With the start of show season just around the corner, Lucinda Dyer, author of Eco-Horsekeeping: Over 100 Budget-Friendly Ways You and Your Horse Can Save the Planet (www.horseandriderbooks.com), gives us the five easiest ways to stay green while pursuing blues.

1. Horsepool:

Next time you head out to a show, make sure your trailer is carrying a full equine load. Not only will you (and your horse) have company along the way, you’ll be sharing the cost of fuel for your gas guzzler and cutting down on air pollution.

2. Keep Your Tires Properly Inflated:

How simple is this? Inflating your tires to the maximum pressure recommended by the automaker can improve gas mileage by as much as 3 percent. And since tires can lose 1 to 2 pounds of pressure in a month, always check them before a long haul.

3. Slow Down:

According to the EPA, each 5 mph you drive over 60 mph is like paying an additional $0.24 per gallon for gas.

4. Don’t Leave Your Trash Behind:

If recycling isn’t available at the show or event you’re attending, toss a plastic bucket in the trailer so you can bring your recyclables home to be disposed of properly. Lable the bucket “Recycle,” put it outside your stalls, toss in a few empty soda cans to get things started and let your barnmates know they are welcome to contribute their cans, bottles, and paper.

5. Don’t be a Water Hog:

How often have you seen hoses at wash stations gushing water because someone with their hands full of horse couldn’t manage to turn off the tap? Always pack an adjustable nozzle-in fact, pack several, and if the hoses at the show grounds are wastefully nozzleless, leave yours behind for other attendees to use. Your planet will thank you.

Lucinda Dyer’s eco-horsekeeping tips are available for reprint. Contact Rebecca Didier ([email protected]) at Trafalgar Square Books with questions or to request materials.