Stabling Draft Horses

4:06 am

4 Comments

Essential Tips for Stabling Draft Horses Comfortably

Stabling bigger horses? As a continuation from my article on how big should a horse stall be, https://equinefacilitydesign.com/facility-planning-design/big-horse-stall.htm, most of us are accustomed to average barns for average horses: twelve foot by twelve foot stalls, with doors about four feet wide. (In fact, you might not have ever considered the width of your stall door — they seem pretty uniform, right?)

But as draft and draft crosses become more popular as riding and recreational horses, it’s time to consider whether the average […]

The Stabled Horse: Keeping Your Indoor Horse Healthy and Happy

9:37 am

0 Comments

Equine Care, News

Keeping Your Indoor Horse Healthy and Happy

Mention the word “stable” and most people will conjure up images of green pastures surrounding a serene barn where horses lean over their dutch doors, taking in the fresh air and peaceful surroundings. And while that’s certainly a lovely goal, the truth is, plenty of our horses will live much of their lives lives in more suburban, if not completely urban, environments. Does your horse live in a barn where turn-out time is limited, or non-existent? Or does your horse stay inside for health and safety reasons? If […]

Landscaping for your Stable

2:37 am

0 Comments

Facility Planning & Design

Landscaping

Ready to add some spring colors to your stable? While no one wants to add work to a busy barn day, there’s no doubt that a few flowers can add to the appeal of your farm. Let’s look at a few easy ways to landscape around the barn, using horse-friendly and low-labor plants.

Hardy plants: Let’s face it, most of us will plant flowers with very good intentions and eventually forget to water them. Horse-people are busy people; sometimes anything without four legs falls through the cracks. Look for […]

Making a More Environmentally Friendly Horse Farm

4:07 pm

0 Comments

Facility Planning & Design, Products

Making-a-More-Environmentally-Friendly-Horse-Farm

Creating an Eco-Friendly Horse Farm: Key Strategies

Spring is here, and everything’s turning green. Take a cue from Mother Nature and add a little green to your farm routine. If you’re running a farm or visiting a boarding stable on the regular, you’re participating in an important conservation effort, whether you knew it or not. Farmland conservation promotes green-space in rapidly developing areas, supporting animal and plant life which would otherwise be threatened by new construction.

So just by participating in the farm lifestyle, you’re making a difference. What’s next? Here […]

Three Surfaces for your Stable Aisle

2:26 am

0 Comments

Facility Planning & Design, Products

Top 3 Stable Aisle Surfaces for Safety and Durability

When we think about designing our dream stable, our minds often go first to the stalls. With good reason — our horses spend a decent percentage of time in their stalls, so we want them to be roomy, safe, and comfortable. Then we think about our tack room, our wash-racks, our amenities — all the extras that make the stable comfortable for us, the humans in the equation. But we might actually spend the most time of all in our stable aisle, getting from place to place, grooming horses, or […]

Thwart Horse Theft: Three Ways to Identify Your Horses

3:59 am

0 Comments

Equine Care, Products

3 Effective Ways to ID and Thwart Horse Theft

Horse theft seems to be as popular these days as it was back in the Wild West. We may not call them rustlers any more, but we still have to be on high alert to protect our horses from thieves who might appear on foot or with a trailer, ready to open our gates, break into our barns, and take our horses from us. In a recent article, we talked about simple strategies to improve security around the barn. Now, let’s look at a few simple ways to […]

Hay, Vitamins, and Winter Needs for Horses

3:46 am

0 Comments

Equine Care

Essential Winter Care: Hay, Vitamins & More for Your Horse

Feeding horses in the winter: it can be a joyless activity for the humans in the barn, depending on where those humans live! Rising before the sun to tramp through the snow, wrestle open the barn doors, and coax water through the pipes is hardly anyone’s idea of fun, but we do it year after year, because we love our horses.
Horses are generally happy to eat no matter what the season, although their menus may change quite a bit between July and January. Even if work […]

Home Hoofcare Essentials

3:43 am

0 Comments

Equine Care, Products

Home Hoofcare Essentials for Your Horse’s Health

No hoof, no horse. We all know the saying, and we all know how maddeningly true it is. You walk into the barn, midway through a great training week, and your horse greets you with a naked hoof where there ought to be a shoe. Or worse, a half-naked hoof, with a shoe hanging on by a few loose nails.

Every equestrian needs a home hoofcare kit, something that can help you sort out minor hoof problems until your farrier can visit your farm. Whether it’s pulling off […]