5 Ways To Protect Your Horse Stable From Mother Nature

Natural elements can do more damage to your property than many people think and even regular wear and tear from storms can create problems in your horse stable such as power surges, mold and slippery conditions. There are five main things you can do to protect your stable, horses and self from the effects of Mother Nature, many of which can also make routine maintenance easier. For instance, the right heating, ventilation and air conditioning system in your horse stable can regulate the temperature and keep the dust and ammonia smells low, making it more comfortable to perform routine cleaning tasks.

Redirect Rainwater

Rain-proofing your horse stable is about more than just checking the roof and weatherstripping for needed repairs or replacements. It is also a good idea to redirect rainwater using landscaping, gutters and drainage ditches to keep the water from collecting around the foundations and running inside the structure. Water will naturally flow to the lowest point, so you may have to build up parts of your pasture and dig ditches in others to redirect it to a designated low area.

Rethink Heat and Ventilation

Keeping your horse stable toasty and warm for humans can overheat your horses and poor ventilation year-round can strain their immune systems. It is a good idea to set your stable HVAC to around 55 degrees Fahrenheit and install a variable speed exhaust fan in your stable to cycle in enough fresh air to keep the dust and ammonia smells low. This is especially important if your horses go outside in the cold often, because drastic degree changes and poor air quality can lead to illness in horses and humans alike.

Invest in Rubber Mats

Wet weather ends up tracking inside your home and stable on the bottoms of your shoes, making it too easy to slip and slide as you walk around. Having rubber horse mats inside the doors to your stable, and rubber mats on stairs or ladders, can reduce the number of slips and falls inside the structure as well as help keep water out as traffic flows through the building. These can also act as an additional layer of insulation against the bottom of the door to help regulate the temperature inside your stable and make it more comfortable for both yourself and your horses.

Update the Electrical

One of the leading causes of damage from storms involves lightning strikes, starting fires, shorting out electrical systems and causing power outages all over the world. When it comes to protecting your horse stable, it is a good idea to invest in a whole home surge protector and new wiring, as this can save you and your horses from power outages, fires and shocks. Updating your electrical system to use more energy efficient items, installing solar panels on the roof and performing yearly system inspections can also save you on energy costs and reduce your carbon footprint.

Keep Up With Maintenance

Maintaining and cleaning your horse stable involves a lot of different items to keep track of but setting a schedule can help you build a routine without forgetting some of the important stuff. You should add seasonal cleaning and inspection of your fans to this schedule to keep dust from building up in the ventilation system. It is also important to check the wear and tear on items such as weatherstripping, doors, windows and floor mats to help keep the elements outside and your horses and personnel safely moving around the space.

The most effective thing you can do to keep your horses safe from the elements is invest in the upkeep and updating of your horse stable. This includes things like energy efficient equipment, surge protectors and weather-stripping as well as quality ventilation and both routine and seasonal cleaning schedules. Conducting seasonal inspections of the structure, equipment and ventilation can help reduce the number of emergency repairs or replacements you see due to weather damage and can keep your horses healthy and comfortable during the wet seasons.