Horses are like humans. They can easily catch a disease during the cold winter months if they are not properly protected. This is where the importance of effective horse barn plans takes in place. A carefully and smartly planned barn or stable can keep foals or horses comfortable, safe and warm come winter time.
A number of problems which foals and owners may encounter during winter include:
a) Lack of food
b) Drafts in walls and windows
c) Frozen water pipes
d) Frozen floors
e) Frozen shut doors
f) Rodent attack
Since snow can make everything difficult during winter, getting hay stock can be impossible as well. Plan ahead to ensure enough supply of hay, feeds and vitamins needed for the entire winter months. Many owners could be hoarding these supplies early on and so being a little earlier than them would be beneficial.
Before securing pieces of stable equipment for horses, check out the walls and windows for drafts. According to equine veterinarians, horses can keep themselves warm even though it is freezing outside. This is because their bodies can generate sufficient heat inside provided that there are no openings in the walls and windows. These openings may bring in winds which cause foals to be cold. Once they are cold, the heat generation happening inside them would be interrupted.
An insulation system is helpful in keeping water pipes from being clogged. Obviously, cold temperature makes water pipes frozen and unfit for use. Besides insulating them, have the habit of draining the pipes after each use. There are hydrants which can be installed for self-draining purposes or automatic shutting down of the valve below the frost line.
Effective horse barn plans are expected to address issue of cold or frozen floors. This can be done by adjusting the depth of the bedding stalls. Placing lots of hay also provides extra warmth on the floor. Additionally, provide warm blankets or sheets for the foals. These come in handy when the weather gets extremely cold.
When the doors are frozen shut, it would be very difficult to get in the stable. This can be prevented by keeping doorways dry and free of trash. Water by the door can easily freeze and cause unwanted shutting of the door. If possible, assign someone to keep the barn or stable clean on a daily basis to avoid such incident. It would be helpful to secure the eaves with troughs for easy opening.
Rodents can be seeking warmth inside the stables too during the winter months. Rodents will not only munch on the edible stuffs stored in the stable. They will also munch on other stuffs like electrical wirings, sheets and stable equipment. Follow effective horse barn plans with provision for being rodent-proof. This is because rodent attack in stables can endanger the health of the foals resting in them. Rodents carry in them diseases which may be passed on from one foal to another. Rodents may bite on them or sprinkle feces and urine on them.