Horse Stable Ventilation

Each stall should have direct access to fresh air openings that are open year-round.

Circulation fans may be used in stables for temporary relief to disrupt warm, stale areas or to provide a cooling breeze over the horse's body. These fans move air already in the stable so they do not provide more fresh air to the horse. A properly designed stable ventilation system should virtually eliminate the need for circulation fans.

Another application of mechanical ventilation uses a fan blowing air into a duct to distribute fresh air throughout a part of a stable where direct access to outside air is difficult (Figure 5). This duct system can be used in retrofitting older barns and is particularly effective in the underground portions of bank barns where access to fresh air is limited. Ducts can also effectively distribute supplemental heat in a barn.

Figure 5. Overhead view of two mechanical ventilation systems with fan and duct used to distribute air.
Top diagram show duct for a combination of fresh, heating, and/or recirculated air. Exhaust fan system draws air into stable through louvered inlet on one wall and discharges stale air on the opposite wall.

Bottom diagram shows fresh air distribution with no recirculation. Louvered outlets provide stale air exit.

Recommendations for Providing Effective Natural Ventilation

Figure 6. The best way to provide draft-free fresh air to each horse stall is through an opening at the eave. Figure shows a cut-away view of stall components and eave opening. The eave is open year-round with additional, large warm weather openings provided by opening windows and doors.

Furnish stalls with some sidewall openings that are permanently open year-round. Each stall should have direct access to fresh air openings. A guideline is to supply each stabled horse the equivalent of at least 1 square foot of opening into its stall to allow ventilation even during the coldest weather. The best location for this permanent opening is at the eave (where sidewall meets roof). A slot opening along the eave that runs the entire length of the stable is often used (Figures 6 and 7).

Figure 7. Perspective view of ventilation openings on a central-aisle stable. Eave inlet slot runs entire length of sidewall. Ridge vent shown has simple opening with upstand.