If you want to maximize the safety of the horses and handlers in your barn, there’s no better place to start than by focusing on your barn aisle. Poorly designed barn aisles can be dangerous, but they’re also often fixable. These five tips can help you to create a safer barn aisle.
Build the Aisle to Be Wide
When you build your barn, give some thought to an ideal aisle width. This will depend on a number of factors, including the size of your barn, its […]
Winter weather makes horse care more challenging, but the better prepared you are for the winter, the easier it will be. These six tips can help you to get your barn ready before the first snowstorm arrives.
1. Prepare for Rodents
As the temperature drops, rodents seek out warmer areas to live. This means your barn will be even more appealing than it normally is. In order to make your barn less appealing, clean up your feed room and make sure that all feeds and supplements are […]
What do you really need for your horse barn? Building a stable for your horses can feel like a monumental task. There are so many designs, many of which we’ve covered here at the blog. In fact, you’ll find links to our articles on center-aisle barns, raised center-aisle barns, and shed-row barns at the end of this post. But if you’re just starting to plan your horse barn design, we can get you started with some useful questions to consider.
1. How […]
Does your horse share space with birds? Barn swallows and other species of birds frequently set up shop in stables, especially those with high, lofty rafters and doors. While birds can keep down on insect populations around your farm, once they decide to move in, they’re not particularly good neighbors. Birds can spread salmonella, damage equipment, and even spark fires while they’re busily building nests and starting families in your barn. We have some tips on how to decide on the best way to get birds out of […]
The first day of winter is here, and yet many places in America have already been dealing with ice and snow! Winter horsemanship is not always the most fun. Taking care of horses in winter means a lot of time spent in freezing temperatures when it seems like everyone else in the world is cozy on the couch with hot cocoa and Netflix. There’s nothing quite like the words “polar vortex” to make an equestrian question their life choices!
Maybe that’s why we have so […]
Most of the horses in today’s modern world spend at least some of their time in stalls. Whether it’s due to land constraints and limited pasture, to keep a working horse handy and clean during the day, or to protect valuable horses from injuring themselves during unsupervised playtime, stalling horses is a reality we all face. At the same time, as horsemen we are tasked with keeping our horses healthy and happy–and we know that social interaction with other horses is important to this mission. How […]
Horses are outdoor creatures. Frequently, however, they’re living indoor lives. And while some horses will let you know they really prefer the sheltered experience — we’ve all known that horse who demands to be returned to his stall the moment a cloud appears in the sky — the fact is, their physiology is still designed for wide open spaces. They require motion, fresh air, and natural light.
Natural light is superior to electric light for a number of reasons, and its effects on both horses and humans is well-documented. Exposure […]
Hay lofts and other overhead spaces are a historically proven way to add valuable storage space to your barn without eating up square footage that you can devote to your horses’ living space, working space, and paddocks. There are also conveniences to keeping bulky items like hay on the second level — once you’ve got it up there, of course! But there are some cons to lofts as well. Let’s dive in and take a look at the pros and cons of hay lofts and […]
