Working as a groom in the equestrian industry I have visited all types of yards and stable set ups. But one thing a lot of them had in common was poor air quality. Stables covered in thick dusty cobwebs, layers of dust on water buckets and equipment stored nearby. Surely we could all do a little better to improve the spaces that our equines live in, not just for their respiratory health, but for our own too!
So I’ve put together a few tips you can put in place to help improve the air quality in your barn or stable:
1. Choose a good dust extracted bedding – It may take a bit of trial and error to choose what type suits you and your horse. I personally love cardboard, dust was dramatically reduced, it is incredibly absorbent so it helped contain wet to a smaller area. Using a highly absorbent bedding will also help to reduce harmful ammonia fumes from rising into the air. Other bedding such as Bedmax are also renowned for low dust.
2. Ventilation – If you are lucky enough to be creating your barn or stables from scratch, make sure this doesn’t get overlooked. Adequate ventilation is so important for airflow. Keep windows, doors and vents open for as long as possible, even throughout the night and winter months. These do not really need to be shut unless it is particularly windy or cold.
3. Keep horses out as much as possible – Now I don’t just mean out in the paddock. I also mean, don’t muck out with the horse in the stable and don’t groom the horse whilst in the stable. Kicking up extra dust while mucking out or grooming will only concentrate the airborne dust even more. Which is something you really want to avoid.
4. Avoid using a leaf blower – Whilst a leaf blower is much less time consuming than sweeping and can often make the yard look cleaner, it could be doing a lot of harm to your horses. They tend to kick up a huge amount of dust from every surface, not just the floor. These dust particles can stay in the air for up to two hours. If you do use a leaf blower, consider keeping your horses out for 1-2 hours after blowing before bringing them back inside, particularly those who may already suffer with respiratory issues.
5. Keep your hay/haylage away from the stables – It is always a good idea to keep your forage separate, not just to reduce dust but also as a fire safety point of view. Consider dampening your hay before feeding to reduce dust further and try to feed from the ground to help the airways drain freely if they need to.
6. Clean regularly – Use damp cloths to wipe down any dusty surfaces. You could also use a hoover to get rid of cobwebs to reduce dust. It is always a good idea to give your stable a deep clean with disinfectant at least once a year. Harmful ammonia can build up over time particularly under rubber mats and it is known for causing respiratory and eye irritation. It can also contribute to Equine Asthma.
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