As horse lovers, we do a lot for our horses every day. Some of the things are fun, like riding and brushing them. But there are so many horse and barn chores that are not so fun and can get pushed aside without a solid plan and checklist for what to do daily, weekly, monthly and yearly.
Here are some basic guidelines about how often you should be attacking these barn chores. Your routines will vary, as will your horses and time, so feel free to slide things around to fit your barn’s needs.
Daily Barn Chores
Clean Stalls
This should go without saying, but stalls should be cleaned daily. The more you can clean them in a day, the less ammonia you have to contend with, the fewer flies will be around and the healthier your horses will be.
Keeping your horse’s living area clean and free of manure is extremely important. If your horse lives in dirty conditions, they can suffer from respiratory problems, thrush or wounds that will not heal. Always provide a clean, soft and comfortable place for your horse to lay down if they would like it to.
Clean Tack
Cleaning tack every day is a good practice to get into. It makes the chore easier and less labor intensive all at once. Give the saddle pad a good brushing with a stiff brush to help prevent it from becoming hairy and crusty. Tack that is dried and crusty is dirty, stiff, and unsafe.
Rinse Water Buckets and Feed Tub
The extent to which you need to clean buckets daily will vary based on a number of factors. Some days all you need to do is swish some clean water in it while other days a rinse and quick scrub is necessary. Then there will be other days when a total soap and scrub session changes the whole focus of your day.
Horses drink about 5-10 gallons of water a day. Water is also extremely important for gut health and keeping the horse’s system moving. Therefore, you must always provide your horse with adequate water that is clean and fresh.
Feed Horses
Providing a properly balanced equine diet is one of the most crucial parts of horse ownership. Providing your horse with an optimal diet is essential for growth, performance, and overall health. Knowing how much and how often your horse should be fed is equally as important as what you are feeding them.
Horses are grazers, and in their natural environment they will spend around 60% of their day feeding. So ideally, they should be eating small amounts often and throughout the day. Since each horse will have its own unique needs, you will need to do some digging. You should also always seek advice and support from your veterinarian.
Check Horses for Injuries, Wounds or Illness
You should check the health and welfare of your horse or pony on a regular basis as this provides an opportunity to identify signs of injury or disease, enabling many potentially serious conditions to be picked up at an early stage and referred to a vet. You will also be able to reassure yourself that your equine companion is happy and experiencing a good quality of life. Recognizing common wounds on horses is crucial since early detection can influence the outcome of the healing process.
Pick Hooves/Groom Your Horse
A well-groomed horse is a well-cared-for horse. Learning to groom your horse correctly and following a thorough daily grooming routine can significantly benefit their health and well-being. If you can pick out your horse’s hooves every day it will be very helpful for their hoof health! You can find problems more quickly than if you neglect their hooves.
Brushing may stimulate blood flow to the skin and spread natural oils throughout the coat. Increased circulation supports skin health, while natural oils condition hair and make your horse shine. Wet, dirty hair provides an ideal environment for bacterial growth. Removing debris from the coat and keeping skin clean also decrease the risk of common skin diseases.
Turnout Horses
Horses need daily movement and room to roam. Pasture time is best, but if that’s not an option, be sure your horse still gets out every day. They aren’t made to stand in stalls all the time, so regular turnout is key to keeping them happy and healthy.
If you don’t have pasture space, you can set up a safe, enclosed turnout area with pipe panels. This gives your horse fresh air and freedom to move while keeping them safe and close to the barn.
Dump or Spread Manure
Keeping manure cleaned up and under control is very important for controlling flies and also maintaining a clean environment for your horse. Depending on your horse’s living situation, you may have to keep manure in a trash dumpster, or dump on the manure pile, or spread manure on pastures as it is composted.
Weekly Barn Chores
While things like fresh water and hay need to be handled daily, other items can be tackled on a weekly, monthly, or annual basis.
Check Supplies and Inventory
Check inventory on bedding, food and feeds, hay, supplements, cleaning supplies, and even grooming supplies. Autoship options on most online orders are a good idea to save time and money, and to make sure that nothing gets forgotten.
Check Environment for Potential Hazards
As you probably already know, horses can get hurt on anything and everything. An important part of caring for horses is checking their environment for potential hazards and fixing anything that is broken. Smooth broken or rough areas of fencing so they don’t cut your horse.
A little maintenance on a regular basis goes a long way.
Check Fencing and Gate Hinges
Most of this can be done day to day if your property is smaller, but if your property has extensive fencing and unused gates, you will need to check on that weekly. You can either do this on horseback between riding the trails, on an ATV or on foot. Look for broken fencing or walls and fix anything that needs to be repaired.
Turn the Compost Pile
Your garden will benefit from all the free compost your horses generate. And with regular turning, your compost regularly will help speed up the process. At a basic level, the benefits in turning your compost come down to aeration. Decomposition happens because of microbes and these microbes need to be able to breathe (in a microbial sense) in order to live and function. If there is no oxygen, these microbes die off and decomposition slows down.
Monthly Barn and Horse Chores
Weight Check
The most accurate way to find your horse’s weight is by weighing him on a scale. But most home scales are built for humans. If your horse is an average size with relatively low withers, you can use a weight tape to find his estimated weight.
Hold the end of the tape at the “0” point at his withers, and pull it snugly around his barrel. Wait for him to fully exhale, and then read the measurement on the tape. Weight tapes are widely available and inexpensive, but it is important to take consistent measurements to track any changes.
Medication Check
Go through your medicine box monthly to organize and reorder as necessary. You may also consider moving some ingredients to fridges if your usual storage spot gets too hot or too cold. Check expiration dates often, as well as storage temperatures.
Fire Extinguisher Checks
Barn-fire prevention requires a strategy like no other. You must be able to detect a fire with good quality smoke/flame/heat detectors; alert the response system; suppress the flame threat (usually via sprinklers); and of course, have a response such as the fire department arrive. Sprinklers are something that the fire department strongly recommends. Replace as needed.
Check Your Horse Trailer
This includes inside, outside, tire pressure, and even underneath. Not only are you looking for signs of wear and tear, but the tires should also be properly inflated, the emergency brake should be working, all electrical stuff needs to be a go.
Yearly Barn Chores
This list is short since everything has been handled throughout the year already. But there are a few things to think about.
Deworming and Vaccinations
Always work with a veterinarian yearly to discuss a vaccination and deworming schedule for your horse or your farm.
These five core vaccines are highly recommended:
- West Nile
- Eastern equine encephalomyelitis
- Western equine encephalomyelitis
- Tetanus
- Rabies
Additional vaccines may be required for your horse and your area. You should always check with your veterinarian to confirm the vaccines that meet your horses’ specific needs.
General Vet Exam
Adult horses should have a complete veterinary examination at least once a year. Geriatric horses (older than 20 years old) should see their veterinarian twice a year or more frequently because illness is more common in older animals and it can be identified sooner. Your veterinarian may recommend a wellness program for your horse, including routine blood tests.
Trailer Service and Inspection/Registration
Horse trailer laws and federal safety regulations are requirements and advisories that manufacturers and owners must comply with. Conduct a thorough visual inspection of the trailer’s structure, including the frame, floors, walls, and roof. Look for signs of rust, corrosion, cracks, or damage. Pay close attention to high-stress areas such as the hitch, axles, and suspension components. Test the trailer’s safety features, including the breakaway system, emergency brakes, and trailer brake battery (if applicable). Verify that they are working correctly and are following local regulations.
The Castlebrook Difference
Castlebrook’s barns have a warm, inviting look which adds to the beauty and value of your property. All Castlebrook round pens and round pen covers and designed and manufactured on site at Castlebrook’s facility. That is why we can provide you with an almost limitless choice of sizes and styles. Castlebrook can manufacture a round pen and cover to suit your exact needs.
Castlebrook never misses a ship date. We are so confident in our on-time guarantee that we are willing to guarantee it — in writing! Castlebrook understands how important it is for your project to go as smoothly as possible. This begins with your structure shipping on the date we’ve promised. Castlebrook knows of absolutely no other barn company offering this guarantee. Where other companies disappoint, Castlebrook guarantees to be on time, every time!
Please contact our professional team today at 1-800-52-BARNS. We gladly accommodate Saturday appointments!