Barn & Arena Guide 2017

supplement to

EquineJournal

&

Barn Arena 2017

Guide

Storm Warning 24-Hour Disaster Prep Simple Solutions

12 DIY Barn Hacks

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Barn & Arena Guide 2017

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2017

Barn & Arena Guide Welcome to the 2017 annual “Barn & Arena Guide.” Whether you own a barn or just have dreams of one, you’ll enjoy flipping through this special issue full of gorgeous photos and great ideas.

If you enjoy DIY projects and saving money around the barn, turn to page 18 and read Jane Carlton’s article, “Roll Up Your Sleeves” for some great do it yourself tips and tricks to keep your horse’s living quarters in order.

Are you prepared if a storm is heading your way? We have a 24-hour storm prep on page 22 to make sure you have your barn in order before the bad weather hits.

And in the article “Take Cover” we take a look at outbuilding design.

From run-in sheds to hay storage, get advice from the pros on creating a useful space that isn’t a drain on the pocketbooks.

We hope you enjoy this issue and it helps you spend more time in the saddle and less time on chores!

Executive editor/ general manager

senior aDVERTISING/ MARKETING CONSULTANT

Elisabeth Prouty-Gilbride

Karen Desroches

Operations MANAGER

ADVERTISING/MARKETING CONSULTANTs

Kelly Lee Brady Managing editor

Kelly Ballou

Laurel Foster Brendalee Edwards director of production

Editorial Assistant/ Web EDITOR

Terisé Cole

Kristine Miller production managers

Sherry R. Brown Cher Wheeler

Sr Graphic Designer

Candice Madrid-Flottum production Assistant

Charles McClelland

Contents: 8 In Your Words 10 Cover Story

Equine Journal

83 Leicester Street, North Oxford, MA 01537 phone: 508-987-5886, fax: 508-987-5887 subscription questions: 1-800-414-9101 affiliate subscription questions: 1-800-742-9171 international callers: 1-386-246-0102 equinejournal@emailcustomerservice.com www.equinejournal.com

A Publication of MCC Magazines, LLC A Division of Morris Communications Company, LLC 735 Broad St., Augusta, GA 30901 President Donna Kessler group publisher Patty Tiberg Director of circulation Scott Ferguson Director of manufacturing Donald Horton Senior digital strategist Sonny Williams Digital content manager Megan Thomas

Morris Communications Company, LLC Chairman & CEO William S. Morris III President Will S. Morris IV

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13 Points of Interest 18 Roll Up Your Sleeves

Do-it-yourself tips and tricks for around the barn.

By Jane Carlton

22 Weathering the Storm

You’ve got 24 hours ‘til that storm hits. Is your farm ready?

By Kathleen Labonville

26 Take Cover

Tips for designing a functional and durable outbuilding.

By Karen Elizabeth Baril

Cover Photo: Brittni Raflowitz and Hope Van’t Zorgvliet take on ESI’s turf field during WEF’s U25 Grand Prix.

Photo by The Book LLC TAble of contents Photo: Shawn Hamilton/clixphoto.com

equine Journal

2017 | Barn & Arena Guide 2016

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IN YOUR WORDS

QA &

What is a must have feature in your dream barn?

An automatic fire safety sprinkler system would give me peace of mind.

- Traci Hausken Lermond A beautiful tack room!

- Roxanne Cyrankowski A big indoor arena.

- Pamela Barrows An indoor riding arena that is attached to the barn.

- Ute Shepherd Money for the hired help to keep it clean.

- Paulette Johnson A full bathroom and fire safety equipment.

- Dee Cooley An indoor arena inside it.

- Sarah Seltz Heat!

- Wesley Schroeder A barn/office/school room like in Mr. Ed. - Dayna Bailey Climate control!

- @bigredottb

Indoor arena for wet weather and winter work.

- @auralark487

From Our Staff An indoor arena.

- Karen Desroches Senior Advertising/ Marketing Consultant 8

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Photos: Shawn Hamilton/clixphoto.com

An attached indoor for winter riding.

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On The Cover

Equine Journal Advertorial

Equestrian Services International Bringing Turf Field Construction to New Heights

By Dominique Shrader

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provider. ESI’s resourceful team offers services from everything from engineering and design to full scope site development work and landscaping. The products and services currently taking the spotlight for ESI are all about turf.

Decades of experience working in the equestrian community have given ESI’s founder Brett Raflowitz a multi-faceted understanding for design, construction, and maintenance necessary to achieve the highest potential from any equestrian property.

Together with his wife and co-founder, Tracy Raflowitz, Brett built crews highly trained in all aspects of the equestrian world. With the core support of the Raflowitz children, accomplished professional show jumper

daughter Brittni as marketing chair, and son Garett as equipment operator and assistant project manager, the Raflowitz’s have brought together their extended family team based on the value of consistent excellence with all products and services.

In creating arena footing, Brett bases product offerings on extensive research and field testing, which have allowed him to develop a premium performance footing line adapted for diverse regions across North America. ESI understands the needs of horse and rider and the strategies behind designing a free draining and aesthetically pleasing riding surface. It is with these concepts in mind that the team is growing its prowess in

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Photo: Courtesy of Garett Raflowitz

Quality, longevity, service, value. Since its inception, Equestrian Services International (ESI) has managed every project, based on these simple and effective tenets. A consistent leader in the industry, ESI has designed and installed arenas for projects ranging from high profile equestrian venues such as Tryon International Equestrian Center, Devon, The Kentucky Horse Park, and Lake Placid to private farms including those for prestigious figures such as Mclain Ward and Kent Farrington. Through these projects and countless others, ESI has proven its reputation for excellence in arena work. But it is the company’s drive to develop expertise beyond the traditional sand ring that has made ESI a full service equestrian facility

Photo: Travis Gould , Courtesy of Equestrian Services International

Equestrian Services International designs and installs arenas for top competition venues as well as private facilities.

On The Cover

Equine Journal Advertorial

Photo: Courtesy of Garett Raflowitz

Photo: Travis Gould , Courtesy of Equestrian Services International

ESI also provides turf footing blending and field construction.

turf footing blending and field construction.

A competition mainstay for major venues and private farms alike, the turf field can be a unique and beautiful alternative or supplemental surface to the traditional sand arena. With the use of high quality local sand, nutrient rich top soil products, and specially engineered fibers, ESI’s premium turf blend promotes healthy and even grass growth while giving the same support and balance offered by its arena footing. Like the sand arena, the ESI turf field has the option for construction with ESI’s free draining rock layer to offer maximum efficiency in precipitation outflow. The ESI crew is also adept at design and construction of all manner of Derby Field obstacles including grobs, table jumps, and water jumps.

Given ESI’s longstanding history in turf field work, including the installation of the Mar-A-Lago turf course in Palm Beach, FL,

along with a range of private fields, the ESI team was ready this year to tackle its largest scale turf construction assignment to date at the Tryon International Equestrian Center. The project included assistance with design and full construction of a Derby Field covering over 350,000 square feet and an extensive cross-country track winding through the foot hills surrounding the facility in Mill Spring, NC. For this job, ESI was grateful to partner with Mirimichi Green, whose CarbonizPN Soil Enhancer product offers optimum turf growth and health when added to ESI’s custom sand blend.

Recent news that the TIEC will host the 2018 World Equestrian Games comes as especially exciting on the heels of the ESI team’s successful completion of its new turf elements.

Currently, Brett is hard at work to meet the growing demand in the world of turf footing. “What’s key with this riding surface is achieving

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the balance of the proper cushion and stability while also having the necessary nutrient content that you get from Mirimichi Green’s product to maintain strong grass growth,” says Brett. “Our goal is to bring together that recipe that works for each client’s needs in terms of a facility’s traffic level as well as the weather and growth patterns of the grass in its location.” Brett is looking forward to the challenge brought with new opportunities to develop turf projects in the coming months and years.

Working with turf is not new to ESI, but constant innovation and the rising demand for grass field projects is offering exciting ways for the company to show its growth in its diverse offerings. Whether you’re looking to develop a world class show venue or private facility, ESI is your one stop shop for bringing any equestrian site dream to reality.

For more information, visit esifooting.com.

Barn & Arena Guide 2017

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points of interest

Barn & Arena Guide 2017

Featured Photo

Olivia MacDonald snapped this shot of Grazing Fields Farm in Buzzards Bay, MA, while taking some show photos.

Snow Savvy » Afraid of your barn or indoor roof caving after an unexpected blizzard?

PHOTO: OTM Photography

The University of Wisconsin Cooperative Extension says that an estimate of snow load (in pounds per square foot) on your roof can be calculated using a simple formula— the snow depth (in feet) multiplied by the density. The approximate density for light snow is 5-20, packed snow is 20-40, packed snow with ice is 40-58, and ice is 58.

Once you know the estimated snow load, you can check it against your roof’s weight limits and get rid of it or let it melt.

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POINTS OF INTEREST

Hay up high

Hay is often stored in the loft of a barn for a few reasons—one of them being the way fire travels, should one of the bales ignite. Heat, smoke, and fire travel upward, so if a fire is started on the upper level it will continue up, toward the roof, before moving down to the stalls. This gives anyone inside a few more precious minutes to evacuate the horses.

Extra-Large Indoor » The largest indoor arena in the United States is located in Wilmington, OH, as part of the World the R+L Arena, the 100,000-square-foot arena

Lucky Shoes Hanging a horseshoe over the barn entrance is considered to be good luck, but there is some controversy as to which way the shoe should hang. Some believe that it should be facing up to hold all of the luck inside and prevent it from spilling out. Others believe that the shoe should be turned downwards to allow all of the luck to fall onto those who enter.

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measures a whopping 120'x615' of ring—that is long enough to set up two large dressage rings, end to end, in the same arena!

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WHAT’S INNOVATIVE IN YOUR BARN?

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1

We all know that scissors have legs and run away at the most inopportune times (it’s really hard to cut bailing twine with your teeth—ask us how we know). Tie a pair to a retractable dog leash so they’re always where they belong.

2

When the weather outside is frightful, nobody freaks out more about the temperature than horse folks. If the winter chillies are sneaking in through drafty barn doors, wedge an old, thick horse blanket underneath to keep the frost at bay.

3

You’ve perfectly folded your horse’s blanket so that it lies nicely and the straps don’t hang down—everyone’s dream, right? Keep those blanket-folding skills on show by wrapping a stretchy, self-sticking bandage around slippery blanket bars.

4

‘Tis the season to work on de-spooking your horse. It’s also the time of year when post-holiday cleanup means getting rid of trees, wreathes, and decora18

equine Journal

tions. Put them to good work as jump filler—and hang on tight!

5

It’s never too early to start preparing for the wretched season of flying bug doom—ahem…we mean spring. Get ready to combat flies and other pesky pests in a natural, easy way by screwing a spray top onto a bottle of vinegar.

6

Nothing says dinnertime like a chorus of buckets clanging against stall walls. For your own sanity, mount a milk crate at bucket height, then, hang the bucket so it sits in the crate. And enjoy the peace and quiet.

7

Stumped on what to do with perfectly good traffic cones once driving practice is over? Cut off the tops of two cones in a curved pattern—they will fit a jump rail perfectly.

8

No matter the reason, spending an extended amount of time in a stall is such a bore. Dip apples and carrots in molasses, then roll in oats. Hang those

bad boys on a string (in a place where they can’t be pinned against anything and devoured in seconds) and boredom will be busted.

9

It’s a universal fact that every equestrian hoards something—be it saddle pads, bits, or blankets. If halters are your vice, dig into that pile of old, moldy leather and use two to hang potted plants around the farm—a plastic pot fits wonderfully in the nose piece.

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Training toilets (yes, those ones) make fantastic bases for cavaletti—plus, it’s quite a funny sight to behold.

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In a pinch, an old five-gallon bucket screwed to the wall makes a fantastic saddle rack. As a bonus, you can store things in the open end!

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If you have a few extra pieces of wood lying around (don’t we all?), you can make easy collapsible saddle racks for just the price of hardware. All you need are a few smooth J-hooks with holes, eye hooks, screws, and a screwdriver. Cut two pieces of wood to the preferred length (long enough for your saddle of choice), screw them together in a T shape, attach the J-hook to the top, mount the eye hook to the wall, and you’re good to go! To take it to the next level, sand the edges and corners to prevent scratches.

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PHOTOS: (TOP and middle) Jane Carlton; (BELOW) istock.com/ BullpenAl; ILLUSTRATIONS: Candice Madrid-Flottum

If there are two things every single equestrian on earth is lacking, it’s time and money. Vet bills, lesson costs, grain, and, you know, trying to be a productive member of society outside of the horse world can take quite the toll on funds and sanity. Unfortunately—even though we keep asking the universe to stop—things break, problems arise, and solutions need to be found. These tried-and-true tricks for around the barn are super savvy—both for the wallet and the brain.

You only need a few materials to make your own collapsible saddle racks.

An old horse blanket makes a great stopper for drafty doors.

Tying a pair of scissors to a retractable dog leash ensures they won’t walk away.

PHOTOS: (TOP and middle) Jane Carlton; (BELOW) istock.com/ BullpenAl; ILLUSTRATIONS: Candice Madrid-Flottum

Cut notches in the tops of two traffic cones and set a rail on top for an easy, cheap jump.

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12/9/16 10:02:40 AM

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weathering the storm You’ve got 24 hours ‘til that storm hits.

Is your farm ready?

By Kathleen Labonville | Photos by Dusty Perin/dustyperin.com 22

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12/8/16 2:48:50 PM

“We’re looking at the possibility of over a foot of snow tomorrow, folks, along with strong, damaging winds.”

The weatherman’s report on the radio catches your attention as you pull your boots on to head to the barn. A storm is on its way, and there’s lots of work to do to get ready. If you’re an experienced farm owner, you know all about storm prep: from readying the plow to making sure plenty of water is on hand in the event of a power outage. But if you’re a newer farm owner, you need a crash course on how to prepare for the storm, and you need it quickly. Here, we explore the ins and outs of disaster preparation.

Your Horses’ Bare Necessities Come First Just like people bombard the grocery store and run water into bathtubs and buckets when a storm is impending, you need to “Make sure [you] have plenty of food, water, and shelter for all horses,” says Kendra Messer, owner of West Meadow Stables, a 14-stall hunter/equitation barn in Bradford, NH. “Keep plenty of supplies on hand—hay, grain, and bedding,” Kendra advises.

“Do not let these supplies run low, so during a storm if you need to stay put for several days you know your horses will be well fed and have proper bedding.”

And don’t forget about water. “We will fill all outdoor tubs (we have 8 or 9) ahead of time,” Kendra says.

“However, if it is winter and we have no power, then we have no heaters and the tubs will freeze. We have access to a generator, and that is very important with a power outage. Horses need lots of water.”

Prep Your Property Your farm is likely one of your biggest assets and investments, and you want to take every step possible to ensure its integrity when the storm is over.

Nobody wants to see shingles blown off, fencing destroyed by downed trees, or arena footing washed away and destroyed by heavy rains.

“Make sure your property is ready for heavy rain or snow,” says Kendra.

That means “drains are clear, roofs are clear, and plowed areas are open and accessible.”

“We keep all trees cut back away from our barns to limit any chance of

trees or large limbs hitting the buildings,” she continues. During the storm, “The barns will get closed up and all doors secured and locked. Most of these issues would be something that is long-term planning, such as culverts being placed where water will run heavily and could potentially wash out roadways.” Still, if you haven’t planned that far ahead, see if you can quickly dig some small water diversions to keep major damage at bay.

While New Hampshire doesn’t often see much in the way of major wind events, one thing Granite Staters know well is blizzards and Nor’easters, and all of us can benefit from their experience.

“Snow takes much more preparation,” Kendra says. “During winter storms where we already have snow on the ground, it is important that there is room to plow the fresh falling snow. Banks can get high and often in the middle of winter when we know a storm is coming we will bring in a big loader to push back the snow banks, allowing room for the next storm to be properly plowed.

“Keeping the sides of the indoor and barn clear are important throughout the winter, so that when the snow melts it does not run back into the buildings. During a winter with heavy snowfall it can get difficult to find places to put all the snow. It cannot be placed near the buildings and also needs to be piled in areas that spring run-off will not cause flooding on roads or in paddocks or around barns.”

Getting horses to and from pastures and paddocks takes extra effort following a snowstorm too, so be ready with

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your shovels, snowblowers, and plows.

“The horses can go out in the snow, but when it gets deep it gets hard to put hay into their turnout areas. So we will plow paths out into the fields/paddocks so we are able to distribute hay with the JD Gator we use each day,” Kendra explains.

“It is also important to be able to get to the gates and water faucets, so plowing around them is crucial after each storm. Snow needs to be shoveled away from all doors, allowing them to slide easily and freely.”

Finally, think about how you will keep parking areas clear and sanded, for yourself, any employees you may have, and for emergency vehicles and trailers in the event the storm is very severe.

“Parking areas need to be kept clear, plowed, and sanded,” says Kendra.

“Our land is very flat, which is nice but also provides a great smooth surface for ice to develop.” Think unwanted skating rink.

“We also have to plow out our horse trailers,” she notes, “making sure they are accessible in case of an emergency.

The roofs of the trailers need to be cleaned off, as it would be dangerous to travel with snow on top of them and it also can get heavy enough to collapse the roof. You should always keep your trailers available in case transportation is needed.”

Lights Out? Perhaps the most difficult part of any severe storm is a power outage.

Whether you have one horse in your backyard barn or a stable full of show horses, Kendra advises one easy tip

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[LEFT] It’s good to think ahead for snow clean up and make sure that you have any previous snow cleared out of the way to account for the new build up. [RIGHT] In case of a power outage, have a plan for getting your horse fresh, unfrozen water since you won’t be able to rely on an automatic waterer or heated buckets unless you have a generator.

to make things more functional when the power first goes out: “Have battery powered lights. If there’s no power you will still need to be able to see in the barns to care for your horses.” Another idea, for smaller operations, is to use a headlamp like the kind they sell in sporting goods stores.

For larger operations, a generator will be a true lifesaver as it will allow you to run water. “You either need a generator or a large tank to haul in water with,” Kendra explains. In cold climates, it cannot be stressed enough that having a plan for accessible water during a storm is of paramount importance.

of the buckets before refilling.”

“Also, when the horses are in all day the stalls need to be picked a.m. and p.m. Stormy weather makes a lot more work when you have horses!” Kendra says.

While the horses at West Meadow Stables wear studded snow shoes with snowball or rim pads to keep snowballs from forming, keeping your horse barefoot is another option if the horse has good feet and/or is not worked much in winter. Either way, plan ahead for this so you won’t be scrambling to find a farrier at the last minute or, worse, stuck with a horse that is not prepared to handle snowy and icy conditions.

Horse Management: Plan for Extra Work

In Case of Emergency

Once your property is well prepped, it’s time to review your horse management plan for when the storm hits.

At West Meadow Stables, ”During heavy rain or snow our horses stay in.

This means that they will need water buckets in their stalls filled several times per day. When outside they have access to large tubs of water, but when inside all day they only have small, five-gallon buckets. In freezing weather the ice has to be chipped out

Every barn owner needs to have an emergency plan. The plan should include all types of disasters, from fire to floods to storms. Your plan should be detailed and should be written down and posted in the barn. In addition, a copy should be made available to your employees and boarders, or if you are a backyard horse owner it should be provided to any caretakers that fill in while you are away.

A lifelong equestrian, Kendra knows how to prepare for emergencies. “We

have a wide horse community that we know we could always call on in case of an emergency. If we even thought that we would need to evacuate we would place calls within the 24 hours before a storm to set up transportation and lodging. Knowing who you could call in case of an emergency is important, whether it be for a fire or a flood.

Knowing somewhere that may be able to house your horses in an emergency is important.”

“If horses need to be evacuated it takes special transportation and a lot of hands,” Kendra says. “Horses are flee and flight animals, meaning that if they are scared, their instinct is to run away. So in any disastrous situation it is important that all persons handling the horses are experienced.”

In addition, ”If we were anticipating an evacuation of any sort, we would leave the halters on all the horses. This would make it easier to clip a lead rope to a horse to remove them from a bad situation.”

It’s this kind of forethought and planning that enables farm owners to get through blizzards, hurricanes, and the like with a minimum amount of stress and with the fewest surprises possible.

Kendra Messer is a lifelong equestrian and a USHJA certified trainer. She is head trainer at her West Meadow Stables, Assistant Coach to the Colby Sawyer Equestrian Team, which is based at her stable, and coach of the West Meadow AEL (American Equestrian League) Team (4th-12th grade students). With a slogan of “This is our home first and our business second,” West Meadow Stables has a family-like atmosphere. For more information, visit westmeadowstables.com.

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12/8/16 2:49:07 PM

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Barn & Arena Guide 2017

| equineJournal.com 25 12/14/16 1:50:53 PM

By Karen Elizabeth Baril

Photo: Shawn Hamilton/clixphoto.com

Tips for designing a functional and durable outbuilding.

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Photo: Shawn Hamilton/clixphoto.com

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A

A carefully planned outbuilding, whether it’s a simple run-in shed or a building intended for hay and equipment storage, adds value to your property and makes horse-keeping a little easier. On the other hand, a poorly placed or poorly designed building can be a major disappointment and a drain on the pocketbook. Conscientious placement of the building in relation to other structures, topography, and even prevailing winds are essential to getting the biggest bang for your buck.

Here are some guidelines from the experts.

Size Matters If there’s one rule we should all follow it’s this: build it big enough. In all your years of horse keeping, you’ve probably never said, 28

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“Gosh, I wish I had less storage.” It’s truly amazing how horse stuff accumulates. If you’ll be storing equipment, make a list of items you want to store and then add extra space for…you guessed it—more stuff.

Once again, you’ll never complain about having too much space.

For hay sheds, plan at least 16 feet of eave clearance. A good rule of thumb is to allow 250 cubic feet of space per ton for square bales and 310 cubic feet of space per ton for round bales.

Run-in sheds intended for more than one horse should be wider than they are deep to prevent a submissive horse from getting trapped in the deep interior of the shed. “Plan on at least 100 square feet or more per horse,” says Mark Russell, PhD, extension horse specialist for the Department of Animal Sciences at Purdue University. “Also, make the openings large enough that horses can enter and exit the shed without bumping hips and shoulders.

The recommendation for entrances is to

Even the best constructed building will fail if the site is not adequately prepared. Here are a few tips: • Stake out the building’s corners and allow an extra 12" all around for installation of an apron. The apron will help with drainage.

• Excavate 4-6" of sod from the site and level the remaining soil with a 4' x 4' piece of wood and a tamper (or, better yet a tractor).

• Add your base, 4-6" of ¾" gravel (for good drainage) and top with 3-4" of fine stone dust. Tamp and level again.

• If you plan on having doors, windows, or an overhang, consider setting the building on concrete pillars and backfill the interior with stone dust. This will prevent the building from settling unevenly.

Materials and Design Wood is still the material of choice for runin sheds. It’s a natural insulator of sound and temperature, keeping your horse cozy in winter and relatively cool in summer.

Wood does not promote moisture in the way metal sheds can and it muffles the noise of wind and rain.

Standard wood construction includes pressure-treated support timbers with a

Mud is one of the biggest problems surrounding run-in sheds. Luckily there are ways to combat this problem.

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12/8/16 2:50:03 PM

Photo: Courtesy of RAMM Horse Fencing & Stalls

“Location of any outbuilding can make things really convenient or really difficult,” says Jenifer Nadeau, PhD., equine extension specialist with the University of Connecticut. “Select a slightly elevated spot with good drainage and place the opening of the shed opposite to the direction of prevailing winds, especially if the structure is to provide shelter for horses. Also, pay attention to where trees are located. You don’t want to place the shed under trees with heavy limbs that might come down in a storm.”

Before you choose the location for a run-in shed, think about where your horses love to hang out. Horses are smart. They know what they want and most often select a high and dry location that boasts a cool breeze on summer days and one that isn’t too blustery during the winter months.

Chances are if you place the run-in shed in an area they never congregate, they’ll turn their noses up even in a pelting rain.

Choose a location that allows for easy access for tractors and equipment. For hay storage buildings, allow access for the hay delivery truck. Always err on the side of caution; semi-trailers require a 55-foot turning radius and tractors require ample room as well, especially if they have rear attachments. Your hay shed should be at least 100 feet from your barn to avoid risk of a hay fire. Check with your insurance company as many companies offer a lower rate for hay stored in separate buildings.

“Once you’ve chosen a site, talk to your local zoning officer for approval,” says Nadeau. “Many towns have rules for all permanent buildings.”

Prepare the Site

Photo: Shawn Hamilton/clixphoto.com

Choose the Best Site

make them at least two-thirds the width of the shed.” Allow eight-feet for the opening height.

Dominance in an established herd will not be altered by a run-in shed, but you know your horses best; wide openings allow horses to come and go without jostling each other or risking aggression. If you have one horse that will hoard the run-in to himself, consider building two smaller sheds as opposed to one large one.

Photo: Courtesy of RAMM Horse Fencing & Stalls

Photo: Shawn Hamilton/clixphoto.com

Grid systems, such as this one from RAMM, are one of the best ways to solve drainage and mud problems in run-in areas.

2' x 4' or 2' x 6' (preferable) frame. You’ll need to install a 4' solid kick-wall on all interior walls. Metal sheds are less costly than wood, initially, and far easier to maintain, but metal is not as durable as wood. Keep in mind that metal can cause serious injury should your horse kick at the wall, so be sure to install a standard kick wall throughout the interior.

Fabric sheds are a viable option for storage if your weather is mild, but they tend to have short lives overall, especially if they’re under trees or exposed to the sun. Placing the fabric shed near another building can help to protect the shed from wind, but pay attention to drifting snow. Snow tends to drift higher on the leeward side of buildings and less so on the windward side. Placing a shed near the barn may protect the shed from damaging winds, but can make for deep snowdrifts between the barn and the shed. Snow load on the sidewalls of fabric buildings will not only damage the structure, but also create muddy mires in the spring as drifted snow takes far longer to melt. Always choose UV treated shelters to prolong the life of the fabric. Fabric sheds are not recommended as horse shelters.

Areas of the country that experience heavy or wet snow require roofs reinforced to 50 pounds of weight per square foot.

Choose 2' x 6' rafters for added strength.

Consider hurricane straps or clips for those

areas that experience high winds. Run-in sheds or hay storage buildings should be outfitted with tie-downs. Because of their small open-ended design, run-in sheds are like umbrellas and can become airborne or tip over in high winds.

Ventilation is important, but especially for hay and run-in sheds. Ideally allow a 6-8 inch opening or sidewall eave to allow warm air to escape. Humidity in the hay storage building will destroy your investment and risks a fire. Install ridge vents in all hay storage sheds and run-in sheds. For flooring, you can lay down geotextile filter fabric and then backfill with course gravel.

This will allow moisture to drain while preventing bits of soil and gravel from getting into the hay itself. Place pallets or a layer of straw on top of the gravel and stack hay on top.

If you have room and a little extra money, add a tack and equipment room to your run-in shed. The time you’ll save in carrying things back and forth to the shed will be worth any added expense. Of course, if you plan on storing hay or grain in the addition, be sure to secure it so that there is no chance of a horse getting into the feed.

Manage the Mud Mud and small buildings seem to go hand in hand. Horses are large animals and whenever they’re on wet ground, they

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compress or compact the soil, pushing out the natural pore spaces that are meant to hold water and air. As rainwater mixes with organic matter (manure, hay, and bedding) in high traffic areas, like that around a run-in shed, the water can’t drain, which creates a muddy, mucky mess. Even if you let the area dry out—the natural soil cannot repair itself.

“Mud is a chronic problem around outbuildings,” says Debbie Disbrow, cofounder of RAMM Horse Fencing & Stalls, and lifelong horsewoman. “Horses just love to congregate around buildings. From the summer fly stomping to weather throughout the year, these areas are perfect spots for holding rainwater and melted snow that becomes muddy and slick. Additionally, tractors usually run on the same direct path causing deep muddy ruts. At some stage of a horse farm’s life, mud will need to be addressed.”

Disbrow points out that although many horse owners use stone screenings to combat mud, over time, the stone works down under the dirt again and needs to be continuously replenished. Adding topsoil makes things worse. “Topsoil just gets worked back into the mud and you end up with an even muddier area than when you started. Aside from the health issues like hoof disease and respiratory issues, mud can deteriorate the building itself. Holes and ditches at the base of walls caused by mud can be dangerous areas for a horse to become cast.” But, you don’t have to live with mud.

Disbrow recommends installing lightweight, flexible plastic panels such as the Lighthoof Mud Management Panel, (patent pending). The panels are used by the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers to lay service roads in the forest. They look a little like those cardboard grids used to store holiday ornaments. “The panel is made of a flexible high-density polyethylene plastic (flexible, not hard),” says Disbrow, “so it easily conforms to your existing terrain.

Each panel measures 6' x 12' and has a series of 3" deep interconnecting cells to contain gravel.”

Site preparation is easy. “Just lay down a landscape cloth or geotextile barrier fabric, stretch the mud panel over the cloth, and anchor it to the ground. No excavation is needed. Then fill the grid with an angular crushed rock with fines.

This creates a firm base for any kind of traffic, including tractors and vehicles, so it works well around farm outbuildings, gates, anywhere you have high traffic.”

A little planning and preparation ensures you’ll get the most use out of your outbuilding for years to come.

Barn & Arena Guide 2017

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12/8/16 2:50:10 PM

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| Barn & Arena Guide 2017 12/14/16 2:28:56 PM

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