Soil and Pasture Health

Learn how soil function underpins healthy pastures, forage diversity, and equine welfare.

Management in Practice

Discover how grazing pressure, compaction, and management choices affect both land and horses.

Observation and Decision Making

Gain practical skills to observe, interpret, and make informed decisions about your own pasture.

What the course covers:

Over several hours of expert-led lessons explore soil as a living system, the impact of grazing and management choices, pasture condition, forage diversity, and the timing of interventions — all focused on realistic, low-risk improvements suitable for your land and horses.

How you’ll learn:

Short, focused video lessons with clear visuals and simple reflective activities make this course flexible and accessible, so you can learn alongside busy yard routines, work responsibilities, and family life.

What participants gain:

By the end of the course, you’ll confidently observe pasture and soil patterns, understand how management choices influence both horses and land, recognise common pasture patterns, and know when to intervene or step back to allow natural processes to rebalance.

About the course

This course provides a clear, accessible introduction to soil function, equine pasture and pasture management, helping participants understand how everyday management decisions influence soil health, forage, and the wider environment. Through informed observation and thoughtful decision-making, participants learn how to support pasture systems that are more resilient, functional, and appropriate for horses across a wide range of equestrian settings.

Who this course is for

This course is suitable for: - Horse owners and carers - Yard and land managers - Coaches, instructors, and equestrian educators - Welfare-focused organisations and committees - Anyone responsible for managing equine grazing land No prior knowledge of soil science or ecology is required.

About the Instructor

Sian Constantine Sian is a biochemist, UKCC Level 2 coach, and the founder of Hoof & Habitat Ltd. She combines scientific knowledge with hands-on equine experience to help horse owners, coaches, and land managers create thriving, welfare-friendly spaces for horses.

Curriculum

7 Chapters · 52 Lessons

  1. 1

    Module 0: Introduction

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      0.1 Using thinkific

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      0.2 Intro to your teacher

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      0.3 Who this course is for

    4. 0.4 The layout of the course (How to use the modules) Free preview
    5. (Included in full purchase)

      0.5 Thinkific settings

  2. 2

    Module 1. What Makes Soil Function?

    1. 1.1 Understanding soil as a living ecosystem Free preview
    2. (Included in full purchase)

      1.2 What lies beneath your pasture

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      1.3 The hidden workforce

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      1.4 Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC) – Understanding Nutrient Availability

    5. (Included in full purchase)

      1.5 How functional soil supports horse welfare, nutrition and biodiversity

  3. 3

    Module 2. How Horses (and Humans) Influence Soil Function

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      2.1 Overgrazing and Poaching

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      2.2a Compaction

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      2.2b Compaction Demo

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      2.3 Fertilisers & Herbicides: Short-Term Responses and Long-Term Trade-Offs

    5. (Included in full purchase)

      2.4 Pesticides, Wormers & Other Treatments – Unintended Impacts on Soil Life

    6. (Included in full purchase)

      2.5 How these practices can reduce welfare, biodiversity and resilience

  4. 4

    Module 3. Rebalancing the System: Supporting Soil Function and Pasture Resilience

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      3.1 BRAINS

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      3.2 Prioritising soil function before introducing seed

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      3.3a Improving structure

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      3.3b Improving Structure Quiz

    5. (Included in full purchase)

      3.4a Improving drainage and water storage

    6. (Included in full purchase)

      3.4b Improving structure, water storage and drainage Demo

    7. (Included in full purchase)

      3.5 Integrating Organic Matter into Pasture Management

    8. (Included in full purchase)

      3.6 Encouraging deep-rooted and diverse plant communities

    9. (Included in full purchase)

      3.7 Grazing management for rest and recovery

    10. (Included in full purchase)

      3.8 Supporting soil organisms and beneficial fungi

    11. (Included in full purchase)

      3.9 When to rest, reseed or observe Quiz

    12. (Included in full purchase)

      3.10 Supporting recovery with reseeding

    13. (Included in full purchase)

      3.11 Managing manure and urine hotspots

  5. 5

    Module 4. Reading the Land: How Soil Type and Health Shape Pasture Function

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      4.1 Context and decision-making (BRAINS reminder)

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      4.2 Identifying Soil Texture and Structure (2 Videos)

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      4.3 Compacted, acidic, or low-calcium soils

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      4.4 Poor drainage, run off and waterlogging

    5. (Included in full purchase)

      4.5 Dry, sandy and nutrient poor soils

    6. (Included in full purchase)

      4.6 Overgrazed or “horse-sick” pastures

    7. (Included in full purchase)

      4.7 Fertile, Productive but Nutrient-Imbalanced Pastures

    8. (Included in full purchase)

      4.8 Shaded or shelterbelt areas

    9. (Included in full purchase)

      Module 4.9 Summary

  6. 6

    Module 5. The Bigger Picture: When to Intervene and When to Step Back

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      5.1 Re-centering Decision-Making

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      5.2 When structural complexity supports health

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      5.3 Setting realistic goals for your land

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      5.4 Know when to seek support

    5. (Included in full purchase)

      5.5 Identifying helpful support

    6. (Included in full purchase)

      5.6 Building systems that last

  7. 7

    Resources, Reading and References

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Field observation tips for horse owners

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Making Compost Tea

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      Finding a good professional

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      Hoof and Habitat Blog Articles

    5. (Included in full purchase)

      Additional Reading

    6. (Included in full purchase)

      Equicentral system

    7. (Included in full purchase)

      Track System (Paddock Paradise)

    8. (Included in full purchase)

      References

Available now

This is an online, self-paced course with immediate access upon enrolment. Participants can complete the course at their own pace. This course is designed to support informed discussion, shared understanding, and responsible pasture management across a wide range of equestrian contexts.

£159.95

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Sian 

Hoof and Habitat