Facility Maintenance Issues

1. Facility Maintenance Issues Bedding Issues

2. Bedding Material Considerations • Absorbent, dust-free, readily available, disposable, unpalatable, affordable • Cost is overriding factor • Protects feet from thrush, encourages horse to lie down, rest & cushion feed and legs

3. Types of Bedding • Straw – most popular, attractive • Absorbent, dust-free, high comfort rating • Highly combustible • Edible to equine • LOTS of LABOR in CLEANING STALLS • Disposal difficult

4. Types of Bedding • Wood Shavings / Sawdust • Highly absorbent, More expensive than straw • May cause respiratory problems • Less frequent cleaning, keeps odors down, less disposal volume than straw • Burn slower than straw, Less palatable • Hardwood shavings (Black Walnut) cause founder and laminitis • Store in dry location

5. Types of Bedding • Recycled Newsprint • Helps with respiratory problems • Absorbent, softer, more comfortable than others • Combustible • Less dust than others, pollen-free

6. Facility Maintenance Issues Management of Facility

7. Outside Maintenance PracticesWhy is it Important • Good Relationships with Neighbors – Control Flies & Odors • Healthy Ecological System - Control of Parasites & Diseases • Stewardship of Resources – Pollution controlled, Water quality protected

8. Proper Maintenance Practices • Sanitation program – reduce fly larval development sites, control standing water, manure mgt. • Maintain site at 2-6% away from buildings, training areas to direct water (w/o erosion) to grassed water

9. Proper Maintenance Practices • Water Quality Management Plan • Reduce runoff of contaminants into surface water that cause non-point source pollution (does not flow from a pipe) • Protect ground water from pesticides and fertilizer spills

10. Where Maintenance is Needed • River & Stream Bank Management • Protect banks from trampling, destruction of vegetation and contamination • Fencing to restrict animal access • Pump drinking water to holding trough away from bank • “Living Fences” (hedges) along banks • Inexpensive electric fencing

11. Where Maintenance is Needed • Waste Management - manure removal, storage and disposal • Total volume – 2.0 cubic feet/day/equine • Composted manure helps pasture management Spread on fields to reduce pollution, improves soil characteristics, increases moisture holding capacity • Composting 1-2 months reduces waste volume by 40-70%, Parasites, bacteria, weed seed destroyed • Covered manure holding facility, Protect from runoff

12. Where Maintenance is Needed • Pasture Management – controlled grazing to manage ground cover & provide nutrition • Overgrazing primary cause of runoff Graze pastures at 6 to 8”, Rotate off when down to 3 to 4” • Equine are spot grazers, rotate among several small pastures. Five to six paddocks with weekly rotations ideal.

13. Drag pastures (chain link harrow) annually or after each rotation. Sun & air reduce parasite pops. • Remove manure from paddocks weekly and compost with stall waste. Controls parasites • Pasture irrigation. • Combination of cattle & horses increases grazing uniformity.

14. Where Maintenance is Needed • Watercourse and Runoff Management • Maintaining cover & diverting water to reduce slope length & runoff speed • Divert clean runoff water away from barns • Reduce length of pasture slope with terraces • Plant grass in drainage ditches to slow runoff • Plant 10” vegetative buffer strip between slopes and waterways