Tips for Healthful Horse Barns During Winter

Our readers and staff share tips for providing a healthy living environment for horses during cold weather.
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Extreme winter weather conditions can often result in horses being kept in the barn, out of the elements. But being cooped up in the barn isn’t always the healthiest option. Dust, humidity and ammonia can lead to respiratory and other health conditions in horses.

We asked horse owners to share their tips for how they keep barns clean and provide a healthy environment for horses during the winter. Here are a few tidbits of advice they shared.

  • Ventilation is important. “I clean stalls every day, and air out the barn for an hour in the morning and an hour in the afternoon,” said Billie Furgerson.
  • Run-in sheds and outdoor shelters also require regular cleaning. Judi Longenecker said she cleans her horses’ run-in daily to give them a clean area to stand without frozen mud and manure. “An easy standing place out of the weather is a must-have in my book.”
  • Daily time outside the barn is necessary. Mandi Mincheski said her horses go outside, even if it’s just long enough to get the barn clean and swept so the dust can settle before they return to their stalls.
  • Clean water buckets. Birdy (@ZeekySquirrel) tweeted that he cleans his horse’s water bucket and fills it up with warm water on a daily basis.

Additionally, The Horse staff members shared tips on how they help ensure their horses have healthy environments when stalled during the winter:

  • Open up barn doors and windows on warmer winter days. Jennifer Whittle, TheHorse.com web producer, suggests opening barn windows and doors to help eliminate stale barn air and odors on warmer winter days. “Our rule of thumb is that if the sun is shining and wind chills aren’t at dangerous levels, the horses get turned out and the barns get opened up for fresh air.”
  • Clean stalls regularly when horses are stall-bound. While it’s typically ideal for horses to spend as much time outdoors as possible, some days it’s just not possible. Icy footing, dangerous temperatures, and more can prevent horses from spending their allotted time outside for their own safety. News Editor Erica Larson recommends cleaning horses’ stalls several times per day when they must remain inside. This will not only afford your horse a dry and comfortable place to rest, but also reduce the amount of potentially harmful ammonia he’s exposed to.
  • Stop harmful air particles at their source. At the barn Managing Editor Alexandra Beckstett boards her horse at, all the windows and doors remain open when cleaning, grooming, or feeding. “We use leaf blowers to thoroughly rid the aisles of dust, shavings, and other particulates,” she explains. “High-quality stall mats also cut down on the amount of dusty shavings we use. When it’s too icy to turn the horses out, they get hand-walked or turned loose for a bit in the indoor arena.”
  • A kettle can be for more than just tea. Like Birdy, Editor-in-Chief Stephanie Church provides her horse with warm water rather than using heated buckets for fire safety reasons. She says she tops off her gelding’s buckets with water heated in a kettle at home and transported to the barn in a thermos on frigid nights to help keep him drinking.
  • Feed hay on the stall floor. A recent study showed that particulates and airway inflammation increased when young stabled racehorses ate from haynets. So, even though Stephanie’s gelding is finished racing and he’s almost 9, he eats his hay free-choice from the floor rather than from a hanging net to protect airway function.
  • Horses might be tougher than you think. Digital Managing Editor Michelle Anderson keeps her three horses at home. They live outside in turnouts with loafing sheds year round, around the clock, and only those with body clips (due to regular training) wear blankets. “We’ve had temperatures down to -14°F in Oregon’s high desert, and my horses have weathered the chill outside without complications,” she says. “My heaves-prone gelding does much better outside than when he was stabled inside at a boarding barn.” She notes that acclimation and healthy haircoats, or stringent turnout-blanket management, is important when facing the bitter cold without a barn.

You can find more information on keeping your horses’ facilities healthy and safe, how to control odor in horse paddocks, and other resources at TheHorse.com!

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The Horse: Your Guide To Equine Health Care is an equine publication providing the latest news and information on the health, care, welfare, and management of all equids.

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