Facilities and Management

AGRI 3364 Equine Science

When housing is built for horses, what

should it provide for? Welfare of the horses

Safety, health, and comfort (horse & handler)

Efficient use of labor

Cost-effectiveness

Housing

Providing welfare of horses begins with

what? Understanding their natural

environment Environment involves four main areas

Physical Social Chemical Biological

Welfare of Horses

Physical Environment includes:

Temperature

Heat-Loss Factors

Stall Space

Feeder Space

Flooring

Welfare of Horses

Social Environment Includes:

Behavioral Considerations

Sex of Horses

Age of Horses

Level of Activity

Welfare of Horses

Chemical Environment

Includes: Water Quality

Various Gases O2

CO2

NH3

Air Contaminants (dust and mold)

Welfare of Horses

Biological Environment Includes:

Disease organisms in air

Water

Feed

Stall Materials

Other Animals

Welfare of Horses

Horses use

Flight as a primary defense mechanism When threatened, frightened, or in pain:

Strike, bite, kick, or attempt to leave Can injure themselves

Facilities should provide for the safety

Welfare of Horses

Horses do not spend long periods of time

confined under natural conditions What may develop if confined for long

periods? Vices

What tends to minimize vices? Adequate stall space

Welfare of Horses

Fresh air should always be available in

barns CO2, water vapor, and manure need to be

removed Adequate ventilation will

Reduce air contaminants such as dust, mold, and irritating gases

Welfare of Horses

First Step in Building is Knowing the Recommended Space Requirements

Horses are housed in buildings primarily

for convenience of handlers As a result

Human environmental needs plays a major role in facility design

This may be a conflict with The environmental needs of the horse

Buildings

A horse can do well in nearly any

temperature if: Humidity can be held to a comfortable

level Enough air movement through barn

Conditions that are most detrimental are: High moisture Barn is either too hot or cold

Buildings

What must be considered in the

construction of a facility? Purpose of facility Number and breed of animals Room for expansion Regulatory requirements Budget Layout of facilities to day-to-day

activities

Buildings

Local zoning requirements

should be checked: Some areas restrict the number of

acres to house livestock

Distance of boundary lines, dwellings, and neighbors may also be regulated

If regulation cannot be met, approval from zoning board may be necessary

Site Selection

Site should allow water to drain away

from buildings, etc. A site of 2 to 6 % slope provides rapid

removal of water without causing erosion Detailed site plan should be developed

before making final decision Allows to ensure sufficient space is

allowed

Site Selection

Plan should indicate where

Water, sewer, and electrical lines enter the building

Building should be situated to Take advantage of prevailing winds and

airflow

Site Selection

Consideration should be given

to: Clients Traffic Impact on neighbors Manure handling Conditions in neighborhood that

will startle or distract horses

Site Selection

Getting a particular location

ready involves: Removing topsoil Leveling the area Bringing utilities to site

Usually means that local contractor will be engaged

Site Preparation

Buildings can be:

Metal frame Pole Conventional Construction

Type of structure may depend heavily of economic feasibility

Type of Construction

Windows:

Expensive additions

Only essential in those structures that must conform to health regulations

When used for light, should equal 8 to 10% of floor area

Options in the Building

Siding:

Metal Low maintenance Pre-painted, will last 15 to 20 yrs

Wood Will withstand abuse Better insulating value Requires periodic painting or staining

Options in the Building

Siding:

Masonry Very little maintenance High initial cost Difficult to insulate When used with steel-frame or

pole buildings, requires a separate foundation

Options in the Building

Roofing:

Aluminum or steel White colored has slightly better

reflective quality Requires less roof framing than

shingles Lower Cost Less insulating value than wood

Options in the Building

Insulation: Many choices of insulating material are

available (Considerations include): Cold buildings operated at outside

temperatures Buildings where animal heat provides only

winter minimum temperatures Buildings with supplemental heating

systems

Options in the Building

A good ventilation system must:

Provide fresh air

Control moisture buildup within the structure

Move enough air to dilute any airborne diseases

Control and/or moderate temperature extremes

Ventilation

The basic process that occurs with all

successful ventilation systems is: Cool, dry air is drawn into the

building

Heat and moisture are added to the air

Warm, wet air is expelled

Failure to provide for any part of this process will result in failure to ventilate

Ventilation

Stall floors must be made of

Durable material that is not slippery Should be absorbent, easy to clean, and

resistant to pawing Common materials include:

Clay, sand and clay mix, limestone dust, wood, concrete, asphalt, rubber mats

Flooring

Arena and indoor training

facilities Pasture shelters Feed and water facilities

Should try to keep feed off ground

Water should be kept clean

Other Structures

Fences must be:

Safe and strong enough to contain the horses

Affordable and acceptable in appearance

Important in making the handling, moving, and sorting of horses easy

Fencing

Type of Fence Depends on:

Type of horses being managed Intended use of the area Density of animals on the fenced

area Availability of shelter Neighbors Desired aesthetics Projected budget

Selecting the Right Fence

Draft vs. Miniature Mare and foals Yearlings Stallions Forage vs. Exercise pasture Density

Selecting the Right Fence

Post-and-Board Woven Wire Pipe fence High-Tensile Wire PVC Cable Electric Barbed Wire

Types of Fencing

An average 1,000 lb horse produces:

~ 9 tons of manure / year How the manure is stored and treated

has a substantial impact on its value Labor, storage, and utilization costs can

be considerable

Manure Management

U.S. Horse Industry uses two principle

manure management systems First permits horses to

Graze full time on pastures and manure is not collected

Second system Confines animal feeding which relies on

intense management

Manure Management

Manure is typically managed in one of

the following ways: Compost (removed daily and composted)

Stockpile (removed daily)

Daily Land Application Removed daily and spread on land

Manure Management

Horses housed in confined settings

require soft absorbent bedding Most common bedding includes:

Wood shavings Straw Corn stalks Shredded newspaper Peanut shells Peat Moss Rice Hulls, etc.

Manure Collection

Management in pastures depends

primarily on Having good distribution across pasture

Rotational grazing What will also encourage better manure

distribution? Several watering facilitates and moving of

feeding facilities

Pasture Management

Avoid grazing during rainy

periods if possible Refrain from excessive

stocking rates Damage to grass stand will

increase manure runoff

Pasture Management

Composting:

Produces a relatively dry end product that is easily handled

At proper temperature, can kill fly eggs and larvae, pathogens, and weed seeds

Has less of an odor Acts as an excellent fertilizer

Storage and Treatment

Stockpiling:

Adequate storage area allows for greater flexibility

Proper site selection for manure disposal is important

Place stockpiles at least 150 feet away from surface water to avoid runoff

Storage and Treatment

Manure can be applied to pasture for

disposal Manure spreader aids in uniform

distribution of manure Avoid spreading manure close to surface

water or eroded areas

Land Application