We often hear of winterizing barns to keep faucets working, deter rodents, and block out cold drafts, but what about summer-izing your barn? In other words, preparing your barn for hot weather because ready or not—it’s coming!
Chances are, your horses will take refuge in the barn during the summer months, seeking shade as well as respite from biting bugs. However, there are a number of things you may need to do in order to make your barn as comfortable as possible during the hot summer months.
The first thing you’ll want to do is make sure that your barn is as open as possible to allow for air flow. After keeping things closed up for the winter and early spring rains, open those windows and doors to let in a breeze.
Keep it Clean
Keeping your stalls clean is important year round, but especially in summer to deter flies and other biting insects that like to hang out near piles of manure and moist bedding. Implement a daily stall cleaning system in order to keep things quick and easy. Additionally, using an odor neutralizing product such as Odaway® Odor Absorber can help to keep your summer stalls smelling fresh.
While you’re at it, summer is also a great time to reorganize and declutter your tack room, re-purpose or sell unused tack and equipment, and clean blankets for the coming winter.
De-Bug your Barn
Aside from regular manure clean-up, you’ll likely need a few other strategies to keep flies at bay in your barn. You’ll find a number of fly control products on the market such as premise sprays, fly traps, and even fly predators, and sometimes, it takes a combination of these products to keep flies under control. Ramm’s Automatic Fly Spray System eliminates flies, mosquitoes, and many other insects in 60 seconds or less and includes everything you need for up to eight horse stalls.
Cool Things Off
Finally, cool things off by installing fans in stalls and/or the breezeway. As an added bonus, the constant air movement created by fans will also help to deter flies. And if you really want to go all out to keep your horses comfortable, consider investing in a misting system.
Summer-izing your barn doesn’t have to be difficult and the result will make barn time all the more enjoyable for both you and your horses.
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