The snow has finally melted and spring is officially on its way.
As we head into the warm and sunny season of spring, all horse, barn and farm owners alike should consider doing a little spring cleaning.
Before you can get started, it’s important to take note of the main focus areas, how to perform your spring cleaning and the importance of doing a little spring cleaning in your barn and throughout the rest of the farm.
To help you get started, here is the complete list of spring cleaning duties for your horse barn and farm.
On Cleaning Day
With the right team, tools and plan, you should be able to tackle all or most of your spring cleaning in one day. You should include all areas of your horse barn and farm, including the barn, riding areas, stalls, feed and tack rooms, pasture, and horse trailers.
Before you get started, we suggest that you first:
- Turn out horses, so they aren’t affected by dust, dirt or debris in the air from cleaning
- Open all windows in the barn for proper air flow and ideal ventilation
Horse Barn
It’s been a long, cold winter, which means your horses are ready for spring.
To create the ideal environment for happy and healthy horses, you and your team will need to inspect, clean and maintain various areas of the barn that may have gone through a little wear and tear through the winter months.
- Deep clean buckets, feed bins and water tanks that may have been difficult to really clean with the months of colder weather
- Check surfaces for dust and cobwebs and clean as needed, especially the rafters
- Inspect all functional areas of the barn for damage or areas in need of repair/maintenance
- Inspect wiring to ensure everything is working properly and for signs of rodent damage
- Clean gutters, downspouts and hayloft
Riding Areas
Riding areas can provide the perfect environment for your horse to expel energy and bond with you. As the snow melts and spring weather is in full swing, chances are that these riding areas will be used more frequently.
To ensure a safe space for you and your horse, it’s important that you include all riding areas in your spring cleaning routine, including trails and any other frequently used areas.
- Harrow and drag all arenas
- Inspect footing and perform required maintenance
- Visit trails that are frequently used and look for any fallen trees, limbs or other obstructions that need to be moved to create a safe space
- Pick out any large stones or debris to avoid unnecessary injury to your horse
- Inspect any arena equipment, such as jumps and poles, for damage and repair
Stalls
Horse stalls can provide your horse with a safe area to rest and reside while inside the barn. Since this is where horses spend lots of time, it’s important that you include the stall in your spring cleaning routine. While you likely clean the stall on a regular basis, this is a really great opportunity to clear it out completely and give it the deep cleaning that your horse deserves.
- Clean out and strip all stalls so that you can properly clean and scrub the walls, then disinfect mats
- Paint or stain the walls as needed, using non-toxic livestock paint or stain
- Check the floor underneath the mats for integrity, then level or repair flooring as needed
- Ensure the stall has fully air dried before re-bedding
Feed/Tack Rooms
Clean and organized feed and tack rooms should never go overlooked. This is where the essential supplies to ensure happy and healthy horses is stored, which is why it should most definitely be included in your spring cleaning routine.
As you clean and organize the supplies in your feed and tack rooms, you can take note of your inventory and re-stock any supplies that you are running low on.
Along with disposing of any supplements or medications that might be expired. Just like human medications, expired horse medications should be returned to your equine veterinarian or local pharmacy for safe disposal.
- Clean feed bins and replace any damaged ones, checking for holes and cracks so that pests cannot get in
- Review all supplements, feeds and medications for quantity and expiry dates, discarding anything that is outdated
- Inspect smoke and CO2 detectors, checking for battery health and non-functioning units
- Inspect fire distinguishers and recharge or replace as needed
- Check your first aid kit and restock supplies as needed
- Clean and disinfect all brushes and grooming supplies
- Clean, repair and replace blankets as needed
Pasture Inspections
There aren’t many activities quite as relaxing and stimulating for a horse than spending time grazing in the pasture among other horses. As you begin your spring cleaning, don’t overlook inspecting the pasture and bringing it up to par.
Not only will this provide you with the confidence of knowing that your horse has a safe space to roam and graze, but it will contribute to the overall operation and integrity of your horse barn and farm.
- Check, clean and disinfect all automatic waterers
- Inspect, clean and maintain run-in sheds
- Inspect the field and fill holes as needed
- Inspect the fence line and repair as needed
- If you have a Flex Fence, check and tighten each section as needed to avoid sagging fences
- Add gravel to fill and level high-traffic areas like walking paths and gate areas
Horse Trailer
Having reliable transport readily available for your horses is crucial to their well-being and the overall operation of your barn and farm. If your horse requires transport for medical attention or for any other reason, you will need a reliable horse trailer to load them into.
While conducting spring cleaning, don’t forget to inspect, clean and update your horse trailer as needed.
- Inspect the trailer, looking for areas that require repair or have rust
- Inspect the tires, maintain or fill as needed
- Check lights and brake function
- Inspect the floor, roof and windows for damage or leaks
- Check and lubricate hinges
System Equine
At System Equine, we specialize in helping horse, barn and farm owners access the information, supplies and solutions that they need for a well-run organization, and above all, healthy and happy horses.
From horse stall designs and the accessories to make them complete, to high-quality horse fencing solutions, tack room supplies, outdoor watering and more, contact our experts at System Equine for more information today.
