Whether it’s your own horse or you are a barn owner thinking of adding another revenue stream by boarding horses that are injured, you will probably experience a horse needing special recuperative care at least once. Most of the time, it will be a leg injury of some sort and your veterinarian will recommend “stall rest.” For most of us, time off from work sounds great, but constant confinement to a working horse is anything but relaxing. Not to worry though, there are ways to make your horse more comfortable and things easier for you during his stall rest and rehab time. 

If you are a boarding stable and considering adding retirement care to your options, or if your horse is ready for retirement, there are a few things you may want to consider at your barn and in your care routine to make them more comfortable in their “golden years.” 

Do you have plans for your horse this winter? Are there special activities that you’re looking forward to participating in? While the amount of riding we do may slow off during the winter, there are still plenty of things to do in the company of our horses! Here’s a wintertime bucket list that both you and your horse can tackle.::

While it’s still cold and wet, now is a great time to collect all those seed catalogs and gardening books and start thinking of creating or upgrading the landscape around your barn. Adding those extra touches around your barn is a great way to turn your facility from practical to perfect.

Photo Credit: Oakhurst Thorougbred Farm

Wash bays are typically the same size as a stall. They can be used for many other tasks as well – grooming, tacking up, shoeing and vet visits. One of the main things you’ll need for your wash bay is access to water. While cold water is often sufficient, installing a tankless water heater for instant hot water will make your barn a big favorite with anyone who boards there.

A round pen or arena may be one of the best investments you ever make for your horses. It can serve as a useful training space, a safe place to turn out horses, and provides a smaller space to work a horse from the ground as well as in the saddle. Indoor arenas also protects riders and horses from the cold, snow, rain and wind in the winter and can also keep everyone cooler by providing shade in the summer.

It’s not too late to make your New Year’s Resolutions. Are you stumped on what your goals for 2019 should be? We’ve come up with some great ideas for barn-related New Year’s Resolutions. Take a look and see if one of these ideas might be right for you.

As the New Year starts, you may start thinking about your horse-related goals for 2013.  Maybe you want to move up a level in showing.  Or maybe you’ve got a great idea for a horse product, but you’re not sure about how to get started developing it.  Or maybe you are planning on setting the same goals for 2013 that you set for 2012. You want to move forward, but you feel “stuck.”  You don’t have to go it alone.  Consider enlisting the services of a personal coach.

The signs of thrush are unmistakable and likely to hit your nose first.   Thrush has a very strong odor that comes from dead, rotting tissue. You will usually also see a dark-colored slimy substance along the edge of the frog.  A case of thrush is not life-threatening, but left untreated the infection can spread to under the sole and penetrate the soft tissue of the hoof, including the laminae.  Even certain types of footing like shredded wood can cause problems – as the wood breaks down, its acidity mixes with the pH of the soil and that can encourage bacteria to grow.  Add water and you have a recipe for thrush.

• 'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the barn
• All the horses were resting, well-fed and warm.
• Their stockings were hung this time of year
• In hopes that apples and carrots soon would appear.