These Upgrades Can Make Caring for Your Horses and Barn Easier
Operating and maintaining a horse barn is full of challenges, but harsh winter weather can make those responsibilities even more difficult. Investing in these five horse barn upgrades can pay off in many ways if you live in a climate that sees harsh winters. From making daily chores easier to saving you time and money fixing damage to your barn, there are many reasons to invest in these barn upgrades.
Automatic Waterers
Automatic waterers are invaluable in ensuring your horses have continuous access to fresh water throughout the winter, and they eliminate the chore of carrying, dumping, and filling water buckets. At American Stalls, we offer several waterer solutions for Horse Stalls that make keeping your horses hydrated all winter easier.
The Nelson Automatic Waterers are an excellent choice for horse barns in cold climates. They’re built from stainless steel or aircraft-grade aluminum for durability, and these waterers can be installed on the front, back, or side of each horse stall.
Want to integrate water into your stall design? Check out our guide on choosing the best watering system.
Most importantly, a thermostatically controlled heater is available to prevent the water from freezing in colder climates. The waterers provide a continuous, non-frozen water supply, plus they’re easy to remove and clean as needed. There will be no more breaking open iced-over buckets to worry about each winter.
Barn Entry Doors
Upgrading your barn entry doors can help keep your barn’s interior warm, plus they make accessing your barn easier. Old doors that are difficult to maneuver or that freeze into the ground aren’t just frustrating to work with, but are also a safety hazard.
At American Stalls, we craft each Horse Barn Door to order, ensuring it’s unique and designed to your specific needs and wants. These doors create an eye-catching, personalized entry, and they’re designed for optimal functionality. For example, choosing an entry door with a glass infill can maximize natural light in your barn during the winter, creating a more enjoyable atmosphere. And since we craft each door to your barn’s dimensions, they fit securely, blocking cold winds during winter storms for your horses’ comfort.
For guidance on selecting the best materials for your build, explore our article on choosing the right lumber for horse stalls and barn doors.
Gutters and Drainage Systems
Gutters and drainage systems play a key role in your horse barn’s safety throughout the winter. Pairing gutters with drainage systems, such as French drains, can help keep your barn accessible and safe during winter weather.
By channeling water in the desired direction, these systems can prevent flooding, keeping water out of your barn. They can also prevent dangerous ice formation around barn entryways.
By avoiding water backup and flooding, gutters and drainage systems can help save you time on winter property maintenance. Additionally, since flooded stalls require significant cleanup and can incur extra costs for bedding, investing in these drainage systems can ultimately save you money.
New Barn Aisle Flooring
Your barn aisle flooring is essential to horse and handler safety, and that’s particularly true in the winter. The flooring you choose is about more than aesthetics; features like traction and shock absorption can help prevent falls and injuries. Plus, when your flooring is easy to maintain, you can save time on your winter chores. If you’re working with less-than-ideal flooring, such as concrete, you may face slick surfaces and even ice buildup in the winter. Dirt barn aisles can become rutted, and the dust generated can affect your horses’ respiratory health, especially if your barn is closed up during the winter.
Upgrading to a product like Rubber Pavers for Horse Barns can maximize your aisle’s safety. These slip-resistant tiles may help prevent falls when both wet and dry, plus their shock absorption makes your aisle more comfortable. Since the tiles help control bacteria, they contribute to a healthier barn environment, plus they’re easy to maintain.
Rubber Pavers aren’t only an ideal upgrade for your barn aisle. You can use them in other areas, including wash bays, service roads, feed rooms, and grooming stalls for a cohesive look and maximum safety throughout your entire facility.
For maintenance tips that protect both your horses and your barn, explore our guide on how to correct rutted, uneven stall floors.
Mud Control Grids
Repeated freezing and thawing, paired with snow, ice, hail, and rain, can leave even the most well-maintained pastures and runs in a muddy mess. Mud is inconvenient during your chores, and it also poses a risk to your horses and staff. Left unchecked, mud can cause all sorts of health issues, from scratches to tendon and ligament strains and tears. It’s a wintertime issue that you can’t afford to ignore.
Mud Control Grids are a practical solution to muddy areas on your horse farm, plus they’re impressively easy to install and maintain. These grids can help resolve mud issues in pastures, runs, turnouts, outdoor wash stalls, and other areas.
Installing the grids requires minimal site preparation, and they’re durable enough to withstand cold temperatures and UV rays. Their surface helps maximize water flow to reduce standing water and mud, and the grid also keeps horses and humans elevated out of the mud. Their grip helps maximize safety, even when wet, plus you can easily remove debris and muck from the surface.
Contact American Stalls to Upgrade Your Barn for the Winter Weather
These five upgrades can help prepare your barn for winter weather, making it easier and safer for you to care for your horses and maintain your facility during the cold. At American Stalls, we can help you find the right upgrades for your horse barn. We custom-design and build everything from Horse Stall Systems to barn entry doors and Barn Windows, so we can create something unique and ideal for you.
Contact us today at (855) 957-8255 or email us at sales@americanstalls.com to schedule a sales and design consultation or with any questions.
