you realize that your horse is still breathing dust and ammonia and other irritants when they are locked in the stall, regardless of the windows open, right?
i mean, of this concerns you so much why not make your horse live outside 24/7? way better for the horse anyway.
[QUOTE=Appsolute;8192714]
This depends on the property lay out as well - the vast majority of stables I have boarded at have perimeter fencing and a driveway gate (the one that didn’t was close to a mile up a private drive from a main road).
And assuming the horses are also kept in paddocks and fields at times - I don’t see why they are more likely to get out of a stall - then a paddock.[/QUOTE]
True, I guess the logic for the facilities I’m referring to was that if a horse gets out of a paddock, it’s going to be during the day (no overnight turnout) and someone is more likely to see Dobbin gallivanting down the driveway at that time.
It’s really so hard to say without knowing the exact layout of the OP’s barn (and the BO’s reasoning).
[QUOTE=emipou;8193840]
I’m picturing over-zealous Baptists sneaking in at night.[/QUOTE]
Hehehe. Error noted.
I dunno, over zealous Baptists easily fall into the category of pests one should keep out of a barn. Makes perfect sense to me.
For OP, not sure you really need to tell all unless you have a plan B lined up. We can’t change things even if we do know, a talk with BO by you might change things.
Its a small barn and if the care is otherwise good, make sure you are ready to give it up and move over the doors being closed-doesn’t matter if you think it’s silly, it’s her barn. I don’t know if it’s actually harmful or not without knowing location and seeing the barn design.
[QUOTE=beowulf;8193952]
you realize that your horse is still breathing dust and ammonia and other irritants when they are locked in the stall, regardless of the windows open, right?
i mean, of this concerns you so much why not make your horse live outside 24/7? way better for the horse anyway.[/QUOTE]
It does depend on the barn. Some are very open and airy and build up less irritants than others.
The barn is not closed tight. There is some ventilation. Not sure what everybody’s issue is.
[QUOTE=toady123;8194090]
Hehehe. Error noted.[/QUOTE]
And a predator would be even worse!!
[QUOTE=wonderhorseguy;8194311]
The barn is not closed tight. There is some ventilation. Not sure what everybody’s issue is.[/QUOTE]
You know the barn, then?
[QUOTE=Isitme;8192516]
I already know my answer, but am I overreacting? What would you do if the rest of the care is great?
Moved to a new barn last year and love it. Small private barn, care is wonderful, In and Out stall leading to large grass turnout, water never a problem, love the B.O., who lives on the premises.
Through casual conversation with B.O.; I was told the barn is closed up in the summer all night. Stall windows were never opened, but a nice breeze came through.
Now I realize that ALL the doors are closed too from night until morning.
Exception, the top of a Dutch door on the opposite side of the barn from my horse.
No fans.
Now that summer is here, the barn is hot during the day with the doors opened. (To be expected) I can’t imagine what it is like at night with doors and windows shut. Hot, stifling, still air.
I spoke to the B.O., but always receive vague answers and can’t pin her down. She’ll give me the impression that she will open the doors, then at times, I get the impression that the doors are still shut.
Can’t do Drive-by at midnight, as the driveway is very long and I’d be noticed.
My horse will normally go out to the paddock area to go to the bathroom, but I noticed that area has been very clean lately, leading me to believe the doors are still closed at night.
I was told the reason behind doing this, but not sure if I believe it or not, as it is trivial.
Knowing the majority of other Boarding Barns in the area, I’d certainly prefer to stay where I am, but won’t jeopardize my horse’s health.
I am in a hot and humid area during the summer.[/QUOTE]
According to post #1 there is 1 dutch door left open.
Spec out the cost of customized chain link barn doors and someone to put it together and install it.
Or grilled window installations (probably more expensive.
If bugs are a problem, they sell mosquito netting by the yard, so any gate/window can have that added on.
Sometimes people need help visualizing the solution and the costs before considering it.
I actually had a dream last night that tigers, leopards and other big cats were roaming the area and eating livestock. And then it got strange.
[QUOTE=emipou;8193840]
I’m picturing over-zealous Baptists sneaking in at night.[/QUOTE]
Ha!!! I had this actually happen, was my neighbor from down the street, her and several from her church, Bibles in hand wanting to know if I was saved. It was evening and I was finishing up in the barn. Needless to say it wasn’t the best time and my answer’s didn’t impress, they never came back though.
[QUOTE=wonderhorseguy;8194638]
According to post #1 there is 1 dutch door left open.[/QUOTE]
And in a lot of barns I’ve seen, that would be far from enough to allow for decent ventilation. So that one Dutch door doesn’t mean much to me.
I don’t even want to imagine how sweltering hot it would be in our barn if we closed all the doors… And we have very high ceilings as well!
The only somewhat plausible explanation I can come up with is wildlife… In which case I’d just be tempted to get a Great Pyrenees or something and have it live on the farm (assuming it’s fully fenced).
Just a quick question for everyone who is up in arms about their horses’ respiratory health when the barn doors are closed…how do you feel about the barn being closed up in the winter? How is that different? I mean this in a genuinely curious way, because I understand that it’s not hot in the winter like it is in the summer and that air circulation is needed in the summer so it doesn’t get too crazy hot in the barn.
But the whole “I can’t believe a barn owner would close the barn doors! All that dust and particulate matter flying around is terrible for little Pookey!” doesn’t hold water when you consider, you know, winter.
[QUOTE=ybiaw;8194907]
Just a quick question for everyone who is up in arms about their horses’ respiratory health when the barn doors are closed…how do you feel about the barn being closed up in the winter? How is that different? I mean this in a genuinely curious way, because I understand that it’s not hot in the winter like it is in the summer and that air circulation is needed in the summer so it doesn’t get too crazy hot in the barn.
But the whole “I can’t believe a barn owner would close the barn doors! All that dust and particulate matter flying around is terrible for little Pookey!” doesn’t hold water when you consider, you know, winter.[/QUOTE]
This is my thought too… I mean, not that most people would think this but even with the front doors open the barn is still dusty and full of respiratory irritants…
Also has me wondering, do these people expect the barn doors to be wide open in the dead of the night when no one was there? So, you’d rather have Pookie get loose in the middle of the night and not be contained to the barn? Possibly hit by a car, or stuck somewhere? What about people who come in, and steal things like saddles or other items?
Every barn I have ever worked at or managed or been barn manager of has had the barn shut at night. It’s just basic math. It’s security - if a horse is going to get loose I’d rather have it confined in the barn.
[QUOTE=ybiaw;8194907]
Just a quick question for everyone who is up in arms about their horses’ respiratory health when the barn doors are closed…how do you feel about the barn being closed up in the winter? How is that different? I mean this in a genuinely curious way, because I understand that it’s not hot in the winter like it is in the summer and that air circulation is needed in the summer so it doesn’t get too crazy hot in the barn.
But the whole “I can’t believe a barn owner would close the barn doors! All that dust and particulate matter flying around is terrible for little Pookey!” doesn’t hold water when you consider, you know, winter.[/QUOTE]
Very well said. That is what I was thinking.
A barn closed in winter will have some issues if no ventilation is provided ever. I’ve heard of some quarter horse show barns who keep them closed up to help maintain show coats.
What isn’t a problem in winter is the heat and humidity. It’s not the same thing as closing a barn in the summer.
Maybe we could get little ventilator masks going for the horses then?
I have my own personal concerns about my trainer’s decision on bedding for the horses… She uses those pellets that break up when they get wet. So they get spread in the stall and break up into a fine dust, that is all encompassing when it’s time to bring the horse out and groom. Does that go for their lungs as well? I should talk to her about this actually because she was complaining about the dust. I think wood shavings would be smarter. Though I have my own concerns about cedar and pine shavings as well- toxic fumes that can cause a lot of issues for small mammals… wouldn’t they also be bad for larger mammals? I learned a long time ago that only aspen shavings are safe for small mammals as bedding.
– I think the point about the heat and boarding up vs winter and boarding up has to do with ammonia and whatnot being worse when it’s warm out than in the cool air. Did you know that scent travels further in heat?
Besides the lack of ventilation, closing up a barn at night doesn’t sound wise in case of fire. If a fire breaks out and somehow makes the barn doors unmovable,
now what are you going to do ? I don’t understand why exits would ever be purposefully blocked in a barn…
By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. You may also receive promotional emails from The Chronicle of the Horse. You can opt out at any time.
For Customers
Company
Terms of Use
