Category Archives: Safety

Preparing For Spring

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Photo by Agustin Gunawan on Unsplash

If you are preparing for spring with your horses, you’ll want to get your horse trailer in good shape. Winter in Colorado brings snow, which can do damage to your trailer. Melted snow means that you could be dealing with mold, rust, and corrosion. A good cleaning inside and out is important–both for your comfort and for your horse’s safety. Mold is especially something you want to fix right away. It can cause your horses to develop respiratory problems. Continue reading for some tips on how to get your horse trailer ready for spring. Also, if you are looking for a horse property for sale in Colorado, contact Colorado Horse Property today and speak with one of our horse-person realtors.

Your Horse Trailer & Preparing For Spring

Start with making sure that your trailer is still waterproof. Leaks can come from doors, windows, body joints, roof vents, and rivets. Also, check the electrical plugs on both the truck and trailer. If there is any corrosion around the plugs, they need to be cleaned up before the trailer is used. Any horse owner worth their salt will tell to use a contact cleaner instead of WD-40. Not only is the contact cleaner cheaper, it removes the corrosion instead of just covering it up. Now that the inside of your horse trailer is clean, turn your attention to the tires.

Just like in your car, the tire pressure of your horse trailer should be well balanced. Tires can typically lose anywhere from 3 to 5 PSI per month. This is due to minor bead imperfections, porosity, and other small compromises. The longer a horse trailer is sitting unused, the more tire pressure it will use. During the rough Colorado winter, this is unavoidable. Therefore, before using your horse trailer, make sure all tires are inflated correctly, including the spare. Also, take time to inspect the sidewalls, particularly if the unit has been parked in a damp environment.

How To Properly Share The Trails

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Photo by Gigi F. on Unsplash

Colorado is known for it’s extensive hiking trails. However, it’s October and winter is just around the corner. The trails will be loaded with hikers getting in that last hike before we get snowy weather. When horseback riders meet hikers on the trail, confrontations can occur. To share the trails with a hiker, remember to be kind and you can defuse trail confrontations before they happen. Here are some tips on how riders can share the trails with hikers.

Share The Trails: Do’s and Don’ts

After stopping and saying hello, you and the hiker must come up with a quick and safe way to pass one another. Sometimes the best procedure is to ask everyone to step off the trail on the same side so you can ride by. Downhill is preferable, but sometimes the terrain makes it safer for them to step off to the uphill side. Every trail is different and so is every horse. If there’s enough room and your horse is skittish, then maybe you should pull over and let them pass first. If the trail is too small, the hiker might have to backtrack to a better area to make the pass.

What about cyclists? First, face the cyclist and ask them politely to stop. Then talk to them about the best way to pass. In many cases, the cyclist may have to follow along behind you until there’s a safe place for you to pull your horse off the path. Always, thank passersby for cooperating with you. Make every interaction a positive one! Looking for horse properties for sale in Colorado? Colorado Horse Property has the largest database of horse properties than any other site and our team of horse-person realtors can help you find the perfect property for you.

Protecting Horses From Wildfires

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Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

Colorado has a dry climate and is no stranger to forest fires. Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests have both experienced large wildfires this year. This poses new challenges for horse owners who are protecting horses from wildfires. The following are some tips we’ve put together to help horse owners prepare. Also, Colorado Horse Property has the largest database of horse properties than any other site and our team of horse-person realtors can help you find the perfect property for you.

Tips For Protecting Horses From Wildfires

First, figure out where you can take your horses in the event of a fire. Consider using regional stockyards or livestock sales yards, county fairgrounds, show facilities, racetracks, or even large parks to take your horse during emergencies. However, evacuation is not always possible. Create a fire proof area just in case. Find a large area with less vegetation and surrounded by metal fencing. A firesafe area could be a large sand arena used for training or a pasture that is bare because of overgrazing. Feed and water troughs should be metal and placed in the center of the area.

If a wildfire springs up close to your property quickly and without notice, you may be forced to leave your animals behind. After putting your horses in their designated firesafe area, mark them for identification. This can be done with a grease marker or pre-made tag. It may seem like a good idea to set your horses free, but this often causes more problems. Best case, loose horses often find roadways, blocking egress traffic. The last thing you want to do it block emergency vehicles from dealing with the fire. Worst case, loose horses can cause car accidents or even be struck by vehicles.