First impressions are everything in many parts of life, and the barn aisle is no exception. Keeping your barn aisle clean and tidy serves many purposes in the horse industry.
First and foremost, keeping the barn free of clutter will help to prevent horse and human injuries and make it easier and safer to evacuate should there ever be an emergency. Secondly, cleanliness and a lack of clutter create a feeling of serenity for anyone walking into your barn! Mix that with the smell of manure, sweat and horses and you’re basically in heaven! In this article, I’ll share all my tips for how we keep our barn clean, tidy and organized.
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Limit Barn Aisle And Stall Front Storage To The Essentials
Clutter in the barn aisle can make your barn look messy and it’s much harder to keep items dust free. To keep your barn aisle neat and tidy, store non-essential items in your tack trunk or tack room instead of in front of stalls.
Only keep items you use daily or multiple times per day on your stall, like; halter and lead rope, blanket(s) or sheet(s) appropriate for the season, fly mask, turnout boots, cribbing collar.
*Bonus Tip: You will need to rotate some items seasonally, like fly gear and heavy winter blankets.
Take The Time To Put Items In Their Proper Place
We all know it, but sometimes we’re in a rush or tired.
But it is much easier to access all of your frequently used equipment throughout the course of the day. For example, turning your horse in or out or changing blankets.
Plus a clean and tidy barn aisle is attractive to potential customers who may drop in for a visit. No one wants to board at a messy barn. If I’m touring a barn as a prospective client I’m definitely keeping an eye out for cleanliness and organization, for two reasons!
First reason, if the owner takes good care of their barn, they will likely take good care of my horse!
Second reason, keeping things organized helps to prevent horse owners from accidentally mixing up their own equipment with someone else’s. If there’s one sure fire way to start some good old barn drama, it’s using someone else’s equipment without their permission!
To read more about choosing the right type of boarding barn where you can avoid issues like these, check out this article! How To Choose A Boarding Barn For Your Horse
Store Your Items Neatly
Hang your halter and lead rope facing the correct way. Attach the lead rope to the halter with a large loop over the hook the halter is sitting on.
Fold blankets neatly with leg and belly straps tucked in so they don’t dangle on the floor.
Hang turn-out boots and fly masks neatly on the blanket bar next to the blankets.
Lastly, if you have saddle racks in the aisle, fold them down when you’re finished using them. Not only does this help to free up precious space, unoccupied saddle racks can also be a potential safety hazard.
Make Use Of Vertical Space
I can’t stress this one enough! We have a pretty small farm with only seven stalls and a 12 x12 tack room. So, it is very easy for the barn to become cluttered!
Anyone who has cared for a farm knows, a lot of equipment is needed to keep a farm running smoothly.
Space is sometimes limited in smaller barns, yet the same equipment is needed.
Hang frequently used items that need to be accessible but can leave a cluttered appearance, such as; brooms, shovels, extension cords, spare halters and leadropes, scissors, hole punches etc.
Cobb Web Stall Fronts
I like to do this on a daily basis but once or twice per week is plenty. Gently go over the bars and front of the door with the broom. Dust off blankets, the wood etc.
It’s best to take the water buckets out of the stall before completing this step to avoid getting cob webs and dust in your horse’s water!
Sweep The Barn Aisle Floor
Use a large push broom to remove all the large chunks of dirt and debri from cleaning stalls.
The most effective method I have found is to stand perpendicular to the stalls and pull the dirt into the center of the aisle. I work my way down one side and back up the other. Once complete I end up back where I started. Then, all the dirt is in a neat row down the middle of the aisle.
Lastly, I sweep the pile to the end of the barn and pick it up with a shovel.
Blow The Barn Aisle
This is my favorite barn cleaning tip of all time.
Once the barn is clean, use a leaf blower to remove all the remaining dust. Start from one end of the barn and work your way side to side across the aisle until you reach the opposite end of the barn.
Be sure to blow the dust off of your stall fronts, behind tack boxes, underneath cabinets etc. Take the time to move things around if you need to! Just be careful not to blow spray bottles off of the door by accident since we all know how easily they break!
Once you’ve reached the end of the aisle, use a broom and shovel to pick up the pile and you’re all done!
A tidy barn aisle will create a calm and welcoming atmosphere for you and your customers.
Of course, having a clean aisle won’t matter if the rest of the barn isn’t clean and tidy as well. Keeping your stalls cleaned daily and tack room organized are essential!
I hope you found this article helpful! Comment on this post with your favorite barn organization tips too! And, don’t forget to give this article a share on social media!
For more tips on stable management and how to run your farm efficiently, check out these related articles below!
8 Steps To A Perfectly Clean Stall Every Time!
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