Last week I covered some of the economic factors that you need to take into account when designingyour horse property. This week I will cover some ergonomic factors in more detail.

Ergonomics means the organisation of your working environment for ease of use. On a horse property this includesthe logistics of moving horses and possibly vehicles around the property. It also includes planning for feedingout, handling horses and parking vehicles etc. It takes into account where the house, buildings and other horsefacilities will be (or already are) situated in relation to each other in order to reduce extra work. With horsesit is also necessary to take their behaviour into consideration. Areas that will be used most frequently need tobe identified. Ultimately good ergonomics leads to a better lifestyle as good design reduces hard work, accidentsand stress.

A good laneway system means that horses (and vehicles) can be moved around the property quickly and safely. It isnot safe to lead a horse through a paddock that contains loose horses. Laneways may need to be surfaced (roadbase or similar) depending on the amount of usage they receive. They should be wide enough for a vehicle plussome. Trees and bushes can then be planted on the outside edges of the laneway to provide many benefits. A goodlaneway system means that feeding out takes less time and is safer. If the horses run in herds they can be movedaround en mass when necessary.

An arena should be situated where riders can be seen easily. On a busy horse property this may be near thestables where other people will be working. On a small property it may need to be near the house. Preferably itshould be near the tack room so that if you need extra equipment while riding it is not too far away.

The area for tacking up horses should be situated where the horse is able to still see other horses. My ownpreference is for the yards/stables/tacking areas to be near the house (good stable management means that smellsand flies should not be a problem). This way you can check easily on a sick horse etc when necessary.

Tack rooms and feed rooms should be separate as feed rooms create a lot of dust. Large amounts of hay should notbe stored near stables or yards due to fire risks.

A well planned out property will have also provide economic and safety benefits as well as improving the look ofyour property and save plenty of time and effort.

Disclaimer: While the author and publisher have taken all appropriate care to ensure the accuracy of thisarticles content, no liability is accepted for any loss or damage from or incurred as a result of any reliance onthe information provided in this article.

Photo: Elcho Equine B&B

For more information on land management practices visit Equiculture.

Comment on this article using the Comment Function below. Discuss this article with other users on the HorseForums.

Joomla Templates and Joomla Extensions by ZooTemplate.Com