In Part 1 of this segment on protecting your farm and stable, we examined the use of surveillance cameras to monitor property and horses. In this segment, we will look at methods and deterrents to keep your horses and equipment safe.
Gates, Latches, and Locks
It is always an unwelcome surprise to come to the barn for morning chores to find your horse has escaped his paddock or stall and has been chowing down in the feed room for an unspecified period of time. The danger to the horse is enormous if he delved into grain bags or other highly fermentable food like alfalfa. One sequela is colic; another is colitis; yet another is laminitis, none of which is a good situation for any horse. Sometimes, more than one horse has escaped and helped themselves to a banquet. Even if you think one or more horses weren’t allowed access to the feed because a more dominant horse “kept them away,” don’t take that chance. Have your vet out to treat all escapees, as a precaution.
These scenarios can be avoided with a very simple effort: Locks. A separate feed room with a solid door keeps feed supplements separate from horse access. Incorporate a spring-loaded latch that closes the door behind you so there is no chance to forget. But, don’t rely on just a door. Put a hasp on the door and lock it with a reliable lock or padlock and check it every time before you leave the barn.
As for escape from the paddock or pasture – that can be avoided with strong gates and good latches that horses aren’t able to open, or at least not without a gargantuan effort or exceptional brain power. I owned an Arabian gelding who would spend all night opening and closing gates within a huge paddock area for the sheer fun of it. It made him easy to use while mounted to open and close gates on trail but this habit could prove disastrous if he ever escaped his paddock confines for the feed room.
Just wrapping a chain around a gate, even if twice encircled, is not much of a challenge for an inquisitive horse. Chains that can be leaned against can also be broken by the sheer weight of a pushy horse.
Gates should be affixed well to posts secured firmly in the ground. Make sure they are affixed close enough to the posts or panels to avoid temptation to a horse that thinks he can pass through a seemingly open but small space. It doesn’t tend to work out well if the horse doesn’t fit through a small opening.
As for the latches – Keep in mind that horse lips are quite adept at moving things around. (You may be aware of this if you’ve ever had your horse sort out powdered medication from his feed in a bucket.) Latches should require hands and fingers to open even if that means an inconvenience to you if your arms are full. Carabiners, snaps, spring rods, lockable one or two-way gate latches, and hook-and-eyelet type latches are tricky for horses to open. Sliding bolt latches on stall doors should be doubly secured by using a clip or snap so a horse can’t work it lose with his lips; some of these sliders come spring-loaded.
Make sure there are no sharp edges on gates and latches. Cut off any bolts that stick out. Cap t-posts if these are used as part of a fence line.
For the real Houdini horse, you may simply need to electrify a fence line and gate to keep his busy mouth away from it.
If gates are easily accessible to a road or there is a potential for a theft situation, use gates and latches that can be locked with a padlock. Be sure to provide your local fire department with keys or combinations, or designate a reliable friend to be in charge in case a natural disaster necessitates moving horses out of the pasture or barn. Alternatively, you can fit your driveway with an electronic gate that needs a remote or keypad code to open.
Equipment Theft
Theft is possible anywhere and it helps to limit temptation and to provide proof if theft occurs. Every farm comes with copious amounts of tack as well as nice equipment to help with chores: tractors, wheelbarrows, harrows, shovels, rakes, and other implements. A farm that is in view of roads may offer a temptation to someone to scout out the situation and move in to steal a valuable piece of equipment when nobody is home. Vegetation along the barn can conceal an intruder.
Construction equipment, like tractors, doesn’t tend to have VIN numbers etched on the machinery so recovery can be difficult even with police intervention. Reports stipulate that less than 20% of stolen equipment is recovered. Some equipment is marked with product identification or serial numbers – keep these numbers – documented in writing and photographs – in a safe place.
What can you do to protect your equipment? First off, lock your entry gate when you aren’t home and during the night. Secondly, lock your tack room and put halters away out of sight and access but in an accessible place for you to use on horses in an emergency. Thirdly, remove valuable equipment from casual view. Put tractors and other equipment inside the barn, close the door and lock it with a padlock. Be sure door hinges are installed on the inside and aren’t accessible from the outside. If horses are turned out for the day, close and lock their entries into the stable, or at least padlock gates leading outside.
It is possible to lock tractor tires or even chain equipment to a solid wall or cement block. For any lock you use, use tamper-resistant, case-hardened steel shanks on the locks. If you are going to be away for a while, disconnect the battery so motorized equipment isn’t easy to start.
Good lighting around a barn can be a mild deterrent but it is…
