WATER CONSERVATION
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Every drop of water delivered to horses and every flush of a toilet at Sagehill Stables is rain water.
Eaves troughs and underground piping collect water off the 60,000 sq. ft roof line, which is all rerouted to our beautiful pond. Water pumps located throughout the building pump water from the pond to various place on the property, including the wash-rooms, wash racks and water troughs! Access to clean, potable water is an environmental and health issue around the world. By using water collected off our own property we have become very conscious of water waste as well as keeping our water source safe from contamination. |
RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
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We currently have two sources of renewable energy, wind energy and geothermal energy!
Our windmill aerator helps keep our pond water clean and oxygenated! The windmill does not require any electricity to run, helping keep our electricity use low while providing the horses and facility with clean water! Our two geothermal furnaces heat and cool our office areas and barn! Geothermal heat reduces electricity use substantially (50 to 70%!) by using the heating and cooling effects of the earth! Instead of using electricity or other non-renewable sources of energy, pipes containing water are circulated below ground where they are warmed or cooled by the earth's temperature! This water is then transferred back to the furnace and used to heat or cool the building. You can learn more about geothermal heat on the Manitoba Hydro website! |
NATURE CONSERVATION
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Sagehill Stables is home to 40% natural wilderness and native vegetation.
At Sagehill Stables, the role of natural habitat and plant and wildlife species in ecosystem functioning and cycling is of the utmost importance to us. We have purposely left all lands along the LaSalle River portion of the property, along with any lands near natural wetlands, in native vegetation. This provides healthy riparian areas for stream bank stabilization, allows wetlands to function as natural water cleaners and also to store water, and provides corridors for wildlife movement and habitat. We believe that these natural areas help provide a healthier, cleaner environment for all types of life to live in and enjoy, something that we cannot place an economic value on. |
NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT
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We are actively engaging in ways to ensure that our soil nutrient balance is in check, including building partnerships with neighbouring farmers who are in need of extra nutrients (via manure). We are actively soil testing paddocks and pastures to keep track of our nutrients and their potential impact on the environment.
Horse boarding facilities are one of the few types of agriculture practices that don't actively export nutrients from the land base to make a profit. This makes nutrient management at stables particularly important, as we constantly important nutrients in the form of hay and grain, but don't actively harvest hay or grain to sell or feed outside of the property. This can lead to accumulation of nutrients on a land base, which in turn can lead to contamination of nearby water sources and air pollution. |
LOCALLY GROWN & SOURCED PRODUCTS
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At Sagehill Stables, we have a policy to source, whenever possible, locally grown and made products, whether it be for human or horse consumption. Including, products that require the least miles for transport and supporting locally made and grown products.
Current products we are sourcing locally for our horses include hay and bedding, and some natural healing products. |
