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Should You Keep Your Horse Stabled or in a Loafing Shed?
If you are keeping your horse at home you will need to provide some sort of shelter. This could be in the form of a stable or a run-in shed. There are advantages and disadvantages to both types of housing.
Loose Housing, Loafing or Run-In Sheds - Advantages
* Less work for the owner. Sheds may only need periodic cleaning that may be done with a tractor.
* Horses choose when they are in the shed.
* Better ventilation therefore healthier for lungs.
* Less risk of fire.
* Some designs are portable and can be moved according to weather, drainage or to another pasture to allow the grass to recover in one area.
* Relatively low building costs.
Run-in Shelters - Disadvantages
* No way to contain a horse that needs stall rest due to injury or sickness.
* Not able to monitor feed and manure production as accurately.
( Horses should produce approximately 8 piles of manure a day, less can be a sign of a problem.)
* Horses may have to be separated if concentrates are fed.
* Handling such as grooming and saddling not as convenient.
* Horse may not choose to come out of bad weather when they should.
* Depending on wind direction, horses can still be exposed to drafts.
* Dominant horses may not allow lower status herd members into the shelter.
Stables and Barns - Advantages
* Horses requiring stall rest easily accommodated.
* Grooming, saddling, training may be easier.
* Complete shelter from wind and weather.
* Lower status horses not threatened by dominant herd members, and horses can be moved if threatened.
* Horses may stay cleaner i.e.: Stabling before a show the horse can't roll in the dirt.
* Feed consumption and manure production easier to monitor.
Stables and Barns - Disadvantages
* Higher costsfor building and maintenance.
* Stalls need daily cleaning.
* Greater risk of fire.
* Higher dust levels, ammonia, and poorer ventilation.
* Horses can become bored and develop vices more readily/b] in stalls.
* Horses must be exercised daily.
If you are keeping your horse at home you will need to provide some sort of shelter. This could be in the form of a stable or a run-in shed. There are advantages and disadvantages to both types of housing.
Loose Housing, Loafing or Run-In Sheds - Advantages
* Less work for the owner. Sheds may only need periodic cleaning that may be done with a tractor.
* Horses choose when they are in the shed.
* Better ventilation therefore healthier for lungs.
* Less risk of fire.
* Some designs are portable and can be moved according to weather, drainage or to another pasture to allow the grass to recover in one area.
* Relatively low building costs.
Run-in Shelters - Disadvantages
* No way to contain a horse that needs stall rest due to injury or sickness.
* Not able to monitor feed and manure production as accurately.
( Horses should produce approximately 8 piles of manure a day, less can be a sign of a problem.)
* Horses may have to be separated if concentrates are fed.
* Handling such as grooming and saddling not as convenient.
* Horse may not choose to come out of bad weather when they should.
* Depending on wind direction, horses can still be exposed to drafts.
* Dominant horses may not allow lower status herd members into the shelter.
Stables and Barns - Advantages
* Horses requiring stall rest easily accommodated.
* Grooming, saddling, training may be easier.
* Complete shelter from wind and weather.
* Lower status horses not threatened by dominant herd members, and horses can be moved if threatened.
* Horses may stay cleaner i.e.: Stabling before a show the horse can't roll in the dirt.
* Feed consumption and manure production easier to monitor.
Stables and Barns - Disadvantages
* Higher costsfor building and maintenance.
* Stalls need daily cleaning.
* Greater risk of fire.
* Higher dust levels, ammonia, and poorer ventilation.
* Horses can become bored and develop vices more readily/b] in stalls.
* Horses must be exercised daily.