3 Solutions to Keep Your Horse Safe In and Around the Stables

Horses are relatively low maintenance in terms of what they need to ensure they are comfortable in their environment. As long as they have food, water, adequate bedding and shelter, as well as companionship, they will usually be content.

However, there are a number of safety risks that horse owners need to be aware of so that they can take the relevant actions to ensure their horses are as safe and comfortable as possible. Keep on reading this guide from The Awning Company to find out about the many different solutions you can use to keep your horse safe and calm. This includes using a stable door kick pad, stable bandage pads, a 2-step awning for a horse trailer and more.

Simple ways to keep your horse safe in and around the stables

Though horses are usually of a mild temperament when they have all their basic needs and are content with their surroundings, there are additional steps you can take to reduce any worries about your horse’s welfare. Below are some ways you can further ensure your horse’s well-being and make their environment safe and comfortable:

Remove headcollars
Do a risk assessment of the stable
Use stable door kick pads

Remove headcollars

When stabling your horse, it is important to remove their headcollar to avoid entanglement that could cause injury. According to an article published by Horse and Hound in 2021, a survey concluded that 70% of reported horse injuries caused by a headcollar occur when the horse was tied up.

Other injuries that were recorded happened because the headcollar had got caught up. There were even some incidents where a horse’s foot became lodged in the headcollar. So to keep your horse safe in their stable, always remove the headcollar for horse welfare.

Do a risk assessment of the stable

Before you leave your horse on their own in a stable, you should do a risk assessment to check for any potential items that could cause injury. Fixtures and fittings such as hay racks, tie rings and water bowls should not have any sharp edges that could cause an injury. We recommend that you check particularly for any object that could harm the horse’s eyes. Stable bandage pads are a good way to protect your horse’s legs from these sorts of risks as an extra measure. Stable bandage pads also have the added benefit of keeping your horse’s legs warm in the colder seasons too.

You should also ensure that no storage of flammable materials or potential ignition sources could start a fire, such as poor-quality electrics. The stables should have a fire extinguisher close to hand in case of an emergency and you should have a fire escape plan. Check the stability of the stable building to ensure it won’t collapse and that there are no leaks in the roof that could make the stable damp, or even cause flooding.

As well as looking inside the stables for risks, you may need to check any farm machinery or livestock in the surrounding area. You should regularly check the perimeter fencing to ensure there are no gaps where an intruder could easily enter the field.

Use stable door kick pads

Horse stable pads are a great equine safety accessory to protect your horses from injuries caused by banging on the stable doors. The pads stop barging horses and can also be used in horseboxes for protection during transit. By using horse stable pads, you are given an easy-to-install solution that reduces any potential agitation from your horse and reduces the noise of stable door banging.

Retractable awnings for horse trailers

If you are attending an event, a good way to keep your horse safe when outside of the horsebox is to use a horse trailer awning such as the ones supplied by The Awning Company. Our range of awnings, including a 2-step awning for a horse trailer, is vast to provide you with a range of awning solutions depending on what you need.

Equine awnings are ideal for providing a comfortable, weatherproof shelter for both you and your horse when at a show. These retractable awnings for horse trailers come in a range of sizes to fit your specific vehicle and they are easy to quickly set up for immediate use when you arrive at an event.

Find out more about the equine awnings available from The Awning Company, all of which are manufactured from their factory in Lancashire to the highest quality and safety standards. As long-time awning suppliers with over 30 years of experience, we are established experts in awning manufacturing. So, you can rest assured that you’ll find the perfect awning for you with us.

If you would like to find out more about our awnings and talk about how our range of bespoke awnings will suit your requirements, call us on 01204 544 900. You can also get a quote from The Awning Company with a simple call to our team.