Winterize Your Horse Barn

To help prevent frozen pipes, waterlines should be buried in the ground at a minimum depth of four to six feet according to what part of the country you live in, and all above-ground pipes should be contained in an insulated space.
“Make sure that all exterior hose bibs are properly drained and shut off and ready for the cold months,” says Stephanie Stone, owner of Stonewood Construction Management Inc. in Innisfil, Ontario.

Frost-free hydrants are another option to keep pipes from freezing; when the valve is closed, the water in the portion of the pipe above ground drains down and out into the ground below the frost line. 

Another frozen pipe preventative measure is to install a water heater. This option has the added benefit of providing the horses with warm water, encouraging them to drink more and saving you from regularly de-icing their water buckets.

Last year I hooked up an in-line hot water tank and heated the water before it actually went out to the waterers in the paddock,” says Kennedy. “The horses drank more water and the waterline didn’t freeze at all.”
Heating

Depending on what part of Canada you inhabit, a heated barn may not be necessary, but a heated tack room is a wonderful feature in any barn. “The preferred system is in-floor heat,” says Stone. “If in-floor is not a feasible option, there are many types of alternative electrical heaters. Baseboard heaters are not an option I would personally recommend due to the danger of items being placed against them.”
“In some cases there is a need for supplementary heat within the stable (e.g. if the number of horses in the stable is low in the really cold months),” she continues. “There are many types of agricultural heaters that can be installed. These would be the best choice rather than the typical construction type heaters.”

The optimum temperature for horses can be anywhere from 10 to 20 degrees Celsius.
“Generally in the winter time it’ll float around 10 to 12 degrees Celsius,” says Kennedy of his heated, insulated barn. “I have a supplement heater in the barn to make sure it stays at a good temperature, as well as [ceiling] fans to circulate the air and make sure that the warm air is always pushed down.”
Any heated space should be insulated. Make sure that the heat stays in your heated tack room or barn by caulking cracks and weather-stripping doors and windows