Facilities and Waste Management
Equine Science II
Equine Housing
 Should provide for the
,
,
and
of horses and human handlers.
 Make efficient use of labor and be cost effective.
 Provide for the
by moderating temperature and
humidity.
o
temperature above freezing is acceptable if the
humidity is low.
o There needs to be enough
to keep air
clean to meet _________________ needs of the animals and
dilute airborne disease organisms, control and/or moderate
temperature, and keep the building free of condensation and
moisture.
Building Basics
 Various materials will work
o
building will last 15-20 year without
refinishing, but are subject to damage from animals
o
building will
withstand abuse of animals, but can be eaten. However, wood
siding buildings offer better insulating value than metal or
masonry, but need occasional painting/staining and upkeep
 Masonry walls require little maintenance but he initial cost is high and
they are

.
roofing is cheaper and required less framing
than shingles, but has less insulating value.
 A GOOD ventilation system is essential if the building is tight.
is provided by open eaves and ridge vent system and is MOST
common and MOST cost effective. With natural ventilation a
_______ roof slope works best.
o
ventilation systems must provide three levels of air
movement: the lowest
level
, the
intermediate level
and
the highest or maximum level is for summer temperature
control.
o Horses require a summer ventilation rate of _________ cubic
feet per minute air flow in a building that is ______ degrees F.
The normal winter rate is 100 and 25 for minimum flow.
Stall Design
 Stall size
o Stall height should be a minimum of
alleyways
and
.
o Stalls should be a minimum of _____foot by _____foot with
12’X12’ preferred.
o Square stalls help prevent horses from getting down in a
position close to a wall where they will need assistance to get
up (
)
o Stallions and foaling stalls should be a minimum of _________
 Stall walls and partitions usually are solid to a height of
feet with ventilation provided with open space at the top.
o Solid walls help prevent injury to equine feet and legs as well
as prevent _________________ (equine chewing on the edges
of exposed boards)
o Open space at the top should be spaced
apart
to prevent the mature equine’s hoof from passing through.
o
is one of the best and strongest materials:
equine do not chew it or destroy it as easily as tongue and
groove yellow ____________ which is cheaper, but must be
protected.
o Concrete block or poured concrete walls are easy to paint and
keep clean but can result in more serious injuries to equine or
foals. However, before block walls should be
prior
to use in order to prevent _______________________.
 Stall floors should
be
,
and
,
,
.
o Clay and sand mixes are the least costly and most easily
obtained materials (2/3 clay and 1/3 sand will allow drainage)
o Four to five inches of
dust make a level, hard
surface. When installed over 6-8” of
, watered and
packed before equine uses the stall, it will be nearly as hard as
concrete without the disadvantage of concrete. If rubber mats
are added to the surface of hardened limestone, additional
protection is provided to prevent foot problems.
o _______________ floor are slippery when wet and tend to
attract rodents.
o Concrete floors are easy to clean and sanitize: however, more
bedding is needed to soak urine and concrete often is associated
with more
.
o Flexible, fiber grade ________________________ is a tough,
yet flexible material designed for support, strength, and
chemical resistance. It allows drainage with a non-skid surface.
It is a good shock-absorbing surface that reduces moisture and
is easy to clean. However, it is expensive.
o Other materials include clay, asphalt, rubber floor mats and
fiber-reinforced polyethylene interlocking ________________.
Fencing Considerations
 First priority is
of people and equine.
 Properly designed fencing result in less stress from handling.

is a major consideration.

is important for community support and property values.
Height and Construction
 Minimum height should be
for perimeter pasture fences (6’ for
taller breeds)

are small pastures or turn out areas of less than two acres
per horse
o
paddocks should be double-fenced with a lane
between them and the next paddocks.
 Boards should always be secured to the
the fence post for stronger and safer applications.
Materials for Fencing

fences are sturdy and easy to be seen.
, or equine side, or
o High maintenance cost and expensive.
o Useful life of ____________-__________ years

Fencing is attractive but expensive to install
and maintain.
o Low to medium maintenance (does not require paint, but rails
may need to be secured on a regular basis.)
o Useful life of 15-20 years

is the best and safest wire for equine
fencing
o Close weave prevents injury from the equine catching its foot in
it and is actually safer than board fending.
o Is low maintenance with a useful life of
o Needs to be
 Rigid
years.
wire or heavier.
produces a strong, flexible fence.
o Initial cost may be high, but maintenance is low.
o Useful life is 20-30 years.

vinyl fencing with two or three high-tensile wires
embedded in a
vinyl rail
o It is flexible, safe and low maintenance.
o Useful life is 20-30 years.
 Other types of fencing including high-tensile wire, rubber fencing and
galvanized metal
fencing.
.
Bedding Material Considerations
 The bedding material chosen should
be
,
,
,
,
. Cost is often the most
overriding factor.
 Good bedding protects the horse’s feet from
, and
encourage the horse to lie down, rest and cushion its feet and legs
from the hard stall floor.
Types of Bedding
 Straw is the most popular because it makes an attractive bed.
o Advantages

.

.

.
o Disadvantages

.

.

.

.
 Wood shavings and sawdust are
but may
be more expensive than straw and may cause respiratory problems.
o Requires less frequent cleaning than other materials, helps keep
odors down, and is easier to dispose of than straw.
o Equines seldom eat wood shaving and sawdust and these
materials burn slower than straw.
o Do not use
, especially
as it has caused founder and laminitis
o
and
must be stored in
a dry location because it takes a long time to dry out and is
worthless as a bedding material when wet.

is a new material that helps equines
with respiratory conditions.
o Newsprint is a very
,
and
more comfortable than either shavings or straw, but
combustibility may be a problem.
o Has less dust than straw or shaving and pollen-free
Reasons for Outside Maintenance Practices
 Important for good relationships with neighbors: __________ and
_____________ are controlled.
 Contributes to a healthy _______________ system for equine with
disease and parasites controlled.
 Promotes stewardship of resources: ___________________________
Proper Maintenance Practices
 A good
program is essential to reduce or eliminate
fly larval development sites and consist of controlling standing water
in wet areas and manure management.
 Maintain the equine site at a slope of
away from buildings,
working rings, and training areas to direct water without erosion to
grassed absorption areas.
 Develop a Water Quality Management Plan to:
o Reduce runoff that can _______________________into surface
water sources and cause non-point source pollution (does not
flow from a pipe) and
o Protect ground water from pesticide and fertilizer spills,
improper waste management and careless use of
________________________ close to well water sources.
Area Maintenance is Needed
 River and stream bank management is done to ___________
o Best accomplished by
animal
access and pumping drinking water to a holding trough away
from the bank
o
fences of hedges and trees along the bank or
inexpensive electric fencing
 Waste management includes_________________
_______________________ techniques
o Total volume of manure and soiled bedding is
cubic feet
per day per horse
o Properly stored and composted manure and bedding helps in
pasture management: reduces chance of pollution when spread
of fields, provides nutrients needed along with improving soil
characteristics such as _________________ matter and
moisture holding capacity.
o After composting for
months, the volume of stall
waste is reduced by
and many parasites,
pathogenic bacteria and weed seed are destroyed
o The manure holding facility must be covered and protected
from runoff.
 Pasture management includes
to manage
ground cover and provide quality nutrition for equine
o The primary cause of runoff on equine farms
is
. Graze pastures when they are 6-8” and
rotate off when down to 3-4”
o Equines are
and need to be rotated
among several small pastures rather than one large one to
protect from over grazing. Five or six paddocks with weekly
rotations are ideal.
o Drag pastures with a
at least annually,
but ideally after each rotation so that the sun and air may reduce
parasite populations
o Removing manure from paddocks on weekly basis for
composting with stall waste is an excellent way to reduce
pollution and control _______________________.
o Pasture may need to be
to provide all the
nutrients needed by equine and if the farm raises livestock as
well, a combination of cattle and horses increases
the

.
management is closely related
to maintaining cover and diverting water to reduce slope length and
runoff speed
o Divert clean runoff water away__________________________
o Reduce the length of slope on pastures with terraces and water
bars.
o Plant grass in
to slow down runoff
water
o Plant at least a 10’
between the steep slopes and waterways.
 THE END!!!
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