Feed for your horses needs to be efficient, well organized and easily accessible in order to make feeding time quick and easy. Whether you have 2 horses or 200, the ultimate goal is the same: ease of use, maintaining feed quality, accuracy of feeding and minimizing unnecessary footsteps. If you have a large barn and a lot of horses with different dietary requirements, it is especially important to prevent any mix-ups and keep everyone who has a hand in the feeding process on the same page. Keeping a tidy and organized feed room is one step towards ensuring happy and healthy horses. If your barn does not have a separate stall or room that can be secured from the threat

Any horse owner knows that horses are not the cleanest animals. They sweat and get muddy, which leads to them needing a bath. There is no better way to wash your horse and keep them clean, than with a functional wash stall. A well-designed area for bathing horses and treating injuries can do wonders for a busy farm’s work flow. Your horse-washing area sees lots of use year-round. It is best to decide if you want something as simple as a bucket, sponge and tree to tie the horse to, or if you have the money and space to design a fully enclosed wash stall with a boom arm hose with warm water and heaters. Take the time to design

The comfort and safety of your horses must be your foremost concern when designing a new barn. If a horse barn is designed and built properly, it should be a light, airy, easy to clean and a pleasant home for your animals, along with being a place you will enjoy visiting and working. The barn design process begins by determining the right size stalls to meet your needs and the proper width of the aisleway. The balance of the barn features can be accommodated around these basic parameters. A well-designed barn can save you both time and money; so always begin by considering all your present as well as potential future needs. Careful planning will pay off in the long

As horse owners, we know that the risk of fire, especially in California, is both high and terrifying. Preparing horses for a wildfire or barn fire evacuation requires an additional level of planning, preparedness and practice. Building an evacuation plan and practicing that plan increases the potential that your horses will be able to leave safely if and when the time arrives. If you have a barn filled with horses, it is essential that you understand how fires start and how to deal with them. But the single most important thing is to be vigilant at all times. Preventing barn fires and being well prepared to deal with a fire can mean the difference between life and death for your horses and also allows

Flies are enemies that inevitably come with being a horse owner. Unfortunately, you will never be able to eliminate every single fly, but you can educate yourself on ways to keep them under control and manage the harm they can cause. Flies can cause your horse more than discomfort. Flies spread such diseases as salmonella, equine infectious anemia, vesicular stomatitis, pigeon fever, as well as influenza. They can cause allergies, dermatitis and eye ailments (such as conjunctivitis). Constant stomping to shoo flies can damage horseshoes, and can cause arthritis, ringbone and other impact-related injuries. Flies can even lead to weight loss, as their constant buzzing, landing, and biting interrupts a horse’s grazing time and prevents rest. Insect-crazed horses may also

Most people only see horses alone in a stable, rarely in a field with other horses or animals. For this reason, it is very easy for some to see them as solitary animals. But as horse lovers, we know this is not the case. As with humans, horses are social animals that need contact with others to maintain their well being. Ever wonder what your horse body language is and what it means? Finding the answers may be easier than you think! Horses may not be able to speak to us, but they can tell us how they feel through body language. Horse communication functions through a system involving both body language and vocalizations. Although horses use these techniques to communicate with

There are many decisions to make when building a new horse barn, and one of the most overlooked decisions is often the barn color. The selection of the perfect exterior color for your new barn at your property hinges primarily on the other structures that exist in the vicinity that it should complement. But color can also affect the use of the building and the comfort of your horses. Long ago, horse barns, and agricultural buildings in general, were not painted at all. Early settlers simply built the barn out of wood and were happy to have shelter for their grains and livestock. Naturally, the weather took its toll on the untreated lumber, and farmers in the 1700’s began figuring

A horse barn is a large investment, regardless of how big or small it is. When a horse barn is designed with longevity and horse safety in mind, a well-built horse barn grows in value over time while providing your horses with a safe and comfortable environment. Horses need a suitable environment to live happily, and this access to pasture for grazing and of course, the right kind of stabling. What are the best types of horse stables? And which type of horse barn is right for you? Common Horse Barn Designs Finding the perfect horse barn for you is as simple as meshing your practical needs with your design aesthetic. But let’s face it, that can be easier said