LEXINGTON, Ky. (Feb. 15, 2022)There is a lot of research on outdoor equine arenas and livestock arenas. But, there is not much available about indoor facilities.University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food andEnvironmentResearchers at the CAFE are making new ground in a multi-year study.
This area is becoming more popular with Cooperative Extension clients from the state, said Bob Coleman (UK extension horse specialist). People who are building their facilities from the ground-up often ask me about it. I have never seen so much information.
Coleman is working with UK agricultural engineer Morgan Hayes and biosystems and agricultural engineering graduate student Staci McGill to study indoor arena conditions affected by a host of variables including air temperature, humidity,ventilation,airspeed,horseactivityand outdoor conditions. The researchers have been installing measurement devices and collecting data to determine the best management practices for building indoor facilities.
Hayes stated that sonic anemometers can be used to measure air speed in any direction. This is very useful in arenas where it is not possible to know exactly where the airs are going to come. Sometimes there are windows and doors open; sometimes they are closed. Sometimes fans are on and sometimes they are off. This device records horizontal air movement in any direction.
Hayes, Coleman, and McGill visit each facility in order to inspect the equipment and collect data. They also measure the temperature of the ground and roof with a thermal camera.
Hayessaid says we are trying to find spatial and temporal variability, and to see the differences between summer and winter. If we see more humidity and air movement, then it is a wintertime challenge. This is a little different from the summertime challenge which may be more a temperature issue.
Hayes said many of the cooperators are very invested in getting the study resultsand canassistresearcherswithverylittletrouble.Owners like Bruce Brown, atLakeside ArenaFrankfort should record the activities in the arena in order to correlate the data.
Brown built Lakeside, an arena measuring 108,000 square feet, to fulfill a need for an all weather facility for horse shows, and other events.
Brown stated that Ijudgehorse shows are held all over the country. Many of the ideas and methods you see here were inspired by other places. I want to do everything I can to improve the experience of exhibitors here, as well as our methods of hauling the manure, housing horses and working with them. They are our friends, and we want them to feel comfortable here.
McGill began research in 2018 to fulfill her masters requirements. It was a partnership between UK CAFE, and theUK College of Public Healthin an effort tobetterunderstandhorse and human health. They began with a survey that received more than 450 responses. 77% of those responding were concerned about dust, moisture levels, and air movement in indoor facilities. Originally from Chesapeake, Virginia, McGillthen got funding from the U.S. Department ofAgricultures NationalInstituteofFood andAgriculturefor a predoctoral fellowship and used thosesurveysto begin developingdesign guidelines and recommendations for engineers, project managers, construction companiesand the equine industryas a whole onhow tobuildbetter indoor arenas. She plans to create a formal setof research-based guidelines before she graduates with her doctoraldegree in spring 2023.
McGill stated that people spend a lot of money on these facilities. It should last for decades. This study aims to give owners and farms suggestions on how to build great facilities.
Coleman saidthemultidisciplinary team makes the results stretch to a wide audience.
He said that the cool thing about our team, he said, is that everyone brings something to the table. It is really important to my. I look at the information that Dr. Hayes and Staci have provided. I need to understand the engineering components. It doesn’t matter if I know how to calculate it. But I do need to be able to understand it and ask the right queries that will benefit my clients. We spend a lot time discussing our observations, what is working, what is not working, and what could be improved. This has allowed me to see all of these things with a different lens. It has also helped my vision and knowledge. For me, it’s all about making things right for horses. If the horses are happy and content, so will their owners.
This material is based in part on work supported under award number 2020-67034-31729 by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Any opinions, findings and recommendations in this publication are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect that of the Department of Agriculture.
Through its land-grant mission, UK College of Agriculture, Food and Environment reaches across the Commonwealth to provide education, research, and extension to improve the lives of Kentuckians.
