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Blog By Nikki Alvin-Smith

Horse barn designs vary greatly but one thing they all have in common is the need to be functional and safe for both horses and their handlers.

Horses have a habit of hurting themselves even with the most carefully planned and constructed environments for their care but if you start out with flawed design in your horse barn you are substantially increasing the chances of spending more money on the vet than you might have...

Blog By Nikki Alvin-Smith

The verdict is in. The latest in timber frame horse barn design, that utilizes the beauty of traditional carpentry technique of mortise and tenon joinery made with artisan talent combined with the affordability of modular design, is hotter than the century-hitting temperatures this country has experienced this summer.

It is the ‘fairest of them all,’ when it comes to horse barn style and design. Wood fashioned in its ultimate spectacle that reflects the beauty of nature at every turn. There is a certain magical appeal of...

Blog By Nikki Alvin-Smith

Throughout this Covid19 pandemic social media postings from horses owners who proudly announced that isolation and quarantine procedures were nothing new to them were prevalent. 

Commercial horse farm owners and managers dread the introduction of transmittable diseases such as Strangles, Equine Influenza, Eastern Equine Encephalitis or the Equine Herpes Virus, which can infect horses at their facilities and shut down their businesses. Bio-security concerns should be a factor in the design and operation of all horse farms.

Blog By Nikki Alvin-Smith

Many property owners with extra acreage are tempted to make their own hay by knocking down a grass meadow and baling it up for either their own horses and/or to sell.

For horse owners it is wise to know what is growing before you mow. There are an extensive number of nefarious herbs and weeds that can harm horses.  Some plants and weeds may be harmless for...

Blog By Nikki Alvin-Smith

If there is anything the Covid19 crisis has taught us all it is to have a Plan B.

Horse owners never expected suddenly to find themselves cut off from access to their horses that were in livery. Commercial barn owners did not expect to be left holding the muck fork and dealing with frustrated clients. In some states, folks were not affected, but for others, such as those in the North-East, the time away from being allowed to see/...

Blog By Nikki Alvin-Smith

Lots of folks are going green these days, venturing into vegetable growing for the first time to secure their own food source amidst the Covid19 pandemic. During World War II the ‘Victory Garden’ concept captured the benefits of producing foodstuffs on your own soil, limiting reliability on outside sources.

Other reasons to go green include health concerns and the ethic of mitigating the damage caused by our individual carbon...

What do chickens need? If you are raising chickens for meat or for eggs, you’ll find that it can be sometimes very challenging. They are prone to some health issues that can pass very quickly, due to their close proximity in a coop/confined space.

We also need to worry about predators when we raise chickens and it doesn’t matter where you live, whether in off-grid living or in the city, there will be predators. Even in downtown Denver, in the very heart of the city, you will see foxes roaming...

Blog By Nikki Alvin-Smith

There are expenses over and above the barn to consider when you purchase horse housing. The key to staying on budget is to be aware of all the components and put together an accurate list that identifies the real costs of construction of your new horse barn.

Start your barn purchasing process with a ‘to-the-penny’ quote for the actual structure itself. Include itemized prices for all options and...

With most of us cooped up inside our homes thanks to the global health crisis, the need for fresh air has never been more important. According to research on the Royal Society, this increased isolation can lead to some negative mental health effects—from cognitive decline, to a weakened immune system.

While the restrictions make it complicated to simply visit the park as we please, it doesn't mean you should just lie on the couch the entire day. Fortunately, you can still take care of...