This week at our new horse property my focus has been on improving the ventilation in the barn for the horses–as well as for us humans. Our 52 x 44 barn has large, open doors on the front side as well as open doors for each of the six stalls that allow for a good amount of air exchange. The problem is that when we sweep stalls or when the weather is very hot (a common occurrence in sunny southwestern Idaho), dust and heat get trapped inside, particularly along the west-facing back wall, which doesn’t have a door or other opening. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out this isn’t healthy for horses or humans.

My solution was to have a couple electric industrial exhaust fans installed. I had a smaller version installed in the tack room on an outside wall. Another big fan was installed on the back wall of the barn at the very top of the ceiling in the aisleway. This one works manually and it has a thermostat. When air temperatures at ceiling level reach 100 degrees Fahrenheit, the fan automatically kicks on, pulling stale air out and fresh air in