If you cannot stand the heat, that is okay! There are many ways you can keep you and your barn animals cool and comfortable all season long. Getting your barn ready for the warmer months means starting in the spring.
If you are the planning type (like us), you will love our spring and summer barn care guide. We give you spring cleaning ideas and summer maintenance tips to start off right and keep the fun alive. We also include recommendations of must-have barn supplies to have on hand.
Decluttering and Organizing Winter Equipment
Part of the spring cleaning process involves decluttering first. With winter gone, you can finally start the decluttering process of your stalls and horse barn. Ideally, you will want to take out all the equestrian equipment and everything else. And we mean everything.
For some, the aisles in a barn can gradually become storage areas. Instead of squeezing a bunch of equipment in your space, develop a strategy to free up more space for your livestock without getting rid of anything essential.
Carefully consider the use and safety of all of your items. Are they still necessary? Do they still work? It helps to write things down or keep a list to know what supplies you need to replace.
Separate the items into piles to donate, recycle, sell, or keep. You may need to invest in extra storage to put away the winter equipment such as blanket racks for saddle blankets.
During the moving process, make sure to keep your horses out on the pasture to avoid distractions and prevent kicking up dust in their presence.
Spring Cleaning Your Horse Barn
After accounting for all your barn and equestrian equipment, the real work starts. Every part of your barn, tack room, and hay room must be kept clean to keep you and your horses and livestock safe.
While spring cleaning, check to see if anything needs fixing. Fix those broken latches, damaged fence slats, or crooked doors on horse stalls before putting everything back in its place.
In your hay room, remove all the hay to sweep. Remove cobwebs since they can increase the risk of a fire hazard. In addition, watch out for wet spots which can indicate a leak in the roof that needs repair. Leaks must be repaired to avoid wet hay that can get moldy.
Invest in some saddle soap, a pack of cleaning cloths, sponges, and buckets to make a deep clean possible. Do not forget to oil your leather tack to add more longevity.
Classic Equine Bridle Hanger
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Pest Control
All that manure, sweat, and balmy air will surely attract the flies. Invest in a range of fly trap solutions and a fly mask to keep your horses bug-free.
In addition, try to clean up manure daily or even every 2 to 3 days with a rake and bucket. Dispose of it properly to keep the flies away.
Durvet, DuraMask No Ear Fly Mask
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Farnam, Endure Fly Spray
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Temperature Control
Invest in a wall-mount fan and misting system to keep your livestock cool and comfortable during the spring and summer. Fan placement is key. Keep it at the front of the stalls to push airflow toward your horse.
30 inch Wall Mounted Fan
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Exercise
Weight management is important year round, but during the warmer months, you will have to consider the amount of heat produced by your horse. Giving your horse enough exercise helps it maintain a manageable weight. Ideally, exercise early in the morning before 10 a.m. to avoid the blazing hot sun rays.
Weaver Rounded Cotton Horse Lunge Line 25 ft.
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Weaver Leather Flat Cotton Lunge Line with Snap, 1"X30"
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Tack Management
For warm weather riding, it is important to give them a lighter load than usual. Pare down your padding below the saddle and opt for lighter and breathable leg boots. Let your horse enjoy the breeze without being weighed down by extra tack, which you should store in the tack room.
Professional's Choice, 2XCool Sports Medicine Boots, Multiple Colors
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Classic Equine Legacy2 Back Splint Boots - Medium
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Classic Equine, Legacy2 Support Boots
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Sun Protection
Horses need the right equestrian sun protection to avoid sunburns. In particular, white horses or horses with pink noses, white socks and blazes, or bald patches are at risk for sun damage. Explore flysheet options to avoid sunburn and fly protection. If needed, you may apply sunscreen to exposed areas but try to rely on shade. While you are at it, invest in cool and breathable SPF apparel to keep your skin pain-free.
Bedding
In some climates, the ground can be hard and hot, not very comfortable to lounge around in for your livestock. Invest in additional bedding supplies including wood shavings placed in a shaded and cool area to give your livestock the perfect place to rest and recuperate.
Nature's Bedding Pellets, 40 lb
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Nature's, Bedding Pine Shavings, 10 Cu. Ft.
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Food and Water
During the summer, your horse’s hay needs will change from relying on oats, alfalfa, and corn to grass hay and pasture. Ditch the heat-producing feed in favor of grass hay and pasture.
You can water your pasture and let them graze around. If needed, you can get grassy hay wet before feeding to give them that extra water they need. Just make sure to avoid developing moldy hay, which is unsafe for your livestock.
Since a horse’s body is about 60% water, they need about 10 to 15 gallons of water on average in the hottest climates. To be safe, leave an extra bucket of water out in addition to the full trough.
Little Giant, Flat Back Plastic Bucket, 20 qt
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Little Giant Galvanized Steel Automatic Stock Waterer
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Behlen, 2 x 2 x 6 ft. Stock Tank 169 Gallon, 50130048
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Salt Licks and Electrolytes
As part of your horse’s diet, salt licks and electrolytes become critical during the summer, In order to replace the minerals and electrolytes lost during sweating, they can do with extra water and a salt lick in a holder by its feed and water.
Farnam Apple-Dex Electrolyte Supplement, 5 lb.
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Farnam, Apple Elite Electrolyte Paste
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Equine Micro 100, Trace Mineral with Selenium Salt Brick, 4 lb
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Manna Pro Bounce Back Electrolyte, 4 oz.
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Summer Safety
For the health of your horses, it is important to keep in mind certain safety considerations. Ensure that your space has fire extinguishers that have been serviced and can be easily found. The summer heat and overheated motors of electric tools can spark a fire.
To prevent health emergencies, double-check that your first aid kit is complete to keep your livestock pain-free. If necessary, replace anything in the first aid kit that has expired.
Keep Your Barn Cool and Comfortable with Wilco
If you want to get a head start on planning your spring and summer barn needs, stop by any Wilco farm supply store. We carry a wide selection of feed and other spring and summer supplies to keep your animals healthy and happy all season long.
A well-stocked horse barn full of the essentials can make all of the difference!
Show us your spring and summer barn by tagging you pictures on social media with #mywilcolife. We love to see how our community enjoys their spring and summer fun.
