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.

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