“April showers bring May flowers.” Catchy phrase, right? What it doesn’t say is April /May showers and summer thunderstorms also bring flooded barns, stalls, and often put riding and training on standby.
My answer: there is no single perfect solution. Depending on your farm’s layout, the topography of the land, and the facilities, there are many different management practices you can implement in order to help prevent flooded barns and stalls, however, there is no guaranteed fix.
Here are a few management options that you can use to help prevent your barns from flooding.
1. Proper Pest Management. Rodents such as rats and groundhogs, can burrow tunnels underneath and around barns, stalls, and tack rooms. Water can easily move through these tunnels, leading to flooding. Eliminating these pests not only helps you control the flooding, but also removes the threat of any disease or bacteria that they may carry.
**Note: Hand-dug ditches can become easily interrupted and less efficient due to horse traffic moving in and out/around the barn.