By Nikki Alvin-Smith
The foal is the goal and the goal is to keep that foal happy and healthy. Every year foals die due to accidents. While some no-one could have foreseen, some are preventable. Many occur due to poor stall design.
The comfort and safety of ‘Mom’ is paramount. Your mare needs to have space to move around before, during and after birth. The ideal size stall would be 12 x 24 feet for a 16 h.h. horse. To achieve this stall size you may not wish to have a designated stall all year round, so when you design your new barn if you have any thoughts at all that you may have a pregnant mare in your future herd, either by design or accident, it is wise to factor in stall conversion.
If you implement a dividing stall wall that may be removed for foaling season, it will save you much heartache and provide your mare with the space she needs. The boards and/or grills may be removed from the channels and the channels removed to complete this new maternity ward. No sharp edges allowed.
When your mare goes into labor, she may throw herself about the stall as if experiencing a colic. The walls of a stall should therefore be solid board rather than the thinner tongue and groove pine. You can use 2x8 or 2x6 boards. The larger the board you use the stronger. The walls should also have support in the middle through either a wall straightener or brackets and be certain that no nails protrude.
The walls should not reach to the ceiling of the building as this impedes air-flow, but all walls including the front wall should be high enough that the foal cannot rear and catch a leg on top.
The walls should be treated for easy cleaning. Before the big ‘birthday’ rolls around you may need to clean down the walls with a power washer or by hand with a brush and use an approved hospital grade non toxic disinfectant to kill both gram negative and gram positive bacteria.
Foals are apt to rear, jump and generally bounce about so it is important that any grills that remain in the stall, the front wall for example, have bars a maximum of three inches apart so that hooves do not become trapped during errant behavior. It is also important to remove extra bucket hangers, mangers or other ‘traps’ that the foal could encounter in his exuberance.
Light and ventilation are also important. A well-lit stall will carry less bacteria and make a happier environment for the mare. You do not want any draughts, and while grill doors that extend all the way to the floor may be useful in hot climates, large gaps beneath doors or walls are an accident waiting to happen. Good ventilation will help prevent respiratory issues. If you have a stable door that opens to the outside of the building, be certain it is high enough and has an outdoor safe grill closure or Dutch door design so it can be closed in bad weather or closed for the duration to protect the foal catching a hoof on the top or trying to leap outside. Many horses suffer stifle injuries that can be permanent soundness issues as a result of these activities.
The ground should be rubber matted or covered with some form of non-slip flooring suitable for horses (especially if you have concrete floors beneath), to prevent injury and keep the foal warm. And as you surely know, mares should be bedded on either wheat or oat straw (not barley due to the husk barbs that can cause choke) as the ‘Birthday’ draws close, as shavings harbor harmful bacteria that can invade the foal’s immune system through the navel.
When planning a new barn build always think of resale, and of future needs. If you need advice seek out a professional company that has experience with barn building for equines. Horses are not cows.
Happy Horse Breeding!
This article is brought to you courtesy of Horizon Structures Inc., Atglen PA – Modular horse barn and indoor riding arena specialists. Please visit www.HorizonStructures.com to learn more.
About Horizon Structures
One horse or twenty, there's one thing all horse owners have in common...the need to provide safe and secure shelter for their equine partners. At Horizon Structures, we combine expert craftsmanship, top-of-the-line materials and smart "horse-friendly" design to create a full line of sheds and barns that any horse owner can feel confident is the right choice for their horses' stabling needs.
All wood. Amish Made. Most of our buildings are shipped 100% pre-built and ready for same-day use. Larger barns are a modular construction and can be ready for your horses in less than a week. All our barn packages include everything you need.
Horizon Structures also sells indoor riding arenas, chicken coops, dog kennels, 1 and 2 car garages, storage sheds and outdoor living structures.
Headquartered in South-Central Pennsylvania, Horizon Structures, LLC is owned by Dave Zook. Dave was raised in the Amish tradition and grew up working in the family-owned shed business. He started Horizon Structures in 2001 in response to an ever-increasing customer demand for high quality, affordable horse barns.
For additional information about the company or their product line, please visit their website at https://www.horizonstructures.com
About Nikki Alvin-Smith: International and national published freelance writer and photographer in such world renowned publications such as The Chronicle of the Horse, Horse and Hound, Dressage and CT, The Horseman’s Yankee Pedlar, The Equine Journal, Spur, Hoofprint, Horsin’ Around, Horses All, Field & Stream, Horse Bits, Pony Quarterly, Catskill Horse to name a few. Ghostwriting, blog services, PR/Marketing copy either direct with manufacturer or for agencies, copy editing and editor services also available. Nikki has produced catalog copy, corporate brochures and advertising copy for international corporations and PR/Marketing for celebrities. As a Brit who has called the America home for the past 34 years, Nikki brings a unique perspective to the equestrian world. Nikki is also an accomplished Grand Prix dressage trainer/competitor, competing at international Grand Prix level to scores over 72% and is a highly sought clinician offering clinics worldwide. She has been a horse breeder/importer of warmblood and Baroque breeds for more than 25 years. Together with her husband Paul who is also a Grand Prix trainer, they run a private dressage breeding operation and training yard in the beautiful Catskill Mountains of New York.
