Stabling, Fencing and Property Maintenance
Design for safety and welfare
Stabling decisions balance welfare, workload and the horse's routine. A box stall typically provides around 3 by 3 metres for an average horse, with a foaling box larger. Stables need good ventilation without draughts, non-slip flooring, safe fittings, a kick rail, secure latches and adequate bedding. Horses are social animals and benefit from sight and touch of others; turnout and exercise are welfare essentials, not luxuries.
Fencing and pasture
Fencing types include post and rail, wire (plain or electric), mesh and temporary electric. Safe fencing has no protruding wire ends, no sharp edges, and visible top rails. Barbed wire is generally unsuitable for horses. Pasture management covers spelling, rotation, harrowing, weed control, drainage and the removal of toxic plants. Know that ragwort, foxglove, yew and some ferns are hazardous.
Maintenance and records
Routine maintenance includes checking gates, latches, water troughs, shelter, lighting, fire equipment, and the yard for hazards such as loose wire, exposed nails, and slippery concrete. Keep records of repairs, paddock rotations and incidents.
Traps to watch
- Treating stabling as a substitute for turnout.
- Assuming any wire is safe if it is electric.
- Forgetting drainage and mud management.
- Overlooking gate and latch security in escape prevention.
Rule of thumb
"Can a horse injure itself here?" Run that check at horse height and at hoof level, including gates, waterers and shelter edges.
Worked example: A paddock has a sagging wire fence with exposed ends. Correct action is to remove the horse, make the area safe, and replace or repair with a horse-appropriate barrier before returning the horse.