# About these pages

The horse population in Iceland has increased considerably during the last decades. This has led to growing grazing pressure on private and common ranges and increasing concern about their condition. In 1993-1994 the SCS and ARI conducted an inventory of the condition of horse ranges in the country. In continuation of that work it was decided to develop and publish a simple guide for farmers, horse-owners and range managers to assess and improve the condition of the ranges.

The method presented in the guide is based on similar principles as used in a method recently developed to assess soil in Iceland, http://www.rala.is/kvasir/. The essence of the method is a scale that describes a stepwise degradation of the rangeland. Simple vegetation and erosion characters, which people can easily notice without considerable training, are used for the scale. In the field these characters are visually estimated and the results of the assessment can be worked out. Therefore it should be easier to take action and make the necessary improvements without delay. Management options are given in the guide.

| Last updated 06/05/98 by Asrun Elmarsdottir ©1998 Agricultural Research Institute and Soil Conservation Service | 1997 ©

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