Buying & Selling
10 Things to Know Continued from page 11
1. Know the land Not all land is conducive to horse
keeping — steep slopes, heavily wood- ed areas and marshy areas consisting of poorly draining soil are all inadvisable qualities in a horse facility. Steep slopes put undue strain on delicate tendons and ligaments, sharp tree branches are all reaching out to scratch unprotected eyes and soupy soil can cause hoof walls to rot and weaken. Very rocky soil can cause bruising to tender soles of the hooves and stress and crack hoof walls. Farms with standing water can be breeding grounds for mosquitoes that can transmit equine diseases.
Does the property have adequate water for equine needs. The average horse drinks five to 10 gallons of water per day, so hav- ing a deep well with high yield will come in handy filling 150 gallon troughs. Also, know where the “after effects” of all the grass, water and grain a horse eats is going to go. The average 1,000-pound horse gives off 37 pounds of manure and 2.4 gal- lons of urine a day. If there isn’t one already there, have an idea where the most conve- nient place to put a manure pile will be that fits into local zoning and environmental reg- ulations.
2. Pole barn, post & beam or shed row
There are many different types and styles of barns. Post & beam barns, Tim- ber-frame, Saltbox, Pole barns. Is that a Gable or a Gambrel? Barns are a significant consideration because both our horses and we will spend a lot of time there. Is there a
loft with hay storage? Capacity? How many stalls, dimensions, and is there room for storage or equipment? Water and electric? In the pastures, are there loafing or run-in sheds for the horses to escape beating sun, driving rain or get out of winter winds? Horses must have some form of shelter to protect them from extreme weather condi- tions.
3. Where do I keep my tack?
Horse people have a lot of equipment for the care and riding of their horses, and this all needs to be kept somewhere, usually in a tack room. This is where saddles, bri- dles, blankets, grooming supplies and more are kept. It is not unusual for a saddle to be $2,000 – $4,000, so tack storage areas need to be secure from not only the possibility of theft but also the potential ravages of crit- ters. A tack room should be protected from extremes in temperature, which can weaken and damage leather goods. Many riders keep first aid supplies and medications in the barn, and all medications should be kept in temperature-controlled ar- eas to prevent spoiling of the active ingredients.
4. Do I need a feed room? Horses love to eat. If it
were up to them, they would eat all day, and most of the night, too.
The equine animal is de- signed to graze and eat slowly and steadily throughout the day.
Continued on page 18 March 2018 SouthWest Horse Trader 13
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