To keep your horse comfortable and healthy through the cold winter months, it is important to try to forget what is comfortable to you as a human and consider what works for horses in the wild. While every horse has a different level of cold tolerance, your care regimen year-round should follow nature as much as possible. Horses are hardy animals. Most adjust very well to the cold temperatures. But there is a limit! Find out what it is. How Cold Can Horses Tolerate? Horses will start feeling cold below certain critical temperatures. For a clipped horse, or one with a summer coat, the average critical temperature is 40°F. For horses with a thick winter coat, the critical temperature can

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,

Regardless of whether or not it is your first horse, the first thing you are going to want to do with your new horse is bond with them. It takes time and understanding to form a good bond with any horse, so setting aside free time to bond is important. Remember that your new horse has just left the home they knew and are now in a new one. We cannot fully know the emotional lives that horses have. Anything positive you do with your horse will increase and strengthen the bond you have and will help them adjust faster. Bonding with your new horse is a natural desire but horses are not like humans… they will not automatically fall

Site prep can be defined as the process of getting the land ready before the actual building begins. For your structure to be stable, the land it is sitting on must be properly prepared.  Skipping this step could result in a multitude of issues down the road.  Clearing and building up your construction site properly is a very important step in getting ready for your modular horse barn. The site that you choose should be flat, level and well-drained. The specifics will vary, depending on the type of building you purchase and the requirements of your local township. However, we have put together some basic guidelines you can use to get started. Questions to Ask When Selecting a Site When

When planning your horse barn, there are a lot of details you have to consider. In addition to the design and overall look of the barn, you also need to weigh options such as what space restrictions you might have or adding certain features to increase functionality, all while complying with building codes. Whether your animals are your hobby, livelihood or family, they need a structure that will keep them safe and comfortable. To help you stay on top of your checklist, here are nine expert tips to consider when building horse stalls. 1) Number of Stalls To decide the number of stalls you need, you should ask yourself how many horses you want to and feasibly can care for

There are six essential nutrients in a horse’s diet: carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamins, minerals, and water. Among these, water is paramount. It plays a critical role in a horse's digestive health and overall ability. A high-fiber diet, rich in hay, grains, and grass, requires ample water to help the fiber move through the digestive tract. While a horse can survive nearly a month without food, it can begin to show signs of colic and other serious health issues within just 48 hours without water. In fact, a horse can only survive about five days without hydration. Dehydration is a significant concern, especially if a horse is left unattended for even a day. During hot summer months, horses are particularly susceptible

Regardless of the size of your facility or how many horses you have, running a barn is a task of great responsibility. When it comes to riding and keeping horses, accidents and injuries are not uncommon, and tragedy can sometimes strike. One of your top priorities should be to keep everyone safe. Establishing barn rules will help to ensure the safety of riders, horses and boarders. Horses should be respected for the big animals they are. Everyone should be taught to be sure that the horse has time to adjust to new people coming into the barn or stable area. Barn rules can include behavior you expect from people (e.g., to wear a helmet) or state which behaviors are prohibited

The dreaded words many horse owners hate to hear – stall rest.  If you have been riding long enough, sooner or later you will have to deal with a horse that is on stall rest. Whether the vet prescribed a week, a month, or several months, stall rest can be stressful and frustrating for horses and owners alike.  Although it is needed from time to time, stall rest can feel like horsey jail to all involved and is not something equestrians ever want for their horses. Every horse owner can only envision the worst: a restless unhappy horse, a destroyed stall, dangerous hand walking and lost sleep. Horses do best, physically and emotionally, when constantly moving. So the prospect of

Once you have done your research and made the decision to own a horse for the first time, you will have to stock up on some horse riding and horse care essentials! While owning a horse is exciting, it can also be expensive and a bit overwhelming at times. Although horses have a reputation for being difficult, high-maintenance animals to care for, you can make it as complicated or as simple as you’d like. As long as your horse has clean, adequate shelter for warmth and protection from the elements, access to basic hoof care, as well as daily food, water, and hay, he or she will likely thrive and live a happy, healthy life. Once you get your first