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Two day introduction to Permaculture Design for Horse Keepers

 

Permaculture Design; what is it and how can it help you?

Are you concerned about climate change, peak oil, spiralling energy costs, environmental destruction, species loss and the apparent fragility of global, national and local systems of finance and economics?

Do you feel guilty about the time and energy you devote to keeping your horse and the environmental costs of horsey culture? Do you struggle with time and resource management leading to frustration and despair and want more time to spend not only with your horse but also with friends and family? Would you like to co-operate with your friends to make your livery yard more horse friendly? If you knew how to manage a piece of land yourself would you rather do that than stable your horse at a livery yard?

Most horse owners are not rich but we are driven by our passion to scrimp and save in order to maintain our equine companions. Permaculture Design can help.

 

Permaculture Design

Permaculture Design, established in 1976 and now widely practised throughout the world, provides a simple, practical approach to solving the challenges that we face in the new millennium on both a global and personal level. It is a holistic strategy that recognises the interconnected nature of life and offers the opportunity to integrate the different areas of our lives into a more coherent whole, enabling us to make valid decisions based on rational choices.

 

Working with nature, not against it.

The foundation of Permaculture Design is working with nature rather than against it. Obviously if we intend to work with nature then it is important that we know something of what nature is trying to do, so observation of nature and natural systems is at the very core of this design system. After all, nature has been around for millions of years and has developed in increasingly complex forms so obviously it's getting something right. By studying nature and thinking about what makes it all work together so well, we can gain useful insights into how we can design our own environments that are based on natural systems. For example, where is the best place for that fence line, when should I put other grazing animals on my pasture and what should I do with that wet place that is always getting poached?

 

Three main elements to Permaculture Design.

The first is an ethical framework that covers care for the environment, the community and yourself. These three main ethics of Permaculture Design provide a simple framework for decision making. The fact that Permaculture Design has an ethical basis makes it stand out as fairly unique in a modern world which may at times feel completely lacking in any sense of ethical or moral duty.

Secondly is a set of principles to further guide our actions. Unlike rule based systems, principles require thought in their application and use. The principles used in Permaculture Design are based on the long observation and study of natural systems. A native forest, for example, plants and manages itself, handles nutrient recycling, deals with waste and renews itself, among many other things, through the energy of the sun and the use of simple resources like water and carbon dioxide. By using these natural or ecological principles in our own design work, we are far more likely to develop genuinely sustainable systems.

Thirdly are a collection of design tools and techniques that allow us to observe, analyse and design or re-design systems, whether they be a smallholding, horse management or lifestyle, using the ecological principles and according to the ethical framework. The resulting design is an ongoing process that reduces our environmental footprint and frees up time, energy and resources to develop our real interests in creative and positive ways.

 

A Holistic, integral approach

Permaculture Design is holistic and seeks to integrate areas of our lives and thoughts that may at times seem fragmented and contradictory. Permaculture Design recognises and honours the many valid contributions from the past, such as organic growing, alternative technology, self-sufficiency, low impact building techniques, ecology, group dynamics, systems theory and the like and includes them within the overall design framework. This allows us to make sense of many different and often apparently competing or contradictory ideas and techniques and arrange them in a harmonious whole that supports the needs of the environment, the community and your self.

Permaculture Design can help you to redress the balance and get things back on track for you, your family, your horse and ultimately the planet. Through thoughtful design we can reduce our environmental burden, releasing time, money and energy for the activities that we really wish to pursue and shed some guilt in the process.

 

About us and the courses we offer.

We, Chris and Lyn Dixon, live on a seven acre permaculture holding in Wales and have been studying and practising Permaculture Design since 1989. Chris was the twelfth Permaculture Designer in Britain to receive a diploma in Permaculture Design over twenty years ago and is widely recognised in the field both nationally and internationally. Lyn has been riding and working with horses for over forty years and is a holder of the Monty Roberts Preliminary Certificate in Horsemanship and an Intelligent Horsemanship Recommended Associate.

We offer a two day introduction to Permaculture Design specifically tailored to the needs of horse keepers. The courses are practical (though not hands on work with horses), fun and informative and follow the principles of learning by doing.

The course are suitable for anyone involved in keeping or managing horses, from the single owner through smallholder to a livery yard operator or prospective horse owner.

 

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