๐จ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ๐บ๐ ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฝ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐๐ฟ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด Explore how soil structure, biology, water movement and grazing pressure influence pasture growth and recovery, so you can look beyond the visible symptoms.
๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ด๐ป๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ Learn how to observe soil and pasture conditions, consider your soil type and management history, and identify where further investigation or support may be useful.
๐๐ต๐ผ๐ผ๐๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐ด๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐ณ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ Understand the purpose, timing and trade-offs of grazing changes, rest, reseeding and other interventions, helping you assess what is appropriate before committing time and money.
What a course learner says:
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This course is really excellent. Very sound and detailed explanations. Plenty of real world examples of things going wrong and how to fix them. Also how things look when they start going down the right track.
Horse and Land Owner
About this course
Soil is part of a living pasture system. Its structure, organisms, organic matter and interactions with plant roots influence how your fields take in water, supply nutrients and recover from grazing. This course helps you understand those relationships and apply them to horse pasture management. Youโll explore how horses and management practices affect soil function, including overgrazing, poaching, compaction and the trade-offs associated with different inputs and treatments. From there, youโll consider practical approaches to supporting recovery: improving structure, managing organic matter, encouraging diverse plant communities, allowing rest and assessing when reseeding may help. The course also explores different pasture conditions, from waterlogged ground to dry, sandy soils, and helps you think through when to intervene, when to observe and when to seek professional support. The aim is to build your ability to make informed decisions for your own land, rather than follow a single prescribed system.
Who this course is for
- Horse owners and carers responsible for grazing land - Yard managers and equine land managers - People dealing with recurring mud, compaction, bare ground or poor pasture recovery - Owners considering reseeding, contractor work or other pasture inputs - Equine professionals and educators interested in soil, pasture and welfare No prior knowledge of soil science or ecology is required. The principles can be applied across different climates and pasture systems, with management decisions adapted to local conditions.
How the course works
Short, focused video lessons, clear visuals and reflective activities help you connect the science with what you see in your own fields. Work through the course at your own pace, alongside your yard routine, work and other commitments. You can pause, revisit explanations and return to relevant topics as your pasture changes.
What's included
- 7 chapters and 54 lessons - Video lessons and practical demonstrations - Quizzes and reflective activities - Field observation tips, resources and further reading - Lifetime access to the course - Lifetime access to the learner community, where you can ask questions and learn from other owners
Try the teaching before you decide
The free preview includes lessons on compaction and improving soil structure, plus the Improving Structure quiz. Explore the explanations and teaching style before deciding whether the full course is right for you.
ยฃ159.95
About the Instructor
Sian Constantine is the founder of Hoof & Habitat and an ENFAR Registered Feed Advisor, with a background in biochemistry and life sciences. She combines scientific research, practical horse ownership and hands-on pasture management to explain the connections between soil, plants, grazing management and equine welfare. Her teaching helps horse owners understand how pasture systems function, so they can assess options and make informed decisions for their own horses, land and circumstances.
Curriculum
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0.1 Using thinkific
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0.2 Intro to your teacher
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0.3 Who this course is for
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0.4 The layout of the course (How to use the modules)
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0.5 Thinkific settings
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1.1 Understanding soil as a living ecosystem
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1.2 What lies beneath your pasture
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1.3 The hidden workforce
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1.4 Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC) โ Understanding Nutrient Availability
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1.5 How functional soil supports horse welfare, nutrition and biodiversity
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2.1 Overgrazing and Poaching
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2.2a Compaction Free preview
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2.2b Compaction Demo
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2.3 Fertilisers & Herbicides: Short-Term Responses and Long-Term Trade-Offs
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2.4 Pesticides, Wormers & Other Treatments โ Unintended Impacts on Soil Life
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2.5 How these practices can reduce welfare, biodiversity and resilience
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3.1 BRAINS
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3.2 Prioritising soil function before introducing seed
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3.3a Improving structure Free preview
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3.3b Improving Structure Quiz Free preview
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3.4a Improving drainage and water storage
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3.4b Improving structure, water storage and drainage Demo
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3.5 Integrating Organic Matter into Pasture Management
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3.6 Encouraging deep-rooted and diverse plant communities
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3.7 Grazing management for rest and recovery
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3.8 Supporting soil organisms and beneficial fungi
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3.9 When to rest, reseed or observe Quiz
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3.10 Supporting recovery with reseeding
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3.11 Managing manure and urine hotspots
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4.1 Context and decision-making (BRAINS reminder)
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4.2 Identifying Soil Texture and Structure (2 Videos)
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4.3 Compacted, acidic, or low-calcium soils
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4.4 Poor drainage, run off and waterlogging
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4.5 Dry, sandy and nutrient poor soils
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4.6 Overgrazed or โhorse-sickโ pastures
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4.7 Fertile, Productive but Nutrient-Imbalanced Pastures
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4.8 Shaded or shelterbelt areas
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Module 4.9 Summary
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5.1 Re-centering Decision-Making
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5.2 When structural complexity supports health
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5.3a Setting realistic goals for your land
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5.3b Laura Hobbs from Switch Equine - setting realistic goals
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5.4a Know when to seek support
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5.4b Laura Hobbs from Switch Equine - Know when to seek support
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5.5 Identifying helpful support
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5.6 Building systems that last
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Field observation tips for horse owners
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Making Compost Tea
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Finding a good professional
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Hoof and Habitat Blog Articles
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Additional Reading
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Equicentral system
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Track System (Paddock Paradise)
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Is your horse pasture health improving?
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How to create more resilient pastures.
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References
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Frequently Asked Questions
๐๐ผ ๐ ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ผ๐ถ๐น ๐๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ? No. The course introduces the principles and explains them in relation to horse pasture, using clear explanations, visuals and practical examples. ๐ช๐ถ๐น๐น ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐ต๐ฒ๐น๐ฝ ๐บ๐ฒ ๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ฑ๐ผ ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ ๐บ๐ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ? The course helps you recognise pasture conditions, understand possible contributing factors and assess management options. It also covers when further investigation or professional support may be useful. Your soil, climate, grazing pressure and management history all influence the right response, so the course teaches decision-making principles rather than a prescribed plan for every field. ๐๐ผ๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐๐น๐ฎ๐ฟ ๐ด๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐๐๐๐ฒ๐บ? No. Youโll explore how soil, plants, horses and management interact, and learn how to assess approaches in light of your own land and circumstances. ๐ช๐ถ๐น๐น ๐ ๐๐๐ถ๐น๐น ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐? You may. The course explores when interventions can help, the trade-offs involved and why timing and underlying conditions matter. The aim is to help you make a more informed choice about what your pasture needs. ๐๐ฎ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐ต๐ฒ๐น๐ฝ ๐บ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐๐ผ๐ถ๐ฑ ๐๐ป๐ป๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด? Understanding the problem before choosing an intervention can help you assess where spending is justified and where a different approach may be more useful. The course supports those decisions; the costs and results will depend on your pasture and circumstances. ๐๐ฎ๐ป ๐ ๐๐๐๐ฑ๐ ๐ฎ๐ ๐บ๐ ๐ผ๐๐ป ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฒ? Yes. You can work through the lessons when it suits you and revisit topics as you apply your learning. ๐๐ผ๐ ๐น๐ผ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ถ๐น๐น ๐ ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐๐? Enrolment includes lifetime access to the course and learner community, so you can return as your land, horses or management needs change. ๐๐ฎ๐ป ๐ ๐ฎ๐๐ธ ๐พ๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐? Yes. You can ask questions and share experiences in the learner community. ๐๐ฎ๐ป ๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด? Yes. The free preview includes the Compaction lesson, the Improving Structure lesson and its accompanying quiz.
Feel more confident choosing your next steps
Before investing in another pasture intervention, build your understanding of what your land may need and why. This course gives you a foundation you can return to as you observe your fields, review your management and work towards healthier, more resilient grazing. Self-paced online course ยท Lifetime access
ยฃ159.95