Lucky Charms of the Horse Barn

by Lisa Kiley | Published in Horsmen’s Corral Magazine March 2024

With the beginning of spring approaching soon, March is the month to start getting in gear for our spring and summer activities.  With St. Paddy’s Day just around the corner, some may even think of this time of year as a little bit magical.  We are well into foaling season, there are some warmer days to ride, and we just might still have one more big snow before it’s all over.  March is definitely a special time of year.  In taking a cue from a friendly leprechaun, this month we are going to explore some lucky charms of the horse barn that may just make you feel like you found a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.  

Rainbow Charm – If you are looking to add a little color to your life after a drab winter of cold and snow, why not update your buckets?  Soon it will be time to put the heated buckets away for the season and what better way to welcome spring than to get a new set of brightly colored buckets.  Maybe each horse will have a color of their own, or you might want to unify the barn with one distinct color.  Toss those old buckets that are faded or cracked and grab fresh clean buckets for the barn and trailer.  Lighter color buckets can make it easier to determine if they are clean and unique colors stand out when traveling so it makes it easier to spot your bucket and remember to take it home.  

Red Balloon Charm – If you are bringing your horse back after a winter break or getting started with a young horse for the first time, you might want to do a little groundwork before throwing a leg over.  March can often bring some windy days that provide opportunity for spooky conditions.  Enrichment toys are not just for keeping boredom at bay, they can also be great to help desensitize horses and promote play which can be used to get their attention.  Starting working sessions by getting a little energy out in a round pen and engaging your horse with a new activity is a great way to promote partnership and safety.  

Clover Charm – While hay season is right around the corner, March and April can be the time of year that you look at your hay supply and wonder if you should have paid closer attention in math class.  While you might not be able to make more hay magically appear, you can make sure that the hay you have is protected from waste, so your horses are eating it rather than trampling it into the ground.  An All-Weather Hay Feeder can help protect both round and square bales from going to waste.  Adding a slow feed hay net will help reduce waste even more than with the feeder alone, keeping your horses fed until the first green grasses of spring appear and keeping that extra gold in your pocket.  

Horseshoe Charm – This time of year is known for being mud season.  There seems to be an endless cycle of freeze and thaw, snow and rain, which can make you feel like the ground will never fully dry out.  The worst part is wanting to turn your horse out but knowing that they will be in ankle deep mud (or worse) possibly tearing up the ground and leaving it in poor condition for grass growth later in the season.  Fortunately, there is a solution – adding Mud Grids around gate areas, feeding areas, and sacrifice spaces, will keep your horses precious horseshoes out of the mud.  The grids can be placed on existing mud and provide a safe, stable ground cover.  

Blue Moon Charm – Spring is a great time to start planning for summer pastures.  Utilizing turnout and rotational grazing models is good for your land and your horses.  By the time summer rolls around, turning horses out at night when it is cooler and there are less pesky flies and bugs is a great way to manage your horses grazing time.  If you want your horses to be able to safely go outside overnight and graze by the light of the moon, it is important to have horse safe fencing that you can trust.  Braided electric fencing is a great way to keep horses contained, providing a visible and durable barrier that can be easily installed.  

Star Charm – While this particular charm might not shine as bright as a star, if you have one, you understand how it can be the star of the barn.  A well-made manure spreader that is the appropriate size for the number of horses that you have is an integral part of keeping the barn clean and helping to turn a waste product into solid gold.  Using the spreader to haul manure out of stalls and then composting it before spreading on fields, creates a rich fertilizer for soils.  If you have questions about starting a composting program at your barn or when it is safe to spread manure on fields, contact your local extension office for more details.  

Heart Charm – At the end of the day, it is the community of people that love horses that are really at the heart of the equine industry.  Without our care and passion for these animals we wouldn’t be able to keep the tradition or horse-related activities alive.  There are so many fun things that we can do with our horses, sometimes it feels they are not just ordinary, but actual Unicorn Charms living among us.  We are very lucky to have horses in our lives and it is our responsibility to continually educate ourselves on the best ways to take care of them.  Don’t forget, early spring is a great time to get a vet check and make sure that your horse is in optimum health.  

If you have any questions about lucky charms that can help make your barn safer or more efficient, contact Cashmans Horse Equipment at info@cashmans.com today.