Building quality horse barns in Spotsylvania requires the creation of an environment where the horse is healthy, safe, and content. In nature, horses have more control; they are able to move out of the wind or out of the sun as they need, but in a barn, they no longer have the ability to do that themselves. Thus, it is important to have a good system to control ventilation and lighting.

Why Do you Need Natural Light?

Like so many animals in nature, including humans, natural light is an essential part of life, so when you build horse barns in Spotsylvania, you have to remember to provide plenty of natural light for the horses that you house. Natural light is made up of various wavelengths of light, and for the creation of Vitamin D (an essential hormone trigger) in the body, you need ultraviolet light that comes from the sun. While humans only need half an hour a day of ultraviolet light, horses need a significantly larger amount of exposure each day to satisfy their bodily needs for producing the vitamin D they require for the healthy movement of joints, bones, and muscles.

As well, natural light is going to help a horse keep in sync with their circadian rhythm and maintain a natural reproductive cycle. Providing natural light in horse barns in Spotsylvania also means you will spend less money on electrical lights, and that means less strain and wear on any electrical lighting. Sufficient natural lighting will produce fewer dark and damp spaces in a barn—spaces that are home to molds and odor and disease-producing bacteria. Just remember that, while you can provide direct sunlight, always give horses the option to get to shade.

Why is Ventilation Key to a Healthy and Safe Horse Barn?

If you walk into very old horse barns, you may find that they feel stuffy, smell bad, and just aren’t nice places to walk through on a hot day. Creating an excellent system of ventilation as part of horse barns in Spotsylvania is important for keeping up the health of the horses and their handlers, as well as for making a comfortable location to live and work in. Air naturally separates into layers on its own based on temperature and humidity levels, which is key for natural ventilation since, as the saying goes, “hot air rises.” You’ll want to take advantage of this phenomenon in order to continuously supply your horse barn with fresh air, getting rid of the dank and stale air regularly.

By creating air flow circulation, you can better deal with the amount of moisture that is created when taking care of horses. Horses naturally produce a lot of moisture from sweat, urine, defecation, respiration, and even from bathing since it is done within the barn. Humidity is a huge factor in the growth of molds and bacteria in an environment, as well as in causing odors and rusting metals. A horse can also develop respiratory illnesses in a high-humidity environment, so ventilation needs to be constant in horse barns in Spotsylvania.

Natural ventilation can be integrated in the design of horse barns in Spotsylvania in the form of roof vents, operable windows, wall gaps, doors, and open stall designs. Do whatever you can to ensure that air can flow freely, and that hot air can escape through the roof while cool air can enter through the sides of the barn. If designed properly, you won’t even need wind to keep the air circulating; the hot, humid air will always be rising out.

If you are looking to build quality horse barns in Spotsylvania that have natural lighting and ventilation, contact Capitol Sheds today.