Spring Cleaning: It’s Not Just for Your House

By Sarah Gee
©Voice, April 2006

Spring is a time of energy and rejuvenation, and spring-cleaning is the perfect way to express those feelings. While usually thought of as a ritual for the home, spring-cleaning is equally applicable to the barn. Spring is the perfect time to give your barn a thorough once-over, to make any necessary repairs, and to clean up all the messes that inevitably accumulate during the cold winter months.

Taking a systematic, top to bottom, approach to the task will lessen your chances of forgetting something. Begin with the roof. Remove accumulated leaves and replace or re-attach roofing materials that have blown loose during the winter.

Examine the gutters and downspouts and remove any clog-causing leaves and nests. A high-pressure hose works well to remove leaves and nests or you can climb up there on a ladder and remove them by hand. If you opt for the ladder method, park a wheelbarrow near the ladder so you can just throw the leaves and nests into it, eliminating the need to pick them up off the ground later. Consider purchasing wire caps for your downspouts and wire covers or gutter guards for the gutters. These will reduce leaf build-up and discourage the local wildlife from nesting in your gutters and downspouts.

The next items on your itinerary should be the windows and doors. Check for damage that may have occurred over the winter. Determine whether it will be necessary to replace anything and make required repairs.

Take a walk around the outside of the barn and your barn lot to see if you have any drainage problems. If there are spots that continuously held water and got churned up and muddy all winter, consider doing things to improve drainage. You might want to dig drainage ditches or add some gravel to muddy areas. However, before you do anything, consider contacting your local agricultural extension agent. They will be more familiar with what has worked and what hasn’t in your particular area and situation.

Moving beyond the lot, you’ll want to take a close look and all of your fencing. Remove any loose nails and re-secure any loose boards.

While you’re out there looking at the fencing, also check all you water troughs. Winter freezing can cause hairline cracks and horses at play can be destructive.
The inside of the barn is your next point of interest. Before doing any repairs or cleaning, it’s best to remove the horses as sweeping and activities like sawing wood will create a great deal of dust that can irritate a horse’s respiratory system. After any repairs are completed, and before you let the horses back in, run over the entire area with a heavy duty magnet to pick up any left over nails, screws, or pieces of wire.

Starting at the top again, examine your barn’s rafters. If they look like luxury housing for Charlotte and her brood, you’ll need to use a broom or vacuum to remove the webs. Webs not only look bad, they also represent an increased fire risk.

How about the stall walls and doors? Horses kept in during inclement weather often get bored and take out their frustrations on stall walls and doors. Check for loose boards and nails and repair accordingly.

Spring is also a good time to give your stalls and thorough cleaning. Strip them down to the floor, fill in any low spots, sprinkle some barn lime, and start anew with completely fresh bedding. Leveling the floor will prevent urine from pooling and causing an unhealthy stall environment, and barn lime with help with odor, flies, and with keeping the stall dry.

A healthy environment is key to your horse’s well being. A thorough spring barn inspection and cleaning coupled with good cleaning practices throughout the year will keep your horse healthy and happy.

Once you’ve completed your spring-cleaning agenda, consider using some of the following time and energy saving tips to keep your barn in top shape throughout the year.

• To prevent web buildup wet the rafters with Lysol Cleaner.

• Add barn lime to your manure pile to cut down on flies and odor.

• Let gardeners know that your horse manure is free compost.

• Use white vinegar to clean buckets and troughs. It won’t hurt your horse if you don’t get the bucket or trough fully rinsed.

• Add feeder goldfish to you water troughs to eat algae and insect larvae.

• Paint a mixture of cayenne pepper and vegetable oil on stall boards to prevent chewing.

• Buy a vacuum for the barn. Vacuuming will catch the fine silt that just becomes airborne when you sweep.

References:
Barn Chore Tips: Minimize the Sweat, Maximize the Pride at www.mytscstore.com/detail.asp?pcID=6&LearnID=60

Barn Tips at www.mytscstore.com/outhere.asp?pageID=barn_tips

Pedigo, Jayne, Spring Cleaning Your Horse Barn at www.equisearch.com/horses_care/farm_ranch/barns/springcleaning032399/