#unit109

Introduction

Under UK legislation, a horse is an agricultural animal if it is used to farm agricultural land or farmed for meat or hides.

This guide provides information about horses kept for both agricultural and other business but non-agricultural purposes - eg in livery stables. It also explains animal welfare, health and safety and horse passports used for identification and international trading purposes.

It contains details of horse manure and waste management, land use and planning for livery stables. Finally, you will find information on horse breeding, fallen stock and diseases.

Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, the wellbeing of all horses is protected by law. It is an offence to cause or allow unnecessary suffering and you have a duty to ensure the basic welfare needs of all horses under your ownership and responsibility by:

providing a suitable place to live, including housing with or apart from other animals

providing a suitable diet

protecting them from pain, injury, suffering and disease

making sure they exhibit normal behaviour

If the horse is used for an agricultural purpose, eg working the land, and/or is intended for meat or other by-product production, then the Welfare of Farmed Animals (England) 2007 (as amended) applies, with additional legislative requirements. However, this does not include horses used for producing pharmaceutical products such as antisera, where welfare is covered by the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) Code of Practice for horse owners provides practical advice on how best to look after a horse’s health and wellbeing, including information on diet, exercise and the legal responsibilities of owners. Compliance with this code can provide positive evidence of ensuring the welfare of your horse(s) whilst non-compliance could be used against you in any welfare prosecution under the Animal Welfare Act.

Download Defra’s guidance on the Code of Practice for the Welfare of Horses, Ponies, Donkeys and their Hybrids on the Agricultural Document Library (ADLib) website. (PDF, 580KB)

Enforcement

Animal Health is responsible for enforcing the health and welfare of farmed horses only. This includes animal welfare inspections to any single farm claiming payment under cross compliance regulations. Local authorities may also enforce farmed animal welfare, including horses, and are responsible for any licensing requirements associated with livery establishments. Non-governmental organisations, such as the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) may enforce the welfare of all horses where suffering is found, as well as offer advice and support in emergency situations.

Farmers who keep, produce, carry, treat, recover or dispose of waste are subject to various requirements. However, these have been simplified and the separate waste management licensing and pollution prevent permitting regimes of the past are both regulated through environmental permits and exemptions as set out in the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2010.

Horse manure

In the UK, horse manure, while subject to certain controls, is not considered waste if all of the following apply:

it is used as soil fertiliser

its use is part of a lawful practice of spreading on clearly identified parcels of land

its storage is limited to the needs of those spreading operations to be carried out on agricultural holdings, whether yours or someone else’s

If you store or spread horse waste near to water, it can be harmful to both the environment and human health. You must therefore comply with Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZ) and groundwater legislation if your land falls under their remit when spreading either manure or slurry.

For more information on:

permitted levels of manure storage and use, see the guide on landspreading 

NVZs, see the guide on Nitrate Vulnerable Zones 

groundwater, see the guide on water pollution on farms 

You can also find guidance on when manure and slurry are not considered waste on the Environment Agency website.

Solid waste

You must use a suitably licensed facility to dispose of solid waste. Solid waste includes items such as:

contaminated bedding

food containers

faecal matter

empty pesticide and other chemical containers

plastics such as silage wrap, bags and sheets

tyres, batteries, clinical waste, old machinery and oil

Before using a composting plant, you must register it with the Environment Agency. You may not require an environmental permit for on-site composting, but the open burning of controlled wastes is an offence. You should contact the Environment Agency or your local authority to see which sites take industrial waste.

Clinical waste - which is defined as hazardous waste - will need to be collected separately. This includes:

infected linen

bandaging

used syringes

empty medicine containers

For more information, see the guide on managing your hazardous waste.

Common areas of pollution

To prevent pollution, you should in particular pay attention to:

run-off from dirty yards

washing out of stables

soaking hay to suppress dust

exercise pools - due to the presence of treatment chemicals and associated sediments or solids

If your stables or livery yard are in a remote location, away from mains drainage, you should also watch out for:

the storage of oil - particularly heating oil

the storage of chemicals - including sterilizing agents, biocides, disinfectants and medicines

foul drainage - including that from associated houses and offices

To avoid any pollution, you should keep your premises secure, with properly designed and installed drainage and sound waste management and spillage control measures in place.

Further measures

You should direct the run-off from contaminated yards, manure heaps, stable washing and hay soaking to either an impermeable lagoon or a sealed effluent tank, where it can then be removed or land spread.

You should not spread the water used to backwash filters from exercise pools on land.

You should avoid locating temporary heaps of field manure where there is risk of run-off to cause pollution:

near field drains

within ten metres of a watercourse

within 50 metres of a spring, well or borehole that supplies water for human consumption

You may have to leave exercise pool water to stand for seven days after chlorination or other chemical treatment before disposing of it.

When disposing of waste to the sewer or receiving waters, you should take care to control the rate of discharge to prevent any sudden increase in flow that may cause harm.

You should store pool chemicals in a secure area or within a bunded storage area, preferably covered by a roof. The store should be sited on a solid base, with a surrounding wall that is resistant to chemical attack. There should be no drainage outlet, and chemical spillages should be contained and soaked up with an absorbent material. If chemicals enter or might enter surface water drains, you must contact the Environment Agency immediately.

Your local planning authority deals with planning arrangements on a day-to-day basis, but the Department for Communities and Local Government has overall responsibility. If you disagree with their planning decisions, you can appeal to the First Secretary of State.

In general, any plan should be in accordance with sustainable development principles and take into account how:

to respect the needs of everyone affected

the environment can be protected and enhanced

prudently you intend to use natural resources

your plan contributes to economic growth and employment

You can find up-to-date planning policy statements and guidance on the Planning Portal website.

Find out how to apply and submit planning applications on the Planning Portal website.

Professional advice

Before moving forward with a planning project, you should always consider taking independent professional advice from a planning consultant, preferably one who has experience with the type of project you have in mind. You may find that one of the following bodies can offer advice that may help with a planning proposal:

British Horse Society (BHS)

Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI)

Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS)

British Institute of Agricultural Consultants (BIAC)

Often, the owner of a horse does not keep the animal on their premises, instead choosing to use a livery yard. At a livery yard, horses are housed and cared for in return for payment or reward but are not the property of the proprietor. The code of practice is to ensure that there are minimum standards for livery yard facilities to provide basic welfare standards for horses. Livery providers and all staff should be familiar with the Equine Industry Welfare Guidelines Compendium for Horses, Ponies and Donkeys.

Different types of livery

There are different terms of responsibility for the type of livery service you use:

full livery - the care of the horse is the responsibility of the provider of the livery or yard manager

part livery - the management and care of the horse is shared between the owner and livery provider

DIY livery - the care and management of the horse is the responsibility of the horse owner

working livery - takes part of the payment by allowing your horse to be used by the livery provider - if this entails the hiring out of the horse then a licence is required

grass livery - without individual housing for your horse

Basic standards also apply to studs, showing and breaking yards, point to point and hunter yards. Jockey Club guidelines and inspections deal with racing yards.

Stables, stalls and boxes

When using or designing stables or stalls, you should consider the health and comfort of the horse. The basic requirements to prevent disease and injury include:

ease of access

drainage

ventilation

fire safety

You can download National Equine Welfare Council (NEWC) details on livery yards and stable accommodation for equine welfare from the ADLib website. (PDF, 855KB)

Manure storage

You must provide adequate storage for manure away from the stable area.

Feeding and watering

To maintain the good health of a horse and to satisfy their natural needs and promote a positive state of wellbeing, you should give a horse supplementary feeding according to:

their age

their size

the amount of work carried out

The equipment used for the feeding and watering of non-stabled horses should be placed and maintained to minimise contamination and competition between horses.

Grazing land

You must maintain grazing land in suitable condition for horses, and provide a restricted area if necessary. You must inspect pasture and hedges for poisonous plants and remove any if present. Fields used for sustenance must have enough grass to keep each animal. When a horse is not stabled, you should provide protection from adverse weather and at all times allow access to a well-drained lying area.

Fencing

You must provide secure and safe horse-proof fencing. If barbed wire is present, it must be separated by a secure guard fence or electric tape.

Health

To avoid any suffering, horses kept in a livery should be inspected at regular intervals. You should immediately care for any horse that shows signs of illness or injury. If they do not respond to such care, call for immediate veterinary advice. If necessary, a sick or injured horse should be isolated in suitable accommodation with, where appropriate, dry comfortable bedding.

Owner’s responsibility

If you own a horse, it is your responsibility to keep a record of all medicinal treatment given to the animal. An owner must carry out, under the control and advice of a veterinarian, a yard parasite control programme and vaccination programme. You must register all animals with a veterinary practice and with a registered farrier.

Health and Safety: Chartered Institute of Environmental Health

You can receive professional advice on environmental health from the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH). The CIEH is a registered charity which sets standards, accredits courses and qualifications for the education of its members and other environmental health practitioners.

The CIEH provides information, evidence and policy advice to local and national government, and environmental and public health practitioners in the public and private sectors. It also offers vocational qualifications, events and support materials on topics relevant to health, wellbeing and safety to develop workplace skills and best practice.

Through a network of over 10,000 registered trainers and 6,000 registered training centres, the CIEH provides over 50 certification training programmes, including:

food safety

health and safety

environmental awareness

Download CIEH guidance on horse riding establishments and livery yards health and safety and inspections from the ADLib website. (PDF, 1.52MB)

Horse owners and keepers with primary responsibility, eg full livery yard owners, must under the Horse Passports (England) Regulations 2009 ensure each and every animal is correctly identified. All horses (this includes ponies, donkeys and other equidae - including zebras, other exotic equidae but not semi-feral equidae residing in designated areas) must have a passport and those which were identified after 1 July 2009, must be micro-chipped before a passport can be issued. This continues to apply when exporting horses to other EU member states, ie there is no need for a silhouette in the passport if the animal is micro-chipped.

However, if you plan to export horses to a third country, ie not an EU member state, an official veterinarian must complete a silhouette of a micro-chipped horse and a full description of the animal on the Export Health Certificate, if its silhouette has not been completed in its passport. Certain countries - eg the United States - require that the silhouette and description on the certificate must be completed for all horses even if their passports contain a silhouette.

As importing countries can change their requirements from time to time, you must check with them in advance that the Export Health Certificate meets their requirements and whether or not you will require an import permit.

If you own a foal, the passport must be obtained on or before 31 December of the year of its birth, or by six months after its birth, whichever is later. Older horses still require passports and if you have not yet applied for one you should do so immediately.

Horse passports are issued by Passport Issuing Organisations (PIO), such as theBHS. Find a full list of organisations issuing horse passports in the UK on the Defrawebsite.

Horses and other equidae must be accompanied by their passport at all times, except when:

stabled

at pasture

moved on foot and where the passport can be retrieved within three hours

The revised passport format includes a new Certificate of Origin that records pedigree details. Requirements were also tightened for the availability and update of passports when equidae receive any veterinary products.

Animals kept under wild or semi-wild conditions on Dartmoor, Exmoor and the New Forest are exempt from passport and microchip requirements.

Horses used for human consumption

Horse passports include a section (IX) which allows the owner to declare as intended or not intended for the food chain - this must be signed if a veterinary medicine is administered which is not authorised for food-producing animals.

Owners are encouraged to think carefully before they sign their animal out of the food chain. Once it is signed, you cannot reverse this declaration and this may limit the disposal options when their horse reaches the end of its life.

Passport identification

The micro-chip is now used as the main form of identification and if a horse is micro-chipped then a silhouette showing the animal’s distinguishing marks is no longer required. Some breed societies may still require both.

Download a guide to horse passport regulations from the Defra website. (PDF, 547KB)

Horse welfare whilst in transit

You should not transport a horse in a way that may cause harm or distress to the animal. It is an offence, under the Animal Welfare Act, for any person who is responsible for a horse, either permanently or temporarily, to allow an animal to suffer or to not care for an animal.

If you are transporting horses commercially you must also be authorised and hold Certificates of Competence. If you make journeys over 8 hours, your vehicles must be approved.  There are also requirements on fitness to travel, vehicle construction, maintenance and operation and travel documentation.

See the guide on farmed animal welfare during transportation which also includes guidance on the rules applying to horse transport.

The National Equine Database

The National Equine Database (NED) is a joint government and industry scheme that was designed to be of benefit to both. Defra uses the database to:

monitor passport compliance

control disease

carry out equine surveillance

The industry-owned element is a website, NED Online, which makes available horse passport data and other resources for the industry, and allows the purchase of reports containing information on a horse’s pedigree and performance supplied by Breed Societies and competition disciplines.

Find NED information on the NED website.

Horse breeding is a specialised activity and can be scientific when utilising artificial insemination. If you are a horse owner, you will want to know more about it if you decide to buy from a breeder or you want to carry on the bloodlines of a stallion or mare.

You can purchase reproductive material from another stallion or you can put your own stallion out to stud after genetic and physiological testing. You may decide to designate an especially worthy animal as a broodmare, selling or keeping the offspring to create a new line.

Before choosing to breed a horse, you should know about:

keeping animals healthy until foaling

choosing the right pair of breeding animals

normal breeding behaviour, including the rut and estrous or heat, actual breeding days, pregnancy, gestation, foaling and the development of a foal

If you have never bred horses before, you should seek professional help and advice.

Breeding naturally

Mares have a natural breeding season which begins in spring and continues until autumn. Daylight stimulates receptor centres in the mare’s brain, which trigger the production of reproductive hormones and initiate the pattern of regular periods of heat, known as estrous. If you use electric lights in a stable to artificially increase the amount of light, it is possible to stimulate the breeding season earlier. This practice is very common in thoroughbred studs.

The ideal time for a foal to be born is between May and July, when most grass is available to help the mare’s milk supply. Because pregnancy in horses lasts 11 months, the best time to have the mare covered is from June through August.

You can breed regularly with a mare until it is old and suffers no ill effects, but it is more difficult for an old mare to foal for the first time.

A filly (young female horse) becomes sexually mature at around 18 months old. They can breed as a two year old, but it may hinder their growth, so it is best practice not to begin breeding until four years of age.

Artificial insemination

Artificial insemination uses frozen semen to inseminate a mare and is commonly used as a technique in horse breeding. In addition to veterinary surgeons, artificial insemination of mares can be carried out by a lay person, who holds an Artificial Insemination (AI) certificate following completion of an approved training course.

UK stud owners should ensure that a completed certificate is included with every dose of semen shipped from their premises. Mare owners, inseminating vets or licensed AI technicians are advised to check that a certificate accompanies any semen they receive. You can find a link to a shipped semen certificate for use in the 2010 stud season on the Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB) website.

Support for horse breeding

The government supports the improvement of horse breeding and associated good practice. This is achieved through sponsorship of the HBLB. The HBLB assesses and collects a levy on bets on horse races. This levy is then distributed for the purpose of improving breeds of horses and horseracing and the advancement or encouragement of veterinary science and education.

If a horse dies or has to be put down on your premises, you will have to arrange its disposal as fallen stock under animal by-products (ABPs) legislation. ABPs are entire animal bodies, parts of animals, products of animal origin or other products obtained from animals that are not fit or intended for human consumption.

You must promptly deal with ABPs to prevent harm to people, animals and the environment. In most cases, this will mean arranging for its transportation to approved premises. For more information, see the guide on fallen stock and the guide on dealing with ABP.

The National Fallen Stock Scheme is run on a not-for-profit basis by the National Fallen Stock Company Ltd (NFSCo) and can help you to meet the obligations under the regulations.

If your horse is a pet, you may be able to bury your animal. You will need to contact your local animal health office for advice. Please note this applies only to England. If you live in Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, please contact your respective national agricultural departments for advice.

If you suspect that a horse or other equidae has a notifiable disease then you must immediately notify your local Animal Health Office.

Horses that are imported to the UK for sale and breeding, or horses that travel from the UK to other countries for shows and competitions, may carry disease. There are regulations in place to ensure the welfare of horses being transported. These include regular inspections to make certain horses do not suffer distress when travelling. The results of these inspections - and of any testing carried out for notifiable diseases - are published in the annual report of the Chief Veterinary Officer. There is a system of health certification in place to ensure that horses already absent from the UK are free from diseases.

For some diseases, such as Contagious Equine Metritis (CEM) and Equine Viral Arteritis, there are codes of practice developed by the HBLB. You can access the codes, AI certificates and approved laboratory lists on the HBLB website.

An official sample for disease testing may be taken by your veterinary surgeon working as a local veterinary inspector or by Government veterinary officers. There are other organisations that can carry out testing of samples, for example the Animal Health Trust screens and identifies equine influenza viruses.

Diseases of Horses Order

Under the Diseases of Horses Order 1987, the following horse diseases are botifiable:

CEM

Equine Infectious Anaemia

Dourine

Epizootic Lymphangitis

Equine Viral Encephalomyelitis

Glanders - including Farcy

West Nile Virus

CEM and Equine Infectious Anaemia are known to occur in the UK, but the other five diseases listed above do not ordinarily occur in this country and are usually considered low risk to local equidae.

You should be aware that under the Diseases of Horses Order, inspectors have the power to:

declare an infected place where disease is suspected

carry out a veterinary inquiry

prohibit the movement of horse carcases and other things onto or off a premises

require cleansing and disinfection

Disease control

Defra carries out risk assessments to estimate the chances of disease entering the UK. Defra reviews control measures to prevent the spread of disease in the UK and export controls to prevent a further spread abroad. If there has been a delay in detecting or reporting disease, Defra look back over exports to see if they were the cause of the outbreak.

For significant risks, the International Animal Health Division will take action to improve the situation, normally working with the EU. Defra may take independent safeguard measures to block legal imports from countries or regions with outbreaks of disease. Defra also traces and checks recent imports of animals to identify potential risks.

Find details of preliminary risk assessment of international animal diseases on theDefra website.

Defra administers European support policies that provide around £3 billion to UK agriculture. It also oversees a number of agencies that work with arable farmers, imports and exports of crops and implement pest and disease controls. You can call the Defra Helpline on Tel 08459 33 55 77.

Download Defra’s guidance on the Code of Practice for the Welfare of Horses, Ponies, Donkeys and their Hybrids on the ADLib website. (PDF, 580KB)

The BHS is a charitable organisation that represents the interest of every horse and rider in the UK. The BHS focuses on issues such as horse welfare and livery yards.

Read about the work of BHS on their website.

The Horse Trust is the oldest horse charity in the world and is committed to promoting education and welfare within the equine world and is the largest provider of equine welfare grants and horse research grants in the UK.

Find out about the work of the Horse Trust on their website.

The NEWC has a base of over 60 welfare organisations, including equine welfare charities and organisations from the equestrian and veterinary sectors of the horse industry and provides advice and up-to-date information.

You can also read a Code of Practice for those involved in the keeping of horses on the NEWC website.

Animal Health has the responsibility for ensuring that farmed animals in the UK are healthy, disease-free and well looked after. Read about the work and services of Animal Health on the Defra website. You can also see the list of Animal Health Offices contact details in England.

You can also contact your local authority for advice on a number of topics, including animal welfare, farming, land use, food standards and environmental regulations. Your local authority may also be able to provide further information or resources. Find contact details for your local authority through our Contacts Directory.

Environment Agency Incident hotline

0800 80 70 60

The Horse Trust helpline

01494 488 464

BHS helpline

0844 848 1666

NFSCo helpline

0845 054 8888

Defra helpline

08459 33 55 77

Download Defra’s animal welfare legal guidance from the ADLib website (PDF, 496KB)

Download the NEWC Equine Industry Welfare Guidelines Compendium for Horses, Ponies and Donkeys from the ADLib website (PDF, 855KB)

Food safety from the farm to the fork explained on the Europa website

Environment Agency work and agriculture services information on the Environment Agency website

BHS information on the BHS website

RTPI information on the RTPI website

RICS information on the RICS website

BIAC information on the BIAC website

Farm Animal Welfare Council (FAWC) work and services information on the FAWCwebsite

Download horse passport regulations from the Defra website (PDF, 546KB)

Organisations issuing horse passports information in the UK on the Defra website

NED information on the NED website

Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) information on the RCVS website

HBLB information on the HBLB website

NFSCo information on the NFSCo website

Animal diseases information on the Defra website

Preliminary risk assessment of international animal diseases on the Defra website

Horse Trust information on the Horse Trust website

Code of Practice for those involved in the keeping of horses on the NEWC website

Horse/Livestock Barns

There should be no unnecessary trash or debris lying around inside or outside of buildings. It is unsightly, an attractant to rodents, can start or aid in the spread of a fire, and could cause an injury or fall to a person or animal.

Any ornamental shrubbery around the exterior of the barn should not be poisonous to livestock. Check with your county agricultural agent for assistance in identifying plants poisonous to horses/livestock.

No Smoking signs should be posted at all exterior doorways. Have sand buckets for cigarette butts available at the doors. No Smoking signs should also be posted in lounges, bathrooms and in several other conspicuous places around the barn.

Correct size and type of fire extinguisher should be located at every exterior door, in the middle of long aisles and next to the main electrical panel box. Fire exits should be clearly marked.

Every farm/stable should have an emergency first aid kit for both humans and horses/livestock. A phone with posted emergency numbers should be easily accessible.

Ample Underwriters Laboratories (UL) approved lighting should be available for maximum visibility around the exterior of the building and throughout the interior. Wiring and switches should be encased in metal, weather proof boxes, and out of reach of stock.

The building should have lightening rods and be properly grounded.

Doorways and aisles should be free of obstructions and sharp projections, e.g., hardware.

Ceilings need to have a height of 8-12 feet.. Door frames should be a minimum of 8 ft. high with a minimum width of 4 feet.

Windows need to be inaccessible to horses and livestock, covered with bars or screening and made of safety glass.

Stall and pen walls should be smooth, free of all projections, and of adequate size for the number of animals to be housed and to prevent casting. Stall doors should have secure latches.

Water sources should be grounded to prevent accidental electrical shock.

Feed tubs and water buckets should be smooth, clean and placed securely at the proper height so that the animals cannot become entangled.

Flooring should be easy to keep clean and provide traction for animals, especially those with shoes. (Note: excessively rough flooring can cause abnormal wear, soreness and bruised feet especially in cattle). Any rotten floor boards should be replaced immediately.

Crossties and other tying areas with safety release snaps should be provided to secure horses.

Grooming and wash stalls should be in open areas; clean and well-drained to prevent wet and/or icy barn floors.

Hay storage needs to be away from heat and electrical sources, and if at all possible in a separate building from where livestock and horses are housed.

Stairs to haylofts should have hand rails and kept free of slippery substances and clutter. Railings should be installed around loft and ladder openings, and ladders should be firmly attached to the wall.

Hay and bedding should be stacked so as not to fall on top of anyone.

Low beams and pipes (under 7 ft. clearance), steps or uneven floors should be marked.

Tack rooms need adequate racks and storage areas to keep equipment off the floor and out of the path of traffic.

Storage areas should be large enough to keep shovels, pitchforks, wheel barrows, etc. safely away from animals. Items should be hung so that people cannot strike their heads on them. Hoses should be neatly hung in wash rack areas so that people and animals cannot become entangled in them.

Grain storage systems should be ratproof, weather proof and not accessible to horses and livestock.

Areas around vents and fans should be kept clear. Fans should be properly maintained and cleaned frequently.

Garbage receptacles should be available for the deposit of refuse, bailing twine and wire.

Turnouts and Pastures

Turnout paddocks and pasture fencing should be sturdy, 4-6 feet in height, and able to keep livestock in and unwanted "visitors" out. Any protrusion on which stock may become caught should be removed. Fencing material should be suitable for the type of livestock being housed. Loose wires and broken boards or rails should be attended to immediately.

Gates should be a minimum of 4 feet wide, swing freely and have no sharp edges or corners.

Footing should be free of ruts and stones and well-drained.

Pastures/turnouts should be free of debris, foreign objects and toxic plants.

Machinery and equipment should not be left in pastures and turnouts.

Ponds, irrigation and open drainage ditches should be fenced.

Fallen branches and tree stumps should be removed.

Washouts should be fixed promptly.

Any bridges should be strong enough to support horses and machinery.

Periodic pasture checks should be made to ascertain that no poisonous plants are growing in or around the pasture area.

Roadways

Roads and driveways should be wide, free of deep ruts and bumps.

Low hanging tree branches and shrubs should be trimmed back.

Gates should be wide enough for machinery and trucks, and set far enough back so vehicles are off the main road when stopping to open or close the gate.

Overhead wires should be high enough for trucks, trailers, tractors, and other equipment to pass under.

There should be 10 feet wide fire/emergency lanes around all buildings and structures.

Vehicles should park in designated areas only to keep roadways open for emergency vehicles.

Vehicle and trailer parking should not be permitted next to barn/stable.

Vehicular traffic should proceed slowly and with caution.

Speed limit signs of 15 mph or lower should be posted and enforced.

Arenas and Jump Courses

Rings and courses should have ample, suitable footing; free from ruts, holes and unevenness.

Fencing should be a minimum of 4 feet high and of adequate strength.

All overhead and protruding branches should be cut back so as not to be a hazard.

All accessory equipment (e.g., jumps, trail obstacles, barrels, poles) should be in good condition. Any broken or unstable items should be fixed or replaced immediately.

Rings and jump courses should not attract attention from "outside" such as skateboarders, dirt bikers or all-terrain vehicle riders.

Gates should be secured so as to deny entry to unauthorized users.

Surrounding Acreage

Areas around the barns, rings and pastures should be free from debris.

Ponds, large water storage tanks and waterways should be fenced and posted with "no swimming" and "no fishing" signs to deter trespassers.

Hazardous passageways, hay drops, manure pits, etc. should be properly fenced and maintained safely.

What is COSHH? 

COSHH is the law that requires employers to control substances that are hazardous to health. You can prevent or reduce workers exposure to hazardous substances by:

finding out what the health hazards are;

deciding how to prevent harm to health (risk assessment);

providing control measures to reduce harm to health;

making sure they are used ;

keeping all control measures in good working order;

providing information, instruction and training for employees and others;

providing monitoring and health surveillance in appropriate cases;

planning for emergencies.

Most businesses use substances, or products that are mixtures of substances. Some processes create substances. These could cause harm to employees, contractors and other people.

The choice of horse bedding will greatly affect the cost (in time and money) of keeping a horse, and may also affect the health of your horse as well. This article reviews and compares the different types of horse bedding. It considers both practical aspects (e.g. cost and storage requirements), as well as the effect of the choice of bedding on the horse's health.

The most common type of bedding is straw, which until recent times was the only suitable bedding product which was suitable, widely available and affordable. However, a number of other products have been brought onto the market and are being increasingly used instead of straw. These include:

Wood Products. Wood shavings are now being widely used for horse bedding. Wood pellets are less commonly used, but are growing in popularity. Sawdust is also used, but in a small minority of horse stalls.

Paper Products. Shredded paper (mainly shredded newspaper) is available in some areas for horse bedding, as well as shredded cardboard.

Other Plant Products. The use of bedding made out of various plant products and by-products is growing in various areas.

Straw

Straw is the most commonly used type of bedding. It is widely available and relatively inexpensive. It also has strong historical support, since for centuries it was virtually the only suitable option for horse bedding. In recent decades, straw has faced increasing competition from new types of bedding, with many horse and stable owners switching to the alternatives. This is due to a number of factors:

Reduced availability and Increased price. Historically, straw was a by-product of grain production, with little use other than horse bedding. However, the development of bio-fuels has created an alternative market for straw. In addition, due to rising costs of fertilizer (which is produced from increasingly expensive petroleum), many farmers are choosing to plow the straw back into the soil in order to reduce the amount fertilizer required. At the same time, new varieties of grain have been developed which have a much shorter stalk, greatly reducing the amount of straw produced. All of these factors have reduced straw availability and in many areas increased price.

Development of alternatives. Many companies have invested in the development and marketing of alternatives to straw, with the result that today's stable owner has the option of various alternatives to straw.

Increased awareness. For a long time, when people thought of horse bedding, the only possibility they considered was straw. However, horse and stable owners are becoming increasingly aware of alternatives, in some cases due to the publicity by bedding manufacturers and in other cases due to contact with people who have switched to the alternatives.

Straw can be made from the stems of barley, oat, rye,  or wheat crops. Oat straw is about a quarter more absorbent than the other 3 types.

Straw bedding varies considerably in quality. The amount of dust will depend on how it was baled and the conditions under which it was baled. It can also have dangerous (to horses) fungus if it was insufficiently dry before baling, or if it was exposed to moisture/rain/water after baling, or if it is over a year old. Make sure that your source of straw is reputable and examine the straw before buying (if you are not knowledgeable about straw, find someone who is). Even with a reputable dealer, one may get the occasional bad bale (smells moldy or funny, does not separate properly) which should be disposed of rather than used.

Wood Shavings

Wood shavings were initially obtained from sawmills, where they were a cheap by-product of wood being planed to size. In fact, as a by-product which needed to be disposed of, sawmills were often happy to give away the wood shavings for free so that they could save the disposal fees. However, as demand for wood shavings to be used as bedding has increased, many sawmills have responded to this by starting to charge for them. The demand for wood shavings has also resulted in a number of companies producing, marketing and selling wood shavings which are specifically produced for bedding.

Wood shavings are more absorbent than straw, which gives the following advantages.

More of the urine and ammonia is absorbed, reducing odor and risk of damage to horse lungs.

Urine is absorbed faster, so it tends to be absorbed locally with shavings whereas with straw it tends to spread out on the floor more before being absorbed.

Shavings provide a better coating around feces, drying them out quicker and reducing smearing on the horse's fur when it lies down.

A thin layer of shavings provides better cushioning and a more comfortable surface than a thin layer of straw. However, shavings are no more comfortable than a thick layer of straw.

The amount which is soiled by urine is less than the amount of straw which is soiled. This reduces the amount of soiled bedding that needs to be removed (potential saving in time and money) as well as the amount that needs to be purchased and stored.

One can use either wood shavings from sawmills or buy them as a commercial product. Although the former tends to be less expensive, the commercial product offers a number of advantages:

Dust. Shavings from sawmills contain a large amount of sawdust, which can cause discomfort when a horse breaths it in, can reduce the horse's performance (due to clogging of the lungs by the sawdust, along with increased mucus production and possibly reactions) and may over time permanently damage the lungs. The shavings produced specifically as a bedding product have had most of the dust removed prior to packaging.

Non-toxic wood. Some types of wood are poisonous to horses. These include black walnut (can cause acute founder, lameness, colic or breathing difficulties), bitterwood (can cause skin eruptions and inflammation) and yellow popular. Commercial wood shavings are made for safe woods, with white pine being the most common, followed by cedar (some stall owners report that the smell of cedar helps reduce the fly population). If purchasing sawmill shavings, check carefully with the sawmill the types of wood that they use.

Fungus and Bacteria. Wood products may contain fungus or bacteria that can be harmful to horses. In particular, sawmill shavings which have been left exposed to rain or made from dead wood are more likely to have these. If buying sawmill shavings, make sure that they are freshly produced and have been under shelter.

Softwood. Commercial wood shavings are produced from softwoods, which are more absorbent than hardwoods and also have less dust.

Packaging. Commercial products are typically provided in convenient-sized bags and sometimes come with a cover which allows them to be stored outside.

A normal straw fork is not suitable for cleaning out a stall with wood shavings as the tines are too far apart, allow the soiled wood shavings to fall through. If you use a fork as part of mucking out, you will need to obtain one where the tines are close together. Alternatively, one can use a shovel.

Wood Pellets

Wood pellets were initially produced as fuel, for heating. However, it was found that they also make good stall bedding, so the wood fuel pellet technology has been used to produce wood pellets for bedding. In both cases, the pellets are produced by converting wood into shavings and then compacting the shavings into pellets, with lignin (a component of wood) used to bind the pellets together.

Although the technology is the same, there are some differences between wood pellets for fuel and those for bedding. To begin with, almost any wood is suitable for fuel pellets, whereas bedding pellets are made from softwood (typically white pine) as it is more absorbent than hardwood and less dusty. In addition, bedding pellets specifically avoid woods which are toxic to horses (see the earlier discussion on toxic woods).

Wood pellets have much the same advantages as wood shavings (see above discussion on absorbency, ammonia reduction, feces coating, cushioning and reduced soiled bedding), but are approximately twice as absorbent. Consequently, there are substantial savings in terms of the quantity that needs to be purchased, stored and mucked out. However, they are also more expensive (on a pound or kilogram basis).

Providers of bedding pellets typically provide some instructions on how to best use them. Typically, they advise that when the pellets are added to the stall, that they are lightly sprinkled with water, to make them softer and more fluffy, which is more comfortable for the horse to walk on and lay down on.

When mucking out, one can use a special shovel which allows the clean pellets to fall away while retaining feces and soiled pellets that have clumped together.

Straw Pellets

Straw bedding pellets work much the same as wood pellets, but are made of straw instead. It has been reported that straw pellets rot down relatively quickly, reducing the storage space required for soiled bedding.

Other Types of Bedding

Paper (often with newspapers as the main component) are often a relatively inexpensive type of bedding. It can be shredded, chopped or re-pulped into a cotton-like texture. It is dust free and in general horses will not eat it (an advantage over some other types of bedding). Although comfortable to lie on, it compresses flat and consequently provides only limited cushioning for the horse. Some owners complain about the ink from the paper going onto the horses. Shredded cardboard bedding has similar properties to paper, but provides better cushioning and normally does not have an ink issue.

Sand is sometimes used as bedding, but is not particularly satisfactory. It is difficult to keep clean and can lead to sand colic if ingested, a problem which is more likely to occur if the horses eat hay or other food from the stable floor.

Horse bedding types from natural materials include flax, peat, moss, hemp, kenaf.

Choosing Bedding Type - Practical Considerations

Choosing the type of bedding most suitable for you and your horse depends largely on individual circumstances. The practical factors include:

Availability. Many of the options are available only in certain areas. Consequently, one can exclude any options which are not available in your area and cannot be economically transported to your area. Availability and price can also change over time depending on various factors; a wet summer can reduce the supply and consequently increase the cost of quality straw, a downturn in the construction industry can impact the availability of the raw ingredients for making wood product bedding, changes in agricultural practices can increase or decrease the availability and price of associated bedding products.

Price. The prices of the various types of bedding vary over time (see above) and depending on where you live, so one needs to check local prices. In general, the more sophisticated a product is and the more processing involved, the more expensive it will be. So wood pellets are more expensive than wood shavings and wood shavings are more expensive than straw. However, when comparing prices, it is advisable to look at not only the price per pound (or per kilogram) but also at usage  rates.

Usage Rates. The rate at which bedding is used up depends largely on how well they absorb urine, so highly absorbent products (such as pellets) are used up slower then products which are note very absorbent (such as straw). Lower usage means not only that you save money by purchasing less, but you need less storage for the clean bedding, less storage for the soiled bedding, and will tend to require less time for mucking out (which equals less money in the case that you are paying someone to do the mucking out).

Choosing Bedding Type - Health Considerations

The choice of bedding can affect the health of your horse in a number of ways. We've discussed above that one needs to take extra care when using sawmill by-products for bedding rather than a product specifically produced for horse bedding.

Another very important factor is whether your horse will eat the bedding or not. Almost all types of bedding are either inedible or are difficult to digest, so if your horse eats the bedding it can become ill or have colic (which can be fatal). However, horses vary greatly in terms of whether they eat bedding and in terms of how much bedding they will eat. Consequently, one must consider the individual horse when evaluating this risk. For example, some horses will eat straw but not wood shavings, in which case it would be better to use wood shavings as bedding. However, some horses will eat both types of bedding in substantial quantities, in which case they are better with straw bedding, since straw is more digestible than wood and consequently less likely to cause colic or blockages. There are some products which can be sprayed onto bedding to give it an unpleasant taste and smell to discourage the horse from eating it, but especially greedy horses will eat the bedding anyways, in which case they not only risk colic but also have ingested the chemical spray. Because all these factors depend so much on the individual horse, one needs to watch how the horse behaves in order to determine what are suitable beddings and what are not.

Edible bedding (such as straw) will act as extra food if your horse eats it. If you have an overweight horse, switching from an edible bedding to a type of bedding they won't eat can help reduce their weight. If you have a horse which eats its bedding but is not overweight, when switching from an edible bedding to an inedible bedding you may need to provide extra food to make up the difference.

The nature of your stall will also affect the choice of bedding. If your stall is smelly, you likely have an ammonia problem due to inadequate ventilation. In this case, a highly absorbent bedding will reduce the amount of ammonia, making the stall less smelly and reduce the health risks to your horses. Reducing ammonia and smells will also tend to reduce the fly population. Alternatively, if your stalls are very well ventilated, you probably do not have an ammonia issue and do not necessarily require a high absorbency bedding.

Another very important health consideration is dust. Dusty bedding can reduce the horse's respiratory capacity in the short term (affecting their performance) and long term exposure can cause permanent lung problems. Unprocessed wood shavings direct from the sawmill will usually have an unacceptable amount of dust, some straw is dusty and some is not (depending on how, where and under what conditions it is baled), most commercial products (such as wood pellets) produced specifically for horse bedding are low in dust.

The absorbency of bedding can also affect hoof health. A highly absorbent bedding is more likely to keep urine off the hooves, reducing associated hoof illness. It can also be useful if your fields are wet, as it will dry off the hooves better (constantly wet hooves are more prone to a variety of illnesses). However, if your fields are completely dry or if your horses spend almost off their time in boxes, some owners find that the hooves have inadequate moisture. In this case, one may wish to use a less absorbent bedding or to periodically water the hooves.

New born foals can suffocate or choke on certain types of bedding (e.g. a thick layer of wood shavings). During delivery times, many owners use straw instead.

Individual horses may be allergic or sensitive to certain types of bedding. Consequently, when changing bedding types one should closely observe the horse for some days to check for any problems. In particular, look for breathing problems (heavier or more difficult) or rashes.