Mud on the Mountain
In the last blog we looked at the challenges of snow on the mountain. Well, snow melts and late winter/early spring brings rain. All that moisture has to go somewhere and the somewhere includes into the ground. The heavy foot traffic from the horses in the lots makes it difficult for grass to grow and so there is nothing to prevent the lots from becoming muddy during periods of rain. Like the snow, mud presents its own unique challenges to farmers and ranchers, challenges generally not faced by others.
The soil in Eastern Tennessee has a high clay content. When clay gets wet, it gets sticky, with lots of suction, the pull-off-your-boot as you try to walk in it, kind of sticky. And while horses generally don’t wear boots, the stickiness of the mud makes walking more difficult. This leads to some horses moving less than normal due to the exertion necessary to walk through the mud, and it also leads to the horses needing more food to compensate for the added work they have to do simply to walk across the lot to get a drink of water.
With the increase in the size of our horse herd, Peace Mountain Ranch has more horses in the same area which increases the churning of the mud in the lots. To help mitigate this situation, PMR has been offered some additional nearby pasture for the horses. To use this pasture, PMR will have to restore the fence, which we hope to accomplish in the next month or so. Adding more pasture areas will allow us to rotate the horses through these areas, giving the grass in each pasture time to regrow. It will lessen the number of horses in the lots, which will lessen the amount of churning and help the lots stay firmer. PMR is also looking at bringing in some additional soil for the lots in an effort to create a crown, or a long mound, which will shed the water and stay drier. This method is often used in cattle lots and dairies to provide higher ground for the animals to stand or lie on where there is less mud and standing water.
Both of these options are necessary, and the additional pasture is a great blessing, but moving dirt and building fences cost money. The horses play a substantial role in helping Veterans, and caring for the horses is crucial so they are available to interact with the Veterans. Will you help us take care of our horses? The cost to feed a single horse for a month often tops $250. This figure doesn’t include the costs of maintaining the grounds, caring for the pastures, and building fences to keep them safe. While caring for the horses will always be a priority, without adequate giving, funds that would normally be used to care for Veterans must be transferred to caring for the horses. Please consider giving to Peace Mountain Ranch today. We cannot help Veterans without your generous support. To donate, visit our donation page at https://www.peacemtnranch.org/?page_id=2415.
