BARN VENTILATION
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louis finochio
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BARN VENTILATION
When I walk into the shedrows to see my customers, I notice the foul air that smells of ammonia and dust. This is caused by bad ventilation the old air is not being pushed out and being replaced by new moving air. This condition causes respiratory problems in TB. Their is a high percentage of TB that have this respiratory problem, because the barns were not built right to have proper ventilation. I have talked to the vets about this problem, and they agree the bad ventilation is causing these respiratory problems. I am going to make a suggestion to have this problem corrected, as we can put this respiratory problem behind us. The answer is have the barns ventilation problem corrected.
Those without sin cast the first stone.
Louis Finochio
Louis Finochio
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louis finochio
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- Joined: Wed Sep 22, 2004 5:21 am
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To Miss Ruffian
I go barn to barn for 2 hours or more taking orders for shoes, jeans, socks, etc. When I enter some barns I can smell the musty air that doesnt circulate, I call it air that has come to a dead end. I would love to smell the aroma of tabbacco stems and pine needles or hickory shavings. Maybe I will move my business to Ky. and find the barns a pleasant experience. Its the TB that I care about because if they have a respiratory problem they cant breathe properly. I am going to fill out a suggestion form and maybe it will do some positive things.
Those without sin cast the first stone.
Louis Finochio
Louis Finochio
Louis, I don't know if this has been discussed before. If it has, just skip this post.
This is how we handled our smelly barn's. We had 4 mares and foal's stalled this spring. We have clay floor's in our stalls and had alway's used wood shaving's or straw. The time it took to keep the stall's clean and smelling sweet was killing us. I ran across Woody's Pet Pelleted Bedding at our local Tractor Supply. It came in 35# bag's and recommended 7-8 bag's for a 12X12 stall. I bought enough for one stall, I figured I could afford $35-40 if it didn't work out. Following the instruction's on the bag, we stripped one stall, put down Stall Dry, sprinkled the pellets around the stall and following the instruction's, sprayed with a light mist of water. The pellet's blew up, we had about 4 inches of sawdust minus the dust. AND a sweet smelling stall. The following day, we did the same for the other stall's.
Those babies were laying down in the ammonia smell. No amount of fan's was going to move that smell. Now, we have a sweet smelling barn, no ammonia smell.
There are several other brand's of pelleted bedding. I bought a pallet load, and have only used about 1/3 of the pallet.
Would the stable owner's want to try something different? We find that the pelleted bedding is no more expensive that shaving's or straw, there is not as much waste, dryer stall's, no more stripping stall's, and much, much less time spent cleaning stall's. One added advantage we found, by cleaning the waste up twice a day, fewer flies in the barn.
This is how we handled our smelly barn's. We had 4 mares and foal's stalled this spring. We have clay floor's in our stalls and had alway's used wood shaving's or straw. The time it took to keep the stall's clean and smelling sweet was killing us. I ran across Woody's Pet Pelleted Bedding at our local Tractor Supply. It came in 35# bag's and recommended 7-8 bag's for a 12X12 stall. I bought enough for one stall, I figured I could afford $35-40 if it didn't work out. Following the instruction's on the bag, we stripped one stall, put down Stall Dry, sprinkled the pellets around the stall and following the instruction's, sprayed with a light mist of water. The pellet's blew up, we had about 4 inches of sawdust minus the dust. AND a sweet smelling stall. The following day, we did the same for the other stall's.
Those babies were laying down in the ammonia smell. No amount of fan's was going to move that smell. Now, we have a sweet smelling barn, no ammonia smell.
There are several other brand's of pelleted bedding. I bought a pallet load, and have only used about 1/3 of the pallet.
Would the stable owner's want to try something different? We find that the pelleted bedding is no more expensive that shaving's or straw, there is not as much waste, dryer stall's, no more stripping stall's, and much, much less time spent cleaning stall's. One added advantage we found, by cleaning the waste up twice a day, fewer flies in the barn.
Laissez les bon temps rouller!
Years ago I worked as a groom for a guy who trained on salary for a big owner at Thistledown. He had this really nice 2 yo filly that I groomed who came down with pneumonia. The FIRST thing the vet told me to do with her was get every cobweb out of her stall and put just the bare minimum amount of bedding in her stall to keep dust down. We also changed her stall so she had an end stall with the most fresh air flowing past for the odd occasion when she did actually put her head out. The SECOND thing the vet told me to do with her was just take her outside the barn and stand her in the sun and fresh air. So I (or the hotwalker) did this with her for an hour twice a day.... she was so sick she didnt even move. She did recover very nicely, and I give most of the credit to the vet who came and tended to her first thing in the morning and 4-5 times throughout the day. RIP Dr Art Segedy, you are sorely missed.
1994 CRACK THE CODE,f,Lost Code 4 25 12 4 3 264,353 (103) 5.47
North America 2 YO Record 4 2 1 0 24,286 ( 77)
North America Turf Record 1 0 0 0 0 ( 70)
North America Dirt Sprints 8 5 2 0 77,821 ( 91)
North America Dirt Routes 16 7 2 3 186,532 (103)
North America Muddy/Sloppy 3 1 0 1 21,200 ( 84)
DP = 0-2-6-1-1 DI = 1.00 CD = -0.10 AWD = 7.42
At 2 Won Novi S. (O) (25,000)
At 3 Won Ohio Debutante Handicap (R) (O) (35,000), Tomboy S. (R) (O)
(35,000), Annie Oakley Handicap (R) (O) (35,000), Royal North S. (R)
(O) (30,000), 3rd Best Of Ohio Distaff S. (R) (O) (75,000)
1994 CRACK THE CODE,f,Lost Code 4 25 12 4 3 264,353 (103) 5.47
North America 2 YO Record 4 2 1 0 24,286 ( 77)
North America Turf Record 1 0 0 0 0 ( 70)
North America Dirt Sprints 8 5 2 0 77,821 ( 91)
North America Dirt Routes 16 7 2 3 186,532 (103)
North America Muddy/Sloppy 3 1 0 1 21,200 ( 84)
DP = 0-2-6-1-1 DI = 1.00 CD = -0.10 AWD = 7.42
At 2 Won Novi S. (O) (25,000)
At 3 Won Ohio Debutante Handicap (R) (O) (35,000), Tomboy S. (R) (O)
(35,000), Annie Oakley Handicap (R) (O) (35,000), Royal North S. (R)
(O) (30,000), 3rd Best Of Ohio Distaff S. (R) (O) (75,000)
Strange how things work sometimes. Just this past weekend I was discussing stalls, etc. with a lady. She was "showing off" her place to me in hopes we would be persuaded to board some of our horses with her.
She could not believe I don't believe in stalling horses. She kept saying, "...if I had one worth that much, it would be in the stall all the time...".
I also pointed out to her that she had low headroom, and very little ventiliation. To which she proudly exclaimed, "... yeah, it should stay warm in the winter... and we run fans in the summer... great new barn isn't it?" Uhh... no... but, I didn't have the heart to say anything further... simply thanked her for her time and left.
The best part about the tobacco barns in Kentucky is that they are porous. The slats are set far enough apart to alway allow fresh air in. Also, they have huge vaulted ceilings, again, allowing for more ventilation. Not surprisingly, the top barns in the Bluegrass, have incredible ventilation systems built in. You will also see doors open quite often.
Ventilation, or improper ventilation, when combined with "hot housing" horses, an overall decrease in space (and other resources) to allow a horse appropiate time out of the stall, and a general increase in air pollution is probably a huge factor in the general increase in respiratory problems we find in our equine athletes. Sure, genetics and improper (or simply overuse) of medications may play a part, but as long as the former exists, it is hard to specifically blame the latter with any degree of credibility. Unfortuately, some of the worst offenders are the training centers and tracks... which just doesn't make sense whatsoever.
As a friend and former trainer described a training center to me, "... heck, I couldn't breathe by 8:00am in there... and the horses had to be in there all day... and they (other trainers) question why their horses are always sick and stop in the lane...".
She could not believe I don't believe in stalling horses. She kept saying, "...if I had one worth that much, it would be in the stall all the time...".
I also pointed out to her that she had low headroom, and very little ventiliation. To which she proudly exclaimed, "... yeah, it should stay warm in the winter... and we run fans in the summer... great new barn isn't it?" Uhh... no... but, I didn't have the heart to say anything further... simply thanked her for her time and left.
The best part about the tobacco barns in Kentucky is that they are porous. The slats are set far enough apart to alway allow fresh air in. Also, they have huge vaulted ceilings, again, allowing for more ventilation. Not surprisingly, the top barns in the Bluegrass, have incredible ventilation systems built in. You will also see doors open quite often.
Ventilation, or improper ventilation, when combined with "hot housing" horses, an overall decrease in space (and other resources) to allow a horse appropiate time out of the stall, and a general increase in air pollution is probably a huge factor in the general increase in respiratory problems we find in our equine athletes. Sure, genetics and improper (or simply overuse) of medications may play a part, but as long as the former exists, it is hard to specifically blame the latter with any degree of credibility. Unfortuately, some of the worst offenders are the training centers and tracks... which just doesn't make sense whatsoever.
As a friend and former trainer described a training center to me, "... heck, I couldn't breathe by 8:00am in there... and the horses had to be in there all day... and they (other trainers) question why their horses are always sick and stop in the lane...".
I too use Woody Pet and Stall dry (I will put down a thin layer of shavings for aroma and to brighten the stall). Its great stuff...especially on top of rubber mats.
How much do you pay for a pallet load? I'm considering buying the pallets but I just don't have room for it...but if its a significant savings maybe I'll make room!
How much do you pay for a pallet load? I'm considering buying the pallets but I just don't have room for it...but if its a significant savings maybe I'll make room!
"I think animal testing is a terrible idea; they get all nervous and give the wrong answers."
I know it can get expensive, but we strip, lime, airout for the afternoon, and put in 2-3 bags of new shavings one every 2 weeks. not to mention we sweep, and clean out all hay chaff, and dirt every day. As well as muck and pick 2-3 times a day. We wet the shedrow during the summer too, and mix shavings into the dirt in the winter. It soaks up water so it doesnt ice over, and sucks up alot of dust. I keep the doors open as much as I can during the day while they are turned out, and leave one or two windows open at night. My barn stays really warm in the winter anyway. Plus the heated buckets are a godsend! I havent cracked ice in 3 winters!
I used pellets for 2 yrs. for bedding (wood pellets) and they're terrific. Not only do they make for a fresher smelling barn, but they're more economical in the long run. The barn had rubber mats in the stalls and I'd just empty 4-5 bags to make a nice even layer and then hose them down - viola - in approx. 1/2 hrs. time I'd go in and fluff them up with the fork! 
It sure did make cleaning the stalls easier too since the bedding is so very fine, kinda like the kitty litter 'scoop-away'. Never noticed any dustiness either.
It sure did make cleaning the stalls easier too since the bedding is so very fine, kinda like the kitty litter 'scoop-away'. Never noticed any dustiness either.
Jessi,
Dr. Segedy did some reproductive checks for me at TDN in the 80-90's. He was really a neat guy and gave me exactly the information I asked for. Sometimes racetrack vets haven't a clue about breeding apparatus and try to BS their way through. Dr. Segedy was up front and did a great job. When did he die?
Dr. Segedy did some reproductive checks for me at TDN in the 80-90's. He was really a neat guy and gave me exactly the information I asked for. Sometimes racetrack vets haven't a clue about breeding apparatus and try to BS their way through. Dr. Segedy was up front and did a great job. When did he die?
Hi Michael,
Unfortunately Dr Segedy passed away almost a year ago, 10-31-03 I believe, of liver cancer. He was a special guy, very gruff til he got to know you but once he decided you were an ok person he was hard to beat. It was a short period of time from when he was diagnosed with cancer until he passed away.
Unfortunately Dr Segedy passed away almost a year ago, 10-31-03 I believe, of liver cancer. He was a special guy, very gruff til he got to know you but once he decided you were an ok person he was hard to beat. It was a short period of time from when he was diagnosed with cancer until he passed away.
Katydid, I got a 15% discount for the pallet. (I had to ask for the discount!) I think it had about 35-40 bag's on it. I pay $4.65 per bag of Woody's. ABM at one place charged $5.95, but it was a bigger bag. Another place around here is suppose to stock ABM and claim they will sell it for $4.95. As soon as they are open for business, I intend to check them out. Once you have your stall's bedded, you don't need to keep many on hand, just to replenish. We haven't stripped out stall's since spring. It depend's on the horse as to how much we replenish. I think we figured it was about 1/2 bag every 10-14 day's.
We have open vent's in the peak of our barn. The 5 ft. fan's used in the chicken house's around here are real easy to come by. We hung one in front of each vent. One for intake and one to exhaust. Probably over kill, we bought 6 at a farm sale for $25 each. LOL They're every where. Sure play's h*ll with your hair!
Our barn set's east and west, so we have 8 ft. over hang on each side into the runout. This shade's the stall's from the sun and help's keep them cool. We have a huge industrial type thermometer hanging about 6 feet off the floor, I've never seen it get about 80 in there in the afternoon.
All of our outside water tank's have heater's. Plus heated bucket's in the stall's. All are automatic. Heated automatic waterer's and pelleted bedding sure makes life easier. Give you more time to ride your horses!
We have open vent's in the peak of our barn. The 5 ft. fan's used in the chicken house's around here are real easy to come by. We hung one in front of each vent. One for intake and one to exhaust. Probably over kill, we bought 6 at a farm sale for $25 each. LOL They're every where. Sure play's h*ll with your hair!
Our barn set's east and west, so we have 8 ft. over hang on each side into the runout. This shade's the stall's from the sun and help's keep them cool. We have a huge industrial type thermometer hanging about 6 feet off the floor, I've never seen it get about 80 in there in the afternoon.
All of our outside water tank's have heater's. Plus heated bucket's in the stall's. All are automatic. Heated automatic waterer's and pelleted bedding sure makes life easier. Give you more time to ride your horses!
Laissez les bon temps rouller!