Facilities and Management AGRI 3364 Equine Science
Feb 24, 2016
Facilities and Management
AGRI 3364 Equine Science
When housing is built for horses, what
should it provide for? Welfare of the horses
Safety, health, and comfort (horse & handler)
Efficient use of labor
Cost-effectiveness
Housing
Providing welfare of horses begins with
what? Understanding their natural
environment Environment involves four main areas
Physical Social Chemical Biological
Welfare of Horses
Physical Environment includes:
Temperature
Heat-Loss Factors
Stall Space
Feeder Space
Flooring
Welfare of Horses
Social Environment Includes:
Behavioral Considerations
Sex of Horses
Age of Horses
Level of Activity
Welfare of Horses
Chemical Environment
Includes: Water Quality
Various Gases O2
CO2
NH3
Air Contaminants (dust and mold)
Welfare of Horses
Biological Environment Includes:
Disease organisms in air
Water
Feed
Stall Materials
Other Animals
Welfare of Horses
Horses use
Flight as a primary defense mechanism When threatened, frightened, or in pain:
Strike, bite, kick, or attempt to leave Can injure themselves
Facilities should provide for the safety
Welfare of Horses
Horses do not spend long periods of time
confined under natural conditions What may develop if confined for long
periods? Vices
What tends to minimize vices? Adequate stall space
Welfare of Horses
Fresh air should always be available in
barns CO2, water vapor, and manure need to be
removed Adequate ventilation will
Reduce air contaminants such as dust, mold, and irritating gases
Welfare of Horses
First Step in Building is Knowing the Recommended Space Requirements
Horses are housed in buildings primarily
for convenience of handlers As a result
Human environmental needs plays a major role in facility design
This may be a conflict with The environmental needs of the horse
Buildings
A horse can do well in nearly any
temperature if: Humidity can be held to a comfortable
level Enough air movement through barn
Conditions that are most detrimental are: High moisture Barn is either too hot or cold
Buildings
What must be considered in the
construction of a facility? Purpose of facility Number and breed of animals Room for expansion Regulatory requirements Budget Layout of facilities to day-to-day
activities
Buildings
Local zoning requirements
should be checked: Some areas restrict the number of
acres to house livestock
Distance of boundary lines, dwellings, and neighbors may also be regulated
If regulation cannot be met, approval from zoning board may be necessary
Site Selection
Site should allow water to drain away
from buildings, etc. A site of 2 to 6 % slope provides rapid
removal of water without causing erosion Detailed site plan should be developed
before making final decision Allows to ensure sufficient space is
allowed
Site Selection
Plan should indicate where
Water, sewer, and electrical lines enter the building
Building should be situated to Take advantage of prevailing winds and
airflow
Site Selection
Consideration should be given
to: Clients Traffic Impact on neighbors Manure handling Conditions in neighborhood that
will startle or distract horses
Site Selection
Getting a particular location
ready involves: Removing topsoil Leveling the area Bringing utilities to site
Usually means that local contractor will be engaged
Site Preparation
Buildings can be:
Metal frame Pole Conventional Construction
Type of structure may depend heavily of economic feasibility
Type of Construction
Windows:
Expensive additions
Only essential in those structures that must conform to health regulations
When used for light, should equal 8 to 10% of floor area
Options in the Building
Siding:
Metal Low maintenance Pre-painted, will last 15 to 20 yrs
Wood Will withstand abuse Better insulating value Requires periodic painting or staining
Options in the Building
Siding:
Masonry Very little maintenance High initial cost Difficult to insulate When used with steel-frame or
pole buildings, requires a separate foundation
Options in the Building
Roofing:
Aluminum or steel White colored has slightly better
reflective quality Requires less roof framing than
shingles Lower Cost Less insulating value than wood
Options in the Building
Insulation: Many choices of insulating material are
available (Considerations include): Cold buildings operated at outside
temperatures Buildings where animal heat provides only
winter minimum temperatures Buildings with supplemental heating
systems
Options in the Building
A good ventilation system must:
Provide fresh air
Control moisture buildup within the structure
Move enough air to dilute any airborne diseases
Control and/or moderate temperature extremes
Ventilation
The basic process that occurs with all
successful ventilation systems is: Cool, dry air is drawn into the
building
Heat and moisture are added to the air
Warm, wet air is expelled
Failure to provide for any part of this process will result in failure to ventilate
Ventilation
Stall floors must be made of
Durable material that is not slippery Should be absorbent, easy to clean, and
resistant to pawing Common materials include:
Clay, sand and clay mix, limestone dust, wood, concrete, asphalt, rubber mats
Flooring
Arena and indoor training
facilities Pasture shelters Feed and water facilities
Should try to keep feed off ground
Water should be kept clean
Other Structures
Fences must be:
Safe and strong enough to contain the horses
Affordable and acceptable in appearance
Important in making the handling, moving, and sorting of horses easy
Fencing
Type of Fence Depends on:
Type of horses being managed Intended use of the area Density of animals on the fenced
area Availability of shelter Neighbors Desired aesthetics Projected budget
Selecting the Right Fence
Draft vs. Miniature Mare and foals Yearlings Stallions Forage vs. Exercise pasture Density
Selecting the Right Fence
Post-and-Board Woven Wire Pipe fence High-Tensile Wire PVC Cable Electric Barbed Wire
Types of Fencing
An average 1,000 lb horse produces:
~ 9 tons of manure / year How the manure is stored and treated
has a substantial impact on its value Labor, storage, and utilization costs can
be considerable
Manure Management
U.S. Horse Industry uses two principle
manure management systems First permits horses to
Graze full time on pastures and manure is not collected
Second system Confines animal feeding which relies on
intense management
Manure Management
Manure is typically managed in one of
the following ways: Compost (removed daily and composted)
Stockpile (removed daily)
Daily Land Application Removed daily and spread on land
Manure Management
Horses housed in confined settings
require soft absorbent bedding Most common bedding includes:
Wood shavings Straw Corn stalks Shredded newspaper Peanut shells Peat Moss Rice Hulls, etc.
Manure Collection
Management in pastures depends
primarily on Having good distribution across pasture
Rotational grazing What will also encourage better manure
distribution? Several watering facilitates and moving of
feeding facilities
Pasture Management
Avoid grazing during rainy
periods if possible Refrain from excessive
stocking rates Damage to grass stand will
increase manure runoff
Pasture Management
Composting:
Produces a relatively dry end product that is easily handled
At proper temperature, can kill fly eggs and larvae, pathogens, and weed seeds
Has less of an odor Acts as an excellent fertilizer
Storage and Treatment
Stockpiling:
Adequate storage area allows for greater flexibility
Proper site selection for manure disposal is important
Place stockpiles at least 150 feet away from surface water to avoid runoff
Storage and Treatment
Manure can be applied to pasture for
disposal Manure spreader aids in uniform
distribution of manure Avoid spreading manure close to surface
water or eroded areas
Land Application