Plug-in to show the weather station in your browser. You can get them for Mac and PC for your browser FREE at Adobe. This is a reputable source for downloads. Get your FREE flash Player from Adobe here - http://www.adobe.com/shockwave/download/alternates/

HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM ORGANIC HORSE

A damp and miserable New Years day but loads of fun to be had. Today, Paul went for a hack with his daughter for the first time together. This was a great way to mark progress of great things to come in the New Year. The hack lasted 1 hour 40 minutes and took in some of the quiet lanes to the village of Woodchurch. Jerry the organic horse got a little twitchy in places due to birds flying from a bush, bird scaring guns going off in a faraway field and a builders newly erected notice board. Flint ridden by Ellie (9) was rock solid and literally didn't move a muscle. The picture shows Paul and Ellie about to embark and Jerry after the hack steaming up the yard kitchen window - we fed him treats through the window as it was a special day. Happy 2009 to all.

A BUZZ IN THE WOOD

In one of the areas where we have planted new woodland a variety of grasses and flowers have sprung up. It came a as complete surprise as nature was just doing its thing. A Christmas present from friends was a pollinating bee log. Bee logs provide great housing for the Mason Bee and other solitary bees as well as a variety of overwintering insects. These insects are vital in pollinating fruit, herbs flowers and vegetables. As we have just put it up we don't expect to see any activity until spring but who knows. We have hung the log at grass level which is about 3 ft. Normally you would site it higher but we thought we'd see how they get on. The brace we have made for it offers plenty of room for expansion and raising the bar. The log is sited to catch the sun and near a good source of nectar. Bee logs and other insect housing from Wildlife World can be bought on Amazon. Tap in 'Wildlife World' in the Amazon search box to see the range.


www.amazon.co.uk

Christmas Fun

Here are a few pictures taken on Susi's mobile during the year. The kittens sitting on the backs of the horses. They get there themselves! The dogs taking advantage of the hay bales. Jerry, the organic horse sweeping up after himself! Merry Christmas to all and best wishes for the New Year. The Organic Team at Stone Circle Livery.

Horse Power

Never underestimate the power of your horse. Here we can see what happens when a horse decides to give a big pull when tethered. Fortunately in this case the wood gave way first. Having an enclosed yard helps too. The repair was effected in less than three hours. So, take great care when you site a tether ring and make sure it has something solid to screw in to. We thought it was secure was but it obviously wasn't. This is one time the horse responsible made us jump.

THE SEASON FOR DOVES OF PEACE

We have always been difficult to find the perfect present for but find the perfect present they did. Friends and family clubbed together and bought us this wonderful Dovecote. Here you can see it supported whilst the post cement dries. Hopefully we'll see birds occupying it in spring. We'll keep you posted.

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION

Following on from our arena cameras and the arena lights we thought you might like to see how well the lights are working. Stone Circle Livery is a well lit yard and this really comes in to its own now the longer nights are here. Some of the pictures here give you an idea of the spread of light. The cameras also work well at low light so it is possible to record your lesson well in to the night. The arena lights have already proved themselves in action and the well lit path from the yard makes everything that much easier. Dark nights - no problem.

Arena Cameras Live at Stone Circle Livery -Lesson Recording Now Available

Installing the arena camera system has taken a long time. There was electricity cables to lay, video cables, computer upgrades and various signal switches. In all it has taken us about 6 months and there are still a couple of things to finalise but the hard work is done.

If you have ever been to the Stone Circle Livery website you may have noticed a log-in area. That is for the exclusive use of our livery customers. Behind the log-in sits a sophisticated system that logs all the data regarding your horse and lets you monitor the webcams around the yard and facilities. Every client has a dedicated stable camera as well as being able to view the yard cameras.

This system has now been upgrade to include the arena cameras. There is one camera on the 60X20 Metre rubber surfaced arena and one on the 20 Metre round pen. The round pen has recently been rubber surfaced too as we found the silica sand surface clogs in wet weather and was difficult to manage. The rubber surface is pretty much maintenance free and provides a better working surface.

The arena camera system is fairly straightforward. Clients can book the arena to have lesson with their instructor or do their own work and the cameras automatically record that session. As things can slip in terms of time it will record either side of the booking to make sure it has recorded everything. It is also possible to log-on when at the yard and set it to record there and then so the system is very flexible. Finished recordings automatically up load to the clients log-in area so they have a complete record of all lessons/sessions in the arena. It is also possible to print to DVD there and then if people want to take away a recording. This is especially handy for people who are not clients but hire our arena just for lessons. Many visiting instructors take advantage of the facilities at Stone Circle Livery and we often see horses arriving by box for a lesson. Regular users that hire the arena for lessons can be assigned a web page for upload as part of the service but we do need to see block-bookings for this. A personal upload area costs £45. We charge £18.99 for a DVD of your lesson on an ad-hoc basis. Stone Circle Livery clients get the web service free and can purchase DVD's of their lesson for £3.99.

The instructor and rider are fitted with a radio mike so the sound and interaction can be recorded at the same time. Over time, a series of lessons builds up and you can review the lessons at anytime at the comfort of your pc or on DVD. Stone Circle Livery has day rooms where you can also review the lesson with your instructor at anytime which is handy after a lesson when you can both watch the session and discuss any elements of it off the horse. Things can often be clearer this way and it helps the learning process. The cameras also run live to the widescreen TV in the day room so if you have friends and family that don't want to brave the cold they can still watch the lesson from the comfort of heated day rooms and relax with a hot drink.

Stone Circle Livery embraces innovation and we are constantly improving the services and facilities for our clients. The arena cameras make horse riding and training a much more involved and enjoyable experience. If the idea of being filmed on your horse frightens you, don't worry - they can be switched off! Picture is the sunrise over the frosty arena early in the morning.

www.stonecirclelivery.com

HADLOW BSc(hons) STUDENTS VISIT STONE CIRCLE LIVERY

A big 'THANK YOU' to Sally Trott a lecturer in the Equine Department at Hadlow College. 10 Students visited Stone Circle Livery as part of their Industry Perspectives component of the course. We like to spread the environmental word and it is great to meet enthusiastic young people that want to follow a career in the equine industry. They spent their time learning about the organic principles of Stone Circle Livery, the environmental work undertaken and growing appeal of organics in the equine sector. Susi, the Livery Manager at Stone Circle Livery said, "It was a real pleasure to meet the students from Hadlow and we wish them well for the future. It's great to be able to share our business vision with young people who can make a difference". Hadlow has a world class reputation and here is what they say about the BSc(hons) Equine Management Course:




This comprehensive degree programme covers all aspects of Equine Management and equips graduates with the necessary skills to run their own equine business. Structured to allow you to pursue a programme which reflects your experiences and interests, the course is a mix between theory and practical outside demonstrations, visits and seminars. You will cover the training and breeding of horses, equine science and estate management. You will also be given the opportunity to take part in a European study tour to gain a further insight into the wider aspects of the industry.

http://www.hadlow.ac.uk/course-details178.aspx

2nd At the Green Business Awards

Stone Circle Livery were 2nd place to dcarbon8 in the Best Micro Organisation at the Management Today Green Business Awards. We were one of only two finalists. Shame we didn't get the top prize but we are very happy to be in the running order. Stone Circle Livery is committed to environmental projects that make a difference.

Stone Circle Livery welcomes 'Ruby' to the family.

Our Cairn Terrier and Golden Retriever sadly passed away recently so we need to find a friend for Bobby our Ridgeback Cross. A wonderful dog called Ruby came to us via the Great Dane Rescue Centre in Trowbridge, Wiltshire. Chris and Geoff that run the centre dedicate their lives to the welfare of the Great Dane breed. We all love Ruby and can't thank the Great Dane Rescue Centre enough for letting us give her a home. You can visit the centre at http://www.greatdanerescue.co.uk/

HOT CHICKS

Sue, one of the girls who helps out around the yard went on holiday and gave us her chicken eggs to look after . Today the first one hatched. Sue said we can keep what we hatch so it looks like we'll have a few more hens around the place. Very cute. The first chick was born today at 18:00 this evening. We wait to see how the other eggs do.

STONE CIRCLE LIVERY FINALIST IN THE GREEN BUSINESS AWARDS

Stone Circle Livery was very pleased to hear that we are a finalist in the Green Business Awards run by Management Today. The Green Business Awards highlight and reward leadership on environment, sustainability and climate change by British companies. The Green Business Awards will be a barometer of the newest, most innovative, most ambitious and most effective initiatives by UK business to respond to the pressing challenges of global sustainability.

All major business sectors will be represented and the 2008 awards will highlight this year's best efforts and achievements in each.

Haymarket's leading title for senior business managers, Management Today, and Haymarket's specialist environmental publishing unit, ENDS, have worked together to devise the nature of the Awards, the categories and criteria, and assembled the judging panel, under the important chairmanship of Professor John Chesshire, and defined the judging process.

The awards take place on the 5th November 2008 at Grosvenor House, London.

This is what the judges are looking for:

The judges are looking for a number of key factors when assessing the quality of entries to the Green Business Awards. First they are looking for originality. The case being offered should be new and refreshing. Either the idea or the way in which it has been applied or executed must be new. The entrant must show that they have approached the policy or initiative in a rigorous manner.

They should have planned and executed it to ensure it has the greatest impact on their green record and is as sustainable as possible. Whilst this may not always be possible or relevant to the entry, the judges are assessing whether new ideas will be replicated by others and therefore have a wider impact on business and society.

1) Originality/innovation
2) Evidence of benefits, which must include specific environmental benefits
3) Evidence of continuity (long-term benefits)
4) Evidence of replicability (can others learn from entrants' example)
5) Involvement of internal and external stakeholders
6) Obstacles overcome
7) Relationship to legal requirements
8) Quality of entry application

Stone Circle Livery is a finalist in the 'Best Micro Organisation' category.



http://www.haymarketevents.com/awardDetail/235

http://www.managementtoday.co.uk/

ARENA LIGHTING AT STONE CIRCLE LIVERY

The nights are drawing in and if we want to ride we are going to need light. Stone Circle Livery opted for a system made by the Retractable Lighting Company. The system has the benefit of being able to put the lights up and down at a moments notice. It takes around 6 minutes to put them up and they are very light so even the smallest of riders can manage it. The lights are adjustable too so you can angle them just where you want them. As they are temporary it helps with planning regulations and more importantly light pollution. Right now we are waiting for the covers to arrive as they are on back order. Hopefully we should have the whole system working within the month ready for the very dark nights.




http://www.manegelight.com

WELCOME TO MILLY AND LILY

Stone Circle Livery took in two kittens that needed a home. They came from a farm that had hit hard times and the cat there had kittens. As no one was looking after the farm the kittens were being looked after by their mum but no one was looking after the cat. The cat was rescued and then homes were found for the kittens. Milly and Lily are now the yard cats at Stone Circle Livery. You can see Milly here with her first mouse - a computer mouse. There are hundreds of cats that need a home in the UK. Follow the link below if you think you can give a cat a home.

http://www.cats.org.uk/

STONE CIRCLE LIVERY GOES FOR ECO PC

It isn't just cars that come in a Hybrid form. You can now get an energy saving PC from Dell in the form of a Hybrid PC. It uses 70% less energy than a conventional PC and it is also about 25% of the size. The packaging is made from 95% recyclable materials. There is no shortage of computer power either. The new computer replaces the old pc and is for the sole use of our liveries. The old pc will be recycled by SWEEEP. SWEEEP are a very innovative company in Kent and should be justly proud of their awards and achievements. Stone Circle Livery met them at the Kent Environment Business Awards. You can follow the DELL link below to se the Studio Hybrid and they have quite a cool little video too.

http://www.sweeep.co.uk/

http://www1.euro.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/desktop-studio-hybrid?c=uk&cs=ukdhs1&l=en&s=dhs&~ck=mn

STONE CIRCLE LIVERY CHILLS OUT TO CHIMES FROM THE TEMPLE

On a recent trip to America Stone Circle Livery came across the wonderful gardens of Bok Tower. Whilst there we discovered the unusual wind chimes made by "Music of the Spheres". These tuned chimes sound like no other wind chime we have ever heard and give off a deep tone. We were so impressed we bought one and made a holder for it on the side of the yard. Now when we get a breeze the chimes gentle make their music. You can visit the website of Music of the Spheres and have a listen to the different chimes.

http://www.musicofspheres.com/

http://boksanctuary.org/

BHS APPROVAL PASSED WITH FLYING COLOURS

The BHS Approvals Inspector did a wild card visit and we are pleased to announce that Stone Circle Livery passed with flying colours. The British Horse Society do wild card inspections to assure high standards at approved establishments are kept. Here is what the inspector had to say about Stone Circle Livery: "On arrival the yard was immaculate, everywhere was clean and tidy and gave a good first impression. High standards of equine husbandry were displayed in all departments. Continued BHS approval is fully supported". So a big well done to Susi and the team and a big thank you to our clients and their horses.

http://www.bhs.org.uk/Content/app-home.asp

STONE CIRCLE LIVERY RECYCLES A BENCH

If you have never heard of FREECYCLE you probably should get to know about it. In basic terms The Freecycle Network™ is made up of 4,611 groups with 5,874,000 members across the globe. It's a grassroots and entirely nonprofit movement of people who are giving (& getting) stuff for free in their own towns. It's all about reuse and keeping good stuff out of landfills. Each local group is moderated by a local volunteer. Membership is free.

A person who was giving away some old wood for firewood and it turned out to be oak. So not ones to waste an opportunity we made a bench out of the wood so people could sit and watch lessons at the arena. The old wood makes it look like it has been there for years.




http://www.freecycle.org/

Stone Circle Livery Welcomes Beverli Rhodes

Beverli has been at the yard for a while but this is a long overdue blog entry. Beverli owns Tommy Girl an American Quarter Horse. Recently they have both been enjoying the training given by Lewis Blackburn the Natural Horse Trainer. Beverli was a victim of the 7/7 bombings and now campaigns for compensation for the victims. You may have seen the recent article in Horse Magazine. The pictures here show Beverli with Lewis and the BBC crew that filmed her epic return to riding after the bombings. Beverli and Tommy Girl are settling in well and it is great to have them around.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/5393804.stm

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2006/oct/01/july7.uksecurity

http://www.blackburnnaturalhorsetraining.com/

KENT MEN OF THE TREES PRESENT PLAQUE

Susi Anderson the Livery Manager of Stone Circle Livery was presented with a plaque to signify the donation of 1500 trees by Kent Men of the Trees. The charity Kent Men of the Trees visited Stone Circle Livery on the back of the recent environmental awards.


As a charity primarily concerned with the planting of trees to aid the enjoyment of others and improve the landscape of Kent they were impressed by the planting work already undertaken by Stone Circle Livery. After a visit to the livery yard and a good walk round the tracks and woodland they decided to donate 1500 trees all of native variety. They outlined two areas they were especially interested in for planting and the rest of the trees went towards creating new hedgerows, planting natural wind breaks, gapping up hedgerows that needed help and some incidental planting to improve the amenity value of the public footpaths.
Stone Circle Livery would like to publicly thank Kent Men of the Trees for their kind donation.

We thought it only fair that such a generous donation should be visible for all to see so the plaque has been placed in the entrance way as you walk in to the common areas where everyone will see it. We could have put it with our other certificates and awards but we felt it might get lost.


Stone Circle Livery is constantly improving and creating habitat. This takes many thousands of trees. The benefits for wildlife, bird life and climate change are enormous. If you would like donate some trees please contact us at info@stonecirclelivery.com. As we buy in bulk we can get quite a few trees for the smallest of donations. We still have many hedgerows to create and woodland to extend so if you can help in any way that would be most welcome. On behalf of everyone at Stone Circle Livery, Thank You.

THE WINNERS OF THE ORGANIC HORSE HAMPER PICK UP THEIR PRIZE

Three friends have decided to share the Organic Horse Hamper between them and their four horses. Sue Q and Sue S are BHS Access Officers for Kent, and Janet is a dog groomer. Big Sam, Dennis, Moon and Little Sam their horses will be enjoying all of the organic goodies. They collected their winning hamper today and enjoyed a tour of Stone Circle Livery and facilities given by Susi the Livery Yard Manager and owner. Congratulations to Sue, Sue and Janet. If you would like an Organic Horse Hamper you can go to www.organichorsehampers.com

AND THE WINNER WAS........?

Congratulations to Janet Belcher of Ashford in Kent. Janet gets to take home the luxury organic horse hamper after winning it in the Stone Circle Livery Kent County Show raffle. Thanks to all those who bought tickets. All proceeds from the raffle are going in to the creation of a new hedgerow so feel proud in the fact that you have done something for the environment in Kent. There was a lot of interest in the hampers so if you need a gift for someone or just want to treat your own horse please visit www.organichorsehampers.com. We are creating a whole range and the full website should be live in the next month or so. Thank you all again and we hope to see you soon.

STONE CIRCLE LIVERY AT THE KENT COUNTY SHOW

It is great to meet so many amazing people. Our little stand was full of horse owners checking us out and finding out about everything organic for horses. Our organic Horse Hampers are going down a storm and we have had many takers for tickets to win the display hamper. All money raised will go towards conservation projects. Stone Circle Livery is situated in the EcoVillage section of the show and we feel very privileged to be surrounded by so many dedicated and leading environmental organisations. It is also great to catch up with old friends which has made for a very chatty day. If you are going to the show pay us a visit and say hi.



Today was the 15th wedding anniversary of Paul and Susi who run Stone Circle Livery. Spending time manning the stand is not how they usually spend their anniversary but the show must go on. Many thanks to all those who passed on best wishes. Hope to see you at the show. Stand 172 in Eco Village. Only a stones throw from the horse show rings.

ORGANIC HORSE AND RIDER HAMPERS IS LAUNCHED

Stone Circle Livery is at the Kent County Show on the 11th, 12th & 13th July. Not only are we having fun talking all things organic to horse riders and owners we are launching our new range of Organic Horse and Rider Hampers.

The hampers are full of all things organic and GM free. There is a small website at www.organichorsehampers.com. Soon there will be a fully functional online ordering system. Organic Horse Hampers offer a wide range of hampers that come in all shapes and sizes. They make ideal gifts or personal treats. Superb for the rider that loves everything natural and wants to spoil their horse. The hampers make great presents and offer something truly innovative for the equestrian. If you are going to the show be sure to stop by and say hi. There is a raffle to win one of our top of the range hampers with a value of £350. Hamper prices start at £20. We are on stand 172 in EcoVillage. Stone Circle Livery is the Kent Environment Business of the Year 2007/8. A british Horse Society Approved Livery Yard. A Member of BETA. Certified by the Soil Association.

SIGN OF THE TIMES!

The Stone Circle Livery sign finally went up this weekend. We found this sign in a shed when we bought the property over 10 years ago. The sign was an old estate agents sign - the sort they would use to sell farms and country estates.

It was very well made with the frame being formed out of steel. The actual sign is made from heavy wood. We had the frame extended and powder-coated and we treated the sign. The sign writing was done locally. You may see one of the many mounting blocks that we have in and around he property at strategic locations to aid riders.

JUDY'S BENCH GETS A MAKEOVER

Judy was an active member of the Carriage Driving for the Disabled Group that is based at Stone Circle Livery. Sadly she passed away three years ago. Her husband kindly donated a bench in her memory that now sits at the yard and is used by all. It was time to give the bench a little maintenance and a coat of preservative. Three years later and it looks as good as new and we are pleased to see the memory lives on.

STONE CIRCLE LIVERY WELCOMES PO & LIZ AS NEW MEMBERS TO THE YARD

A big welcome to Poseido (Po) a 4 year old PRE (Pura Raza Espagnol) who arrived at the yard today. He travelled well all the way from Wiltshire and settled in to his new field in no time at all. Liz first visited Stone Circle Livery two months ago before she bought Po and knew it was the yard for her. Great to see them both settling in and enjoying the organic livery concept.

ANOTHER GREAT DAY CARRIAGE DRIVING

The RDA disabled carriage driving group based at Stone Circle Livery had another great day with the horses. Amazingly the sun shone again. As we write this the weather has turned so we were lucky to get the carriage driving in as well as the muck spreading before the showers. It is exciting to carriage drive and if you have never done it you should give it a go. It's how people got around as daily transport not so long ago. The group is always looking for helpers so if you think you could be of any use why not drop the group an email. rda@stonecirclelivery.com

MUCK HEAP MANAGEMENT AND BUS LOADS OF POO

We need our poo. We use our muck on the heap to spread across our organic pasture. It is good to input the manure back to the land as it is a natural fertilizer. The picture you see here of the muck heap is the amount of used bedding and manure from both the stables and the fields that is generated in just 8 months by seven horses. The reason there is a picture of a single decker bus is because that is exactly the same amount of poo it would take to fill this lovely old bus that has been restored by the Aycliffe & District Bus Preservation Society.


So the maths are simple. 14 horses - you would fill a double decker and so on. Well done to the society on preserving the bus. On an organic pasture you can't add nitrogen to zing up the growth and make everything green you have to use organic matter. This is because it is better for the planet. Your horse feeds at one end and provides the manure at the other. Very clever. It has to compost down well though otherwise you burn your pasture. So it is far more environmentally friendly than the old bus. Maybe we should start a pasture preservation society. Just a thought.

www.aycliffebus.org.uk

SWALLOWS ARE BACK AND ONLINE

Go the the 'Swallow Cam' page of the Stone Circle Livery website and you will probably see the Swallows hard at work getting the nest ready for the chicks. In a few days the eggs should be in the nest. The camera offers you the chance to see the young birds growing up. Our camera is a little too close to the nest but you should be able to see lots happening. Once everyone has fled the nest this year we'll go up and move the camera in readiness for next year.

IS SUMMER HERE ?

Blue skies, hardly any wind and warm sun. It feels like summer is well on the way but who can be sure. It seems to be a better start to the year than last year where we had endless rain. It is about this time that we can start to put the horses outside for those that don't need a stable during the summer months. The only thing we face now in all of this long awaited warmth are flies. Still, that is all offset by having the longer evenings and earlier mornings that let us ride more often.
Blue sky, hot weather, bring it on.

BLUEBELLS AT STONE CIRCLE LIVERY

We thought it would be good to share a few pictures of the rides at Stone Circle Livery now the bluebells are out. Year on year we get an amazing display and as we create more and more woodland we are hoping that they will spread and provide their amazing display for future generations.





The ground is still very wet but the good side to this is that the grass is starting to really motor now which means it looks like it will be an excellent year for our organic hay. Yummy.

CARRIAGE DRIVING FOR THE DISABLED AT STONE CIRCLE LIVERY

Stone Circle Livery is home to a carriage driving for the disabled group. Disabled people get great enjoyment out of carriage driving and especially when it is carried out in secluded countryside away from busy roads. Stone Circle Livery has a network of tracks that run around the headlines offering magnificent views across the valley and through the sheltered woodland. This time of year offers an amazing display of bluebells. The group meet once a week for a day at the yard. Stone Circle Livery has disabled toilet facilities and offers easy access for those that are saddled with a wheelchair.

ANOTHER NEW FACE ON THE YARD - SAY HELLO TO 'BROWNIE.!

Occasionally a sheep will reject its offspring so there is nothing for it other than to get on with the job of hand rearing. 'Brownie' is now at the yard and being fed from a bottle every three hours. He thinks Susi the Livery Manager is his mum. Amazingly our dog Bobby cleaned him up after birth and watches over him. He is full of beans and is springing around. We expect him to do very well and we'll return him to the flock when he is old enough. Right now though he is a lot of fun to have around.

STONE CIRCLE LIVERY WELCOMES FRANT AND DI ON BOARD AS NEW MEMBERS

Frant arrived today at Stone Circle Livery and enjoyed the sunshine and meeting a few new friends. Frant is a 17 year old Chestnut Gelding Budyonny and stands at 17.1hh. It is amazing that with only a few days without rain how the ground is firming up meaning we can get back to riding around the farm. We are also seeing the pasture come back after the winter and it is starting to green up beautifully. A big welcome to Frant and Di and fingers crossed for some long-awaited good weather.

'S' IS FOR SNOW

There's snow business like snow business. It seemed like a cold day for a hack but we went on anyway. Then the white flakes appeared. As we continued on it turned to a full on blizzard. The horses were a lot more comfortable about it this time which was probably due to the fact the they are getting used to the crazy weather.



All of these pictures were taken in a space of 4 hours so you can see how the weather turned. Why is it that this happens at weekends then the following Monday and Tuesday it is blue skies and sunshine? The horses like the snow although we decided not to turn them out. Fingers crossed that is the last of it for this year. For the eagle-eyed amongst you you'll notice that the 'S' dressage marker is upside down on the fence. We hadn't notice either until we took the picture.

HEATHER QUALIFIES FOR HICKSTEAD AND THE UK RIDERS CHALLENGE

The before and after pictures say it all. We had a really great hack even though it was wet and got Heather to her test just in time. It's great to be within 30 minutes riding of a regular competition venue from Stone Circle Livery. Quiet lanes and great countryside and a win or two when you get there make for a great day out.


Heather left the competition beaming after qualifying for Hickstead and the UK Riders Challenge. Well done Heather - the hard work is paying off. Kerry did the honours in calling out the test. Jerry - the Organic Horse had to stand by the sidelines whilst it was all going on but had a good time none the less. The pictures you can see of the hack over to the competition were taken in 'JerryVision'. The lanes around Stone Circle Livery are quiet and offer really useful routes.


There is a long drive out of Stone Circle Livery and we take it in turns to 'do the gate' before heading out on the road. At the gates we have brick built mounting blocks that make life just that bit easier.

Stone Circle Livery would like to welcome 'Di' on board who joined us today. Now the clocks have gone forward the evenings are longer offering plenty of opportunity to make good use of the extra light. All we need now is some sunshine. Again, well done Heather. We are all proud of you.

ARENA HIRE AT STONE CIRCLE LIVERY

At Stone Circle Livery we have two arenas. One is a 20M round pen and the other is a 60M X 20M schooling arena. Both arenas have superb drainage and are free from flooding, wet and boggy areas or any soft sides (Where the edges of the arena have been used so much and not maintained that there is basically nothing left so they give way).

The 60X20 school is rubber surfaced and provides a springy feel. Horses love the surface and if you have ever had the misfortune to fall off a horse you'll understand why a rubber surface has benefits for the rider too. Our surface has been made with recycled tyres that are free from wire. The sides have large kick boards and it is triple post and rail fenced all round. The school is marked with dressage markers and we also have a full set of jumps.



The 20M round pen has a silca-sand base. The design for the pen was taken from the style of pens used in Colorado. On a trip there we saw many round pens in use. The biggest feature of them was the way they used a triple rail on the top to provide a safer surface if a rider got thrown. Although this feature costs a lot more in the build cost, the potential safety advantages speak for themselves.



Both of the arenas are sheltered down the Eastern side and new planting to provide further windbreaks has taken place on the western side. Both arenas offer glorious views across countryside and are positioned so the activities of the yard do not interfere with the person and horse using the arena.


We charge a flat rate of £10 per hour for non-liveries to use either the round pen or the arena. Prior permission is required and a booking needs to be made. Visit www.stonecirclelivery.com or call 01233 860 870 or email info@stonecirclelivery.com

OFF-ROAD RIDING AT STONE CIRCLE LIVERY

One of the great things about running an ‘Organic Livery Yard’ is seeing the countryside around you flourish. At Stone Circle Livery there is plenty of off-road riding available around the headlines and through the woods.

After setting off for a hack today in snow blizzards it is easy to forget how fantastic riding in the summer is. The pictures here show some of the off-road riding at Stone Circle Livery. We keep the tracks well mown so that there is plenty of room for two horses abreast. We also monitor the rabbit hole situation on a daily basis as they can be quite industrious in the early hours of the morning when you are not looking.




When hacking at the highpoint of our land riders are rewarded with an amazing view across to the vale of Tenterden. You look down on to the tree canopy of dense ancient woodland. For those riders that like to get up early, the morning mists are quite stunning. Our land is anything but flat and offers plenty of variety for cantering up hill and galloping across the fields. For those who like a leisurely pace there is the peaceful woodland ride that we created a few years ago. On a hot summers day it offers a cool interlude. In the bad weather it lends a small amount of shelter. Best of all there isn’t a car in sight.

WHAT'S IT LIKE AT STONE CIRCLE LIVERY?

Hi Bloggers, I'm a livery at Stone Circle Livery and really, there aren't enough forms of praise I can put into words for this place!


I arrived last August 2007 and it already feels like my horse and I have been there forever! Susi and Paul are easy going and friendly and are always happy to stop what they're doing around the yard to have a chat. Sometimes it's quite easy to forget that you're there to be with your horse, there are so many home comforts! Even when we first arrived there was a large bathroom complete with a good sized shower, how wonderful to find I won't have to wait till I get home in the summer before I can cool off! It even makes life easier as I can take a change of clothes with me, if I'm due to go out somewhere, and can spend more time at the yard!


There's a fully fitted kitchen and a big wide screen tv, stereo with speakers in every stable so you can pipe soothing music to your horse! There are two rooms above the kitchen for just relaxing in with a large selection of horsey books to read and gorgeous real wood furniture and floorboards. There's a computer with access to the net that is free to use for anyone, and there's always a fridge full of soft drinks and water, as well as a draw full of coffee and tea selections. Oh, and often a lot of cookies!


The tack and rug rooms are fitted with electronic keypads as well as locks so you know your stuff is safe, the many cameras around the yard also add to the feeling of security as any dodgy goings on will be caught on candid camera! There's a fire alert system that calls the local fire department as well as Susi and Paul's house and mobile numbers the instant anything is detected and there are ample extinguishers and fire signs around the yard, as well as fire blankets.

The stables are light and airy but still manage to be warm in this snowy weather! They have windows that can be opened in the summer, but that have grills so no horse can get it's head stuck! The top half of the stable walls are wooden grills so each horse can see it's neighbours, and the rafters are very high so any claustrophobic horse (like mine) can feel happy and relaxed.


The hay bars and automatic water drinkers are wonderful (though my horse tends to pull his hay out and throw it all over the floor anyway!). Each horse gets access to 3.5 acres of grazing each, which is paradise! Single turnout is also no problem for this yard as their attitude is anything to make horse and owner comfortable and happy. All the fencing is sturdy and secure post and rail, though there is the option of fencing off parts of larger fields with electric.



The quality of grazing is excellent due to good rotation plans, and a cute herd of sheep that are moved around the paddocks to destroy any worms that might affect horses to make sure there's no cross contamination between different horses if they swap fields. Most fields have hedgerows full of horse friendly shrubs and trees which the horses are encouraged to help themselves to, especially pain killing willow.

The feed given is all organic, from the worlds most wonderful hay grown on the premises, to the simple system hard feed that is fed to Susi and Paul's own horses. They are of course happy for you to continue with your own feed provided the company that manufactures them can provide you with notes to verify they are organic, or at least use all non GM foods, so that Susi can show them to the governing body that regulates Stone Circle as a fully organic livery yard.



When full livery is said on this yard it really is meant, they do everything they say on their site and a lot more besides for a heck of a lot less than I've paid for the most basic livery elsewhere. If you need something that isn't specified, just ask, it's done with a smile and genuine good will at all time! No hassles on this yard! As long as safety standards are met, liveries are encouraged to treat the place as their own and NO judgement is passed on what you choose to do with your horse, after all, Susi and Paul point out it is your horse!

As a picture says a thousand words, the best I can do now is provide some of my wonderful horse loving every minute in his happy home.

One of the Livery Clients at Stone Circle Livery describes what life is like at the yard.

HORSES FOR CLEAN WATER

We believe that the idea of horses and environmental issues go hand in hand. 'Horses For Clean Water' is a fantastic website full of conservation and natural horse articles. 'Horses For Clean Water' is based in America and well worth a visit. Check out the archives and The 'GREEN HORSE' Newsletter

http://www.horsesforcleanwater.com/index.html

SABLE ISLAND GREEN HORSE SOCIETY

If you haven't heard of the Sable Island Horses spend ten minutes visiting the Sable Island Green Horse Society website. The fact that such a place exists is amazing. To see horses living as naturally as this is fantastic.



Sable Island is a sand bar - 42 km long and roughly 1.5 km wide - located far offshore, approximately 160 km southeast of Canso, Nova Scotia, the nearest landfall. The island has been the focus of human activities, imagination and speculation for roughly 500 years. Shipwrecks, wild horses, seabirds and seals, and inaccessibility have endowed this narrow wind-swept sliver of sand with a special mystique. The island is the subject of extensive scientific research and of numerous documentary films, books and magazine articles.




The most famous, and perhaps the most popular, of Sable Island's fauna are the wild horses. Although access to the island is restricted - both by location and by regulations - the horses are well-known, and are of great interest, culturally and scientifically.



The Sable Island horses have been featured in several documentaries and numerous books and magazine articles, and they were the subject of an exhibition at the Equine Museum of Japan in Yokohama (1994), and a photography exhibition in New York City (Roberto Dutesco, 2002). This population of horses has been the topic of doctoral research (Welsh 1975), and long-term studies have been underway since the mid-1980s (e.g. Lucas et al. 1991).



http://www.greenhorsesociety.com/

LAMBS AT STONE CIRCLE LIVERY

Spring is here even if there is a windchill of minus seven. Our first pair of lambs this year were born early in the morning on the 21st March - Good Friday. Mum is doing well as are the lambs. The lambs are Southdowns which used to be on the Rare Breed Survival Trust 'At-Risk' list. Thanks to farmers adopting the Southdown they are now a strong breed in the UK. Stone Circle Livery are members of the Rare Breed Survival Trust.



Our Soay sheep are still on the RBST 'At-risk' list. Soay are a native breed that are excellent in the conservation mix. They are very hardy and can be described as almost feral. Visit the Rare Breed Survival Trust website for more information on what species are at risk and what you can do about it. There are some excellent pictures on their website.



Rare Breeds Survival Trust Website: http://www.rbst.org.uk/

MAYORESS OF ASHFORD AND ASHFORD BOROUGH COUNCIL PRAISE STONE CIRCLE LIVERY

MINUTES of a MEETING of the ASHFORD BOROUGH COUNCIL held in the Council
Chamber, Civic Centre, Tannery Lane, Ashford on the 13TH DECEMBER 2007
Stone Circle Livery
Kent Environmental Business of the Year 2007

Her Worshipful the Mayor was pleased to announce that a local business, Stone Circle Livery, had been awarded with the prestigious Kent Environmental Business of the Year Award 2007. Stone Circle were a local company based in Woodchurch and the UK’s first and only fully organic horse livery yard. The Mayor had last week attended the presentation ceremony at East Malling. Ten businesses had been picked out for doing particularly good environmental work during the year but Stone Circle was picked out as the main winner. She had hoped that they would have been at the Council Meeting this evening to take the congratulations of the Council and show their award but unfortunately this had not been possible. She hoped that there would be something in the local press about this award. All products used at the Livery were organic, the buildings were all brick built and they worked with Kent Wildlife and others to preserve their woodland rides and wildflower meadows. It had been a real leader and was being contacted by businesses throughout the country and abroad. They really were leading the way on sustainability and the Mayor was proud that such a company was based in the Borough.

BEACH RIDING AT STONE CIRCLE LIVERY

It's mid-March, the wind is howling and the rain is lashing. So we decide to box up the horses and go to the beach to do some riding! Camber Sands are just a 30 minute relaxed drive (Can’t go too fast with horses on the back) from Stone Circle Livery. We measured the distance as 14 miles total.



There is an ample car park that is right on the beach so it is easy to get on the sand. The horses love it. Amazingly, all the time we were there, the wind died down and it didn’t rain. The sands offer a fantastic opportunity to canter and gallop for long stretches so it is a great place to get some serious practice in. There is a restaurant of sorts so cups of chocolate, tea and coffee are in plentiful supply. You can even get chips!



The beach makes an excellent day out with your horse. We worked it out that we were away from the yard for 3 hours and 2 of those were spent riding. Trotting through the waves on the shore is a fantastic feeling and going in deeper in to the surf so it touches the soles of your shoes is great fun. All good confidence building stuff. The horses had a great time and after stopping we took them back on the beach so they could roll much to the amusement of some local children.


Weekend riding means you have to keep a good eye on the tide times which can be found on the Environment Agency website. It all brings a new perspective to riding the waves. Roll on summer when we can take advantage of the long evenings and the sunsets across the shore.

If you’d like to go riding at Camber the tidal times can be found here: http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/subjects/navigation/747415/187958/635933/?lang=_e

TREE PLANTING AT STONE CIRCLE LIVERY 2008 WINTER SEASON

As part of our continued efforts to restore and create habitat at Stone Circle Livery we have planted another 2450 trees this season. You can see all the areas of planting in the pictures below. Trees provide natural windbreaks, pesticide barriers from neighbouring farms, boundaries, hedgerows and woodland. They also enable us to create new bridleways and interesting riding areas. Amazingly, it can only take 3 years for the form and shape of the new planting to make a real difference.



This year, Stone Circle Livery partnered with the Kent Men of the Trees and accepted a donation of 1,500 trees for new planting. The Kent Men of the Trees is a long established charity dedicated to enhancing Kent through tree planting. In addition to the donation we harvested 950 willows from our own stocks to create new Willow banks and hedgerows.



This year we have planted 950 Willows, 200 Wild Cherry, 200 Alder, 200 Turkey Oak, 200 Hazel, 200 Mountain Ash, 200 Ash, 200 Silver Birch and 200 Hornbeam. The planting took place over 4.5 days using 3 people in total.



REDUCING THE CARBON FOOTPRINT OF OUR LIVERIES

Through planting trees we are helping our liveries offset their ‘Carbon Footprint’. Our carbon footprint reducing strategies for our liveries includes using some of the profits and directing them in to planting programmes. Although we are certified as fully organic and adopt planting to meet certification criteria we have to go a lot further to help reduce carbon impact. Tree planting is one of the best ways to offset carbon.



THE SOURCE OF OUR TREES

Our tree stocks come from Hopes Groves Nurseries based in Tenterden, Kent. We have found the quality of the plants to be superb and only have the highest regard for the service and attention to detail that they offer. Give them a call if you have any questions about planting hedgerows, woodland or ornamental features. The advice is free and excellent.



FUTURE PLANTING

The large areas of woodland have been planted at Stone Circle Livery. Now the real task is to create and maintain the hedgerows. Hopefully at the next planting season in winter of 2008/09 we will focus on creating natural paddock divisions. There is a single run of new hedgerow required and we estimate that it will take a total of 2700 trees to complete. So, another busy season ahead.



Stone Circle Livery is ‘Kent Environment Business of the Year 2007/8’ Winners of ‘Pioneering Rural Land Management 2007/8’

HOPES GROVE NURSERIES: http://www.hopesgrovenurseries.co.uk
STONE CIRCLE LIVERY: http://www.stonecirclelivery.com

SHEEP HELP HORSES IN AN ORGANIC LIVERY YARD

At Stone Circle Livery we have three varieties of sheep. Our own Soay and Southdown are both rare breeds and we rent out grazing during the winter months to a flock of Romneys. In the pictures here the Soays are the goat-like brown sheep. The Southdowns resemble Teddy Bears and the Romneys are the large white sheep you can see on the hill. The Romney is a superb breed for Kent as their feet can cope with the wet clay loam better than most other breeds.



So, why sheep? Well it all comes down to worms. We all know the importance of worming horses as part of a successful pasture management programme.

The three main groups of worms which horses are susceptible to are round worms, tape worms and bots, all of which need to be taken seriously and the most harmful being small redworms (a type of roundworm.) Worms can actually threaten the lives of horses and all livery yards should have a worm control programme, ideally drawn up with the local vet.



At Stone Circle Livery we only use herbal wormers. Whilst worming products are important, other measures also need to be taken in to account. One option is using sheep or cattle as “biohoovers”. There is no crossing over of worm species between horses and different species of livestock and mixed species grazing can be very effective in parasite control despite it being thought of as ‘rather unfashionable’.

The alternative is dung removal from fields, which is particularly important in heavily stocked paddocks, and should be done at least weekly and ideally more often in order to be effective. We remove dung on a daily basis.

Garry Holter, the pasture management guru who has consulted at Stone Circle Livery supports mixed-species grazing both for its benefits in worm control and also for the benefits to the pasture: “The more species you have grazing in a field the less damage will be done to that field as the horses will be able to pick and choose what they want to eat.” He emphasises the importance of looking after the grazing through not overstocking (his recommendation was that 20 horses need a minimum of 80 acres), regularly aerating paddocks, putting down meshing in gateways into fields to prevent poaching, and ‘resting’ pasture.

The rare breed flock at Stone Circle livery is an important part of the organic and natural pasture management cycle. Rare breeds are more hardy and resist many ailments associated with the more popular breeds.

Stone Circle Livery are winners of ‘Pioneering Rural Land Management 2007/8’

Rare Breeds Survival Trust: http://www.rbst.org.uk/
Gary Holter - http://www.meadowmania.co.uk/default.cfm/loaddoc.172

THE ORGANIC STANDARDS BEHIND STONE CIRCLE LIVERY

Stone Circle Livery is an organic livery yard. Our Land and Forage is certified and regulated by the Soil Association as organic. Technically a horse can not be classed as organic as there are no standards or regulations governing them for organic status in the UK. To use the ‘organic’ term in the sale of any product the business that is using it must be certified by a registered UK Organic licensing body in their own right. If the product or service is not certified in it’s own right then it can not be classed as organic. It is that simple, even if part of the product or service is certified by others and there are components that are regulated.

If you are looking at any organic product or service for your horse make sure you get to see the ‘Organic Certificate and License’ relating to it. We proudly display the Soil Association Certificate that relates to our organic Land and Forage on the entrance wall to the day rooms for everyone to see. Also, make sure the certificate is current as they are renewed on an annual basis. There is a big difference between being environmentally aware and friendly (green) to being fully organic.

Certified organic land & forage gives horse owners the peace of mind in knowing that their horse is grazing on regulated land and forage which is monitored to the highest standards and is subject to independent inspections ensuring that the highest standards are maintained.

Organic standards are the rules and regulations that define how an organic product must be made. Organic standards are laid down in European Union (EU) law. Anything labelled 'organic' must meet these standards as a minimum. The standards cover all aspects of food production, for example, animal welfare and wildlife conservation, and banning unnecessary and harmful food additives in organic processed foods.

Organic farming and processing are legally defined. Any product sold as organic must comply with strict rules set at UK, European and international levels. These rules ensure that consumers can be certain that they are buying a genuine organic product.

Soil Association Certification Limited (SA Certification) is one of only a very few of these bodies that have chosen to set standards higher than the EU minimum in areas of animal welfare and nature conservation.

Soil Association Certification UK5

When you are buying organic products look for the Soil Association's symbol or code UK5. The Soil Association (SA) organic standards are among the highest in the world.

Nature Conservation

The Soil Association was the first certification body to develop standards that ensured the environment on the farm was being carefully managed. A number of these standards have now been incorporated into the way that non-organic farmers must manage their farm to receive their subsidies.

ENSURING THE STANDARDS ARE MET

It is the certifiers' responsibility to check that organic standards are being met. SA Certification has very rigorous procedures in place and only uses highly-skilled inspectors. SA Certification is accredited by the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements, which has stricter criteria than those laid down by the UK government.

The certification body must make at least one inspection a year of every organic farm that it certifies. They must also carry out a number of spot inspections. These are unannounced inspections and are sometimes carried out randomly.

What will a Soil Association inspector look out for?

We will check all of the farming and/or processing activities and ensure they meet our standards. This means looking at records as well as the crops plants (Hay) and livestock animals. Our inspectors remain on the look out for indications of not meeting our standards as well as evidence of best practice. All inspectors have been trained to undertake animal welfare assessments. These are output based and look at objective evidence.

Need more info?

You can contact the Organic Team at Stone Circle Livery for help with any information you may need on converting the Land & Forage for your horse to organic status.

info@stonecirclelivery.com
www.stonecrclelivery.com
To visit the Soil Association please go to www.whyorganic.org

Kent Livery Yard wins Highest Environmental Achievement.

Article from 'Your County'

Stone Circle Livery in Woodchurch, near Ashford, has been named the county’s premier environmental achiever in 2007.

The UK’s first and only fully organic horse livery yard, Stone Circle was awarded the title ‘Kent Environment Business of the Year’, the top accolade in the Environment Awards for Kent Business 2007, presented by Keith Ferrin, Kent County Council Cabinet Member for Environment, Highways and Waste.

This small, family-owned business encourages clients and wider equine businesses to embrace the environmental benefits of going organic and received high praise from the independent judging panel for its careful waste management and its work creating new habitat and woodland, restoring ponds and recreating wild flower meadows not widely seen in the UK since Medieval times.

Presenting the Award to Stone Circle Livery Keith Ferrin said: “Against stiff competition from many other successful businesses Stone Circle has emerged to claim the well-deserved title ‘Kent Environment Business of the Year’ in recognition of its dedication to reducing consumption, re-using materials and recycling – the very cornerstones of sustainability. The company has worked hard to limit the mark it leaves on the local environment and, in common with the many other organisations that took part in this year’s Awards, is showing how it can be done and encouraging others to follow suit. We need to work together to ensure that Kent businesses of all sizes and sectors take their example on board.”

Susi Anderson, Livery Manager, Stone Circle Livery, added: "We are delighted to have done so well in these awards because our success recognises the importance we place on environmental issues at the core of our business philosophy. The awards give companies a benchmark to work towards in terms of high environmental standards and we are very proud that our environmental policies and efforts have been outlined as some of the best in Kent.”

http://www.yourcounty.co.uk/kentbusinessnews/stonecirclelivery131207b2.html

The Awards presentation ceremony, hosted by Kent Sustainable Business Partnership, welcomed representatives of more than 200 of the county’s leading businesses, and included a keynote presentation by Peter Crone, Director of Dong Energy, a sponsor of the London Array offshore wind farm project.

THE LIVERY YARD COVERING KENT, LONDON AND THE SOUTH EAST.

We often get asked where the UK’s first and only full organic livery yard, Stone Circle Livery is in Kent and how long does it take to get there? The Livery Yard is an hour from London on the train with the nearest stations being Headcorn or Ashford. London Bridge, London Cannon Street and London Charing Cross are the stations that run the Ashford Line. By road, we are served by the M20 between junctions 9 and 10. You can take either. It takes an hour from the edge of London by car. From Maidstone around 40 minutes. From Ashford, Kent around 15 minutes and from Headcorn, Kent around15 minutes also. By horse it would be around 3 days assuming your horse is fit for the journey.

RAIL INFORMATION http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/ldb/livedepartures.asp
TRAFFIC INFORMATION http://www.frixo.com

Most of our clients travel to Stone Circle Livery quite some distance and many work in London. Stone Circle Livery covers the Following areas:

Livery yards in Kent. Livery yards in London. Livery yards in Maidstone. Livery yards in Ashford. Livery yards in Headcorn. Livery yards in Staplehurst. Livery yards in Tonbridge. Livery yards in Tonbridge Wells. Livery yards in Paddock Wood. Livery yards in Sevenoaks. Livery yards in Smarden. Livery yards in Charing. Livery yards in Marden. Livery yards in Pluckley. Livery yards in Dover. Livery yards in Folkstone. Livery yards in Dartford. Livery yards in Rochester. Livery yards in Gillingham. Livery yards in South East London. Livery yards covering Gatwick. Livery yards covering Heathrow. Livery yards covering Stanstead. Livery yards covering Manston. Livery yards covering Lydd. Livery yards covering France. Livery yards in Orpington. Livery yards in East Sussex. Livery yards in Cranbrook. Livery yards in Wadhurst. Livery yards in Tentrden. Livery yards in Rolvenden. Livery yards in Hawkhurst. Livery yards in Sandhurst.

Stone Circle Livery is the award winning organic livery yard in Kent. British Horse Society Approved. A Member of the British Equine Trade Association. Winners of 'Pioneering Rural Land management 2007/8. Winners Kent Environment Business of the year 2007/8. See us at ECO-VILLAGE Kent County Show 2008. Visit www.stonecirclelivery.com for competitions and news.

STONE CIRCLE LIVERY PLANTS 8,000 TREES IN ONE SEASON

The vision behind Stone Circle Livery was the creation of a rural business that worked hand-in-hand with the environment. Part of this vision was the creation of new woodland to form natural wind breaks, habitat and interesting riding terrain as well as spray drift barriers to comply with our organic status.

We have planted thousands of trees at Stone Circle Livery and we are now old hands at getting the planting right but our first time around was a real learning curve. We did what we thought was best and we can honestly say that we got it right most of the time. We approached the Forestry Commission who offered a grant to purchase the trees to plant our new woodland under the Farm Woodland Premium scheme. The grant available just about covers the cost of the trees so any spiral guards, support canes, livestock protection and labour have to come out of your own funding. We took the view that the end result was worth the investment and committed our time and energy in a single planting season (December – February) to plant 3.5 hectares of native woodland species. That’s around 7,900 trees. The estimate we were given was working on a 30% failure rate. We are glad to report 3 years down the line that we have only lost 5%.

The Forestry Commission sugest a mixed and random spacing to an overall average density of 2250 plants per hectare, incorporating 10% open ground. We interpreted the 10% open ground in the form of new bridleways. Great for riding. The mix of trees was 30% Ash, 20% Oak, 10% Hornbeam, 15% Silver Birch 5% Wild Cherry (My favourite tree), 10% woody shrubs including hawthorn, buckthorn and hazel.

The pictures you see here are of the area we prepared for planting using a plough and power harrow and the resultant planting. Every spare minute we had went on planting trees but the results are really worth it. We’ll post some pictures of how the woods are taking shape in the summer. Some trees planted from small whips are already standing at 10ft tall.
www.forestry.gov.uk

CREATING BRIDLEWAYS AND RESTORING HABITAT AT THE AWARD WINNING LIVERY YARD, STONE CIRCLE LIVERY - KENT

There are many ‘Shaves’ in Kent where Stone Circle Livery is situated. A shave is a small parcel of woodland. Sometimes they are called a ‘Shaw’. ‘Shaw’ is the word you will find on many of the old maps. Shaves can often be found separating land boundaries between properties or situated around the field ditch network that runs across Kent. Often, where the ditch network finds lowland or inaccessible places a shave will be in evidence.

There is such a shave at Stone Circle Livery and within it there is a complicated ditch network. Over the many hundreds of years the ditches have formed their own path. In some areas the water has formed tunnels big enough to crawl through at 4ft high and in others there are channels 16ft deep. On a dry summers day it is hard to imagine the ditches almost overflowing but they do. After the heavy rains the sound of the water thundering through the ditches is deafening and you have to shout above it to be heard.

The trees in our shave are of the semi-ancient-natural-woodland variety and provide a stunning natural canopy that is deep in bird song. Originally the shave was impenetrable with overgrown brambles and fallen trees so we set about restoring it. There were two main objectives. The first was to create a new bridleway so it could be used by carriage drives as we have a carriage driving for the disabled group at Stone Circle Livery and riders on horse back. The second was to restore the habitat and to bring an old pond back to life.

Many years ago farmers would cut ditches in to ponds. This meant that during the summer months the pond would dry out as the water had run off in to the out flow ditch. We cleared the pond and reshaped the ditches so the water would hold and form a pond. At the same time we replaced the sleeper bridges on the public right of way that had become unsafe for walkers to use. We have been rewarded for all this effort by now seeing a pond that is healthy and vibrant with life and as the pond is adjacent to the path walkers get the benefit of our endeavours too.

The shave covers around 4.5 acres and is situated where a natural dip in the land occurs. This has given us the opportunity to create a new bridle way that follows the shape of the land flowing with the curves and the bends. It is amazing when you first set out to create a track how the natural lay-of-the-land and the position of the trees dictates a far more interesting route than you may have created left to your own devices. Again the opening of the track has rewarded us with superb displays of Foxglove and Bluebell.

Small parcels of woodland offer fantastic opportunities for riders. They also can bring a wood back to life through being used again and looked after. It is always good practice to seek initial advice from your local wildlife trust and forestry office as to best practice and no ditch should be cut in to or altered without expert opinion. The before and after pictures here show when we first created the tracks and restored the ponds and how they now look in spring. Stunning.
http://www.kentwildlifetrust.org.uk
http://www.forestry.gov.uk

LEWIS BLACKBURN NATURAL HORSE TRAINER AT STONE CIRCLE LIVERY

One of our liveries at the yard is a huge fan of Lewis Blackburn and introduced us all to him - Thanks Jennifer!

Lewis is a ‘Natural Horse Trainer’ of vast experience who travels to you. What this man can do for you and your horse in even a single hour is astonishing. Needless to say, everyone on the yard is now taking advice and instruction from

Lewis after seeing the results he gets first hand. His website is full of fantastic advice in the ‘Published articles’ section.

The pictures you see here are of Lewis working with Bollinger in the rubber surfaced 20 X 60 arena at Stone Circle Livery. What follows below is an overview of how Lewis describes himself and what he does. Check out his website. If you live in Kent, you can travel your horse and want a lesson from Lewis you can contact Stone Circle Livery on info@stonecirclelivery.com or 01233 860 870 and we may be able to fit you in on one of the days Lewis is with us. Basically we all share his traveling costs and the school or round pen hire at Stone Circle Livery is £10 per hour.

You can contact Lewis on

http://www.blackburnnaturalhorsetraining.com

blackieb@btconnect.com

Telephone: 01799-543711

Mobile: 0771 831 7654.

Here is what Lewis says

“Over the years I gained an understanding of horses and apply what I have learned and experienced in remedial training, problem solving and improving confidence / communication between horses and riders.

I consider myself fortunate to have a feel, empathy for horses. I see every horse as an individual character with its own quirky habits, likes and dislikes. I try to stay kind and even handed with every horse I encounter (even when explosions occur). I do not condone nor will I ever beat or reprimand a horse with anger or excess force. My work is not directed solely for English or Western riding styles as it is suited to improve any style / discipline and to improve overall communications.

My intentions are to deal, in a friendly, firm and natural way, with all breeds of horses with their worries/problems, also in helping riders/owners to better communicate to their horses what they have already learned (or are in the process of learning). I feel that it is essential to try and deal with horses in a firm, relaxed fashion by working more with the horse instead of against him.”

The Benefits of Organic Hay

ORGANIC HAY

From an Article that appeared in Local Rider Magazine - UK.

Picture: Moon Gazing Daisies (Oxeye Daisy) in the hay fields at Stone Circle Livery


Organic hay offers equines many benefits over conventionally produced hay. The best method of reducing exposure to potentially harmful pesticides would be to consume organically grown hay, where their use is avoided. In addition to this, Nitrogen is not added to fields to increase yields and in turn this chemical is not entering your horse. Organic hay is GM-free and most importantly it has to be certified organic by a certification body like the Soil Association.

Organic certification is not an easy process and takes at least two years under the current Soil Association rules. Inspections are regular and the practices and procedures are heavily regulated.

Susi Anderson, the Livery Manager at the UK’s first and only fully organic livery yard, Stone Circle Livery in Kent, grows her own organic hay. “We see the quality of our organic hay as one of the key principles behind our equine business. Nothing is added to the hay fields so the whole process is totally natural and free from artificial intervention. Weeds are hand pulled and no weed killers are used at all. We never use Nitrogen and we follow the strict practices of the Soil Association who are our certifying body” she said.

Susi added,” We have seen a large increase in horse owners looking for natural products and organic hay is in huge demand from those who understand the benefits for their horses”. In general, demand is outstripping the available supply as many of the organic farms that make organic hay use it for their own livestock so have little left over for the needs of horse owners. Susi’s advice is to visit http://www.whyorganic.org/ and find a farm in your area that makes organic hay and ask the farmer before the hay is made to put some aside for you. This will help the farmer manage his supply and ensure you get enough for your horse.
Susi points out that organic hay can only be classed as organic if it has been certified as organic. “Many people think organic means that because they may not have used a weed killer it is organic – it isn’t. If you are being offered organic hay ask who the certification body is and if you are still unsure as to the genuine quality of the hay ask to see the organic certificate it relates to. Any genuine supplier would only be too happy and proud to show their organic certificate and license as they take a lot of work to attain”. If you would like to find out more about the organic way of life for your horse you can visit http://www.stonecirclelivery.com/ or email info@stonecirclelivery.com

WILL CLIMATE CHANGE AFFECT THE COST OF LOOKING AFTER MY HORSE?

This article was prepared for Local Rider Magazine - UK
Author - Paul Anderson


Climate change is already having a big impact across the equestrian world. Experts are saying that summer temperatures in South East England (UK) are expected to rise by up to 3°C by 2050 with 35% less rainfall. Progressively warmer and drier summers will put further pressure on South East’s water resources, and wetter and milder winters will threaten our coastal communities and impose a greater risk to households on flood plains. If predictions are correct our livery yard – Stone Circle Livery - could be less than a mile away from the mouth of a new estuary whereas we are currently 12 miles away from the sea. You can go to the Environmental Agency website to see how flooding might affect you.

So what does it all mean for us equestrian folk? Warmer and drier summers sound great. Hacking in just a t-shirt until late evening only stopping to pick olives and apricots but the wetter winters sound miserable. Endless rain with saturated paddocks and schools. Climate change is responsible for increased feed costs. It is also responsible for squeezing already tight margins for livery yards and riding schools. Here’s why.

This year, you may remember the talk about the weather being so bad that nobody could make hay. Some farmers and agricultural contractors got it right but many didn’t. If the hay you are feeding your horse this winter smells musty it is probably because it was made in one of the ‘good weather’ windows but didn’t get stored quickly enough and was exposed to rain. Good hay is in short supply and this gets reflected in the price you pay for it. As we experience longer periods of rain we can only expect hay to start costing us more and as our horses are stabled for longer periods there will be an increased cost as we have to use more pro rata.

The agricultural fields that surround Stone Circle Livery ended up having two crops in them in one growing season due to the first crop being destroyed due to unusual wet weather. Many of these crops go to make hard-feeds for animals including horses. So now the cost of lost crops is being reflected in feed prices. This is all a vicious circle that we have to adapt to as climate change is not going away.

Another down side of all of this water is the impact it has on the paddocks and pasture we graze our horses on. Incessant rain will turn a paddock to slush in a few days. The deeper the horses sink in to it and uproot the grass swards the harder it is for the grasses to regenerate. Sometimes it is so bad you have to reseed completely. It can take up to 3 years for a paddock to recover if it has been so badly poached in the wet weather that it needs reseeding. Also, where does the horse go whilst you are doing the reseeding process? Back in the stable requiring more hay and feed that is already at a premium.

Keeping your horses outside for longer will require more land so that you minimize the impact of the wet weather and are in a position to ensure good grazing on a rotation basis. The issue is that once the rain stops and the warmer drier weather arrives, there is then no water around to kick-start the seed in to growing and little to keep it watered during the growing cycle. It is all a bit feast or famine.

So, what can we do to prepare for the future for our horses? Firstly, we need to find the space for our horses so that there is minimum impact on the grazing and ground. If you are keeping a horse on one acre then it will be difficult to instigate any real plan. If you can keep a horse on three acres then it is a lot easier to rotate the grazing and minimize any reseeding work. The more acreage you have access to the smaller the impact will be in terms of needing hay and hard feed and all the associated costs of running a stable like lighting and heating all of which have an impact on climate change. It will also minimize the need to reseed. Secondly, if you have a regular source of hay, ask the person making it if it would help if you bought it off the field. This means you will collect and stack it yourself. It is possible to negotiate a good discount on the cost of the hay from the field and will also ensure that you get it stored before it gets wet as it is down to you. I know 3 girls with a horse trailer who have done this very successfully.

For those of you with horses at livery or stabled with a riding school you can help the establishment so that inevitable price increases are minimised. Start a conversation with the owner of the school or yard and ask if it is possible to be involved in sourcing feeds. Form a team of helpers and ensure that your hay is made and stored at the right time. Try to secure more land for your horse and draw up a grazing plan to minimize the impact. These are a few ideas on dealing with the economic issues that climate change raises. There are many more.

Scientists have used fossilised horses teeth to monitor the effects of climate change. The results showed that the earth's temperature dropped by 15 degrees Fahrenheit during a period of 400,000 years some 33.5 million years ago. That temperature change was so drastic the impact was striking in terms of animal extinction. Climate change is not new and the impacts of it are well documented. As horse owners we have a closer connection with the environment and we have the potential to make a positive difference that could result in us actually saving money as opposed to having to bear the cost of climate change.

Paul Anderson is the Land Manager at Stone Circle Livery, Kent.

Winners of the 'Pioneering Rural Land Management Award for Kent Environmental Business' Overall winners of Kent Environment Business of the Year 2007' Stone Circle Livery is the UK’s first and only fully organic livery yard. A British Horse Society Approved Livery Yard. A member of BETA (British Equestrian Trade Association) you can visit Stone Circle Livery at: www.stonecirclelivery.com

WELCOME TO ORGANIC HORSE

This is the blog of the Organic Horse. The Organic Horse lives at Stone Circle Livery which is the UK's first and only fully organic livery yard. It's regulated by the Soil Association, a British Horse Society Approved Livery Yard, a Member of BETA and the Kent Environment Business of the Year 2007/8. 

Our vision is one of conservation, habitat creation, environmental betterment, animal welfare and long-term welfare of the planet.

We are based in Woodchurch, in Kent. You can visit our organic yard at www.stonecirclelivery.com. Don't forget to check out the Swallow Cam in spring.

Thanks for passing by. The Organic Team at Stone Circle Livery.