by: Karen Briggs

That stall is very likely the place where your horse is going to spend the bulk of his existence as a domestic animal. Even if he is turned out every day, and exercised regularly, up to 16 hours of his daily life could be whiled away in that familiar, small space. So, it’s not a bad idea to put a little thought and planning into its design, both to ensure his comfort and his safety, and to provide you, his handler, with as much convenience as possible. Here are some things to consider when you design your horse’s living space.

Basic Dimensions

The ideal size for a box stall might vary, depending on the size of the horses it’s going to house. For ponies and compact breeds, such as Morgans or Arabians, a 10 feet by 10 feet space probably is sufficient, but for most horses over 15 hands, the accepted standard is 12 feet by 12 feet. Jumbo-sized warmbloods and draft breeds might be better off in a more spacious environment, perhaps 14 feet by 14 feet (the preferred size, as well, at many Thoroughbred and Standard-bred breeding farms). If you plan to house foaling mares or stallions, you might want to have available at least a couple of stalls which are 16 feet by 16 feet. On the other hand, miniature horses are perfectly content in stalls only eight feet square.

If you’re building stalls in an existing barn, you might have to work within the limits of the supporting structures that already are there (such as weight-bearing walls or beams). That might make it impossible, in some cases, to make your stalls square. Consider the width of your central aisle, for example–you want it to be at least eight feet across in order to be able to maneuver horses, wheelbarrows, and buckets without feeling short of elbow room. If you plan to drive a truck or tractor down the center aisle at mucking time, it will need to have even more generous dimensions. That could mean that your stalls take on a rectangular rather than a square shape, but that’s not the end of the world. A great many stalls make up in length what they lack in depth, and a stall which is 10 feet by 14 feet can be very workable. But unless your equines are seriously on the compact side, try not to make your stalls any narrower than 10 feet–or they will have trouble turning around, lying down, and getting up without becoming cast (stuck on their sides with their feet wedged against the wall and no way to get a purchase to regain an upright position).

In terms of ceiling height, more is better, both in terms of horse safety and ventilation. Ten feet is considered a bare minimum (and might be all you can hope for if you’re building stalls in an old bank barn). If you can raise the ceilings farther, you’ll minimize the risk of a horse whacking himself in the head should he panic and rear, and you’ll also allow for better airflow over the tops of the stall partitions (which only need to be about eight feet high in most cases). Higher ceilings also mean wiring and light fixtures will more likely be out of harm’s way–although, of course, you should consider how you’re going to change those lightbulbs if they’re suspended 14 feet high!

Most architects agree that stall doors should be at least four feet wide–wider if you’re housing draft horses. Otherwise your horses run the risk of banging a shoulder or hip every time they enter or exit, and that can quickly lead to handlers being run over by panicky equines anticipating pain! You might like the traditional look of Dutch doors that swing out into the aisle (never into the stall–if a horse became cast against the door, you would have no way of entering to help him up), or you might prefer sliding doors (which generally are more expensive, and sometimes somewhat cantankerous, but much easier to maneuver around); larger operations, such as big boarding or breeding farms, often choose the latter because it makes it much easier to drive a tractor and manure spreader down the central aisle at mucking time each morning.

Stall doors tend to take more abuse than the rest of the stall structure, so make sure they are rugged, and choose a latch that is suitably “horse-proof” and has no dangerous, protruding edges. This can be as simple as a pin that slips through a drilled hole, or as elaborate as the gravity latches installed with many “pre-fab” doors.

Consider, too, whether you want to provide your horses with a chance to make contact with their neighbors and with you, by building stall partitions that don’t go from floor to ceiling, and making at least part of the stall front open (with a window or a “gossip gate” type door). Dietmar Dombkowski, president of Equi-Master, a Calgary, Alberta, firm that designs and builds stables, says, “Ninety percent of our customers, when they’re first asked, say they want solid walls for partitions. But I always recommend that they give their horses the chance to socialize and just to be horses. We tend to put (horses) behind bars and treat them like prisoners. But horses housed in an open-front design are far happier. Their mental attitudes improve dramatically when it’s possible for them to socialize. We know this in Europe, where stall partitions are often only five feet high.”

Even stallions, says Dombkowski, can adjust easily to having contact with their stallmates, and within a few days of living in an open-front stall, no longer squabble with their neighbors or reach out to nip passers-by. One exception to the partial-partition recommendation is foaling stalls. A foaling mare feels considerably safer when she has some privacy from the rest of the herd and from imagined predators–so in a foaling stall, you might wish to make the partitions solid to a height of eight feet or so.

Although Equi-Master makes available several types of stall fronts and partitions, Dombkowski’s favorites are the European designs, which not only feature relatively low tops, but also front sections that he describes as being shaped like three sides of a honeycomb. “Horses don’t walk in squares, they walk in curves,” he notes, “and these fronts allow that more naturally.”

Materials And Methods

Whether your stalls are built of wood, metal, concrete block, or wire mesh will depend on your budget, your climate, and the look you’re going for. Lumber is the traditional choice, of course, and easily available across North America, but it does have its downside; it’s not kick-proof, and it’s difficult to thoroughly disinfect (which might make it a poor choice for foaling stalls, for example). In addition, Dombkowski notes, oak (considered one of the most durable and horseproof woods) is becoming increasingly expensive, costing three times as much here in North America as it does in Germany. Less sturdy woods, such as spruce or fir, might be cheaper, but also might not stand up to the repeated punishment horses can inflict. One solution Dombkowski offers is rough cut lumber, covered by galvanized metal sheeting, which adds durability and helps prevent horses from chewing.

Galvanized steel theoretically is rustproof, but it’s important that the galvanizing process is done after the metal is shaped. Steel that is first galvanized, then cut, will have raw, ungalvanized edges that are vulnerable to rust, particularly in coastal areas where the sea air can behave almost like acid. Dombkowski notes that ammonia can have a destructive influence on ungalvanized metal, corroding and rusting edges in as little as three months. Consider that a motivator for scrupulous stall cleaning! Powder-coated steel should be avoided, according to Dombkowski, because a horse easily can scrape the paint off with his teeth and leave the metal vulnerable to rust. Even if your equines are well-behaved, rust tends to bloom in the tiny spaces between the powder dots. “It will look like hell within two years”he says.

Properly galvanized steel can withstand almost anything a horse can dish out. In some ways, however, that can be a disadvantage. Welded steel grills, for example, which often are used for the top half of a stall to provide visibility and ventilation, can be a deathtrap if a horse should get a foot caught between the bars. Many owners make the mistake of thinking that a horse could not possibly trap a hoof several feet above the ground–but they can, and they do! A grill with one-piece construction will not release should a horse get into this predicament, and the resulting struggle could prove fatal. If you’re planning to use metal grillwork in the construction of your stalls, choose a grill with closely spaced bars (Dombkowski recommends pipe at least one inch in diameter, spaced at no more than three inches apart, center to center–or 21-2 inches, center to center, for foals); or go with close-spaced steel mesh instead.

Concrete block stalls are rugged and easy to disinfect, but tend to make for a chilly environment. For that reason, concrete is a better choice for a hot, humid climate. There, it will have another significant advantage–it will tend to stand up well to tropical storms and hurricanes (most barns on the island of Bermuda, for example, are made of concrete). Concrete severely limits air circulation–so another popular choice in warm, sticky parts of the world is steel mesh from top to bottom. Such a stall allows for maximum visibility (great if you want to keep an eye on a weanling, for example) and airflow, but does tend to let bedding material spill out of the stall and into the aisle.

One relatively new material for stall fronts and partitions is polypropylene, popularly known as “plastic boards.” Tested in Europe for more than 10 years, they’re just starting to make an appearance in North America. While they are quite expensive (costing about four times what construction with pine boards would, or about 40% more than oak), they are no-maintenance and extremely safe, according to Dombkowski. The individual plastic panels are approximately 11-2 inches thick, and are hollow (they’re supported by a web of tiny struts and chambers inside). They snap together in a tongue-and-groove fashion that won’t loosen even with the impact of a kicking horse, but can be taken apart and moved around if necessary. They have a little flex, for added safety, they’re chew-proof, and they come in an array of brilliant, never-fade colors, from hunter green to royal blue to red, to match your stable colors.

The Air In There

A ceiling that drips condensation on you is a sign that the ventilation within your barn is inadequate. In order to allow six to eight air changes per hour in your barn, which is the minimum experts recommend for good equine respiratory health, you’ll need to position inlets (where cool air enters) and outlets (where warmed air exits) throughout the building. Their exact placement will depend on your climate and the local topographical features and prevailing winds–so they might end up in the stalls, or perhaps just at either end of the building. You also can space the doors and windows in each stall to take advantage of maximum airflow (keep in mind that fresh air and drafts are not the same!). If you live in a hot, humid part of the world, you might wish to install additional vents about two feet from the floor of the barn (an approach that is especially good for foaling stalls, since foals don’t benefit much from airflow through windows high in the walls).

Keeping the air circulating is key not only for your horse’s respiratory health, but also your own.

What’s Underfoot

Which flooring do you choose for your stalls? Whatever you use needs to be non-slip, provide good drainage, be tough enough to take abuse (including the occasional horse with a predilection for digging craters), forgiving on equine limbs, and easy to muck out and clean. Comfort and durability are going to be your major considerations.

One of the simplest options is dirt flooring. It’s relatively soft (and thus inviting for horses to lie down on), but not quite as low-maintenance as it first appears–because unless your soil is extraordinarily well-draining, you’ll end up with swampy areas where urine has pooled through the bedding. To avoid this, dig a drain field in each stall–make a hole about three feet in diameter, and deep enough to reach a well-draining layer of soil (usually a couple of feet), fill the hole with big chunks of gravel, tamp it firmly into place, then cover the hole over with dirt to make a smooth surface. Alternatively, you might wish to lay a six- to 12-inch layer of fine gravel or stone dust under the whole of the stall floor. It also will help to pack your flooring in a gentle slope (about three degrees at most–any more will put a strain on your horse’s legs) from front to rear in each stall, or toward one corner, where you can provide a drainage outlet to the outside.

“Baseball diamond” type hard-packed clay is the best soil to use for a dirt floor, as it only needs to be reworked about once a year. Pack it firmly with a heavy pounding tool or motor-driven “settler,” keeping water and some extra loose clay on hand to adjust the consistency of the floor as necessary.

If a dirt floor just won’t work for your operation, you might wish to look at something more durable, like concrete (tough, but cold and very hard on equine limbs, and slippery as well unless you texture it with a rough surface when you pour it), wood (easier on your horse’s body, but slippery and prone to rotting), or asphalt (“warmer” than concrete, hard on the legs, but providing a good non-slip surface, especially if you use the porous “popcorn” asphalt, which has large particles and is raked on installation, rather than rolled).

If you must lay a hard surface such as concrete or asphalt in the stalls (as you might if you have a breeding operation and need to be able to strip and disinfect stalls from top to bottom), consider the use of rubber matting to help cushion the floor, and bed deeply in order to make the floor more comfortable for your horses.

Let There Be Light

Lighting (or the lack of it) can make a barn either a delight to work in, or a dungeon. Quite apart from your own troubles if you are continually groping in the gloom, horses are instinctively afraid of dark, enclosed spaces–so it’s important to make your barn look airy, bright, and inviting. Use natural lighting as much as possible–it’s cheap and pleasing to the eye–and interestingly, sunlight is a powerful deterrent to many airborne viruses and bacteria. Incorporate lots of windows throughout your barn for extra sunny ambiance. However, if you install them in your stalls, place mesh or grilles on them to prevent your horse from coming in contact with glass, or use plexiglass or another unbreakable material.

Windows should never open into the stall; use sliding windows, or have them open out on the outside of your barn. Alternatively, you might choose to give each stall its own Dutch door leading to the outside; this arrangement does double duty as a window and an exit to your paddocks.

Even with good use of natural lighting, you’ll still need to install some light fixtures for those after-dark (or before-dawn) chores. Whether the fixtures you choose are incandescent or fluorescent is a personal choice; their positioning is the important factor. Better to err on the side of too many fixtures rather than too few; you should plan for a minimum of one light, every 10 feet, in the aisle, and one per stall (unless your stalls have only partial dividers, in which case you can position an overhead light above the partition and illuminate two stalls for the price of one). Remember that horses cast large shadows, so they will block substantial amounts of light from a side-mounted bulb. Better to locate the light fixtures directly overhead whenever possible. Protect the wiring and cover the bulb itself by enclosing it in a wire cage, plastic shield, or other protective arrangement. (Place them as high as possible–a rearing horse or a carelessly wielded pitchfork can break a bulb or fluorescent tube more easily than one would suspect.)

It goes without saying that all electrical wiring in a barn should be encased in metal conduit to protect it from the predations of both horses and rodents. One chewed wire has the potential to kill a horse and burn your barn down in one fell swoop. Unless you are an electrical expert, wiring is one area of the building process you might wish to leave to the professionals. Be particularly careful with any wiring that enters a horse’s stall; boredom often is the mother of disaster.

Hardware Tips

In terms of interior fittings, your choices are as many and varied as your local feed store or tack shop can come up with; just keep in mind that you want to have as few projecting surfaces as possible inside the stall. Enclosed screw eyes, with double-ended snaps, are a simple and convenient way to hang water and feed buckets. Corner feeders are another popular option, but keep in mind that if you install a feeder permanently, it will be more difficult to clean. Choose a salt-block holder that has no sharp edges when empty; you never know when a salt block will crumble in the middle of the night.

Most people prefer to feed hay on the ground or in a haynet, but if you do wish to install a hayrack, choose one with bars wide enough that a horse can’t get a foot caught, and position it so that the hay isn’t above your horse’s head (a situation that allows particles and dust to fall into his eyes as he eats).

Keep in mind that if you decide on steel as a building material, it might be very difficult to install fittings later–so you’ll want to incorporate all your bucket hangers and assorted doodads in your original design. Wood, on the other hand, allows for more flexibility, since it will easily accept nails or screws.

Whether you choose to install automatic waterers, or water by bucket, is a matter of individual preference. Waterers are wonderfully convenient–when they work. Unfortunately they can be problematic, either failing to refill or clogging up and overflowing–or freezing solid in winter. You’ll need to check them frequently to ensure they remain in good working order, and it’s a good idea to supply each with a separate shutoff valve so as to reduce the chances of a flooded stall. Watering by bucket is the more work-intensive way to go (especially in winter), but it has the advantage of no moving parts, and does make it easier to monitor your horse’s water intake.

On the outside of your stalls, you might want to install hooks for hanging halters, or perhaps a blanket rack. But Dombkowski recommends keeping such hardware to a minimum. “I tell clients to keep the front walls clean; a horse loose in the aisle can easily run into anything that protrudes and injure himself.”

Source: http://www.thehorse.com

To learn about a vital addition to your newly designed stall, click the link below to learn more about how the use of Stall Genie products can improve the health of your horses and stall environment.

by: Erika Street

Although few of us would let our horses miss their yearly tetanus shots, we often overlook another important aspect of disease prevention: Disinfection. While vaccines go a long way toward averting disease, none are guaranteed to be 100% effective. More importantly, none are even available for organisms such as Salmonella, even though the infectious disease it causes can spread quickly through a herd, wreaking havoc on a horse farm.

Fortunately, regularly disinfecting barns and equipment can help keep such flare-ups at bay. While regular disinfection might seem labor-intensive and costly, you must consider the consequences of not disinfecting.

Last year’s outbreak of Salmonella newport at the University of Pennsylvania’s New Bolton Center serves as a grim example. Sixteen horses had tested positive for Salmonella either before or at their time of death, but it was unknown how many of those deaths were caused by the bacterium as many of the animals were critically ill upon admission. To control the disease’s spread, the George D. Widener Hospital for Large Animals was forced to close its doors to new patients last May and to sandblast, disinfect, and repaint the facility.

As the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Routine disinfection is not just good horse management–it is a necessary component of an adequate disease prevention program.

Know How Diseases are Introduced

When planning a program to prevent infectious disease on your farm, you must first consider the most common ways diseases are introduced and transmitted. “Knowledge is power,” says John Poe, DVM, MPH, veterinary medical officer with the USDA, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), and former medical epidemiologist with the Kentucky Department of Public Health.

Once you understand how a particular disease is spread, you can create a targeted strategy to control the relevant factors in the environment. For example, if a particular disease common to your area is spread via insect bites, you must focus on controlling the mosquito and fly populations on your farm. On the other hand, if the disease you are concerned about can be transmitted through contact with bodily discharges or other substances in paddocks and stalls, disinfection of your facilities is an indispensable method of control.

Diseases such as strangles and salmonellosis are caused by bacteria that can survive and multiply outside living animals, particularly on moist surfaces and in the presence of organic matter. “Therefore, in addition to being spread by horse to horse contact, strangles is also frequently transmitted by fomites (objects on which pathogens can stick and infect other animals) such as contaminated twitches, lead shanks, grooms, and common watering tanks,” says Poe.

“The most common routes of spread of respiratory viruses such as influenza, equine rhinopneumonitis, and equine viral arteritis (EVA),” he continues, “are direct nose-to-nose contact, contact with nasal secretions, and aerosol transmission.”

This clearly illustrates the need for surface disinfection. Eliminating viruses and bacteria that survive in barns and stalls keeps diseases from being spread by environmental contamination.

Challenges for Disinfecting

Because of the complicated interactions between pathogens, disinfectants, and surfaces, there are many variables to consider before disinfecting your barn. The concentration of the disinfectant, the duration of its contact with the surface, the ambient temperature, the characteristics of the surface being disinfected, the presence of organic matter, and the target organism’s resistance to the disinfectant all affect how successful the process will be.

“Non-porous, smooth surfaces are the most readily cleaned and disinfected,” says Paul Morley, DVM, PhD, director of biosecurity for the Veterinary Teaching Hospital at Colorado State University. “The more organic material such as dirt or manure that is present, the less effective your disinfectants are going to be, and the more you’re going to have to use good old-fashioned soap and elbow grease.”

The fact that many disinfectants are deactivated by organic matter explains why the cleansing step of the disinfecting process is so important. According to a review by V.J. Fotheringham (see Disinfection of Livestock Production Premises in the March 1995 issue of Revue Scientifique et Technique), cleaning alone removes about 90% of bacteria, while a further 6-7% is removed by disinfection. In other words, spraying a dirty wall or floor with disinfectant won’t be very effective at killing pathogens.

Unfortunately, the design of many barns is not conducive to thorough cleaning–most stalls are lined with porous raw wood and have sand, dirt, or compact clay floors. These types of floors cannot be sufficiently cleaned and are impossible to disinfect with commercial disinfectants. While you do not have many options for improving dirt floors short of pouring asphalt, you can take steps to make porous walls easier to disinfect.

Roberta Dwyer, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVPM, of the University of Kentucky’s Gluck Equine Research Center, suggests that after thoroughly cleaning walls you patch knots with wood filler and seal the walls with a varnish or polyurethane. The result is a smooth, waterproof surface that you can easily clean and disinfect.

Choosing a Disinfecting Solution

First, consult your veterinarian to see what pathogens are of particular concern in your area. Then when you are evaluating a disinfectant, take into account its efficacy in the presence of organic matter and hard water, its germicidal activity against your target pathogens, and its cost, as well as how safe it is to use around animals and humans.

For routine disinfection, you will want to combat a wide array of organisms and will therefore need a disinfectant with a broad spectrum of anti-microbial activity.

“On the other hand, if you’re going after a specific disease or agent,” says Morley, “you have to consider what you’re dealing with. For example, rotaviruses are non-enveloped viruses and they are only susceptible to a few kinds of disinfectants–these may not be the ones that you’re using for general disinfection.”

Commercially available disinfectants fall into ten major categories: Aldehydes, iodophors, hypochlorites (bleach), alcohols, chlorhexidine, quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs), phenols, alkalis, chlorine dioxide, and peroxygens.

Aldehydes (e.g. formaldehyde) are highly toxic compounds and are therefore not recommended for use in horse barns. The 10% iodophors, which are virucidal and bactericidal, are generally used for washing hands and cleaning equipment, not disinfecting equine facilities. Bleach, alcohols, and chlorhexidine are readily available and effective on most surfaces, but are quickly inactivated by organic matter. Because most equine pathogens are found in some type of organic matter–be it feces, urine, or nasal secretions–this renders such disinfectants useless in facilities where there is a significant amount of dirt or manure. QACs, which have a moderate activity level in the presence of organic material and a good hard water tolerance, are therefore a slightly better option for surface disinfection. These are commonly used in restaurant dining room and kitchens.

Phenolic disinfectants, however, have an even higher level of activity in organic material. Because they also kill rotavirus and Salmonella, two of the most difficult-to-control infectious diseases, phenols are generally considered the best choice for disinfecting horse barns. Their biggest drawback, however, is that they are caustic to skin, mucous membranes, and even metals. Therefore, if you decide to use a phenolic disinfectant (and when working with any chemicals) make sure to wear protective clothing and eye goggles!

Peroxymonosulfate, a peroxygen, and sodium hydroxide, an alkali, are also very effective in the presence of organic material. While sodium hydroxide is highly caustic, peroxymonosulfate has a low toxic potential when it is diluted with water (the powder form is extremely caustic)–an important characteristic if you are working in the presence of animals.

No matter what disinfecting solution you ultimately choose, make sure that it is EPA-approved and read the label instructions carefully. Do not mix chemicals under any circumstances!

Proper Cleaning and Disinfection

When preparing to disinfect your barn, allow lots of time, as there are several steps and drying time involved. Don’t plan on finishing in an hour!

The first step is to dispose of any manure, feed, and debris. Then thoroughly scrape and clean all surfaces in buildings and on equipment.

Once you have removed as much organic matter as possible, completely clean all surfaces by scrubbing them with a detergent and spray-washing them with a low-pressure hose.

After cleaning, rinse carefully from the top downward, making sure that all traces of the detergent are rinsed away. Then allow the surface to dry completely. Thorough drying ensures that the cleansing agent and water will not mix with the disinfectant and dilute it.

Once the surfaces that you plan to disinfect are clean and dry, dilute your disinfectant according to its instructions. Spray the disinfectant on all non-porous surfaces and allow it to dry. Do not rinse it off! Allowing the disinfectant to dry maximizes the contact time of the chemical with pathogens.

Do not neglect your shovels, pitchforks, or grooming equipment. This type of equipment can be soaked for 10 minutes to loosen any organic material, then scrubbed clean, sprayed with disinfectant, and allowed to dry. All buckets and feed tubs should be cleaned, sprayed with disinfectant, and rinsed with potable (drinkable) water.

Daily Biosecurity

While annually disinfecting your barn can help control the spread of disease, it is also important to take steps to minimize your horse’s health risks on a daily basis.

Good separation procedures are vital to preventing disease on your farm. “All horse operations that board transient populations should have two groups of horses,” recommends Poe, “the resident population that never travels off the premises and the transient population that travels to shows, exhibits, and trail rides. These two groups should be housed, handled, and grazed separately–permanently.”

Lyda Denney, DVM, New York State Horse Health Assurance Program Coordinator, recommends that when introducing a new horse to your farm, you isolate him for 30 days. “A quarantine area should be established prior to the arrival of new animals that is well-separated from the other animals on the farm,” she says. “The area should contain separate utensils, and separate clothing and footwear should be worn while inside.” Visiting or sick horses should also be kept there so they do not come in contact with or share air space with resident horses.

Even if you don’t have enough space on your farm to create this type of quarantine area, you should still keep new and sick horses separate from the rest of the herd. The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food suggests that if space is at a premium, you designate a stall near an outside door as the isolation area and feed and handle the animal there last. After a horse leaves the quarantine area, make sure to thoroughly clean and disinfect the stall and any equipment that was used on him.

While such biosecurity precautions are important, the general cleanliness of your barn is paramount. Because the survival time of a microorganism outside the host body is increased by the presence of organic soiling such as manure, the most effective way to keep disease from spreading throughout your farm is by keeping it clean and disinfecting it annually.

Cleaning After Infectious Horses

If you should ever have to clean up after an infectious horse, you will need to create a targeted plan to get rid of the disease in question. “First consider talking to an expert on infectious diseases like your veterinarian,” recommends Morley. “They can provide invaluable advice.”

Disinfection, although important on a routine basis, becomes urgent when you are caring for an infectious horse. During this time, the aisles must be swept, cleaned, and disinfected on a daily basis, and the stall of any diseased animal must be disinfected as soon as the horse has recovered.

Other horses in the barn must also be considered exposed and potentially incubating the disease. “You need to think very carefully about who you will expose by moving animals after they have developed signs of disease,” warns Morley. “What you could be doing is just spreading the disease around.”

While disinfection is effective at controlling the spread of disease, it cannot eliminate infections if carrier animals are continually added to susceptible populations.

It is also important to limit movement in and out of the isolation area. Footbaths containing a phenolic disinfectant should be placed outside each stall and at the entrance and exit of the barn, and all people who enter the isolation area should wear coveralls, caps, and rubber boots.

“Perhaps one of the most important–but overlooked–precautions is hand washing,” says Morley. “Sometimes your ability to wash hands in the field is limited, so I recommend using hand-sanitizing products and washing your hands both before and after handling a sick animal.

“You also need to be concerned about the potential for zoonotic infection,” cautions Morley. “Some agents like Salmonella can infect people. Make sure that you’re avoiding hand to face contact, and that people are not smoking or eating around these animals or their environments.”

Finally, Morley recommends that you think about the type of transmission when attempting to control the spread of disease. “Is it a respiratory disease, in which case you need to think about separating the air space? Or is it oral-fecal spread like rotavirus so you need to be concerned about where their feces go and the cleaning tools?”

By understanding how the disease in question is transmitted, you will improve your ability to control its spread.

Take-Home Message

By keeping your horses’ vaccinations up-to-date, maintaining a clean facility, instituting several simple biosecurity precautions, and regularly disinfecting your barns and stalls, you will be better able to prevent and control disease on your farm.

Source: http://www.thehorse.com

To learn about a vital addition to your newly disinfected stall, click the link below to learn more about how the use of Stall Genie products can improve the health of your horses and stall environment.

Tags: Cleaning Horse Stalls, Disinfecting Horse Stalls

Stall Genie products offer a serious solution to Horse Odor in Stalls, promoting a healthier environment for your horses, and less maintenance for you.

Even great bedding cannot reduce age-old problems such as moisture and odor in your horse stalls. Stall Genie products offer a solution by helping to eliminate odor and moisture, which in turn has the effect of eliminating parasite and fly populations, and you will end up with a healthier horse due to the elimination of harmful ammonia odor.

Ammonia fumes caused by the buildup of urine, produce that pungent smell that overwhelms you when you enter your horses stall – now imagine, living and sleeping with this smell! Ammonia is also known to cause heaves in foals and other lung conditions which can reduce the performance and health of your competition horses. Stall Genie Products absorb harmful ammonia fumes and moisture, which result in peak performance from your horse and lower veterinarian bills.

To learn more about how Stall Genie Products can help your horse please click the banner below

Tags: Horse Odor in Stalls

Trailering your horses during the hot summer weather can pose many serious challenges to you, and health risks to your horses and animals – including dehydration and heatstroke.

It is important to take precautions during summer horse transport, and here are 6 tips to help you move your horses safely:

TIP 1: Trailer only during the coolest hours of the day.

TIP 2: Clear all horse trailer vents and obstructions for optimal airflow.

TIP 3: Always carry a bucket and 2-3 gallons of drinking water per horse.

TIP 4: Park only in shaded areas, or locations with good breezes and airflow.

TIP 5: Double check that your truck is in good running order (USRider recommends carrying two spares for your horse trailer).

TIP 6: Check traffic reports and do your best to avoid any traffic jams that would slow down your journey.

Be prepared for all possible outcomes such as breakdowns, delays, and less likely scenarios, and you should be able to safely transport your horses during the hot summer months.

When trailering your horses it is also smart to be aware of harmful ammonia fumes which can build up during horse transport – to improve the health of your horse consider using a product such as the Trailer Genie kit to absorb harmful ammonia gasses and keep them out of your horses lungs! Click the banner below to learn more.

Tags: Horse Health Tips, horse transport safety, safe horse transport

Recently reported by thehorse.com, more than 830 of their readers responded to a poll asking, “What precautions do you take during hot weather when riding your horse?”

The Horse readers shared what they do to keep their horses cool in the results of their poll below, showing 7 of the most common responses on how readers keep their horses cool during the hot summer months.

The Stall Genie weekly blog articles feature tips and articles on common equine health conditions and what you can do to recognize, avoid, or treat them.

Tags: horse health, Horse Health Tips, horse summer heat

Horse Health
In general most peoples veterinarian bills are going up each year, with the cost for most horses around $200 a year – but if any health issues occur your bills can easily shoot over $1000 dollars in no time. Heeding these general horse health tips can help your horse stay healthy year round and avoid those costly vet bills.

Tip 1: Dental Care
A typical horse has 44 teeth. A simple test to check the oral hygiene is to give 4 to 5 kg of hay to the horse on an empty stomach. If the horse can eat continuously with both sides of its teeth, then the horse is having healthy teeth. If it does not eat, then it will be mostly due to pain in the teeth. In which case, it is better to show to a veterinary doctor. As the horses chew, their teeth gets worn out. This is not a problem as they keep growing teeth. But the wearing down action could result in pointed teeth, which may be filed down to prevent injury to the gum. It is advisable to learn the proper method of examining the teeth from your veterinary doctor. This will prevent last minute damage controls which can be rather painful to the horse, to you and to your pocket.

Tip 2: Exercise & Turn Out
Make sure you give your horses as much exercise as possible. Imagine, how you will feel if you are kept in one place for 18 to 20 hours. The major effect of not getting proper exercise for a horse can be colic, gut ulcers, limb issues, behavioral problems. Horses are gregarious animals who love moving and grazing around. They have to keep moving in order for breathing in fresh air, for circulation and for proper digestion. Pasture and company of other horses give a sense of safety and mental stimulation. Exercise gives proper lower limb circulation. Give exercise as much as possible. A horse should be taken outside its stable for at least 8 hours in a day. Younger horses will require at least 10 hours of turn out.

Tip 3: Healthy Stall
A healthy stall environment must have an excellent cushioning for animal comfort, a fresh water supply, ample room, it should be clean to reduce bacteria borne wet spots. The horse urine has harmful ammonia fumes leaving foals who sit close to the floor especially vulnerable; using a product such as Stall Genie can reduce harmful ammonia fumes and keep a healthy stall environment for your horses.

Tip 4: Get Educated on Breed Requirements
Learn about your horse’s special needs. Each breed has its own unique need. Breeds, susceptible to laminitis should be given less access to the spring grass. Appaloosas, which are little night blind may run in to a fence at night. Some are more resistant to cold weather. Some are less resistant to colic. Also take in to account the behavior and medical history of the horse.

Tip 5: Quality Food
It is very important to give natural food as much as possible. Pasture grass is very important. Hay can be given in winter. Digestive system related issues crop up in horses fed mainly on grain or commercial feed. Oat meal with apples and sugar is a good combination. Many horses like watermelon, pear, mango (no seed), papaya and guava. But first give a piece and see whether your horse likes or not. Berries like raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, and strawberries are good. Vegetables like carrots, celery, beet greens, peas, sweet potato greens, lettuce, plantain and green beans are also good. Few horses, after a little persuasion, starts eating these food items. Man-made food like Performance pellets must be given as per the direction of the veterinary doctor. Proper vitamins and minerals are needed for energy generation, muscle protection, maintaining immune system etc. To improve appetite it is better to give Vitamin-B rich food. Bran mash is recommended for working horses who does large amount of exercise. Not all horses like vegetables and fruits.

Tip 6: Check On Horses Regularly
Check your horse each day. Know its normal daily behavior. Like, whether it is a quiet grazer or runs around more. How much does it eat daily? Any symptoms of being unwell like drastic changes in daily routine, stopped eating, should be investigated. Colic, initial lameness can be easily treated if you are watchful. Daily watch and prompt treatment can reduce cost of treatment. Remove stones and other items from hooves daily. Check the horse for injuries and abnormalities during regular grooming.

Tip 7: Safe Pasture Area
Barb wired areas should be avoided. It can cause cuts and bruises. Take care for poisonous plants around the pasture area. Pasture with lot of green juicy grasses will be always welcome. It also is a place to meet fellow horses which will improve its communication skills reducing boredom and provides a sense of safety. This will reduce behavioral issues.

Tags: Horse Health Tips

By Laurie Lawrence, PhD

One of the irritating compounds that can accumulate inside a horse barn is ammonia (NH3). High concentrations of ammonia in the air can irritate the mucous membranes of the eyes, nose, and mouth and possibly increase the susceptibility of animals to respiratory infections. In animal buildings aerial ammonia arises from urine and feces, so ammonia concentrations are usually highest near the floor.

Researchers at the University of Kentucky have examined the usefulness of an ammonia-absorbing compound applied to floors to control ammonia concentrations in horse stalls (Pratt et al, 2000, J. Eq. Vet. Sci. 20:197.) A commercially available ammonia-absorbing product (Sweet PDZ, Steelhead Minerals Inc.) designed for daily application to stall floors was tested in a four-stall barn containing mature Thoroughbred geldings. The dirt-floored stalls were cleaned every morning and bedded with straw.

All stalls were tested in the control condition (no ammonia-absorbing compound applied) and in the treated condition (ammonia-absorbing compound applied after cleaning in the morning). The researchers measured aerial ammonia concentrations expressed as parts per million (ppm) in two locations: near the horses’ heads with a device attached to their halters, and near the floor in the morning before the stalls were cleaned.

The ammonia-absorbing compound did not completely eliminate ammonia from the air in the stalls. However, stalls treated with the ammonia-absorbing compound had lower ammonia concentrations near the head and near the floor than the untreated stalls. At the end of two weeks, ammonia concentrations near the floor were about 25% lower than in the untreated stalls.

The researchers suggested the extent of the reduction in aerial ammonia might have been greater if measurements had been taken closer to the time of application instead of the morning after application. For example, when ammonia concentrations above three urine spots were measured before and 15 minutes following application of the ammonia-absorbing compound, ammonia concentrations were reduced by 60% or greater.

In addition to evaluating the effect of the ammonia-absorbing compound, the researchers in this study also documented changes in aerial ammonia concentration over the two weeks the geldings were kept in the barn. Ammonia concentrations remained relatively low during the first few days horses occupied the stalls, but then they increased rapidly, particularly near the floor. In the untreated stalls ammonia concentrations near the floor exceeded 200 ppm after seven days, even though the stalls were cleaned daily. The level of aerial ammonia that is unhealthy for horses is not known, however levels of 200 ppm ammonia are higher than those found to produce negative effects in other animals.

In this study ammonia concentrations measured near the halter remained relatively low in both treatment groups. Thus, it seems likely these normal adult horses were not exposed to a high level of ammonia. However, for foals or sick adult horses that spend significant amounts of time lying down, high ammonia levels near the floor might present a respiratory challenge. Application of an ammonia-absorbing compound to stall floors might reduce the ammonia exposure and possibly enhance well-being.

Article Source: http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=15077

Tags: ammonia in horse stalls, ammonia in stalls, horse stall odor

Ideally a healthy horse should be outside in all but the worst weather; however, for horse owners who don’t have pasture to turn their horses out on, often face a huge battle facing health problems due to urine build up in the stable which releases harmful ammonia fumes, which overpower most people’s sense of smell as they enter their horses stable. These owners need a way for horse urine odor smell removal, and this can be achieved by using an ammonia absorbent.

Don’t risk the health of your horse by neglecting to use an ammonia absorbent product such as Stall Genie, which acts to absorb not only harmful ammonia but also reduces moisture reducing parasite and fly populations. Ammonia has been linked by several studies to cause respiratory diseases such as Heaves in horses, especially in young foals, you can read several of these studies by Clicking Here to visit our Education Resources.

Stall Genie Products can help you lower veterinarian bills and have a healthier horse:

• Absorbs Harmful Ammonia
• Absorbs Moisture
• Less respiratory problems
• Reduces fly/parasite population
• Non-toxic
• Easy to use

By using Stall Genie Products you will have increased the health of your horse, resulting in a healthier, happier horse, and lower veterinarian bills due to respiratory diseases caused by harmful ammonia exposure.

Tags: Horse Urine Odor, Horse Urine Odor Smell Removal, Urine Odor Smell Removal

This video outlines just how deadly common ammonia is, and the many risks involved with ammonia fume inhalation; now imagine, living, sleeping and breathing these harmful fumes in all day long – that is what your horses and foals are exposed too if you are not using an ammonia absorbent product such as the Stall Genie system.

Ammonia is a deadly gas which enters the lungs of your horses, causing harmful health conditions such as heaves in foals, and many other problems which result in costly veterinarian bills and poor performance from your horses. By using the Stall Genie system you can absorb and eliminate harmful ammonia fumes, along with the added affect of moisture absorption and parasite/fly population reduction.

Tags: ammonia health risks, horse health risks, Horse Odor Control

Recently reported by horseandcountry.tv, recent research has revealed a link between ammonia exposure in horses and lung problems.

The presence of ammonia in stables, which is caused by the decomposition of a horse’s urine and faeces, has long been a concern of horse owners and yard managers, and DIY liveries leaving stables un-mucked out until the end of the day has been the cause of many complaints. But there has been little scientific research to back up the link between respiratory problems and ammonia until now.

Research funded by The Horse Trust has found that stabling, regardless of bedding or forage types, results in increased levels of environmental ammonia and respiratory inflammation.

The research, which was led by Professor Sandy Love at the University of Glasgow, studied eight yearling Welsh Mountain ponies, who were serially alternatively housed then grazed for periods of three weeks. Three times each week, a variety of substances were monitored, including dust, endotoxin and ammonia within the environment, and the level of various gases and pH of the horse’s exhaled breath. The forage and bedding within the stables were varied to test whether this had any impact on the pony or the stable environment.

Love found that the stabling of horses resulted in increased exposure to environmental ammonia and that this was associated with an increase in the pH of the horse’s exhaled breath. Under the study conditions, no significant differences were found in ammonia levels under the different grazing and stabling conditions. Love was also able to confirm earlier research, that stabled horses are exposed to dust and endotoxins.

“Horse owners have long worried about the ammonia smell in stables, but there has been little scientific evidence to back this up. These findings confirm that ammonia is linked to poor respiratory health, although further research is needed to confirm whether and how ammonia causes respiratory problems,” said Love.

It is unclear at present how ammonia impacts respiratory disorders in horses, but in other animals exposure to ammonia has been found to result in increased mucin production and reduced pulmonary clearance.

In the next phase of his research project funded by The Horse Trust, Love’s team are carrying out a large-scale field study to quantify the environmental risk factors – such as bedding, feeding and ventilation – that predispose horses to respiratory inflammation. The results from this field study will be available next year.

“We are pleased that the research we have funded has improved understanding around the causes of respiratory problems in horses. We look forward to receiving the results from the final stage of Professor Love’s research, which we hope will give horse owners practical advice about how to reduce the risk of this distressing condition,” said Paul Jepson, Chief Executive and Veterinary Director of The Horse Trust.

To lower the levels of ammonia in your horses stalls and increase overall horse health, read 4 Indoor Horse Health Tips – and consider the purchase of an ammonia odor absorbent and odor blocking product such as the Stall Genie system.

Tags: ammonia exposure, ammonia in stalls, horse health study