# ceiling fans in stalls?



## Northernstar (Jul 23, 2011)

I've never had myself, as I have a big run-in on our breezy hill for my mares. However, I've seen some awesome ads in farm supply catalogs that are very appealing for those hot summer days! They're actually huge, and meant to be placed on the ceiling of the center aisle, thus circulating air nicely throughout. Great idea!


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## Delfina (Feb 12, 2010)

You have to make absolutely sure that the fan was so high up that a rearing horse couldn't come into contact with it. By the time you got it up that high, I am not sure it would provide much benefit.

You can buy mounts for the box fans so that they don't have to be ghetto-rigged up. Stall Mount Box Fan Holder Apple Picker (Stable Equipment Supplies - Stalls)

I tie 'em up with baling twine though and we have a giant round commercial fan that we put in the aisle. It's LOUD though so we have to turn it on a few times before the farrier comes when the heat hits so everyone is used to it and not freaking out for the farrier.


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## ~*~anebel~*~ (Aug 21, 2008)

I have seen these in a new 200 stall facility and they were great!


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## Iseul (Mar 8, 2010)

I think if you put a grate/mesh wire (sturdy) under the fan you could do fans a little lower.

I will say though that I absolutely LOVE the industrial sized fans similar to the picture anebel postes. We have them at work and they are real life savers..I always hate it when I get stuck sweating like a pig in the back corner that doesn't even have one remotely close.

I hate the box fans that are twined up because I always seem to forget they're there and smack my head of them, lol.
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## Left Hand Percherons (Feb 1, 2011)

~*~anebel~*~ said:


> I have seen these in a new 200 stall facility and they were great!


It's called a "Big *** Fan".

Cupolas are traditionally built into barn for that very reason. You install fans up there to draw the hot air up and out.

Baling twine is ghetto?? that must be my problem.....


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## wguisbert54 (Jan 29, 2012)

Delfina,
I like your suggestion! I like the product! Thanks!


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## apachiedragon (Apr 19, 2008)

Knowing how dirty the ceiling fan can get inside my house, I'd hate to think of how gross one would get over a stall in a dusty barn. I would worry about the dirt gumming up the mechanics in a normal ceiling fan. I prefer the box fans simply because I can move them around to point at the spot where each horse prefers to stand, so I know they are actually getting the most relief. I can also take them down and clean them in the fall before I store them.


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## Phly (Nov 14, 2012)

May I suggest, an exhaust fan. Built into the barn wall. Can be on a temp controller.








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## Farmchic (Mar 2, 2013)

We use the metal round fans with a fan hanger and yes sometimes we need a strand or two of bailing twine or zip ties to tighten them to the stall or they rattle. I agree I kinda hate how it looks but they're only hung in the hottest part of the year, put where I need them and then cleaned and stored for the next year. Whatever you choose make sure all cords are not within reach of the horses because some will chew on them.


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## Maverick101 (Nov 8, 2009)

I have ceiling fans in my barn, but not above the horses stalls, but along the centre aisle, 4 in total spread down the barn. they are high enough that if a 17.3hh horse decides to rear (has happened on occasion) they still have lots of head clearance. So not sure how well that would work on a barn w a low roof.....These fans are good for circulating air, but don't really cool things down

I also have 2 large industrial fans that we use in summer at either end of the barn to push air. They are awesome....before that we used to give each horse there own fan on their stall as you described. But i found it always a pain in the *** to set up and take down, so when we purchased to 2 larger fans i thought to myself why didn't I do that sooner!
This past summer I still set up a box fan for our Mare w foal as our summer was so hot, and w foals not being able to regulate their temperature felt this was necessary to ensure they were both getting adequate air movement.

The large fans we have at either end of the barn are on all day, and depending on temperature at night shut off when we do our barn check. If temp doesn't go down adequately we leave them on.


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

My barn rafters are about 9' up and a $5 garage special box fan is wired to the top side of the rafters to prevent vibration from bringing it down. The horses love to stand under it.


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## pinkpony555 (Jan 13, 2013)

*Stall fans*

As mentioned, the ceiling fans where I board were once used, but got so full of dust and grime- we went to box fans. What we did was to screw in cup hooks onto the edges of the fan so it hangs at any level depending on the horses height- (but we have rabbit wire, above the wood fronts. Also, took a while, but installed an outlet above the stall (way up). The cord isn't pretty but we do clip them all the same to make all stalls look the same- with zip ties.


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## pinkpony555 (Jan 13, 2013)

*Box fans, part 2*

I forgot to say that we turn the fans upside down so they are in easy reach for speeds and on/off. Also- I like to have each on a timer to control the off/on.
We run them from 10am to 8pm depending.


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## natisha (Jan 11, 2011)

I use box fans at each stall on the outside. I have stalls bars & they stop the horses from having access. I hang them with white plastic chain, cut to size so it looks neat. The screw holding the chain is high enough to be out of the way.
Very easy to put up & take down.


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## cpr saves (Dec 5, 2012)

The large aisle fans are great for moving large amounts of air, but I have found that they don't necessarily move any air inside the stalls themselves. For inside the stalls, I prefer individual fans protected from any horses having access. A combination of the two kinds sure makes hot summer days & nights more bearable by all.


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## PDGx (Mar 24, 2013)

We have standard house ceiling fans in our stalls, and one outside over the hay racks. Theyre at about 10' above floor level and plugged into truss mounted outlets that are wired to wall switches for ease of control. They work wonders for air flow, and controlling flies - the down draft screws up their flight capability - especially good outside. The horses love them. Use a broom or ceiling fan brush to clean them from ground level.
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## parcfarms (Jan 5, 2009)

We have ceiling fans in our barn also.. They do get dusty but the occasional dusting them isn't bad,and thats usually during the winter months they get bad.. We have a ceiling fan brush that extends enough to reach the fans.. All of our stalls have their own fan but they all run off of the same switch(we can change speed if we got on the ladder,lol),the cords are covered,so no visibility of them at all. We have almost no flies from the fans and automatic fly sprayers. 

Horses have no way of reaching the fans even if they were to rear!


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## 40232 (Jan 10, 2013)

We have 2 fans above our stalls, and they work great! They are probably 20+ feet above the stalls, and we can still feel a light breeze from them


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## stevenson (Sep 12, 2011)

FANS .. That would nice ! I dont have a barn , it is an open barn or what is called a mare motel , but I do have a mist line run for when it is over 100 F


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

Please tell us about the mist line. I'd like to know more.


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## stevenson (Sep 12, 2011)

saddlebag - they are easy . You can use pvc pipe and get the mist connectors, or get the flex / mist lines and the mist heads just poke into the line. we used some u brackets that attached to cross beams , ran a solid line down one of the support poles and hook to a water spigot. Really helps in the 100 degree heat. it can get a bit damp so I would not put them on the inside cross beam but on the outside beam , the wind will carry the mist out into the pen or under the cover . we got ours at either Home depot or lowes.


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## PDGx (Mar 24, 2013)

We use one of these misters attached to the eve on the side of the barn. The horses love it when it's hot and humid. 

http://m.sportsmansguide.com/Product.aspx?a=558473&k=162768
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## Palomine (Oct 30, 2010)

Dust and dirt will get into any fan you have...but the main selling point to the box fans is?

You can take them down, and either clean them or toss them without having to hire an electrician or go to major hassle. 

That would make my mind up.


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## pinkpony555 (Jan 13, 2013)

The riders like the misters also. We have ours in a tree just outside the ring- that has a spray into the ring - they can ride under and stand for a minute or two...


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