Liv’s Tips: Three Rules for Decorating the Barn at Holiday Time
It’s beginning to look a lot like…the time to decorate for the holidays! If your barn, or even just your horse’s stall, are on your list of areas to decorate this year, you may want to keep in mind these three rules from Live Gude of ProEquineGrooms.com!
1. Keep holiday decorations out of reach.
Garlands, ornaments, and lights will be utterly delicious and irresistible to some horses. Arrange any holiday decorations away from the reach of every horse, even the least curious ones. If you have a particularly clever horse that might use his powers of sorcery and contortion for evil and not good, skip decorating around that guy’s house. The trouble with garland and long stringed things is that they can easily create impactions if eaten.
Also think about the barn cats and dogs. Are they going to be tempted to grab some garland and zip down the barn aisle?
2. Don’t burn down the barn.
Sure, twinkly lights are the best! However, overworked circuitry and extension cords increase fire risks. If you absolutely, positively MUST have lights, make sure they are the LED version that won’t generate heat.
3. Don’t use poisonous decorations.
Holly, mistletoe, and poinsettia are all toxic. Mistletoe and holly are definitely toxic to horses, dogs, and cats. Poinsettia is mildly toxic. You may want to stick to artificial varieties of these things. Same goes for pine – while the real version is lovely, there is a lot of sap involved.
Happy decorating!
Want more from Liv Gude? Visit ProEquineGrooms.com! As a former international dressage groom for years, Liv Gude founded ProEquineGrooms.com as a way to unite grooms in the horse industry. The educational website also serves to entertain and inform horse owners across all disciplines about horse care, grooming, and health. Click here to check it out!