| ll up hoses. It's all too easy to drag the hose out | | | | but it's worse to find one surrounded by open |
| to water the horses, or run the hose to water | | | | grain bins and have to guess how much they ate, |
| the arena...then leave it there. It's easy to step | | | | how much is sprawled on the ground and how |
| over. For the life of the hose (horse shoes and | | | | soon, or if, they'll get sick. |
| weight are hard on it!) as well as safety, have a | | | | 6. Have equipment stored out of the way. |
| place to roll it up out of the way. Do it every day! | | | | Cleaning tools, saddles, grooming supplies...have a |
| Pull the hose out, use it and put it up. This takes | | | | place to store equipment. Keep wheelbarrows, |
| just minutes to do but makes things look nicer | | | | pitchforks and rakes out of the way. If you can |
| and is safer. | | | | have a small stall area to put them in or have a |
| 2. Pick up hay twine. Hay twine is durable | | | | "closet" for them where they are out of the way |
| stuff..and when it unexpectedly wraps around | | | | yet accessible. |
| your feet you find out just how true that is! | | | | 7. Store little hay/straw in barn. Keeping just a |
| There are people who will take twine for crafts | | | | few days worth of hay in the barn limits fire risk |
| and twine can be handy for small projects around | | | | and can save you on your insurance. Yes it |
| the barn, but those 2-3 strands per bale add up in | | | | means once a week or a couple times per month |
| a hurry! Have a small barrel or even a box - fold | | | | you need to go haul hay up...does building a barn |
| it in half twice, tie a loose knot and toss it in the | | | | and restocking it with horses take less time? |
| barrel or box. This keeps the twine together, out | | | | 8. No smoking. Post it and mean it. It amazes me |
| of the floor. It doesn't get accidently tossed into a | | | | the people smoking in the barn, outside a hay stall, |
| horse's stall, it doesn't lay waiting to trip grooms | | | | leaning on a "NO SMOKING" sign and saying "well |
| and isn't nearly the nuisance! | | | | I'm not IN the barn." One ash on a pile of bedding |
| 3. Sweep/rake aisle - it doesn't matter if you | | | | can smolder and become a fire. Post it and mean |
| have a 3 stall barn for a few horses, a | | | | it - NO smoking in or near the barn. |
| competitive barn or a world class facility - the | | | | 9. Keep dogs/pets under control. Unruly animals |
| few minutes it takes to sweep, vaccum, rake the | | | | can be a source of stress for owner and horses. |
| stall aisle leaves a good impression, keeps "stuff" | | | | While most horses don't get upset at a couple of |
| from accumulating, is safer and keeps things | | | | dogs playing, when the dogs go after a cat they |
| neater. This can be done without large amounts | | | | sense an entirely different scene. A squabble |
| of time. Do it after stalls are done then again last | | | | between animals can become dangerous if one |
| thing after feeding at night. A barn is an | | | | runs under a horse, or into a horse's stall. When |
| investment - protect it and take care of it. | | | | devious dog, angry cat and terrified horse are in |
| 4. Have trash can for garbage/papers. A plastic | | | | one area something has to give - usually it's stall |
| bag caught by the wind can put a western horse | | | | chains and/or the cat. Keep pets trained, under |
| into airs above the ground moves. Have a solid | | | | control and safe. |
| trash can for garbage. If you want to burn | | | | 10. Use safe horse handling practices. Don't be |
| papers have one for burnables, one for cans and | | | | tempted to leave a horse tied with a twine string |
| one for trash - but have places to put trash and | | | | "just for a second" - see #9! Use good quality |
| keep it off the ground, out of paddocks and out | | | | equipment, safe handling practices and have a |
| of sight of visitors. | | | | good routine. |
| 5. Lock feed room. Even if you don't have a | | | | These things take just minutes per day to do, |
| paddlock - have a door with a snap, a chain, a | | | | but add up to a much safer barn! |
| simple gate - something you can close to keep | | | | It doesn't take money to have a neat barn. |
| horses *out* of the feed room. That $3 chain | | | | Sweeping the aisle, keeping a halter and rope on |
| and snap can save you a $300 vet bill or, worse, | | | | every door, having a door on the tackroom and |
| losing a horse to colic or laminitis. Lock it every | | | | the ability to close the barn up can help provide a |
| time you leave the barn. Accidents happen, | | | | safer workplace for people and horses. |
| horses get out. It's a pain to catch a loose one | | | | |