We moved to New Coghurst farm in December of 2012 with our herd of horses with the aim to re-wild them to a natural living herd as much as we possibly could. Coming from a conventional equine background and moving into equine and human therapeutic work shifted our relationship with the horses on many levels. One of the main ones was the realisation that they didn't need to live in stables, wear shoes or rugs or be ridden to thrive, actually what they needed was the security of living in a herd and space to be able to roam and graze, this led us to finding the farm which had enough land to allow them to live out all year round and that is where our adventure of letting the horses live a more natural life started.
This journey has taught us many things about the horses but also about the landscape they are living in, and the surrounding nature. As we started to let go of the conventional ways of managing land for horses we noticed how, not only the herd were thriving but also the land. Our shift switched from being horse focused to land focused and over the years we have watched as different species (plant and wildlife) have flourished. We are learning how to help enhance certain areas (conservation) to attract certain species of animals and insects, this in turn benefits the horses. The horses have become our conservation big grazers and our soay sheep (native sheep to the highlands) also do a tremendous job with this!
We are enhancing the species of plants on the farm by seeding our fields with different types of wild flower, the seed of which will be appropriate for our big grazers to eat but will also help attract more insect life and create a more biodiverse habitat. We plan to enhance some of the wetter areas of the farm into dedicated wetland areas to encourage wildlife suited to wetland habitat. We will open out some of the woodlands, where appropriate to let in more light to encourage more insect life and fauna but we are also aware they are already thriving from having been untouched for so long. We have wild garlic and bluebells in the spring and the fallen trees play an important role in fertilising the soil and being home to many insects.
Our woodlands and fields are home to many different species of animal from deer, foxes, badgers, stout, mice, rabbits, squirrels, to woodpeckers, our resident barn owl, bats, buzzards, kestrels, heron, ducks, and many insects.
We have learnt that we need to address the areas where monocultures have formed so we can allow a more diverse range of different specie grass and flowers but we are excited to be on the journey and learning more and more about the amazing landscape we call home. We invite guests who stay here to log any wildlife they see to help us gain a broader knowledge of what is living amongst us.
All images are taken on the farm.
Our woodlands and fields are home to many different species of animal from deer, foxes, badgers, stout, mice, rabbits, squirrels, to woodpeckers, our resident barn owl, bats, buzzards, kestrels, heron, ducks, and many insects.
We have learnt that we need to address the areas where monocultures have formed so we can allow a more diverse range of different specie grass and flowers but we are excited to be on the journey and learning more and more about the amazing landscape we call home. We invite guests who stay here to log any wildlife they see to help us gain a broader knowledge of what is living amongst us.
All images are taken on the farm.
