The production of hay through sustainable landscape management was highlighted by Matthias Rode, Managing Director of the Southern Styria Nature Park. Many areas that are difficult to cultivate or have low yields are becoming overgrown or increasingly forested. Innovative ideas, such as financial support through the earmarking of tourism levies, aim to bring these biodiversity-rich areas back into cultivation, with the harvested hay being used, for example, as horse feed.
Whether this forage is actually suitable for horses was impressively summarized by Reinhard Resch, an engineer from the HBLFA Raumberg-Gumpenstein. Taking into account the location, the composition of the plant population, and the mowing time, with particular attention to the presence of plants poisonous to horses, areas with high biodiversity offer both opportunities and risks. A region-specific assessment is always the focus in order to guarantee the best possible harvest.
Dr. Astrid Schwarz, a veterinary specialist and breeder of horses from Klagenfurt, concurred with these statements: Toxic plant components in feed or on pastures can have fatal effects on equine health – however, a wide variety of grasses and herbs generally has a positive effect. With her extensive expertise, the participants, both online and in person, from Austria, Germany, and Liechtenstein were guided through the principles of equine nutrition from historical and current perspectives. In particular, lifestyle-related diseases are a cause for concern and are occurring more frequently – less is often more, and overfeeding must be avoided.
Use of working horses
Benefiting from ample forage, the use of working horses in the school forest was demonstrated in the afternoon under beautiful autumn weather. As a soil- and environmentally friendly method, timber extraction with horses is experiencing a renaissance and is a valuable complement to mechanized forestry. Martin Sommerauer from Eugendorf and Johann Lettner from Zell am Moos impressively demonstrated their experienced and precise forestry work with their Noriker horses.
As a cross-state cooperative event, the Lungau Horse Symposium stands for strengthening horse husbandry in rural areas and the transmission of traditional values in conjunction with new knowledge.
Horse Symposium 2023
The organizing team around Irene Mösenbacher-Molterer, Markus Schaflechner, Mathias Gappmaier and Franz Lanschützer has planned the next event for 2023.
For listening and reading:
A look back at the horse symposium - Source: Regional TV Salzburg
ZOOM recording of the lectures
Video of the demonstrations and explanations in the forest
Follow-up report on the website
Team
