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How To Make Your Barn More Environmentally Friendly?

25 17:43:18

There are a lot of small steps that you can take to make your barn more environmentally friendly. This includes using "the 3 R's" - reducing, reusing and recycling the everyday articles you use to care for your horse. Here are just a few ideas.

Reduce Water

Save water - groom more, bathe less.If you still use buckets, dump the old water around plants or in the barn's veggie garden.Install a rain barrel and save water for gardens and cleaning.Shut off hoses when not in use.Fix all drips in faucets and leaks in hoses.Install automatic waterers - they use less water.Keep horses out of streams or lakes - hooves can tear up and ground and their manure can pollute streams downriver.Be careful of the liquids you dump - they can seep into the water table and pollute nearby water sources.No more bottled water.

Reduce Gas

Car pool/trailer pool to horse shows or events.Buy truck that meets your needs - if you only have a 2 horse trailer may not need a gas guzzling big truck.Schedule vet/farrier visits in group to cut down fuel/emissions as vet/farrier drives.Schedule trips or combine with other to do all shopping to cut on driving, e.g. SmartPaks ship together.Buy items like hay, feed and bedding in bulk to avoid numerous trips for supplies.Buy local - carrots, feed, hay.Make sure your car and driving habits are in top shape:Keep tires properly inflated.Get an alignment.Buy low rolling resistance (LRR) tires.User recommended grade of motor oil.Slow down.Use cruise control.Use GPS or plan your trip using an old-fashioned map.

 

Investigate alternative fuel options.

Reuse Barn Items

Buy concentrated fly spray and reuse spray bottles.Use old muck buckets as planters around the barn.Use rechargeable batteries.Use supplement pails as buckets.Got something you no longer need? Don't throw it out - use web sites like craigslist or donate to a nonprofit.Use torn tarps as training tools to bombproof your horse.Feed bags have a multitude of purposes - bags for other items, ground covers, ground cloths, garbage can liners, bags to store other items (including bags) you want to recycle.

Recycle

Recycle at the barn, soda cans, plastic buckets, and water bottles.Use products that use recycled components, e.g. SmartPak containers, auto tires for footing.Recycle old horse shoes.Recycle computers when upgrading the barn office.Use recyclable bedding - shavings, pellets, hog fuel.Fencing made with recycled wood or recycled plastic.Recycle tack - buy used tack, sell or donate other tack.Compost manure and other items.Buy recycled paper products for barn and tack room - toilet paper and paper towels.

Don't let the size of the list deter you from "going green." Pick one or two items to start and you'll be well on your way to making your barn more environmentally friendly.