>>> We have a big pond that dries up during our summers but when it has water >>> in it the >>> horses love to go in and romp around. We have a threatened turtle species >>> that lives >>> in it too and goes to the creek when the pond dries. I do worry a bit the >>> horses will >>> step on the turtles but love seeing them play in it.
I think that's probably somewhat of a concern - what the horses do to the existing ecosystem. I know that some communities have zoning that prohibits fencing streams and creeks, since the much they create can cause damage further down the stream. I'd think that a standalone, manmade pond would be up to the discretion of the owner...? Beyond that, I think that depends a lot on the particulars. Most horses love water, and I'd love to have a water source for mine to play in and to use to cool off in the summer. A lot of folks in our area have ponds in their pastures, and I'm a little jealous. But, we didn't include the ponds in our fenced area, because there have been muskrats around them for a long time - my grandpa built these two ponds in the 1920's, using mules and scoop pans, so who knows when the muskrats started building their tunnels. There are many muskrat holes right around the edge that don't show up well. These holes and tunnels can be very deep, some well over two feet, and will sometimes collapse with the weight of a human. If I had all the money in the world, I'd put in a new pond for my horses to play in, and would watch from the get-go that such a problem didn't arise. As it is, it would be VERY costly to correct this old problem, and a logistical nightmare since the pond dam is right beside a main county road, and not much room for a bulldozer to work in. And since the main pond will be destroyed anyway when the road goes in, it's not worth the expense to repair it. I wish we had a good natural stream on our property, but all we have are "wet weather ditches." Karen Thomas, NC
