Soils:
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Must have erosion contral and frage production assessment plan to meet
objectives
o Reduce and prevent accelerated erosion
o Enhance and safeguard all water leaving the cal poly equine center to
maintain aquatic environmental values
o Recover and expand the diversity health and vigor of riparian and
rangeland vegetation to provide habitat and soil surface protection
o Improve the forage quantity and value in the quine center pasture
The equine facility should serve as an example for students and visitors of how
environmentally friendly and aesthetically pleasing equine facilities should be
managed and operated.
o During storms and dry summer months, the equine center does not appear
to be state of the art due to the condition of the land, forage and stream
channels.
Unfortunately, horse farms and ranches tend to have large negative impacts on the
environment
o People are beginning to recognisze these impacts and are attempting to
manage their land accordingly
o This can be a challenge
o Horse owners are concerned for the risk of their animals getting cut or
bruised
o They don’t want to mix herds because individual horses may not get along
o Need to be close to facilities to be ridden every day and kept under
observation
o Tend to be more selective grazers than cattle or sheep and they defecate in
the same area of a pasture
 Tend to overgraze portions of pasture resulting in degradation
o Often horse facilities are close to urban areas where less vegetation is
available to filter sediment and waste so contaminants are deposited
almost directly into water sources.
o The horse industry is much farther behind in prioritizing the environment
when managing land compared to other livestock companies
 Most horses are usually raised on private lands and therefore do
not fall under as much public scrutiny as other livestock producers
who graze public lands
 Also the horse is not normally used for food and considered by
many as a companion animal or pet
Inftro
 Cal poly foundation owns all horses that are kept permanently and is responsible
for funding most operations
 Equine center is expected to support itself through revenue generated from the
sale of horses, breeding programs, and stallion fees.
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It is the hard work and diligence of students and faculty, increasing quality of
horses and facilities and support from alumni and the industry that kept the equine
center functioning.
land originallypart of the potrero de san luis Obispo psanish land grant
MY HOMEPAGE
 THERE ARE three reservoirs located within the equine facility,
o Indonesian reservoir
o Shepard reservoir
o Smith reservoir
o There pages for more information?!
 SOILS
o Rills have developed in the highly impacted areas with the potential ofr
gully formation
o Vegetative cover in highly compacted areas is virtually non existent,
leaving the soil exposed to rainfall and runoff forces
o Increased bare ground and invasive species as a result of overgrazing and
compaction have reduced protection of the soil surface
o Some rills are evident in bare areas surrounding the feeding and gate area
and the riparian area
o PICTURE: colt class pasture
 Soil surface is very poor
 Pasture si devoid of any vegetative cover with the exception of
purple starthistle and sycamores, willows, and oaks surrounding
the riparian area
 Soil is subject to massive particle detachment and it has already
eroded down to bedrock in some areasmay lose up to 20 tons
/acre/year predicted by RULSE
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o There are six different soil series located within the boundaries of the
equine center
o All are characterized as clays, clay loams, or loams
o Each soil tends to be suitable for rangeland, but sensitive to overgrazing,
the degradations of all six soils is indicated by the presencde of invasive
annual bromes like mustard and milkthistle and cheeseweed
o Soils:
o 4 types arranged in 6 series throughout the pastures, each with different
characteristics:
 Diablo and Cibo Clays
 Lodo Clay Loam
 Los Osos Loam
 Obispo rock outcrop complex
 Vegetation
o Vegetation should be promoted to stabilize slopes to decrease slumping
and particle detachment
o Road bed should be outsloped to facilitate runoff removal
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o The following descriptions are for the vegetative species that are
commonly found on the Equine Center’s pastures
o Make a shift down the page:
o Annual grasses
o Perennial grasses
o Annual and biennial forbs and herbs
o Pernniel forbs and herbs
o Annual and perennial legumes
PLANTS: from the Berkeley digital library program
o False Brome © 2002 Bart and Susan Eisenberg
o
o Hare Barley© 2004 Carol W. Witham
o
o Italian Ryegrass © 2004 Carol W. Witham
o
o Large Crabgrass staff CDFA
© 2001 CDFA
o
o
o Rabbitfoott Polypogon
Copyright © 2004 Carol W. Witham
o
o Soft Chess Brome
o
o Virginia Moore
© 1999 California Academy of Sciences
o Wild Oat
o © 2002 James B. Gratiot
o
PERENNIAL
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Bermuda Grass © 2001 Tony Morosco
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California Brome Charles Webber
© 1998 California Academy of Sciences
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Purple Needlegrass © 2004 David A. Tharp
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Timothy© 2002 Steve Matson
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Yellow Nutsedge © 2005 Louis-M. Landry
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ANNUAL AND BIENNIAL FORBS AND HERBS
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Annual sowthistle © 2004 Laura Ann Eliassen
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Black MustardBrother Alfred Brousseau
© 1995 Saint Mary's College of California
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Bur Chervil © 2003 Michael Charters
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Chamomile © 2004 Carol W. Witham
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Cheeseweed © 2002 Tom Annese
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Coast TarweedWalter Knight
© 1999 California Academy of Sciences
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Common Lambsquarters © 2005 Louis-M. Landry
o
o Distaff thistle staff CDFA
© 2001 CDFA
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o
Erect knotweed: © 2001 Steven Thorsted
o
o Brother Alfred Brousseau
© 1995 Saint Mary's College of California
o
o Hairy Fleabane
o
Conyza bonariensis
Asthmaweed
© 2005 Luigi Rignanese
o Italian Thistle
o
o Charles Webber
© 1998 California Academy of Sciences
o Locoweed © 2001 Gary A. Monroe
o
o Milkthistle Brother Alfred Brousseau
© 1995 Saint Mary's College of California
o
o Nettleleaf Goosefoot © 2005 Luigi Rignanese
o
o Purple Starthistle © 2005 Luigi Rignanese
o
o Redstem filaree © 2004 Steve Matson
o
o Wild Artichoke © 2004 BonTerra Consulting
o
PERENNIAL FORBS AND HERBS
o Anise© 2002 Thomas M. Elder, M.D.
o
o Buckhorn Plantain
o © 2004 Filippo Chierici
o
o Curly Dock © 2000 Joseph Dougherty/ecology.org
o
o Dandelion Dr. Robert Thomas and Margaret Orr
© 2002 California Academy of Sciences
o
o Morning Glory © 2004 James M. Andre
o
o Red Sorrel © 2004 Carol W. Witham
o
o Rush Grass © 2005 Craig Westenburg
o
o Tall Buttercup © 2005 Lisa Powers
o
o Wild Onion
© 2005 Louis-M. Landry
ANNUAL AND PERENNIAL LEGUMES
Arroyo Lupin
Brother Alfred Brousseau
© 1995 Saint Mary's College of California
California burclover
© 2004 Carol W. Witham
Hairy vetch
© 2004 Dr. Mark S. Brunell
Rose Clover
© 2004 Carol W. Witham