Facilities and Technology

Having the correct facilities for housing your horses is a crucial part of any equine farming enterprise. There are lots of aspects involved in creating the right environment for the horses in your care. Ventilation, flooring and construction materials, drainage, fire safety, and manure management are just some of the factors to consider.

Horse Stables and Stalls Design

On a typical horse farm, there are going to be horse stables, but there might also be a horse riding arena and a boarding facility. Each has its own specific requirements. When , you need to understand what these are if you want your horses to be in the best of health and well-being.

Penn State Extension has a wealth of resources available whether you want to learn more about horse stable or horse stall design. Do you know how to provide adequate ventilation, heating, cooling and manure management? Are you aware of the basic stall features?

If you’re still in the planning stage, knowing all there is to know about the construction of your horse facilities means you can get your housing, exercising, and care areas right from the outset.

With the equine industry in Pennsylvania doubling in size since 1967, there’s an ever-increasing need for horse boarding services. If you’re considering such an enterprise, knowing what is required is fundamental.

Horse Stables Ventilation, Flooring, and Fire Safety

The consequences of poor ventilation are far reaching. Not providing sufficient ventilation is a common flaw many horse facilities have. Good air quality inside a horse’s stable is crucial for respiratory health, and different barn types have to contend with different ventilation issues.

Part of providing good ventilation is a manure management system that encompasses collection, storage, disposal, or utilization. The construction of the horse stable plays an important part in the plan. Choosing the correct flooring, for example, means the stalls can be kept clean.

If the manure in your horse facility is not adequately managed, there may be problems with air quality and ammonia. If you’re worried about either of these, it’s best to set up a system for monitoring and evaluation.

Do you know what to do if fire catches hold in your barn? Penn State Extension has a selection of resources that can provide you with all the important information. Don’t get caught out because you only have a small window of time to act decisively and knowing what to do means you’re not going to panic.

Fence Planning

As well as providing well-designed buildings, there’s also fencing to consider. Understanding that certain types of fencing are better than others means you can make the right choice for your horse facilities. It’s one of the biggest investments you’ll make, so it pays to get it right from the beginning. Fencing that’s well planned, installed and constructed adds value to your facility and is a reflection of your good management.

Riding Arenas

Are you planning to include a riding arena on your horse farm? Have you already got one, but you want to learn more about its upkeep and maintenance? The quality of an indoor arena, for example, can be seriously compromised by the level of dust in both the riding surface and the air.

The material chosen for a riding arena’s footing and how it’s managed, together with ,a href="https://extension.psu.edu/temperature-and-humidity-in-indoor-riding-arenas-during-cold-weather">temperature and humidity, all have an impact on the quality of a horse riding arena.