Recent News for Buildings & Structures
Article
Breeding Facilities
October 03, 2001
Any way you look at it, building a barn is a major undertaking. Doing it right the first time, to avoid headaches later, is the smart approach. In addition to the usual considerations of location, aesthetics, cost, and... Read More
Article
Secrets Of Rubber Mats
September 13, 2001
Where would we be without rubber? Make all the jokes you want; rubber's indispensable stuff, especially in the barn. The tire on your wheelbarrow, the handle grip on your longe whip, your two-year-old's first snaffle bit, that flexible curry... Read More
Article
Common Barn Injuries
September 13, 2001
Two of the saddest words in the English language. After an accident, we tear ourselves apart thinking how we could have prevented it. If only I had seen...If only I had done...Yet, as horse people, we are surrounded by thousands of pounds of... Read More
Article
Permeable Stall Flooring, Some Options
September 12, 2001
Permeable stall floor coverings function differently than rubber stall mats, whose main purpose is to provide cushioning for your horse's legs. Rubber is basically waterproof, so urine and other liquids pool on top of such a surface, to be soaked up ... Read More
Article
Home Sweet Barn--People Living in the Barn
September 12, 2001
Tack rooms, offices, and lounges are fairly common horse barn amenities. Less common are built-in living quarters for farm owners or employees, but some facilities have found it practical as well as economical to include a "barn apartment" of... Read More
Article
Stall Flooring
September 01, 2001
You give a lot of thought to your horse's health and happiness. You groom him until he gleams, swaddle him in boots and blankets, carefully monitor his diet, and expend considerable effort and expense making sure he's comfortabl... Read More
Article
What's in Your Feed? (Contamination)
September 01, 2001
"Yuck!" you hear your friend exclaim from the feed room as you move down the barn aisle one evening, doling out flakes of hay. "What is it?" you call over your shoulder. "There are huge lumps of molasses in this bag of feed!" she... Read More
Article
Buying or Building a Farm
June 01, 2001
Buying or building a horse farm can be a challenging venture where dreams might or might not become reality, and where budgets dictate compromise. The buyer needs to consider what is more advantageous: To build on empty land, or to buy a... Read More
Article
When Lightning Strikes
April 01, 2001
If you think lightning never strikes twice in the same place, think again. The USDA's recently retired Chief Meteorologist Albert Peterlin says, "Lightning is not just a random event natural killer, but more an opportunist taking advantage of a... Read More
Article
Stallion Libido
March 01, 2001
I have a breeding problem with my 13-year-old Quarter Horse stallion. He has tremendous bloodlines. He has four or five foals on the ground, so I know that he is not infertile. But recently I leased him to a friend out of state to use. He... Read More
Article
Ready To Assemble: Barns, Stalls, And Run-In Sheds
February 01, 2001
For those who have the time, inclination, and the ability to follow instructions, assembling a run-in shed, stall, or a barn from a mail-order kit might be a 21st Century option. These do-it-yourself kits can yield impressive savings... Read More
Article
AI Training For Stallions
February 01, 2001
Given the choice, a stallion wouldn't choose to mate with man-made devices. His instincts drive him to breed a mare; yet he can learn to transfer his sexual focus to a "phantom" mare and an artificial vagina (AV). In order to train a stallion fo... Read More
Article
Salmonella: Beware The Bacteria
November 01, 2000
Although it's ever-present, under normal conditions Salmonella will have little influence on your horse's heath. But, if he's stressed and his immune system is operating at less than full capacity, the bacteria can sneak in and strike.... Read More
Article
Horsekeeping On Small Acreage
October 01, 2000
When it comes to small horse pastures, pasturettes, or ranchettes, less equals more. More stress on pasture grasses, more likelihood of overgrazing, more pressure on fencing, more routine maintenance. But with proper management, pasturettes can... Read More
Article
Respiratory Allergies
September 01, 2000
Respiratory disease is second only to musculoskeletal problems as a cause of loss of performance in competition horses, according to some of the leading researchers around the world. In fact, N. Edward Robinson, BVet Med, PhD, MRCVS, of Michigan... Read More
Article
Footing and Horse Performance
May 01, 2000
The type of footing on which a horse performs strongly influences whether the animal has a long and productive career, or whether it has that career cut short because of unsoundness or injury. Footing also influences how well the horse performs.... Read More
Article
Fireproofing Older Barns
April 01, 2000
"Fire is living and breathing. It has its own life," says Amy Tryon. "It is sort of like horses. Once you think you've got it all figured out, something will come along and show you that you don't." However, Tryon knows more than most about both... Read More
Article
Better Breathing
January 01, 2000
When you walk down the center aisle of your barn, does the ceiling drip condensation on your head? Does the smell of ammonia make your nostrils twitch and your eyes water--even when the stalls are freshly cleaned? Worst of all, was that a hollow... Read More
Article
Winter Shelter
December 01, 1999
On those long winter nights, when frigid winds chill to the bone and snow or sleet or cold rain makes outdoor activities decidedly miserable, most of us like nothing better than to curl up with a good book and a steaming-hot beverage.... Read More
Article
COPD
November 01, 1999
Please take a deep breath. Excuse me, I said could you take a deep breath please? No, stop nuzzling at my backside. Could you please just take a deep breath? This might be a typical one-sided conversation a veterinarian would want... Read More
Article
Stall Design
November 01, 1999
That stall is very likely the place where your horse is going to spend the bulk of his existence as a domestic animal. Even if he is turned out every day, and exercised regularly, up to 16 hours of his daily life could be whiled away in that familiar... Read More
Article
Minimizing Feed Costs
October 01, 1999
Let's face it, those aren't gerbils out in your stalls and pastures. They're 1,000-pound herbivores, with appetites wired for perpetual hunger and teeth designed to make short work out of massive amounts of fiber. If your feed bills are starting... Read More
Article
Wash Racks And Stalls
July 01, 1999
If you board at a big, commercial show barn, you probably have access to a wash rack. Ditto if your horse boards at a racing barn. What a convenience wash racks are. Instead of spending hours brushing off dirt, muck, and sweat, or hosing off you... Read More
Article
Home Sweet Home
May 01, 1999
So when we consider the construction of stalls, we shouldn't underestimate how important it is to provide a comfortable, welcoming, and most importantly, safe, environment in which our horses can live.... Read More
Article
Canadian Equine Research
April 01, 1999
The University of Guelph, located in Ontario, Canada, is home of the world renowned Ontario Veterinary College (OVC). The university is a research-intensive and student-oriented facility. Its written mission is to serve society and to enhance th... Read More
