Nevada Equine Insurance: How to Winterize Campground Stables
With winter’s shorter days and colder weather, the horses kept at your campground will naturally be spending more time inside their stables. Now is the time to get these stables ready for winter and do a thorough barn cleaning. Be sure to inspect and make any necessary repairs to your horses’ living environment by sealing off sources of freezing drafts and checking carefully for loose nails or boards that may need replacing. Here are some more tips on how to winterize your Nevada Equine campground stables or barns.
Tame the trees. Be sure to trim the trees and bushes surrounding the building. During windy weather, you don’t want to have to worry about whether a branch will fall off and damage the property in any way. In addition, you should take care of any “problem trees” on your land. This means trees that you know are dead or any that you fear will fall down anytime soon.
Replace stall mats. If you haven’t already done so in the past couple of years, you should replace the stall mats in your stable right before winter. Your horses are most likely going to spend most of their time in their stall this winter, which means that the stall mats are going to get a great deal of wear and tear.
Remove fire risks. Be sure that all hay and bedding is kept in their proper places, and that the halls and frequently swept and kept free of clutter. Remove all the cobwebs and bird nests that you can find and make sure that your buildings’ fire alarms are working properly.
Window check. Make sure that all the windows in your building are strong and free of cracks. If needed, replace your windows or board them up with plywood. This is also a good dime to clean all the windows to remove dust and cobwebs.
In addition to these safety tips, you will of course want to keep your horses’ health in mind. Check their weight frequently throughout the winter months and be sure they have access to clean, unfrozen water at least twice daily in cold weather. Visit HorseChannel.com for more information on caring for horses during the winter.
At Cal-Nevada, we understand the financial and legal obligations you have as a campground owner or manager. That’s why we provide Outdoor Recreation Businesses across the region with comprehensive insurance products and risk management services. Please contact us at (866) 670-5948 for more information.