Work Smarter: Tips To Decrease Horse Stall Maintenance Time

Keeping clean stalls can be one of the most time consuming chores in the barn for some people. Would you love to spend more time with your horses and less cleaning their boxes? Check out some of these tips to decrease horse stall maintenance time!

Set your box up to where it is most convenient to keep disinfected. One of the best ways to do this is to install rubber mats. This is great whether you have a concrete or dirt or clay base. A mat is porous, provides great traction, is durable, and really cuts down on the labor involved in going through stalls. They are also great for your horse’s legs if he is in a lot, and is extremely cost-effective.

The next item of importance is what type of bedding you put on top of the rubber mat. There are tons of choices here, but there are some that stand out. You want something with good absorbency, easy for sifting, and that will encourage your pony to lay down. The most strongly recommended options that meet these standards are shavings. Pellets, and sawdust. These are great choices for simplicity of prolonged maintenance.

Every job is more difficult without the right tools. Imagine a painter with no brushes or accountant with no calculator! Make sure you have access to picks, wheelbarrows or muck tubs, and that they are functional. Keep any equipment you need in working order. Use the most efficient device for the job at hand. If you are picking up after a pony, don’t use a horse-sized pick, use one designed with ponies’ smaller droppings in mind!

When you do it every day, especially if you have a larger herd of horses to care for, it can become harder to want to spend the time doing it the right way. Implement some of these suggestions to help yourself out. The consequences of poorly maintained stalls can be dire for your equine. They can develop skin diseases from the bacteria, as well as respiratory issues from the ammonia. Something else to worry about is the breeding of mosquitoes in the buildup. They can carry West Nile virus, among others, and we all want to avoid that!

One of the biggest detriments to not keeping a proper sanitized area is the increased likelihood of thrush in your horses! This is a terrible fungal infection that eats away at the foot, and it is caused by too much trapped moisture. It creates a horrible stench and is very uncomfortable for your mount. If left untreated, you could be looking at a lame animal. Avoid this altogether by keeping his stall clean. Use the tips mentioned to cut down on your effort spent doing that, this way you are more likely to do it right!

Think of all the ways these suggestions can actually help you! Money can be saved on materials, labor, and services. There will be more happy owners and happy horses!

There you go! Start using a few of these tips to decrease horse stall maintenance time today! Spend less time working and more time riding!

by Adriana Noton
About the Author:

Looking for a cost-effective stall mats for your horses? These environmentally-friendly rubber mats may be just what you need. Rubber stall flooring provides comfortable support for your horses, and helps to relieve joint pressure by absorbing shocks.

All About Fences For Horses And Ponies

Is there such a thing as fail-protected fencing and gates? Maybe someday! Within the meantime, there are specific steps it’s best to take to ensure your horse not solely stays in his enclosure, however remains there safely.

First of all, consider visibility. Your horse must be able to see his fencing, otherwise injuries are imminent. While your horse shouldn’t have any trouble seeing a wood or PVC fence, wire fences pose more of a problem. Colorful tape or ribbon tied to the fence every foot or so makes the horse aware of the fence.

Next, consider the height of the fence. Fencing must be high enough to deter the horse from going over, and low enough to deter him from going under. How high is high enough? About nose high (the horse’s nose, that is!) should do it. If you have more than one horse in the enclosure, put it at the height of the tallest horse’s nose.

There are many different types of fencing to choose from, but electrical, wood, and PVC are essentially the most popular.

Electric fence is the most economical for horsemen on a budget. The most popular forms of electric fence for horses are galvanized wire, plastic-coated wire, 1/2-inch electric polytape, or 1 1/2-inch electric polytape. A good way to make wire fence visible to your horse is to tie brightly colored cloth on every strand every three feet or so. In addition to the wire you’ll need insulators, posts, hardware, and a charger. For about $200, you can buy everything you need to build a small electric fence corral.

In case your budget is bigger you might wish to examine wood—both board, slipboard, or rustic rail. While lumber prices will differ from area to space and do fluctuate, wood is at all times dearer than wire. Wooden fencing is extra aesthetically pleasing than wire and can add worth to your farm, however it’s going to also value you money and time in upkeep. Fences made out of non-stress treated wooden must be painted or stained regularly, and broken or harmful boards must be replaced as noticed. When installing board fencing, be sure to nail the boards to the within of the posts, and not the skin, to forestall them from popping off when a horse leans against them. Nail heads needs to be flush, and the fence posts needs to be stable. If you’re in a situation where it is imperative that your horses do not get out—your pasture borders a busy road, you need to separate stallions from mares, etc.—you may want to think about working a strand of electrical wire alongside the highest rail of the fence.

If money isn’t any object you will get attractive fencing with little or no upkeep. PVC fencing is aesthetically pleasing because it appears to be like like wooden from afar, but it never needs portray and won’t rot, rust, splinter, or break. Some manufacturers claim it is stronger than wood.

Regardless of what kind of fence you choose, once you have it up it is important to walk it frequently for safety reasons. Make sure there are no downed wires or boards that horses could get caught in or escape through. All fencing must be free of any protruding wires, nails, or pieces of splintered wood that a horse could injure himself on. As you walk your fence, replace any broken, sagging, or splintering boards and downed wires as you notice them. Always check your posts for sturdiness by grabbing them and giving them a good tug; if you live in an area where the ground temperature changes frequently you’ll need to do this more often.

Bear in mind, function is essential in terms of fencing, but so is safety!

by Rohan William Scott
About the Author:

Want to find out more about equestrian classifieds, then visit Rohan William Scott’s site on how to choose the best fox hunting horses for your needs.