The temperatures are rising, the bees are buzzing, flowers are blooming – it’s official, spring is here! Now that you’ve weathered the winter storms and freezing temperatures, it’s time to do some spring barn projects to help improve your barn! We get it, between the snow and rain things may have gotten a little ramshackle. But by doing little improvements here and there, not only will the look of your barn improve, but most importantly it can even make your horses healthier, too. We have compiled a list of enhancements suitable for all facilities, whether a boarding barn, training barn, or lesson barn. The following list will help your horses, riders, and peace of mind!
Spring Barn Cleaning Tip #1
Between your horse shedding layers and yourself, oftentimes we find sweatshirts, blankets, jackets, and every other layer on shelves, in cabinets, and tack trunks! Go ahead and separate the horses’ clothes from the human clothes and take home any items that belong to you and encourage others to do the same! Pile up those horse blankets and double-check for any holes or broken buckles because there is nothing worse than pulling them all back out for fall, only to find out your horse needs a new blanket – and you missed out on last year’s winter sale!
Spring Barn Cleaning Tip #2
Second, power wash your stalls! This can seem like a very long and daunting task, but we promise doing so can give the entire inside of your barn a facelift! More importantly, when it comes to horses’ health, the insides of their stalls are more important than anywhere else in the barn. Choose a nice warm day to do this so your horse can spend the entire day outside soaking up the sun. Remove all feed bins, buckets, hay nets, etc. Strip the stall completely and begin washing the walls from top to bottom. This is a great time to check for any loose boards, damaged walls, or anything other damage that might have happened over the winter. It is also a great time to consider replacing stall mats with Sterling Equine’s PermaGrid which works especially well for horses that like to paw or wear holes in their stall. You can also use it as a mud management solution for your stall, paddocks, and more. It’s resistant to frost and UV making it an excellent choice for all climates!
Spring Barn Cleaning Tip #3
Next, you can organize your tack room! Once show season begins the last thing you are going to be wanting to do is dig through tack trunks for missing items. This is also a great time to give your pads, girths, boots, and other essentials a scrub down. Once you sort through everything, decide what you need for daily use and what can go in the cupboard for later use. Make sure you check all the stitching on the bridles so anything that needs repairing can be done at this time before you actually need it!
Spring Barn Cleaning Tip #4
This is one of our favorite improvements, because it makes barn chores much easier. Invest in automatic waterers! These are great because they allow your horse to always have access to fresh, clean water!
We hope this list has inspired you to get out there and get improving. All of these tasks can seem overwhelming especially if you have a large training barn, but just remember that not all of this needs to be finished in one day. Grab your radio, put on your favorite tunes, and get cleaning, because spring is here!