Who’s talking about you?

What is it that you do?  Own a Business, a boarding stable, train horses or some other equine activity?  Do you have any idea who’s talking about you?

Well in my case I know exactly who is talking about me.  I have “Raving Fans” as clients and they refer me business all the time.  I have built relationships with realtors who refer clients to me and I also have friends whom I ride with regularly that know what I do and refer people & thier friends to me also.

Who are your “Raving Fans” and how are they helping you to do what you love most of all to do?

Barn Safety 101

No matter what type of equine facility you have for your four legged friends, safety in your barn can be a big concern!  

With corrals and shade covers you want to make sure that all clamps are secure and that you have secured the structure with concrete anchors and other support posts.

 Pasture fencing should be inspected monthly to be sure there are no breaks in the fencing and that all posts have remained secure.  Gates are another common problem with safety especially with equines!  They may reach for grasses (with the coming spring & recent rains) and get their heads stuck between the gate & fence post.  Be sure that ALL gates are secured properly and there is no danger for your horses.  If you have chain link without a top rail, be sure that your horse has not pushed the fencing down which then would be their means for escape and a runaway horse.

 Here are some things you can do to help insure safety for not only you but your equine.

 a)      Make sure all hoses, rakes, muck forks and other items used daily in your barn are properly stored.

b)     Have a Human and Equine First aid kit in your barn and visible to all those who enter your barn

c)      Have at least ONE Fire Extinguisher in your barn.  Check it annually to make sure it is still in working order.  If you have a barn that is more than 3-4 stalls, then have 2 Fire Extinguishers accessible at all times.

d)     Do an annual inspection on your electrical wiring.   Rodents just love to eat the insulation.

These are just a few of the items that will help you and your equine to live safely together in harmony.

For more fun – come see me at Equine Affaire, Pomona, CA Feb 4th and Feb. 5th (Sat.).  I am speaking Sat. FEb 5th at 12noon and 4pm on the Seminar Stage Bldg 5.  Topic #1 is Barn Safety: Keeping you and your horses safe and preventing barn fires;  Topic #2 is Barn Maintenance and how to keep your barn for a lifetime.

See you at Equine Affaire, Pomona CA

Author:  Teresa Spencer,  California Horse Barns,   877-600-1375             www.CaliforniaHorseBarns.com , info@CaliforniaHorseBarns.com

Proud member of ETI – corral 138 and Equestrian Professionals, Speaker at the 2011 Equine Affaire, Pomona, CA, AQHA

Pest Free Barn

Now is the time to set you barn up to be Pest and Rodent free come springtime.

As we all know Rodents (mice, rats and squirrels) do all kinds of damage around our barns.  Not to mention the diseases they bring with them and the consumption of feed.

Did you know that 100 Rats or mice can consume up to a ton of hay a year.  Now I don’t know about you but losing a ton of hay to rodents is not my idea of being efficient in my horse keeping.  Not to mention what happens to grain, pellets, cubes and supplements.

Here are a few tips on getting your barn ready so that you will have less rodents or eliminate them all together (let’s hope so).

• Cats – yes, have barn cats.  They will help with the rodent population
• Keep all grains, pellets, cubes and supplements in tightly sealed containers,  Preferably metal
• Trim weeds, trees and grasses from around the outside of your barn
• Remove any visible nests or nesting areas for rodents
• Seal your feed room if possible with wire mesh, insulation (foam or otherwise)
• Seal around your base channels with Silicone caulk
• Hire a professional exterminating company to set traps, NOT POISONS, or use other alternative methods to remove the critters.
• Remove trash daily and clean up any spilled feed
• Repair or replace any window screens with a metal screen material
• Repair any holes in walls, roofs, doors etc.

 With the absence of rodents in the winter it’s easy to make a “honey do” list and work through it slowly.  Because when the weather warms up it’s much easier to go riding then to complete your chores and by then you may not even know that rodents have already started to invade your barn.

Keeping rodents away from your barn is almost impossible, but with a little work the populations can be reduced thus making your barn a much healthier and happier place for you and your horses.

Follow us also on Facebook: www.facebook.com/californiahorsebarns

And on Twitter:  CaliforniaHorseBarns

Our website is: www.CaliforniaHorseBarns.com

Here’s to ridding your barn of unwanted guests this spring!

Happy and Safe New Year

As 2010 comes to a close we want to wish you and your family a Safe and Happy New Year. 

Keeping you and your equines safe, healthy and happy is most important.  To keep your barn safe in this winter season, keep hoses rolled up & put away, stow away all your racks and shovels, keep tack lockers out of your aisleways.   Keep water moving out of your stalls and away from your barn foundation by keeping drainage passages open and flowing.

Watch the snow melt that your rain gutters aren’t torn off your roof.  Keep your equines water clean and unfrozen.

Just these few tips will help to keep you and your equines Healthy, Happy and Safe for the New Year.

Here’s to a Joyful, Happy and Healty 2011 from all of us at California Horse Barns.

What Professional need – article through HorseCity.com

http://horsecity.com/stories/120810/lif_barndesign.shtml

I hope you enjoy the article.

Teresa

Barn winterizing article

Enjoy this article that was released today:

http://horsecity.com/stories/113010/lif_winterize.shtml

Barn damages

I’ve been busy working on a book and you guessed it about barns. 

If  you have Salt blocks hanging on the wall I’d bet you have this same type of damage.  I ask, “What makes you think this is ok?”  Salt and metal do not mix!  In the winter, when roads are salted for ice & snow, what type of damage happens to your car?  Well then why wouldn’t the damage be the same to your metal barn I’d have to ask.  The best way to provide salt is to have it in the feed bin, not hanging on the wall.  The rust that occures and the damage to your wall is unrepairable.  Ok, so you could paint this section or have the entire wall replaced, but if you can prevent this type of damage from ever happening, then do so.  If you already have damage, then remove the salt immediately, paint or cover the area with another skin of metal to help reduce further damage & compromising your barn.

This is only one of the ways your barn can be damaged. 

Contact us at info@CaliforniaHorseBarns.com with further questions.