Time to go green and protect the planet

Ten ways you can make a sustainable difference on the yard for Earth Day and beyond

Earth Day takes place on 22 April every year and the idea behind it is to get everyone thinking about environmental issues and climate change. If you’re wondering how you can do your bit, then look no further than our top-10 tips to help you look after your pony while staying green. Of course, you don’t have to do these suggestions only on Earth Day because you can do everything we’ve listed all the time to play your part in looking after our amazing planet.

1. Reuse and repair – by swapping pony items and riding clothes with your friends or buying items second hand, you can reduce your carbon footprint. And don’t just throw things away when they’re ripped or broken – get them repaired and carry on using them!
2. Bedding – you can save on bedding by using certain types that only need the wet to be removed every few days and the droppings every day. Many companies have recycled packaging, too, so check with your yard manager to see if your yard is using a company that does this.
3. Water – yards use a huge amount of water, which is obviously needed to keep your pony happy and healthy! But did you know that you could use a water butt connected to guttering instead of a tap? The water butt catches the rainwater, and you can then use this for cleaning and washing. And if you filter it, you can even use it for your pony’s drinking water too!

4. Lights –swap old bulbs for newer energy-saving ones and the good news is that these last much longer, too. Solar-powered lights are another good swap because, in order to work, they draw energy from the sun instead of using electricity.

5. Getting around – whenever possible, try to share a car with your friends when going to the yard, or, if you live close by, cycle there. Not only is cycling great for saving the planet, it’s also a good way to warm up before you ride!

6. Cut down on plastic – look for products that use less packaging or ones that come in packets or bottles you can refill.

7. Clothing – most clothing brands for both riders and ponies now make items from recycled materials, so keep an eye out for their labels when you’re doing some shopping.

8. Muck – maybe your parents need some pony manure for their garden, or you know of someone else who might want it. If so, speak to your yard manager to see if they can take some of the yard’s manure to grow beautiful flowers at home.

9. Hay delivery – if you order hay individually at your yard, club together with other liveries to see if you can order your hay at the same time to save the farmer having to make more than one trip – but don’t forget to check that the hay is being grown locally.

10. Work together – finally, chat to other liveries about making the yard more sustainable and put up signs to remind everyone to switch off the lights or turn off the taps when they’re not using them. You never know, maybe together you’ll come up with even more ideas that you can                 add to your ‘going green’ list!