Horse Barn Specialized Areas – Feed Rooms
Feed rooms are specialized areas within the barn used for preparing the food delivered to the horses. It often doubles as storage for food but here,…
Author: Doc-t
Horse Farm Systems – Feeding Systems
Systems to feed horses are developed to make life easier on the caretakers, keep the food in one place (efficiency), slow the consumption rate (slow f…
Horse Farm Fencing – Gates
The gates used in a fence line on horse farms range from elegant to unsafe, hand made to mass produced and maintained to barely keeping together.
Saf…
Horse Farm Fencing – Latches
From simple to complicated, I have seen a wide variety of fence gate latches. I boil them down to only two types. You either operate them with one…
Horse Farm Fencing – Safety
Horses don’t normally live behind fences. They are inherently dangerous for the horse although being born and raised behind one, the young horse l…
Horse Farm Fencing – Styles
For me, there are only two styles of fences: safe and unsafe. Most fences fall into the unsafe category and over time, a lot of the safe fences becom…
Horse Farm Systems – Fire Prevention
Fire in a barn is unimaginable yet I have seen a few and the results afterwards. Fire scares me. The best thing is to prevent it from happening. …
No Grain
This is a testimony from a horse owner who took the 2 week no-grain challenge. "She is so calm now even a novice rider can sit on her. We’ve even be…
Horse Barn Structures – Flooring
Most floors of barns are either dirt or a simple concrete slab. Some barns have more elegant floors or built in features to help you and your horse.…
Horse Barn Structures – Footings And Foundations
I am not an engineer or architect but I do know that if the barn is not a pole barn (structure is attached to poles set in the ground) then it is sitt…
Horse Barn Structures – Gates, Doors, And Windows
The variety of these structures on horse farms is large. Here are some images from simple to hand made to ornate. All do the job. Whatever you c…
Horse Farm Systems – Generators
These noise makers are handy to have when the power goes out. The most common use is for the water pump but you can also keep a filled pressure tank…
Horse Barn Specialized Areas – Grooming Stalls And Wash Racks
One of the fun things to do with horses is bathing and grooming the horse. Even the hard edged rancher appreciates a clean horse. Having a special…
Horse Farm Systems – Heating And Cooling
Believe it or not, I have seen and have worked in some barns that are heated. Some heat with overhead force hot air systems and others with radiant …
Horse Barn Specialized Areas – Sheds And Turnouts
The ability for a horse to live outside is accomplished on many farms by providing structures that allow for free entrance and exit at anytime for the…
Horse Trailering – Trailer Features
There are dozens of features I have seen from air conditioning to full water systems and tack rooms to sleeping quarters. This is something personal …
Horse Trailering – An Introduction
This is a subject you might think a vet is not fluent in. However you all need to know that for a while I shipped horses professionally before and du…
Stop The Confusion Part 2- A HorseTalk™ Webcast
This is a replay of a HorseTalk™ webcast. Be sure to enroll in the next one and join Doc T live.
Horse Trailering – Trailer Types
There are so many different types of trailers made with different materials and configured in many ways. It is a personal preference which type you …
Horse Barn Structures – Interiors And Stall Views
Grab your coffee or wine / beer and your note pad for this one. I have included so many images in this gallery because there are infinite combinatio…
Horse Farm Pastures – Irrigation
In dry areas it helps to be able to irrigate pastures if water availability is an option. Here in FL we have an abundant water supply - usually. In …
Barracuda!
I struggled against the Atlantic Ocean current to hold my depth as I watched a barracuda effortlessly stare at me in the distance. To become as effort…
Horse Farm Training Equipment – Jog Tracks
Jog tracks are popular for many reasons, the most important one is the cost of building one. I had a 1/2 mile oval on a figure 8 track bull dozed on …
Horse Farm Training Equipment – Jumps
Jumps are either smoothed branches or well designed works of art. Here are some that I have captured for anyone wanting to look at some fancy jumps.
Horse Barn Structures – Kick Mats
Some horses like to kick when in their stalls. If behavior modification or horse relocation is not an option then adding cushioning to the direct kic…
Our Special Day
This is a tribute to 38 years with Kathy. She recognized that "thing" in me that only a woman can recognize and she is the reason I am here with you t…
Horse Barn Specialized Areas – Laundry Rooms
Laundry rooms are often seen in barns where horse hair can be kept from the clothes people wear. Washing horse blankets requires a heavy duty machin…
Horse Farm Systems – Lighting
The primary purpose of electricity in a barn is to have lights but unfortunately the placement of lights have been left to the discretion of architect…
Horse Barn Specialized Areas – Professional Working Areas
Areas dedicated for use by visiting professionals are found in large barns where their activity can be separated from the day to day activities of gro…
Horse Barn Structures – Protective Trim
Horses often use their teeth to chew on the barn (this is called pica) and protective trim helps to prevent damage. However I have also seen horses …
Horse Barn Structures – Retaining Walls
When a structure is built into a hill then there needs to be a retaining wall. This prevents the hill that was cut into from moving down into the stru…
Horse Barn Structures – Roof Structure Details
This gallery has images of details from a variety of barn roof structures. Some are functional and some are aesthetic.
Horse Farm Training Equipment – Round Pens
Round pens are made in many ways. Some simple panels and others engineering marvels.
Horse Farm Equipment – Salt And Mineral Dispensers
Here are some images of ways to dispense salt and minerals that I have seen on many farms. Personally I use a mined salt block on the ground or havi…
Horse Barn Structures – Stall Wall Sandwich Boards
Stall walls made of plank boards stacked on edge inside a channel make a quick set up for stalls. They also provide an easy way to take the wall dow…
Horse Farm Systems – Security
The advent of inexpensive outdoor cameras and electronic sensors have led to this topic. The visual recording helps to prevent theft and worker abus…
500,000 Miles
Half a million miles with few mechanical problems.My GMC pick up truck is the most important piece of equipment. It takes me safely around the country…
Horse Farm Systems – Shades And Wind Barriers
Blocking direct sunlight using shades is important in hot climates. The direct heat on the horse or barn areas make life uncomfortable and even dang…
Horse Farm Systems – Solar Panels
Solar panels are improving in their ability to generate electricity and usually require a lot of roof space to become useful. Barn and arena roofs a…
Horse Barn Structures – Stall Doors And Latches
There are so many varieties but I might be able to categorize stall doors into groups: swinging in, swinging out and sliding. All have advantages an…
Horse Barn Structures – Stall Floor Dividers
Bedding often slips out from the stall under the stall door and into the aisle making a mess. One simple solution is to place a board across the fro…
Horse Barn Structures – Stall Walls
The images in this gallery will demonstrate the variety of designs and materials. There are a few principles to stall walls. They must be durable …
Horse Barn Storage – Equipment And Trailer
A place to keep equipment and trailers from exposure to weather is necessary on any farm. This protection from the elements will extend the working …
Horse Barn Storage – Barn Loft
Many barns utilize the space just below the roof and above the stalls (the loft) for storing things. Where the temperatures are moderate, lofts are …
Horse Barn Storage – Feed And Bedding
Storing food and bedding should give protection from weather and be efficient to access for use. These things are accessed daily and have turnover o…
Horse Barn Specialized Areas – Tack Rooms
If you ride your horses you will need a place to keep your saddle, bridle and cleaning supplies. This room should be organized and kept clean. Thi…
Grain Based To Forage Based Diet
This is a testimony from a horse owner who took the 2 week no-grain challenge. A video - "Grain Based To Forage Based Diet"
Horse Arenas – Uncovered
Uncovered arenas are easier to build and less expensive. Their use in harsh climates is limited. The footing material and how it is constructed is t…
Horse Farm Systems – Insect And Bird Control
Vectors are flying insects like stable flies and mosquitos which not only annoy us and our horses but they also carry and distribute diseases. Birds…
Horse Farm Systems – Ventilation
My large animal veterinary medicine professor told us a story of a visit to a dairy barn in the middle of winter filled with milking cows all with pne…