Feeding, weight tapes, blankets, barns, etc.
This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Jean wrote: ...I figure an average of 1 50 lb bale/day of grass hay for four Fjords over the year Sounds about right to me, Jean. In the winter, I feed two 45-55 lb bales of alfalfa or mixed grass-alfalfa hay to 7 fjords and 1 small belgian mare. (We live in dairy country -- not too much all-grass hay produced around here.) The horses get more hay if the weather is cold + windy + rainy and less if there's grass to eat. I also feed oats occasionally for a treat. Our elder pony Biscuit who lives in my front yard gets her own hay + oats + oil combo to keep her weight on. I don't worry too much about the weight tape numbers to figure out if a horse is overweight or not -- instead I feel the neck, ribs, loin and rump for excess fat. Even when the horses are looking trim and fit, it seems like Fjords keep a little more padding around their ribs than other breeds. So with them I worry more about an excess of padding on the neck and loin/rump area. Mike, a Fjord we bought a couple of months ago, had a bubble butt, a cresty neck, and lumpy fat deposits on his abdomen when we got him. Yikes! He's losing his excess weight slowly -- and he will be a heck of a nice looking horse when he's trim again. When I worm our horses, I do sometimes use a weight tape, but I have no real idea if the tape is accurate. It sounds like it's not, from what you all have been saying here. I usually use ivermectin and other wormers with a wide margin of safety on the dosage, so I don't get too worried about this issue. I don't own any horse blankets and only have a run-in area for the horses to get out of the wind and rain if they want. Most of the time they don't seem to care about the shed. I've noticed a difference this fall and winter though, now that we have Agnes, born 7/30/03. The big horses take her into the shed so she can sleep dry at night -- it's kinda cute how they all protect her. Her momma Sissel (from the Jensen's Trinity Fjords) feeds Aggie very well and Aggie is quite willing to chow down her alfalfa with her doting uncle Mike, an older fjord gelding. She's quite the butterball with an unusually thick woolly curly coat. I have only seen a horse shiver when it's cold + windy + rainy -- the shivering ones were were a thin skinned paint gelding and our Biscuit. I have used my own barn coat or an old people blanket as a makeshift blanket. Although I watch Aggie closely, especially in bad weather, she seems quite comfortable so far this winter. DeeAnna Northeast Iowa
Decorating Barns
This message is from: Salt Lick Stables [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yesterday I was in the kitchen looking confusedly for a mixing bowl...there was not a single one in the entire house... when my young son popped in through the kitchen door, all cheery faced. He insisted I go to the barn to see his decorating. On every flat surface sat all my bowls ... containing holly sprigs. My son danced about innocently singing, Deck the Halls with Bowls of Holly. . I still can't stop grinning.
Re: Dusty Barns and a Shop Vac!
This message is from: Alison Bakken [EMAIL PROTECTED] Hi, I have fed cubes, but I feel that you MUST feed either hay or straw with the cubes. I don't think the cubes alone have enough bulk to keep the horses from impacting. I am using cubes this year to make my hay last till spring. As to the barn, my horses are only in the barn if they are sick and need confirment. Alison Bakken in snowy Alberta.
Re: Barns Pat's article
This message is from: Jean Gayle [EMAIL PROTECTED] Gail I will sure vouch for that Dusty not being feminine. He is so aware of his own presence. What a masculine hunk. Jean Jean Walters Gayle Aberdeen, WA Author:The Colonel's Daughter $20 PO Box 104 Montesano, WA 98563
Re: Dusty Barns
This message is from: Jean Gayle [EMAIL PROTECTED] Thanks for the thoughts on heaves. I have a pretty open barn, but dusty and when I began to wet the hay and to feed inside I believe I added to the problem of mold. Looks like I may have to build a run in shed, esp at the cost of good, size 88 raincoats!!!Jean Jean Walters Gayle Aberdeen, WA Author:The Colonel's Daughter $20 PO Box 104 Montesano, WA 98563
Dusty Barns
This message is from: Nancy Hotovy [EMAIL PROTECTED] Jean - I can relate to your problems with your horse with heaves. I gave 2 of my horses heaves (that's right, it was my fault). I used to order sawdust by the truckload and kept it in the barn. When the wind blew (which is quite frequent on the top of a hill) the whole barn would be dusty. You would think I would be smarter. Anyway my two I kept in the barn the most got very heavey. I tried all kinds of meds from Dexamethasone to Ventipulmin. These worked very well, except they are very expensive and Dexamethasone isn't good to use long term, especially if you want to breed your mare. First thing, I quit using sawdust and went to bagged shavings. 2nd - Put the horses outside 24 hours a day. They have a run in shelter. 3rd - Fed Reba alfalfa cubes (or pasture) for the past 2 - 3 years. I use a small bucket and put 2 - 3 small coffee cans full and fill 2/3 water. The cubes soak up the water by the next feeding and are soft and dust free. She does very well on these and as anyone who has seen her can tell you, she is not thin! I've had no breathing problems since. Only problem I had was at the Midwest Horse Fair last year. The Midwest Fjord Horse Club had one stall for feed and one for tack. I left my pail of cubes in the feed stall and the next morning Sheryl Monheim wanted to know why someone had put a bucket full of _ _ _ _ in the feed stall. Caused quite a laugh for the rest of the weekend! Nancy Hotovy www.upperforty.com
Re: Barns Pat's article
This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] In a message dated 11/6/2002 9:24:59 AM Pacific Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: We had a good discussion about 'terminology', Western approach vs English/Dressage. There are a number of 'means' to reach the same 'end'. Having spent a lot of time teaching folks from different disciplines and at all different skill levels, I have invented my own 'lingo' shall we say, to help the rider develop visual imagery. Too bad we didn't have more time together, Pamela, 'cause you ain't seen nothin' yet! g Maybe we can devote more time to it on the day we pick her up! Yesterday was fun, but I wish you were closer, so I could do this more often. Pamela A HREF=http://hometown.aol.com/northhorse/index.html;Northern Holiday Horses/A
Re: Barns Pat's article
This message is from: GAIL RUSSELL [EMAIL PROTECTED] I also have a coming 2 year old filly out of our Solar daughter. Her sire is Dusty. She is ultra feminine and athletic like her daddy. Actually, I had never thought of Dusty as feminine. :) Gail Russell Forestville CA [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Barns Pat's article
This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Hello, I've been ultra busy lately in my barn since one of the gals who had been working for me, found a full time job and had to quit here so haven't had the time to write much. However, I have hired another gal so have a few extra minutes now. I'd also like to encourage you, Pat Wolf, to submit your piece to the Herald regarding the value of BLUE RIBBONS in Conformation. That was really well done. Those of us who have been involved with the Evaluation program from the beginning (I'm guilty) forget that new comers might not understand the whole process. I think we need to remember to 'fill in the blanks' from time to time for new folks. Good on you for doing that, Pat! Regarding barns and horse health - I shall be ever grateful to our vet for his suggestion, when we first moved to Eugene from Libby, that we make sure our barn was well ventilated for the health of the horses. The place that we bought here had been a commercial chicken growing operation. My barn is 250' long. We had to convert it from chickens to horses. One thing that we couldn't change is the height of the roof - chickens aren't very tall, afterall!! Big joke around here - the rafters in my arena are at about 10 feet - pretty short for horses. We don't do much jumping in there, but it works! LOL! Anyway, there were 'windows' about a foot high all around the bottom. Ventilation for CHICKENS! As we were remodeling for horses, we decided to utilize that concept - except a bit higher. Having 'been there, done that', I designed things into this barn that make it unique, but practical. Each stall has a window about 5 feet up. They are covered with wire. Each stall has a 4' double fluorescent light, walls are solid between stalls to prevent 'fussing' with neighbors and to prevent passing along germs should one get sick. Each stall also has a tie ring for grooming and tacking up should the 'official groom room' be occupied. We painted the entire inside of this barn white. That makes it very light, open feeling (hate dark, cave-like barns) and airy. The horses LOVE the windows. Very often they'll stand looking outside, just smelling the breezes. Given the fact that the horses must live inside after the winter rains start in this part of the country, having the barn light inside and the windows in each stall, they don't have such a feeling of being confined and the horses are much healthier. We do get the occasional horse who catches a cold for whatever reason, like kids in kindergarten, but it doesn't tend to rampage through the entire barn like it does when the barns are 'tight' and germs just circulate from one victim to the next. Pamela did a great job yesterday on her 'maiden voyage' with her filly, Holly. We had a good discussion about 'terminology', Western approach vs English/Dressage. There are a number of 'means' to reach the same 'end'. Having spent a lot of time teaching folks from different disciplines and at all different skill levels, I have invented my own 'lingo' shall we say, to help the rider develop visual imagery. Too bad we didn't have more time together, Pamela, 'cause you ain't seen nothin' yet! If anyone is looking for Fjords for sale, I have 3 that might be of interest. One is a 7 year old gelding, 15.1 hands (Mary Thurman, this is Glendar). He is owned by a young girl who has ridden him extensively in Pony Club activities, jumping, etc. He was ridden Western before that. The girl is apparently finding that she doesn't have time to be a teenager and be devoted to her horse at the same time so wants to find a new home for him. I also have a 5 year old mare, around 14 hands. I started riding her for the lady last winter. She is cute as a bug's ear. She is a half sister to our gray stallion, Johan, so she carries the gray gene and could very well produce gray offspring if someone is interested in breeding her at some point in the future. Her name is Mijanna and can be seen on our website. I also have a coming 2 year old filly out of our Solar daughter. Her sire is Dusty. She is ultra feminine and athletic like her daddy. She has been handled extensively, ties, clips, good for farrier - all of that good stuff. She's a real eye-catcher. Both of these girls live here and are current on shots, including West Nile Virus, worming, and farrier visits. If anyone is interested you can contact me for further details. Have a great day, everyone. Gayle Ware Field of Dreams Eugene, OR www.fjordhorse.com
Re: dusty barns, hay cubes,heaves
This message is from: Jean Gayle [EMAIL PROTECTED] Very good advice Joanna. Also I have had a horse choke on an apple. Not a pretty sight as they tend to panic. Luckily this was not cutting off the air supply. I think I will invest in a super large raincoat for the old boy so he can keep eating outside in the rain and wind. Jean Jean Walters Gayle Aberdeen, WA Author:The Colonel's Daughter $20 PO Box 104 Montesano, WA 98563
Re: Dusty Barns and a Shop Vac!
This message is from: Jean Gayle [EMAIL PROTECTED] Thanks Sarah re the hay net. Wonder if it would not be pretty heavy Course could do two. These old timers can be a problem but Gunnar 19, my fjord, just putts along outside in all weather. Jean Jean Walters Gayle Aberdeen, WA Author:The Colonel's Daughter $20 PO Box 104 Montesano, WA 98563
Re: Dusty Barns and a Shop Vac!
This message is from: Jean Gayle [EMAIL PROTECTED] Reena you are certainly right about the coughing taking a long time to taper off. We have been in the deep freeze for a week or more and have not been able to water the hay and he is starting to cough again. Luckily we are hoping for our first big rain in four months or more. I was using Tri Hist for the cough. Still give him lots of Vit C. One big problem is when it rains hard he will have to come into the barn for feeding. We usually get wind with the rain. Jean Jean Walters Gayle Aberdeen, WA Author:The Colonel's Daughter $20 PO Box 104 Montesano, WA 98563
Re: dusty barns, hay cubes,heaves
This message is from: Joanna Crell and David folger [EMAIL PROTECTED] Hello all. this is a huge warning, not heeding it could result in trauma or death. Hay cubes / alfala cubes are processed to be hard , so hard that they absorb moisture and swell quickly before they are adequately soft enough for a horse to swallow sometimes. Having seen a horse die from choking on one, tossed to him by a teen ager who couldn't admit to it causing hours of horrifying pain while no one knew what the problem was the pits. The cube lodge in his esophagus, causing a stricture and terrible unfixable damage. The worst part was that the horse didn't appear tobe choking, only depressed. Our vet now owns 2 endo scopes with a tool that can help remove a lodged object, it has already paid for itself many times over but why tempt fate? Cubes should never be fed dry as a treat, they should always be soaked, same with beet pulp. One of the most important lessons anyone should learn is to keep you animals hydrated, this is a great way to do that. Next, heaves is a disease of the environment. you can change that and help quite a bit. Think of Asthma and what triggers it. DUST. MOLD. Stress. too cold air, sometimes. A horse with heaves should not not not be kept in a barn with hay. Air exchange is a good thing, as big a hassle as it may be, find a way to be the heavy horse out side away from food storage, Soaking the hay, is often a huge cure, washing the hay, ( ie. wetting and letting the first water rinse out the hay is even better. I hate it but do it, even in the bitter winter and after years of testing and re-testing our practices, it works wonders. Stress. That is sometimes what horses feel in barns or in the field while they eat next to another mate. Sometimes a lonely horse has stress. It fuels heaves like crazy. I do alot to find out what will calm my horses. Cold air, using a muzzle in the worst case scenario, will pre warm the air a bit, not had much luck on this. I have tried ventipulmin and all orts of steroids, Horse size inhalers are muy expensivo. Herbal remedies and support work only so well. Heaves start somewhere and does its damage progressively,look for the simple solution and stay with it, it is worth it. Horses go with dust and grime, using shavings, brushing them in a closed space and running vacume blowers to clean and neaten our stables does our animals health a great diservice. Lung disease is an insidious enemy, and horses don't smoke.
Re: Dusty Barns and a Shop Vac!
This message is from: Sarah Nagel [EMAIL PROTECTED] - Original Message - From: Jean Gayle [EMAIL PROTECTED] This message is from: Jean Gayle [EMAIL PROTECTED] never close the barn, a small one but it is dusty and when I started watering his hay, mold grew in his manger which is on the floor. Hi Jean, Another way you could try watering his hay is to place it in a hay net and then submerge the hay net into a large trashcan or 55 gallon drum partially filled with water. You could do this outside the barn and then hang the hay net inside for him to eat or take the wet hay out and give it to him. I had an old mare that had heaves, and when I wasn't able to feed her outside and water her hay with the hose, I would do the hay net thing, it worked well. Don't know if your set up would accomodate this or not. Maybe your vet can help you with a feeding plan. Perhaps a senior feed with a smaller amount of hay might be a possibility. And the vet can advise you on the alfalfa cubes. I use them here as treats, but don't know about feeding them in place of hay. They are used that way when people take horses on long trail rides here, they pack the cubes for the horse's feed. I too would worry about impaction from using them exclusively tho. Best check that one out with the vet. Sarah Nagel Stevensville, MT
Re: Dusty Barns and a Shop Vac!
This message is from: Reena G. [EMAIL PROTECTED] I personally don't like the cubes. I've seen a few horse get impaction colic because of themand these were older horses too. Don't know of anyone elses thoughts on this, but would love to hear about them Don't know about the barn thing. Gustav started with the coughing and nasal thing last year after being shut up in the barn during cold weather. Vet said just to leave him out as much as possible. I also gave him some coughing medicine...first a more herbal blend and then one with more meds in it. That seemed to do the trick, but it sure did last a while while it tapered off. Reena ! This message is from: Jean Gayle [EMAIL PROTECTED] I have thought of alfalfa cubes as my next move. Anyone have any idea how much one would feed a 1700 pounder? Jean Jean Walters Gayle Aberdeen, WA Author:The Colonel's Daughter $20 PO Box 104 Montesano, WA 98563
Re: Dusty Barns and a Shop Vac!
This message is from: Jean Gayle [EMAIL PROTECTED] I knew long ago that my huge Charlie would end up with heaves as he has had everything else. Sure enough last winter lots of coughing and white gloop pouring out his nose. I never close the barn, a small one but it is dusty and when I started watering his hay, mold grew in his manger which is on the floor. Throughout the summer, dry and dusty, I have wet his hay and fed him out in the pasture. He is much improved but if I quit watering the hay very soon even tho outside, the cough starts up. He is twenty three. He also has sinus infection and blood, red, often seeps out his nose. I think part of this is the exceptional dryness this year as my nose is also dry. If I wet down the barn the mold gets him and if I do not wet it down the dust gets him. Has anyone tried oil in the barn? None of the horses lie on the rubber mats, preferring the mud outside. Gunnar who is now 19 has no problems being outside all of the time. I have thought of alfalfa cubes as my next move. Anyone have any idea how much one would feed a 1700 pounder? Jean Jean Walters Gayle Aberdeen, WA Author:The Colonel's Daughter $20 PO Box 104 Montesano, WA 98563
Re: Dusty Barns and a Shop Vac!
This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Our horses are never shut up in a barn unless the weather is freezing rain and windy. If colder, no problem. They can take it. Suzan Life belongs to the living, and he who lives must be prepared for changes. â Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Re: dusty barns and dogs/horses
This message is from: Mary Dixon/Steve Stanchfield [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Yes, please watch it with the leaf blowers around horses.
My 2nd horse, am elder morgan, was at the end of the row at
the boarding stable I kept him at. The manager insisted on
using a leaf blower to clean out the aisle, causing him to
get worse and worse heaves. Then she'd close the barn up
tight for the night. The place was also full of snooty
warmbloods that couldn't take a temperature under 40 degrees
(or so the owners must have thought).
I moved him to a place that never did anything remotely like
that in a converted cattle barn, open, not dusty and very
ventilated! He got healthy very quickly.
Dogs and horses from a real dog trainer's point of view: I
agree. It depends on the dog! When I went to buy Finne from
the Bosomworth's I was warned in advance to not bring any
dogs with me (too bad for them...they had to sit in crates
the whole time I was gone-there and back-at least 8 hours
that first time!) since the horses would gladly chase
anything that wasn't 'their' dog.
When I got Finne home last year the first thing I did was
introduce him to all of the dogs in turn.
Of course I used the clicker and tons of treats.
He loves my dogs now.
The dog who loves him the most is the big cuddly rottie
(Harley) at the farm I keep him at (same one with the good
ventilation above). He swoons over Finne after I've called
him in from the pasture (I never have to go get him...even
from far away). He weaves in and around his legs and nips at
his ankles. Finne just sighs and stands there ('whatever').
I did, however, also teach him to Git that doggie!
whenever Harley comes into the ring when we are working,
which he will gladly switch gears and do.
Finne's the best big dog I ever had.
Mary in Ann Arbor MI
(http://www.acdrescuemi.petfinder.com)
(remember the North American Horse Spectacular in Novi MI
this weekend! Be there or be a tetrahedron!)
Re: Dusty Barns and a Shop Vac!
This message is from: Warren Stockwell [EMAIL PROTECTED] With all the talk of dusty barns and keeping the horses well groomed has anyone thought of the respiratory issues? I know all barns are dusty but their are things that can be done to reduce the dust and make it safer and cleaner for the horses and the owners. We have a few older horses that get very heave in the winter if we keep the barn closed up to much or if they by the off chance get dusty hay (even mildly). Dusty barns is always a problem but it concerns me that the thought of health hasn't come up. That should be our first concern it effects our young stock older stock as well as our breeding stock and yes even ourselves ( allergies asthma sinuses). I know I am going off on a tangent and am sorry I am not a major neet freak but I am a big fan of keeping the dust down in the barns for the health of my critters. My house another story I am definitely a barn keeper not a house keeper. Thanks for the input and I am sure good ideas to keep the barn less dusty Roberta - Original Message - From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; fjordhorse@angus.mystery.com Sent: Monday, November 04, 2002 6:16 AM Subject: Re: Dusty Barns and a Shop Vac! This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Thanks, Jay - I'll give the blow setting a try today. Have a party this afternoon , and although with the snowing here, they are not as dusty as this summer -- they still raise a cloud with a pat on the rump. (Which, at a birthday party job, everybody and their brother - LOL! - wants to pet the pony's rump!) (grin) Sher A HREF=www.RockyMountainTrails.netwww.RockyMountainTrails.net/A ... Shop Vacs work great, Sher. After using one for a couple of years, I noticed that changing it to the BLOW side did an even better job...while visiting a friend...her stallion...she was using an electric leaf blower on him. Talk about raising the Dust! VBG...It takes about two sessions for the ponies to get used to it. I loosen the dirt with a rubber groomer and then turn on the blower...
Re: Dusty Barns and a Shop Vac!
This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Thanks, Jay - I'll give the blow setting a try today. Have a party this afternoon , and although with the snowing here, they are not as dusty as this summer -- they still raise a cloud with a pat on the rump. (Which, at a birthday party job, everybody and their brother - LOL! - wants to pet the pony's rump!) (grin) Sher A HREF=www.RockyMountainTrails.netwww.RockyMountainTrails.net/A ... Shop Vacs work great, Sher. After using one for a couple of years, I noticed that changing it to the BLOW side did an even better job...while visiting a friend...her stallion...she was using an electric leaf blower on him. Talk about raising the Dust! VBG...It takes about two sessions for the ponies to get used to it. I loosen the dirt with a rubber groomer and then turn on the blower...
Re: Dusty Barns and a Shop Vac!
This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] I have one of the horse vacs and they work well but are clumsy and heavy. I don't hang it on my shoulder - too heavy. A friend has a floor standing model - expensive, but much easier to work. I think a lightweight vac of most any kind would work fine. Linda in MN.bur, such darn weather we are having:(
Re: Dusty Barns and a Shop Vac!
This message is from: Karen McCarthy [EMAIL PROTECTED] We use a small hand held Dirt Devil vacuuum on our horses if they are really dusty. They seem to really enjoy it, as it has a rotating brush inside of it. Really good for de-sensitizing them to loud noises, and getting them ready for things like clippers. I also have one of those battery powered handvacs that I picked up at a garage sale for a couple of bucks...I use it on the babies for desensitizing too, more than for grooming. They really like it allot.Needless to say, I don't have any problem clipping the horses when it comes down to it :~)) Surf the Web without missing calls! Get MSN Broadband. Click Here
Re: Dusty Barns and a Shop Vac!
This message is from: Reena G. [EMAIL PROTECTED] Jean your winter is here, in MI.it's currently about 35° here. Reena This message is from: Jean Ernest [EMAIL PROTECTED] something) Jean in still warm Fairbanks, ALaska, record warmth again today, 40- 50 degrees. Where is winter?
Re: Dusty Barns and a Shop Vac!
This message is from: Jean Ernest [EMAIL PROTECTED] I have used a Shop Vac on my Fjords for years! It only took a little time and some carrot treats to convince them the shop vac was OK. It sure does a great job..I just use the hose end, no brush tip, and the cheap 5 or 6 gallon model. It is noisy but they don't care! They seem to enjoy the suction on their skin. The older models had a top with the motor/hose assembly which you could put on a 5 gallon plastic bucket, and I still have two of those which I mainly use for vacuming the muck and remaining water out of their water tank when I clean it. I have a newer model which I use for dry vacuuming: the Fjords, their saddle blankets, etc. Works great! If you ARE going to wash your Fjord, vacuuming first sure saves a lot of time, as otherwise it takes forever to get all that dirt out. Most of the time the vacuum does such a good job they don't need a bath! Bathing them here is a lot of bother as even in the summer the well water comes out at 38 degrees! Cold, and altho I can hook up a Y hose attachment to both hot and cold faucets, it is hard to regulate the temperature. A friend has a big powerful Horse vacuum at her barn and when I had my fjords there for a clinic I used that. Gotta admit that one was wonderful! The motor and tank was inside the barn, the long hose was outside. She had a special grooming tip on the hose and the suction was greater than my 5 gallon Shop vac. That one really did a super job, so If you have the bucks and a lot of horses, I would invest in that one. (Electro-groom? or something) Jean in still warm Fairbanks, ALaska, record warmth again today, 40- 50 degrees. Where is winter? A We did turn on the shop vac in Sears while researching it as a possibility -- and it was no more noisey than the llama vacumms were. So - we'll see! I'll let the list know how it turns out. Jean Ernest Fairbanks, Alaska mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: Dusty Barns and a Shop Vac!
This message is from: Carol J. Makosky [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ... know...been using Afro Sheen on my entire horse...really looks shiny. However, because my barn is so dusty, the long term...isn't as apparent ... You, too, Pamela?! (grin) My new boarding place is so dusty (just ask Nancy, she's been there!) it's been driving me NUTS! When I went to pet a rump, great clouds of dust (like flour) poofed out - all the vigorous stiff brushing in the world could not get all that dust out! Hi, The small shop vac sounds like a great idea so let us know how it works. The special horse vacs are very pricey ( close to $200) and the only advantage I can see is they have a strap to carry on your shoulder. I would be tempted to try our shop vac on my horse except ours is a very large and powerful one that would probably suck all her hair right off. LOL -- Built FJORD tough Carol M. On Golden Pond Northern Wisconsin
Dusty Barns and a Shop Vac!
This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ... know...been using Afro Sheen on my entire horse...really looks shiny. However, because my barn is so dusty, the long term...isn't as apparent ... You, too, Pamela?! (grin) My new boarding place is so dusty (just ask Nancy, she's been there!) it's been driving me NUTS! When I went to pet a rump, great clouds of dust (like flour) poofed out - all the vigorous stiff brushing in the world could not get all that dust out! Very embarrassing, when I took the ponies to work, wether a backyard party or a street festival. I like them groomed to the T. We moved to this new place end of Aug. this year - which I effectionately refer to as The Dust Bowl Desert. During Sept., giving them a water bath was no big deal - was not too cold. (This place has well water a hose -- no hot water, and even so, nothing to keep them from chilling once the water cooled, like in winter conditions.) Once late Oct. hit - it is just TOO COLD to water bath them before a work day now. First time I've boarded at a dust bowl, so a new quandry to work out. Starting thinking about investing in one of those horse vacumm grooming thingies - the sort I've heard show folks use to vacumm up hair trimmings and such after body clipping, etc. - to get that perfect coat look before a show. I work and play with my ponies - so the show ring tricks of the trade are only vaguely familiar to me. But worth a try. Was talking to a grandpa at a backyard party job recently, a former ranch owner in his younger days - who'd had the same sort of problem. He liked his horse well groomed before going to a gymkhana for-fun event. He said that a shop vac with a brush tip was basically the same thing as one of those horse vacs. Well, since I have no idea where to get a horse vac locally - and the local Sears was right around the corner - just picked up a shop vac plus the type of hose tip I'd want ($69.00 total) and also an extra length of hose to add on to it, so that the evil noise producing end of the vac would be around the corner in the stall -- going to give this a try. If it works - great, an reasonable investment and I can give a dry bath in the Fall/Spring months when it's so very dusty still but too cold for a wet bath. Don't know how it will work for a wet winter coat on the ponies (like on a snow day when we're working an event) - but we'll see. As to their reaction to it - I don't think that it will take more than just a little bit of training time for most of the ponies. They've worked stationed right next to bandstands at festivals and rodeos many times (loud music, ground vibrations) when the promoters put the pony carousel wheel there - and I count noisey parades' exposure, too. So, well do some practice sessions and see how it works out. I've heard of the horse vacumms but have not actually seen one - so, without a real comparison, am guessing that they are not silent and noiseproof either. I have seen many times the llama show folks grooming their livestock with grooming vacumms - and those were very noisey. We did turn on the shop vac in Sears while researching it as a possibility -- and it was no more noisey than the llama vacumms were. So - we'll see! I'll let the list know how it turns out. Sher www.RockyMountainTrails.net
Expando barns....
This message is from: Knutsen Fjord Farm [EMAIL PROTECTED] Wow, Robyn! Amy, I wish we could come. Maybe next year. It sounds great. Peg Knutsen - Ellensburg, WA http://www.eburg.com/~kffjord/
BARNS ( long )
This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] In a message dated 5/6/01 12:38:47 PM Mountain Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: We are building a 50 x 36 barn this summer, I am just thrilled!! It will be insulated, but not heated,( except the tack room which will be cozy) and there are several local opinions on flooring. From of old, I prefer non concrete flooring, but with the cold winters here etc, there may be trouble with frozen ground etc. If we do concrete, we will of course use mats, and our bedding is straw, lots of it. Congrats on your new barn ! What type of construction are you using ? Pole barn ? Pre-Fab metal ? A name brand ? Just wondering. For about 3 months now, Ive worked as the So. Utah representative for MD Horse Barns. Im working right now with 2 seperate customers in final stages of their barns being started. Some diff. considerations that I have learned are VERY important when making a choice of barn ect. : Your Countys requirment for snow load and wind load. Make sure that what you buy, or construct has all engineering plans, stamped by your local code inspectors before buying. Many people are surprised by what requirments local building inspectors put on you and your plans, so before you dig those footings or wire it for electricity, go get the info. Here in Cedar, we have a 40 lb. snow load for a roof, which is currently an upgrade ( more cost ) in an MD Barn. In St. George, UT. one hr away from us, it dosnt snow, but has an 80 MPH wind load requirment. That one makes people buy extra truss's ect. From people who have constructed beautiful barns, I always ask them, what would they do differant . Most people say that their ground preperation and general stall flooring mantinence is primary. While lots of people putting in MD Barns do concrete down their center spans, they do not want their horses standing on concrete in their stalls, prefering to do a real good drainage type of layered flooring, 10 inchs of sand, with DG on top with stall mats over, seems to make people the happiest. I prefere shavings myself, over mats and none of my stalled horses poop inside, both stallions do pee indoors however. One large bag of shavings looks great and lasts for almost 2 weeks untouched but for a fluff over the chosen pee spot. Stall mats are the only way to go IMO. Esp. down the center of a concrete floor, even broom brushed is slippery and can be dangerious. People ask me why MD Barns cost more. They dont cost ALOT more, but do cost a little more per square foot. They are also 60 % heavier. That is partly because MD uses steel between their stall walls. They also offer a lifetime kick-through warrenty. That is a great idea even if you dont have kickers per say, but if a horse gets cast in their stall, they cant put a foot through the wall trying to get free. Also nice for people with stallions. The roof construction is also very important. You dont want it blowing off, or rusting, or having drip spots with electrical installed. Gutters and sun-light, plus insulation are also considerations with roofing. MD uses 26 gauge galv. steel that interlock so no drips or leaks are possible. They have 20 possible roofing and wall colors at this time. Some people want darker roofs to help hold in heatmost want lighter for coolness and light. MD offers a 20 year warrenty on their roofs. No one else does. They reciently replaced one ladys 19 + yr old roof, because the color ( before they changed to the paint they currently use ) faded. If you get a raised center aisle type of roof, you can add plastic pannels for wintertime, closing the gaps just under the top roof section, removing them in the summer for cooler indoor temps. People love them. Also, if you do get a raised roof, try and invest in a center window, lets in tons of light, saving you tons of electricity ! Pretty and also pays for itself in a short while by not having lights on during the day. Get a window in your tack room / office. You wont regret it. Also, make sure that when your electrical is done, that they wire your tack room with enough outlets for a regular office. Many people find themselves sleeping their on foal watch, or just like having a cold refrige or space heater added. Tounge and groove wood panels can be bought for a fairly cheap price at local hardware places and look great in finished tack rooms / offices. Dont forget to plan on saddle racks and harness racks , bridles ect. Make sure that with the doors to your stalls, you choose differant types of fronts, grilled, open, yoke style for horses to hang their heads out and be able to visit each other through the barn. Also be sure that they use a really high quality piano hinge, rolling door frame. Mare and foal stalls can be doubled if the walls attaching 2 stalls are made portable, a really nice feature, even if just for resale value. You can fit aprox
Re: Slipping halters/barns collapsing
This message is from: Karen McCarthy [EMAIL PROTECTED] Nancy wrote: Have been reading the halter slipping incidents and I agree with Karen. Try hobbling along with tying. Toby has been able to slip a halter ever since we've owned him (11 years). He won't slip it if you are around but just turn your back for a minute and he's gone. Gee Nancy, do you think our guys went to the same school, or what? Is ir a stallion thing - or? He has always been this way, always looking for a way out, and I really think he does it just to do it, 'cause it's there. You literally have to watch him continuosly, as he will slip that halter in a second when you turn your back. When I ask someone to keep an eye on him at a show when I have to slip in and out of the tack room, I really emphasise this. I have a friend out here, Del Tanner, who regularly tether hobbles his fjords. He uses the stout leather single hobble that has a swivel,with a fleece tube liner on it. (I have also made one of these out of a single stirrup leather, but use a large ring on it w/ swivel.) He stakes them out all nite like this, and they do just fine. I hobble all the time, but don't stake them out regularly as I don't do allot of overnites, (darn). Happy Hobbling! Karen _ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com
Re: self cleaning barns
This message is from: Denise Delgado [EMAIL PROTECTED] dear bill, no just a nurse.
Re: self cleaning barns
This message is from: Denise Delgado [EMAIL PROTECTED] dear julie, that's gross but our old dog, blue, a blue-eyed cowdog/pit bull mix and the best dog ever, used to hang with the horses just to catch a steamer, as my husband calls them. they must taste good, because he seemed to relish them. sadly he died last august and we miss him terribly. our two cairn terriers don't seem to to interested. one of them likes the goat raisans though. denise in SUNNY AND BREEZY, mokelumne hill, calif.
self cleaning barns
This message is from: Julie Will [EMAIL PROTECTED] Well, we don't exactly have a self cleaning barn, but we have 3 very willing dogs who do their best to help clean up the manure! Of course with 31 horses, they don't exactly make a dent in it. Hope I didn't spoil anyone's lunch! Julie, in cold upstate NY where we are expecting wind chills of 40 below tonight and the tractors won't start. : (
Re: self-cleaning barns
This message is from: Debby Stai [EMAIL PROTECTED] Wouldn't like the conveyor belt and the trap doors but what a wonderful idea about the jogging track around the stalls. I wonder how the horses in the stalls react when one goes jogging by? Like anything else, they adapt! Thanks for the ideas, yall keep them coming. Debby [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] I once visited a farm where they had a barn that was as close to self-cleaning as any I can imagine. It was at Thornmar Farm in Maryland, a TB nursery/training center. The barn was a Saratoga-style barn, with a double row of stalls in the center, surrounded by an indoor jogging track, like this: ___ / \ I I__I__I__I__I__I I I I__I__I__I__I__I I \/ The stalls had a trap-door in the floor at the back of the stalls, which opened up to a conveyor belt running the whole length of the barn, and ending up at a pit at one end, where trucks were pulled up under the end of the belt, waiting to haul the muck away. WOW! I was so envious, but I bet it is a maintenance nightmare - can you imagine all the little pieces of shavings and stuff that end up jammed under the conveyor belt? Jan, in Virginia, still mucking the old-fashioned way.
self-cleaning barns
This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] I once visited a farm where they had a barn that was as close to self-cleaning as any I can imagine. It was at Thornmar Farm in Maryland, a TB nursery/training center. The barn was a Saratoga-style barn, with a double row of stalls in the center, surrounded by an indoor jogging track, like this: ___ / \ I I__I__I__I__I__I I I I__I__I__I__I__I I \/ The stalls had a trap-door in the floor at the back of the stalls, which opened up to a conveyor belt running the whole length of the barn, and ending up at a pit at one end, where trucks were pulled up under the end of the belt, waiting to haul the muck away. WOW! I was so envious, but I bet it is a maintenance nightmare - can you imagine all the little pieces of shavings and stuff that end up jammed under the conveyor belt? Jan, in Virginia, still mucking the old-fashioned way.
Re: Barns
This message is from: Denise Delgado [EMAIL PROTECTED] dear becky, in regards to the drains; how would you change them? maybe no drains and just a sloped cement floor to an outside source (the yard or pasture), that way there would be no clogging problem. thx, denise
Re: Barns
This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Hi Everyone, The question about barns was an excellent one. There is nothing like the 'been there, done that', experience to draw from - before, not after, the fact! When my husband, Pat , and I relocated our ranch, lock, livestock, and barrel (feeders) 5 years ago, we purchased a commercial chicken operation and set about converting it to a horse facility. An awfully AMBITIOUS project! My barn is 250' long and built on a fill for good drainage. After spending much time on the 'drawing board', here is what we ended up with. Eighteen 12x12 rubber matted box stalls, one 'overflow' smaller stall which houses the tractor when not needed for a horse, one 10x10 storage area for misc, stuff like cart, log for skidding practice, jump standards, etc., totally enclosed feed room with sliding exterior door for easy access when unloading grain, 110 long indoor arena, enclosed, heated, tack room, hay storage for about 5 ton, and an office. Chickens aren't very tall so our rafters are at about 10 feet, pretty low for horses, but doable. If we had started from scratch, the rafters would've been at 16', but had to make do with what we had. The alley is 16' wide, a very nice feature. The native soil here is clay. Most of the time that's a pain to deal with, but does make for a nice, hard surface for the alley. It is somewhat uneven in places and we will likely have to do some levelling sooner or later, but makes for safe footing for horses as opposed to concrete or asphalt. It is fairly easy to clean with a leaf blower and looks spotless after blowing. Each stall has it's own tie ring for grooming and saddling. I really dislike cross-ties. Seems that someone is always needing to get by or horses are fussing with each other when there are cross-ties in an alley. There is also a 'groom room' in one corner of the arena with a plug in for electric clippers. Each stall has solid 8' walls between stalls and stall fronts are 1x2 wire. Each stall has a feed door with feeder just inside. Any exposed wood edges are covered with metal to discourage 'beavers. I prefer solid stall walls between stalls for a couple of reasons. HEALTH being the number one priority, I do not want horses to be able to sniff noses. If a new horse comes into the barn, it can be in quarantine, rather than risking it bringing some disease with it and passing it 'along the line' to everyone else. Another reason is that some horses like their own space and do not appreciate a neighbor constantly bugging them. The third reason for solid walls, is stallions. Any one of my stalls can house a stallion without problems. I prefer the wire fronts as opposed to the bar type because sometimes the bars are just far enough apart to get tiny foal feet and legs through if they jump up, which they will often do, if mom is taken out for a ride or for weaning. Each of our stalls has a 2x2 window, again covered by wire. We installed those upon the advice of a veterinarian. He told us to be sure that our barn had good ventillation, otherwise we could just plan on having him visit 3-4 times a year to treat upper respitory problems. The barn is situated so that the 'weather' does not come in the windows. Our winters are pretty mild here in Oregon, but we do get a ton of rain. The horses basically have to live inside most of the winter. Having the open windows gives the horses less of a caged feeling and I will often see them watching outside or simply sniffing the breezes. Each stall has a 4', double bulb, flourescent light installed above the rafters, out of harm's way. The bulbs each have plastic covers for safety and fire protection. I prefer flourescent lighting as there are no shadows. The down side to them is that they can get a bit 'fussy' when the weather is cold, but overall prefer that type of lighting. We installed several sliding doors along the sides and ends for emergency exits - God forbid that we should ever have a fire! Sure wouldn't want to have critters trapped at the far end of this barn with no way out!! The entire interior of the barn is painted white to make it feel and look bigger, open and airy. Dark barns are a drudge for people and horses alike. The office is my favorite place. Pat outdid himself there. It is 12x16, carpeted and heated. It contains my desk, couch, 4 windows, one to the alley, 2 to the outside, and one to the adjacent foaling stall, wire covered, of course. There is a wardrobe closet (Pat purchased for $7 at an auction and refinished it for my office), an entertainment center (Pat purchased an old colsole color TV for $5 at an auction, gutted and remodeled it) which contains a TV, VCR, microwave, coffee pot etc. And, of course there is the refrigerator, sometimes well stocked for people, but usually has horse drugs in it! The foaling stall is next to my office. It is 12x12 with a removabe
Re: Barns
This message is from: Jean Gayle [EMAIL PROTECTED] Oh Peg, I am so relieved that you came out re the synthetic, viewed as sinthetic. Now I can admit to just buying a Thorowgood orspelling--dressage (that is even worse, isn't it?) sinthetic on sale for $189. It fits me and the unfriendly one and is so light to lift onto him. Have not actually ridden in it yet. Now I do feel relief! Jean Jean Gayle Aberdeen, WA [Authoress of The Colonel's Daughter Occupied Germany 1946 TO 1949 ] http://www.techline.com/~jgayle Barnes Noble Book Stores
Re: Barns
This message is from: Rebecca Mayer [EMAIL PROTECTED] Hi list, About barns. We started our small breeding operation with a 10 stall barn built in a traditional VT style with a ?Dutch front ?hipped roof??. We have a roughened cement floor wide enough for BIG tractors and trucks to drive through as the manure pile is in the back and has to be removed through the barn. As we are in VT we are on a hill. We have wide opening doors front and back(in order to drive through) . As a plus, the aisle is wide enough for horses to pass each other and to walk sick horses inside in the winter. We HAVE the drain holes with cement inside the stalls sloping to the drains and we DON'T like it as well as we hoped because the material (bits of dirt and sawdust) going into the drains clogs them. We disinfect the cement before foaling and have to periodically dig out the drains. We have rubber mats over the cement in the stalls. Several stalls are separated by removable tongue and groove boards dropped into mental guides. These stalls can be doubled in size for foaling. All stalls are tongue and groove--lucky as a wild mare once tried very hard to take down the wall and failed. The stall fronts are 1/2 solid and 1/2 barred with metal feed doors for inexperienced help. The doors slide open so that they don't open into the aisles. Each stall has separate lighting and the aisles have covered plugs above fjord level. All lighting is operated from a metal box at the front of the barn. The hip roof gave us enough hay storage for 22 horses-- right, in a 10 stall barn. We have a feed room, stairs to the hay storage, a hay drop in the center of the aisle, a heated tack room with hot and cold water and with a hose connection that allows a hose to be run to reach all stalls and the outdoor heated tub in the winter. We wash on an outside tie over a drain which can be reached by the tack room hose. The back of the barn connects by a swinging gate to the field run. Horses are let out by opening the barn door, swinging the gate open to connect with the door and opening the stalls one by one--no need to even touch a horse. They come in the same way and know their own stalls. There is a perimeter fence around all the property so horses can be moved from one pasture to another without either having to be handled or getting loose. I wish we could have had stall runin's but the hillside wouldn't allow it. Otherwise I wouldn't change anything other than the drains. Becky in freezing Northern VT on a mountain where we have had snow and too much ice to ride for a long time now.
Barns
This message is from: Knutsen Fjord Farm [EMAIL PROTECTED] Hi List - Jean E., your barn/stable system sounds very workable to me. I would love to be able to feed without walking the 100+ yards to the barn in our winter weather - minus 5 this AM, but with lots of pretty snow. And this morning we were also hauling water since the barn water isn't hooked up yet, nor are many of our fancy heated buckets and troughs, and the faucet we've been using for the hose Doug brings in every night froze and broke. As I write, Doug is out in the tack room hooking up the water temporarily, so at least we'll only have to haul across the barn aisle. I feel like a real greenhorn! Oh well, I AM a greenhorn, so I guess it's OK. While I'm on the subject, I'm going to reveal a real greenhorn secret. I may get a Wintec wide-tree western saddle to start out. There, it's out. I can handle all the scoffing and scorn, I'm sure. I began riding in an English Wintec and found it to be just what I needed - cheap, light, indestructable, and reasonably well-fitting. I now ride in a Crosby Soft Seat. I expect to do the same kind of thing with the western saddle - find out what I really want before I invest in a nice one. So Jean, don't be envious, we're not all that well set up yet. Come on out to visit as we discussed, and you can see for yourself. Peg Knutsen, Knutsen Fjord Farm
Barns
This message is from: Knutsen Fjord Farm [EMAIL PROTECTED] Hi List, We're just finishing our 5 box stall barn, and yes, we have 6 horses in it. We do have some smaller stables, however, just in case any beautiful mares want to come and breed to Erlend [available soon on a web site near you] Our electrical system is wonderful, with switches and GFI outlets everywhere. We will be able to turn on the outside lights from our bedroom, in case we hear a commotion at night. The 12x24 tack room is insulated and heated, with three recycled windows looking out on pastures and mountains. We'll have hot and cold water there and in the [inside] wash area, a hot plate, microwave, reefer, cot, foaling monitor, desk, bulletin and white boards, feed, and tack. The door into the barn from the tack room has a lever handle on the inside and a round knob on the barn aisle side. [remember, we have Pepper to deal with...] Mats cover sand floors in stalls and will in the aisle. All stalls have inside sliding doors, and outside dutch doors. Two of the dividing walls swing back to make 12x24 foaling stalls. The barn sits atop a hill, but still has a french drain along one side. Otherwise, drainage is good. We can drive a pickup or tractor all the way through it. We store about 2 weeks worth of hay in the side aisle. The thing I would do differently concerns the wind. We have Big spring winds here in Ellensburg, and I designed the doors on two end stalls in such a way as to make a veritable wind tunnel. We can fix it, but it's a problem right now if anybody's wet and the wind is blowing hard. I'm sure we'll discover some more design flaws as we use it more, but it's pretty good for beginners, I think. As for the barn of Julie Will at Old Hickory Farm - it is to die for! One can go from a hallway in the house all the way through the office, tack room and barn to the humungous covered arena without going outside! Otherwise, it's not much. The features are too numerous to mention, so I won't. More later, Peg Knutsen, Knutsen Fjord Farm
tractors and barns, etc.
This message is from: Bushnell's [EMAIL PROTECTED] Lisa, thanks for the barn story.. interesting to us I guess because we're contractors and realize what a major effort that would be. We were so thrilled to have two barns for our horses when we moved here (a year ago now) and have since arranged them into four housing areas. Although the Fjords do real well out of doors it's wonderful that they have shelter. (makes us feel good even if they don't care =) One of the barns is an original homestead barn made of logs; picturesque.. I was proudly showing a snapshot of my Duffer colt at Libby and a lady said, Oh, what a neat barn!. I was talking to a neighbor recently, telling her about our New Holland tractor, and she said they'd purchased one over twenty years ago, brand new, and twenty years later sold it for MORE money than the purchase price! Shows you how tractors hold value. Jean, sorry to hear that winter's befallen you already! The multi-colored leaves and the golden Tamarack needles here are splendid!!! But we can already feel the winter; 20 degrees this morning. Okay, I didn't have much to say, but I've been quiet for quite a while and couldn't help myself =) I so enjoy my Fjord mail each day! My best to all... Ruthie NW MT
Re: Barns and bedding
This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Peg, We used the brushed concrete in our main aisleway, then have mats in the wash stall where we stand them for baths, the farrier and saddling up. It has worked well. Susan from Minnesota
Re: Used Barns in CA - Fjords on Horse Classified.
This message is from: GAIL RUSSELL [EMAIL PROTECTED] Hmm, anyone know how to find a used barn dealer in Northern California? Or close enough to the SF Bay area for shipping? I presume there are dealers in the Central Valley or? Anyone have any leads? Re Fjords - looked up all the Fjords for sale on the horse classifieds site. There is a two year old full brother to my drafty Fjord (Gunthar) for sale - Claylee's Tyler. I was surprised to see so many for sale there. Thanks, Gail We have a MD barn that was purchased used from a used barn dealer. It is a 2 stall shedrow, insulated, has windows, hay racks, feed doors, waterers and even came with a misting system for $2500 delivered and installed. It is high quality as it looks very nice after many years of use. Our vet took one look at at and said it was built by MD before they changed their name to MD. We have gone to their showroom in Ontario, CA and the new barns are amazing. MD is top of the line. This barn is at our old house, here in Nuevo we have a tongue and groove wood barn and while it is nice it does not have the insulation factor the MD barn does. You should look into the purchase of a used barn. Gail Russell Forestville CA [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Barns and bedding
This message is from: Doug Knutsen [EMAIL PROTECTED] Hi all - Our current barn is a remodeled 36'x24' storage building. It features two box stalls, one workroom which can double as a stall, and one feed/tackroom which is insulated and heated. The wall between the box stalls is removable for foaling. All rooms have inside and outside access, some to paddock, some not. The flooring is concrete with dubious draining. We cover all with rubber mats and sometimes use additional straw bedding. We would prefer pine shavings, but have been unable to find and in our area that aren't mixed with cedar. We will be moving to Eastern Washington as soon as our house here sells, and have been looking at steel, prefab-type barns made by MD Barns in California. Has anyone else used them? They seem to have thought of everything and can be configured as you wish. A wall between box stalls can roll down to one end of one of the stalls to create a foaling stall. Cool! Additions can be made at any time later. Our drainage will be good, so we are planning to add some sand and mats to the stall floors. Still hope to find pine shavings. We are thinking of concrete for the feedroom, tack room, and 12' center aisle floors. We could add a drain or slope the aisle toward the stalls, with little gutters anong the sides that can be hosed. Also hot and cold water to barn + sink and toilet or porta potty [for us, not them]. We can choose non-skid concrete finish [less sanitary], smooth concrete finish [more slippery], and/or mats in the aisle. Any thoughts or suggestions? These barns are a little pricey, so we may not be able to afford one, but they are very appealing. Open to suggestions. Thanks. Peg Knutsen, Knutsen Fjord Farms, where it's soggy right now.
