1. AGRI 3364 Equine Science

2.   When housing is built for horses, what should it provide for?  Welfare of the horses  Safety, health, and comfort (horse & handler)  Efficient use of labor  Cost-effectiveness Housing

3.   Providing welfare of horses begins with what?  Understanding their natural environment  Environment involves four main areas  Physical  Social  Chemical  Biological Welfare of Horses

4.   Physical Environment includes:  Temperature  Heat-Loss Factors  Stall Space  Feeder Space  Flooring Welfare of Horses

5.   Social Environment Includes:  Behavioral Considerations  Sex of Horses  Age of Horses  Level of Activity Welfare of Horses

6.   Chemical Environment Includes:  Water Quality  Various Gases O2O2  CO 2  NH 3  Air Contaminants (dust and mold) Welfare of Horses

7.   Biological Environment Includes:  Disease organisms in air  Water  Feed  Stall Materials  Other Animals Welfare of Horses

8.   Horses use  Flight as a primary defense mechanism  When threatened, frightened, or in pain:  Strike, bite, kick, or attempt to leave  Can injure themselves  Facilities should provide for the safety Welfare of Horses

9.   Horses do not spend long periods of time confined under natural conditions  What may develop if confined for long periods?  Vices  What tends to minimize vices?  Adequate stall space Welfare of Horses

10.   Fresh air should always be available in barns  CO 2, water vapor, and manure need to be removed  Adequate ventilation will  Reduce air contaminants such as dust, mold, and irritating gases Welfare of Horses

11.  First Step in Building is Knowing the Recommended Space Requirements

12.   Horses are housed in buildings primarily for convenience of handlers  As a result  Human environmental needs plays a major role in facility design  This may be a conflict with  The environmental needs of the horse Buildings

13.   A horse can do well in nearly any temperature if:  Humidity can be held to a comfortable level  Enough air movement through barn  Conditions that are most detrimental are:  High moisture  Barn is either too hot or cold Buildings

14.   What must be considered in the construction of a facility?  Purpose of facility  Number and breed of animals  Room for expansion  Regulatory requirements  Budget  Layout of facilities to day-to-day activities Buildings

15.   Local zoning requirements should be checked:  Some areas restrict the number of acres to house livestock  Distance of boundary lines, dwellings, and neighbors may also be regulated  If regulation cannot be met, approval from zoning board may be necessary Site Selection

16.   Site should allow water to drain away from buildings, etc.  A site of 2 to 6 % slope provides rapid removal of water without causing erosion  Detailed site plan should be developed before making final decision  Allows to ensure sufficient space is allowed Site Selection

17.   Plan should indicate where  Water, sewer, and electrical lines enter the building  Building should be situated to  Take advantage of prevailing winds and airflow Site Selection

18.   Consideration should be given to:  Clients  Traffic  Impact on neighbors  Manure handling  Conditions in neighborhood that will startle or distract horses Site Selection

19.   Getting a particular location ready involves:  Removing topsoil  Leveling the area  Bringing utilities to site  Usually means that local contractor will be engaged Site Preparation

20.   Buildings can be:  Metal frame  Pole  Conventional Construction  Type of structure may depend heavily of economic feasibility Type of Construction

21.   Windows:  Expensive additions  Only essential in those structures that must conform to health regulations  When used for light, should equal 8 to 10% of floor area Options in the Building

22.   Siding:  Metal  Low maintenance  Pre-painted, will last 15 to 20 yrs  Wood  Will withstand abuse  Better insulating value  Requires periodic painting or staining Options in the Building

23.   Siding:  Masonry  Very little maintenance  High initial cost  Difficult to insulate  When used with steel-frame or pole buildings, requires a separate foundation Options in the Building

24.   Roofing:  Aluminum or steel  White colored has slightly better reflective quality  Requires less roof framing than shingles  Lower Cost  Less insulating value than wood Options in the Building

25.   Insulation:  Many choices of insulating material are available (Considerations include):  Cold buildings operated at outside temperatures  Buildings where animal heat provides only winter minimum temperatures  Buildings with supplemental heating systems Options in the Building

26.   A good ventilation system must:  Provide fresh air  Control moisture buildup within the structure  Move enough air to dilute any airborne diseases  Control and/or moderate temperature extremes Ventilation

27.   The basic process that occurs with all successful ventilation systems is:  Cool, dry air is drawn into the building  Heat and moisture are added to the air  Warm, wet air is expelled  Failure to provide for any part of this process will result in failure to ventilate Ventilation

28.   Stall floors must be made of  Durable material that is not slippery  Should be absorbent, easy to clean, and resistant to pawing  Common materials include:  Clay, sand and clay mix, limestone dust, wood, concrete, asphalt, rubber mats Flooring

29.   Arena and indoor training facilities  Pasture shelters  Feed and water facilities  Should try to keep feed off ground  Water should be kept clean Other Structures

30.   Fences must be:  Safe and strong enough to contain the horses  Affordable and acceptable in appearance  Important in making the handling, moving, and sorting of horses easy Fencing

31.   Type of Fence Depends on:  Type of horses being managed  Intended use of the area  Density of animals on the fenced area  Availability of shelter  Neighbors  Desired aesthetics  Projected budget Selecting the Right Fence

32.   Draft vs. Miniature  Mare and foals  Yearlings  Stallions  Forage vs. Exercise pasture  Density Selecting the Right Fence

33.   Post-and-Board  Woven Wire  Pipe fence  High-Tensile Wire  PVC  Cable  Electric  Barbed Wire Types of Fencing

34.   An average 1,000 lb horse produces:  ~ 9 tons of manure / year  How the manure is stored and treated has a substantial impact on its value  Labor, storage, and utilization costs can be considerable Manure Management

35.   U.S. Horse Industry uses two principle manure management systems  First permits horses to  Graze full time on pastures and manure is not collected  Second system  Confines animal feeding which relies on intense management Manure Management

36.   Manure is typically managed in one of the following ways:  Compost (removed daily and composted)  Stockpile (removed daily)  Daily Land Application  Removed daily and spread on land Manure Management

37.   Horses housed in confined settings require soft absorbent bedding  Most common bedding includes:  Wood shavings  Straw  Corn stalks  Shredded newspaper  Peanut shells  Peat Moss  Rice Hulls, etc. Manure Collection

38.   Management in pastures depends primarily on  Having good distribution across pasture  Rotational grazing  What will also encourage better manure distribution?  Several watering facilitates and moving of feeding facilities Pasture Management

39.   Avoid grazing during rainy periods if possible  Refrain from excessive stocking rates  Damage to grass stand will increase manure runoff Pasture Management

40.   Composting:  Produces a relatively dry end product that is easily handled  At proper temperature, can kill fly eggs and larvae, pathogens, and weed seeds  Has less of an odor  Acts as an excellent fertilizer Storage and Treatment

41.   Stockpiling:  Adequate storage area allows for greater flexibility  Proper site selection for manure disposal is important  Place stockpiles at least 150 feet away from surface water to avoid runoff Storage and Treatment

42.   Manure can be applied to pasture for disposal  Manure spreader aids in uniform distribution of manure  Avoid spreading manure close to surface water or eroded areas Land Application