Ah, spring, when a young man’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love. And when my barn owner’s fancy lightly turns to “let’s get this place cleaned up!” Actually, it’s a small, private barn, and we do a good job throughout the year keeping it neat and clean. But even the tidiest of places needs a good overhaul once or twice a year and we’ve been waiting for some warm, dry weather to roll up our sleeves and get started!
Like many barns, there are some things we do every day or at least every week to keep the facility spic and span:
- Sweep the aisle after use
- Pick up manure in the arenas, paddock and pastures
- Clean the automatic waterers in the stalls and paddock
- Keep our blanket bars in front of our stalls pared down to only the necessities
Fortunately the barn owner’s husband Paul does a fantastic job of keeping our sand footing inside and out immaculately groomed, regularly hand raking the track and occasionally hand shoveling out corners and other areas that become deep over time. He “recirculates” the footing well throughout the year so it’s not something we have to deal with during Spring Cleaning.
As you can see from the list though, Heidi still has quite a bit for us to do, from wiping down the inside four walls and outside front of our own horse’s stall (which takes about two hours to do the first time, then if you keep up with it during the warm months it only takes a few minutes each day) to wiping down the entire half wall and kickboards in the indoor arena. Then there’s the bathroom, the tackroom (a multi-person job), and the dreaded windows. Paul also keeps the mirrors in the indoor arena clean, bless his heart. What didn’t appear on this year’s list but I’m sure we’ll tackle is putting away all the winter blankets that hang in various locations and giving those locations a thorough cleaning. What’s left? The wash bay, various doors, the feed room (thank goodness it’s organized with drawers of SmartPaks!) In no time at all we’ve gone over the place from top to bottom and we’re ready to start hosting some 2013 clinics!
Lydia Gray, DVM MA, is the Staff Veterinarian for SmartPak. Prior to joining SmartPak, Dr. Gray served as the first-ever Director of Owner Education for the American Association of Equine Practitioners. She has authored numerous articles in publications such as The Horse, Horse Illustrated, Western Horseman and a variety of veterinary journals and magazines. Dr. Gray is also a frequent speaker at horse expos, veterinary conventions and other events. After graduating with honors from the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine and receiving her Master's Degree in Interpersonal and Organizational Communication, she practiced at the Tremont Veterinary Clinic for several years. Dr. Gray is active in the American Veterinary Medical Association and Illinois State Veterinary Medical Association. She enjoys training and showing her Trakehner, Newman, in both combined driving and dressage, and is a USDF “L” Program Graduate (with distinction). Find Dr. Gray on Google+
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