Your barn is supposed to be a safe place where your horse can live comfortably, but barns also often contain many health hazards you might not be aware of. Since your horse may be spending more time indoors during the summer to escape the bugs and the heat, now is a perfect time to evaluate your barn to make sure that it is truly a safe place for your horse to be.

Respiratory Health

Good ventilation is vital to your horse’s health. Whenever your horse is in a barn, his respiratory system can be at risk if adequate ventilation is not provided. Bedding, hay, and urine can all negatively affect your horse’s respiratory system, and if they become chronic issues they can make a horse ill.

The design of your barn can help promote a healthy respiratory system. Try to include an outside facing window in each stall. Look for stall design that allow for maximum airflow, such as vented stall doors and use of bars or mesh instead of solid stall panels. Install fans designed for use in barns to help keep air circulating, and leave barn doors open wide.

Mental Health

Spending too much time in a small dark stall can have negative effects on your horse’s mental state. This can result in stress, ulcers, and boredom, as well as negative behaviors such as cribbing, weaving, kicking, and wood chewing.

Building your barn so that the stalls are as open as possible will make being in a stall mentally easier on your horse. Opting for a more open layout of your barn will make the stalls lighter during the day, and installing strong interior barn lights can allow you to artificially supplement the light during the winter. Including windows and skylights will help to bring in natural light, and the availability of a window will allow your horse to see more activity, reducing his boredom.

Physical Health

When a horse is in a stall, he is subject to his surroundings. You will naturally want to be sure that his stall is safe - Classic Equine Equipment stalls are all built with the safety of your horse foremost in mind. Also consider the footing of your stall. Using rubber stall mats or the StableComfort system will help ensure that your horse is comfortable and safe whenever he is in his stall.

Don’t forget to evaluate the footing of your barn aisle and washing areas. If footing is worn or slick, it can jeopardize your horse’s safety and needs to be replaced. Rubber aisle pavers and even stall mats provide a safe and easy placement for your current barn footing.

Your barn should be a safe place for your horse, not one that negatively affects his health. Now is a great time to take a look around and make sure you don’t have any health hazards in your barn.

Image Source: flickr.com/photos/leecannon/7702259356/sizes/z

Original Source: Is Your Barn Healthy for Your Horse?