Facility Planning & Design | Equestrian Barns & Architecture: Start Living the Dream

Your Last Ride

5:01 pm

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Facility Planning & Design, Guest Author Farmgirl

A situation came up this week that really got me thinking about making the difficult decision of retiring a horse.

When is enough, enough? When have these generous animals given us enough so that it is now our turn to be generous with them?

Some horse owners deal with the end of usefulness pragmatically by delivering their faithful steeds to an auction for the few dollars they might bring, and the many dollars saved on the care of a horse deemed no longer useful.

Others go above and beyond in geriatric care, as a friend of mine has […]

Meet our new guest blogger: FarmGirl

4:58 pm

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Facility Planning & Design

Horsekeeping on four different properties over 31 years, the author has her feet firmly planted on her forever home, Freestyle Farm, in Wilsonville Oregon, where her farm motto is “It’s always something”.

Cindy is an avid dressage and trail rider and the owner of an interesting assortment of horses who each have their own story to tell. Besides being a part owner of a successful manufacturing business and a garden enthusiast, she is also a former Reserve Portland Mounted Police Officer and monthly columnist, “Trails by Tyree” for the regional publication, Northwest Rider. She is a member […]

FINDING THE PERFECT HORSE FENCE, MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE

8:37 pm

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Facility Planning & Design, Guest Author Farmgirl

First of all, I must admit that I love the way uniform fencing – one style – looks running throughout a property or even a neighborhood.

Love it! But like so many things in life, horses and horse fencing included, pretty is as pretty does, so looks sometimes has to come secondary on the list of priorities.

And those priorities, other than good looks, are first and foremost: safety for horse and human. Practicality and utility have to outweigh human esthetics and vanity. The other issue at hand is that almost any fencing will work for some horses most of […]

Safe Stalls Program for Horses

5:41 pm

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Facility Planning & Design

Everyone who loves animals is heartbroken by images of neglect or cruelty.

We most often think of this in regards to dogs and cats or other household pets. Many don’t realize this is also a problem in the equine community.

But the Humane Society has stepped up with a program to build a network to address the problem. Watch this:

With these bigger animals comes a need for bigger solutions. By creating a network of providers across the nation, resources like pasture, hay, and stalls can be ready on an emergency basis.

If you love horses and […]

Run-In Sheds for Horses

10:31 pm

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Facility Planning & Design

Climate is, of course, as much of a factor of comfort for your horse as it is for you.

The desire to take shelter from intense heat, biting wind, or a downpour is as natural for equines as for humans.

Not everyone can afford a full barn for their horses and there is a range of options that can fill the need. One is a pasture run-in. The run-in is an open structure that may or many not have storage or a feed bin. This allows your horse to get out of the weather at will […]

iPad for Horses

9:59 pm

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Facility Planning & Design

This is just too adorable not to share.

Horse Barn Interior Safety

9:48 pm

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Equine Care, Facility Planning & Design

I’ve never seen any really egregious examples of bad practices for barn interiors. I’m talking about sharp corners, toxic materials, non-tempered glass and that sort of thing that could injure a horse when they’re in the barn.

Most of the shortcuts or less-than-ideal things I’ve seen in barn construction result from budgetary concerns and that is something that I understand. However, when you think about it, it’s not very difficult and often not expensive to keep your horse safe in the barn by following a few guidelines.

We don’t […]

Video: Keeping Your Horse from Tripping in the Stall

5:20 am

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Equine Care, Facility Planning & Design

A sometimes overlooked item in barn building is door hardware.

Not just what the door is assembled with, which is a concern for horse health and should be factored in. But also how the door is moved.

Sliding doors in barns are optimal for a variety of reasons, space being one of the more important. Stall doors can be large and heavy and that means have secure rails and guides. But remember that your horse is going to be stepping through that space frequently. Innovative Equine Systems has come up with a great solution that you can see […]