Ensure That Your Horse Shelter Has Kickboards
Posted on: 1 June 2022
Regardless of what type of horse shelter to plan to buy, you'll want to ensure that you choose a structure that has a number of useful features. One feature that you should look for is a set of kickboards that are affixed to the lower half of the walls around the horse shelter. Kickboards can be made of a few different materials, but thick wood is common. While you could always buy a horse shelter that doesn't have this feature and plan to install kickboards yourself at a later date, it's convenient to choose a structure that is already equipped. Here are some things to know about the kickboards in a horse shelter.
Building Protection
Horses can deliver powerful kicks and will often kick when they're agitated. While you might hope that your horses don't do too much kicking while they're inside of the horse shelter, it's important to be prepared for when it does happen. One of the primary purposes of kickboards is to protect the building from damage. If a horse is standing close to the wall of the structure when it kicks, it could easily dent the wall or even make a hole in it. Kickboards will absorb the impact and prevent damage to the wall.
Horse Protection
A horse that kicks the wall of your horse shelter may do more than damage the wall. In some instances, kicking the wall of a shelter that isn't equipped with kickboards could cause harm to the horse. For example, in a metal horse structure, the horse's kick could potentially puncture the wall and result in jagged metal edges. If the jagged metal were to make contact with the horse's ankle, the animal could suffer a serious cut. With kickboards in place, you won't have to worry about harm to your horses.
Choosing Kickboards
If the horse shelter that you're interested in buying doesn't come with kickboards, bring up this topic with the company that sells these structures. In many instances, you'll have the option of adding kickboards to your order. Once you commit to buying the horse shelter, the company will install kickboards as per your specifications. You'll commonly get to choose how high the kickboards are on the walls, which will depend on the height of the horses that will be using this structure. To learn more about the various useful features in a horse shelter, including kickboards, contact a local horse shelter supplier.
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