The Opal Horse » Sustainable Equine Enterprise

Sustainability and the Equine World

leadmare — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 03:15:58 +0000

A term that is seen more frequently and in more places these days is “sustainability”. What does this actually mean? What is its significance to the equine world?

In 1987, the United Nation’s World Commission on Environment and Development offered this definition: “Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” Most feel the term encompasses three parameters: environmental, social and economic.

The international organization, The Natural Step, suggests that these parameters can be thought of as inter-nested spheres. The largest sphere, which contains the others, is the earth and its environment. This is also known as natural capital, the natural resources and ecosystems that support our lives and businesses. The middle sphere represents humanity and how we interact with each other (society). The small center sphere is the economy, which has no real meaning without the other spheres. I offer that the social sphere could include our equine partners.

I personally feel that with the privilege of living here on earth comes with a responsibility to treat it with care and consideration, and to make sure the generations yet to come have abundant, healthy resources available, too. As a mother and a horse owner, I am especially aware of this necessity. I also feel we need social and economic policies that honor all people.

Sustainability is a way of living. It is a thought system. Its practices grow from its ground of principles. It encompasses a whole system perspective, involving a wider, deeper and longer way of seeing than we are accustomed to in our daily routines of survival. It takes willingness, dedication, courage and patience.

Where does one start?

First, one comes to the realization that there is a need for adopting sustainable life styles. If you have been paying attention, you already know this. Human populations keep expanding and renewal of natural resources is not keeping pace with consumption. Most biological systems are in decline: soil, forests, water availability and quality, fisheries, plant and animal biodiversity and so on. Fossil fuels, which formed over great lengths of time, are not renewing as fast as we are extracting them. What does this mean for future generations?

More regulations are being implemented to prevent further degradation of the planet, though these are constantly fought or undermined. Humans expect ever increasing quality of life for themselves. The economic system is in turmoil. All these pressures create the effect of moving into a future where the funnel is narrowing steadily. At present, there is still time to aim for the small opening that is left to avoid hitting the wall of the funnel. This is the opening into a sustainable future.

Next, one begins to practice whole system thinking and life-cycle analysis. For example, your horse is a whole system. It is more than just its hooves, or digestive system, or muscles, or skin, or brain, or behavior, or breed, or color, or history. Its health and well-being also involve more than some food and water. A conscientious horse owner strives to provide for all the physical and mental needs of the horse.

The same is true for your facilities, and beyond that, for your neighborhood, bioregion, and so on through the level of the whole planet. Each is a part of the whole; they are all connected. But we usually don’t think much past the level of our own equine facility.

Life-cycle analysis thinking is based on the way the natural world operates. Everything flows in a cycle. Nothing is wasted. The only input into this closed system we call Earth is the energy from the sun. Water and nutrients constantly circulate. Life, death, life happens. Seasons cycle year after year. Unfortunately, humans think and live in a more linear way. Birth, death. Resource, product, consumption, waste. Worse yet, we make synthetic products and chemicals that the earth can’t even biodegrade back into useful nutrients. We disconnect from the cycle of things; we flush or deposit our trash and it goes “away”. Only, there is no “away”.

This is not sustainable. We humans cannot continue to live in this manner indefinitely. In fact, I suggest we cannot continue to live in this manner during our own lifetimes if we intend to pass along a planet with the same resources available to the next generations.

The time to begin thinking and living sustainably is now.

Though the aspects of sustainability – environmental, social, economic – are interrelated, it is a bit easier to address them individually first. What do the environmental practices of a sustainable equine enterprise look like?

The primary impact on the environment, other than our personal daily living, is probably from the horse (or donkey or mule) itself. They eat plant material, deposit manure, walk around on delicate soil and affect water quality. Were there a limited number of horses wandering loose and kept in population balance by large predators, this would not be so much of a problem. However, this is far from the case. In the USA alone, there is an estimated 9 million horses. Most of these are concentrated in stables or small operations. They require large amount of food, water, and bedding. They produce tons of manure that must be managed properly to prevent contamination of water and prevent the spread of parasites and disease. All this care requires energy, which, at this point, is primarily sourced from fossil fuels.

As we start to look at the whole system, we realize that energy and resources are also required for all the aspects of horse care and usage. We build barns, arenas, racetracks and fences; we manufacture tons of equipment – feed buckets, horseshoes, trailers, tack, tractors, veterinary supplies; we create huge amounts of chemicals for the horses; we trailer them to competitions, trailheads and races. How much of this is made from recycled material? How much is recycled after its use is over? Do any processes or traveling use renewable energy?

While some owners are beginning to adopt measures to be environmentally-friendly to their land and water, the practices are not yet common throughout the equine world. And not many of the industries that supply the equine world are actively pursuing environmentally-friendly practices.

What is the social realm of sustainability? The social sphere mainly addresses how we treat each other. We need human companionship in order to lead physically and mentally fulfilling lives. Our daily existence is a complex web of interactions between humans: how we meet our basic needs for food, clean water, clothing, shelter; our work and leisure lives; our family and community relationships; the peaceful coexistence of nations. Humans flourish when they have the ability to meet their basic needs, have respect for diversity, honor fairness and equality, and share love and compassion. When we consider the needs of others along with our own, when we do what we can to address famine and poverty, when we live within resource limits of the planet, when we take into account the basic needs of the future generations, then we live in a socially sustainable manner.

In the equine world, I say this social sphere also includes how we treat our equine partners. Each person needs to answer the question: do I support my equine to live a healthy, fulfilling life? Do I consider my equine partner a mere commodity, an object designed for my pleasure, or a fellow being who deserves the same quality of life that I have?

What is the economic area of sustainability? The economy is basically the system designed by humans to define and manage the flow of goods and services, the exchange of value, production and consumption. There are many economic systems operating around the globe. Nearly all are based on the premise of continuing, infinite growth. Nowhere in the natural world does this bizarre idea exist or play out. It is absolutely unsustainable. While ideas for alternative economic systems are not yet well developed, it is becoming clear that “business as usual” is no longer a viable option.

One of the main problems with the current models is that most economies and businesses do not incorporate the true costs to the environment into their products and services. They harvest the profits and leave the external costs (of cleanup and regeneration) to the public. We consumers are complicit in the destruction of natural and social capital by our never-satisfied desire for novelty and pleasure, for more and more. Whereas the advances in technology and innovation can bring life-enhancing results, these must be evaluated within the context of the whole system of life. What impact does this “latest and greatest” have on present and future generations and natural resources? Does it support an increase in social equality? Does it support an economic system that is in balance with the other aspects of sustainability?

And more simply, will each new thing bring us lasting joy and satisfaction? These feelings are rarely dependent upon material possessions, beyond our basic needs. True prosperity is far more than the pile of money one accumulates.

An economic system that results in increasing numbers of families that work for less than a living wage is also not sustainable. Millions in our own nation can’t afford to buy a house or pay for health care and insurance. Yet the tiny percent of our population at the top continue to become exponentially wealthier. When members of this elitist group fill the ranks of all of the political, academic and corporate entities, who is left to advocate for the rest of humanity?

For a horse owner, one’s personal economic system should also consider the well-being of the horse, especially if it is involved in generating income for the owner. It is not hard to find examples of horses (and humans) being mistreated for the sake of making a few more dollars.

How do these three areas of sustainability relate to each other? A person or facility can adopt environmentally-friendly measures, but still not endure for the long term. If the social relations fall apart or finances are mismanaged, the person or facility will falter. On a larger scale, for example, the issue of abandoned horses (social problem) is tightly related to the national recession (economic problem). We will not find a good solution to the first without addressing the latter. If an equine facility boards or breeds too many horses in an effort to make money, but destroys their land and facilities, they will ultimately fail. If an equine-related industry is financially successful, but is caught polluting the environment or mistreating workers, they may be fined heavily or shut down.

When an equine enterprise has a long-term vision that takes into account its natural resources (natural capital), the well-being of the humans and horses (social capital) and careful management of its financial resources (economic capital), that enterprise has a far better chance of being a successful, healthy, vibrant place for generations to come.

Living sustainably is complex. The web of connections between the choices and actions of daily living is a challenging puzzle. And this is just at the level of the individual; what about at a community, national and global level? Complicating the effort to live sustainably is the fact that many of our current social and economic structures support the very opposite way of living.

The transformation to a sustainable world won’t happen overnight, but it will happen and it is already happening in many small ways. Where does the equine owner start? In one’s heart and mind. Be willing. Be open to learning the principles and adopting the practices.

When to start? Now would be a good time….

A Granddaughter’s Essay

leadmare — Tue, 25 May 2010 20:38:08 +0000

The year is 2040. I am living on this wonderful horse farm today, thanks to Grandmother Becky. Back in 2010, she made the choice to adopt the principles of tri-nested sphere sustainability. She integrated the practices into all areas of her life. Others realized the wisdom of these living choices, and they worked together to find equine-related product and service providers who met the guidelines of long-term sustainability in the three spheres of environmental, social and economic factors. It seems odd now to me that there was any other way to live, but back then, she and the others were pioneers. Her son, my father, continued this legacy.

Equine enterprises were among the early leaders in sustainability in the world. Each sustainable equine place developed practices that worked best for their situation. Yet all are based on similar principles, which are just as valid today as they were years ago. And, of course, these principles also apply beyond the equine world.

The deepest foundation principle of all is love. Loving kindness, respect, compassion, consideration, a sense of oneness. Arising from this foundation, every thought and action is infused with a powerful energy. Another related principle is wholeness. Whole system thinking; everything is connected. Awareness of the effects of choices on the whole, not merely on the direct line of action. “Relatedness is the organizing principle of the universe.” Concepts such as interdependence, integration, cooperation, collaboration and dialogue live in whole systems design.

Whole system thinking includes life-cycle thinking. Everything in the natural world is part of a cycle. Day and night, moon phases, seasons, birth and death, carbon and other nutrients, water, tides, and so on. Grandmother’s generation saw the transformation from the unintelligent “take-make-waste” practices, which had become the norm, to the “life-cycle design” systems for production of goods. Today’s common phrases, such as “cradle to cradle” and “waste equals food”, were born back then.

Principles based on the wisdom of the natural world began to inform all aspects of living. Resources started to be used only at the same rate as they were renewed. The impact of harvesting or mining was studied on a comprehensive level before any action was taken. Biodiversity became recognized, appreciated and encouraged. The sun became the basis for supplying most energy needs. As the toxic effects of many man-made chemicals became unmistakable and deadly, people reacted swiftly to block their production and to replace them with naturally-occurring alternatives or found ways to live without them. Needless to say, the earth and our equines also benefitted from this change.

Though by Grandmother’s time overt slavery was illegal and considered immoral, there was a hidden “slavery” which no one thought much about. These practices included underpaying workers directly and also indirectly by doing business with companies that underpaid their employees. These greed-based practices also included questionable, and outright cruel, treatment of horses and other equines, in the name of profit for the owners. I am happy to say that, today, equines are considered beings of value in their own right. While some still help generate income, they are viewed as more as companions than commodities. People and equines learn from each other. All equines live fulfilling lives, and are treated with dignity from birth through death. Unwanted horses are, thankfully, a disgrace of the past.

People have learned to embrace their own innate value and take responsibility for their own lives. We access an internal source of joy and peace, and focus more on the content of our lives rather than the form our lives take. Who a person is inside outshines his or her appearance or possessions. We reach out to each other, sharing a sense of belonging with family, community, and the wider world. Service, not authority, has become the highest form of leadership.

The economy is now based on sound principles, which include full-cycle factors and the environmental costs of all products and activities. We value a culture and economy that is designed to allow everyone to meet their basic needs. The vision and practices of a business are more highly regarded than its financial bottom line. A business person’s ability to create meaningful employment for others, or guide young entrepreneurs, is honored far above any personal or business net worth. A culture of giving and sharing has replaced the culture of taking and hoarding. A sense of abundance permeates life.

When principles of design and creation are based on consideration for all life on our planet, the products and services work so well that there is little need for government regulation. Competition serves only to encourage improvement and innovation. Knowledge is shared and imagination is supported.

All these ways of being and acting were modeled by the past generations, and gradually became the common practices of today. I live in gratitude for the deep thinking and conviction of my predecessors. I am committed to continuing to provide a profound and awesome future for my descendants and their animal partners, generation after generation.

Quotations:

“Relatedness…” Joseph Jaworski, Synchronicity, The Inner Path to Leadership

“Cradle to cradle” Originally, Walter Stahel; McDonough and Baungart Cradle to Cradle

“Waste equals food” McDonough and Baungart Cradle to Cradle

Expanding on the Sustainable Equine Enterprise…

leadmare — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:40:45 +0000

The term ‘consideration’ is used in business as one element of a legal contract. It stands for ‘an exchange of value’. It can be money, or an item, or a promise given in return for something from the other party. I chose the term for its multiple meanings. When we are considerate toward one another, we are polite, kind, thoughtful and loving. We can treat the earth the same way, of course, and many people do by adopting earth-friendly ways of living. But have we ever thought about what we can actually give the earth in exchange for all the value we receive from it? In what ways do I effectively contribute to the earth?

The Natural Step Network Canada, in their Sustainability Primer, address the concept of ‘basic human needs’. They share Manfred Max-Neef’s summary of nine universally fundamental needs: subsistence, protection, affection, understanding, participation, leisure, creation, identity and freedom. I feel that most, if not all, of these apply to our equine partners, also. How do I fulfill those needs, for myself and my equine friend?

A steward is a person (or business) who has been entrusted with managing something of value. The person is knowledgeable, wise and honest. Generous implies an attitude of abundance; the understanding that money, like other forms of energy, is most effective when there is flow. When resources are shared, all benefit and synergy is created.

Welcome to The Opal Horse!

leadmare — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 02:53:11 +0000

THE OPAL HORSE

I am a commitment to raising awareness of sustainability principles and practices in the equine world. I envision the possibility of all equine (horse, donkey, mule) facilities and businesses being sustainable.

What do I mean by sustainable?

The Sustainable Equine Enterprise…

… treats the earth with the utmost care and consideration;

… is a place where people and animals lead healthy, fulfilling lives;

… is a generous steward of all economic resources.

“Sustainable” is defined as: “Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” (1987 United Nations, World Commission on Environment and Development)

Sustainability is based on three interdependent, nested spheres, and the order of the above parameters represents the hierarchy of importance. The largest sphere, which contains the others, is the earth and its environment. This is also known as natural capital, the natural resources and ecosystems that support our lives and businesses. The middle sphere represents human capital (society) and, for our purposes, includes our equine partners. The small center sphere is the economy, which has no meaning without the other spheres. All are necessary for sustainability.

Adapted from The Natural Step Network US

Primary principles of sustainability:

1) Resources taken from the earth’s crust (minerals, fossil fuels) are used efficiently and effectively, and extracted only at a rate that equals their formation.

2) Decrease or stop production, use and disposal of synthetic substances which are toxic or accumulate in nature. Allow only substances that biodegrade or are kept in closed-loop systems.

3) Resources are only taken from land and water that have been carefully managed according to nature’s cycles, and with respect for true capacity and for biodiversity.

4) Allow and support all beings, human and animal, to meet their basic needs.

Adapted from The Natural Step Network US, System Conditions