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There’s no substitute for personal equine care, but visiting barns and stables during a thunderstorm can be dangerous. Waiting for severe weather to pass to ensure your horses are safe and comfortable can be anxiety-inducing. Fortunately, you can add smart technology to your equestrian facility security system so you can perform welfare checks on your horses remotely.
Types of Smart Barn Technology
Remote barn monitoring systems come in different configurations, but the most common elements are the following.
Surveillance Cameras
Barn cameras can capture and record clear footage of your animals. When strategically placed, they can cover all private stalls and the center aisle, as well as the tack and feed rooms and the wash rack. Aside from remote monitoring, cameras with two-way audio let you listen to your equines or calm them down in the middle of a storm by playing Beethoven pieces or speaking to them.
Noninvasive Sensors
Stationary sensors can measure and log environmental conditions like temperature and humidity in the barn to maintain the ideal four to eight air exchanges per hour. Some models can notify you when the gate, door or cabinet opens unexpectedly, when the water level is too low, or when the power is out.
Horse-Specific Wearables
These sensors can monitor individual horses’ health indicators and behaviors. Wearables can gather data that indicate signs of elevated equine stress like excessive sweating, restlessness and unusual eating habits. Integrated into halters or girth straps, they can monitor heart rate, temperature, sweat, movement, real-time location and daily activities.
Smart Devices
These everyday items connect to the internet, allowing you to manage and control them from anywhere. Smart cameras, lights, heating units, ventilators and other Wi-Fi-enabled devices with automation capabilities make up remote access barn systems. They support hands-free operation by responding to simple voice commands through Alexa, Google Assistant and other virtual assistants.
Common Mistakes When Adopting Horse Welfare Monitoring Devices
Smart technology improves your ability to care for your horses, but it’s not foolproof. Those who don’t get all the benefits of advanced remote barn monitoring systems often make these errors:
- Buying residential-grade devices
- Choosing poor equipment placement
- Disregarding vital features
- Relying on unreliable connectivity
- Underestimating storage limitations
- Ignoring notifications
Considerations for Implementing Smart Barn Tech
To enjoy advanced horse welfare monitoring capabilities rain or shine, consider these factors:
- Functionality: No two smart devices are the same, but the most desirable features are two-way audio, wide-angle lenses, night vision, motion-detected recording, remote access, automation and notifications.
- Data storage: Cameras that support loop recording overwrite old footage, so get devices with high storage capacity and simple backup production.
- Device ruggedness: Outdoor equipment requires excellent weather resistance, while indoor ones should at least be durable enough to withstand impact, dust, vibration, water and extreme temperatures.
- Stable Wi-Fi connectivity: Remote access barn systems depend on reliable internet connections, so make sure you can get service in all weather conditions.
- Setup: Wired devices present more installation challenges but are more stable, secure and reliable, whereas wireless models require less effort but are more prone to cyberattacks and connectivity issues.
- Power source: Installing a remote barn monitoring system may require additional outlets, which should be outside of stables or inaccessible to equines to be code-compliant.
- Support: Smart barn tech vendors offer different levels of support. Buy from companies that offer abundant self-help resources and extend technical assistance to solve issues as soon as possible.
- Budget: The individual components in remote barn monitoring systems are available at various price points. If you have a limited budget, you can start small and prioritize your most desired features, then add more to the ecosystem later.
Care for Your Herd Remotely With Smart Barn Technology
A well-thought-out remote access barn system promotes peace of mind, equestrian facility security and barn management flexibility. Take advantage of it to be there for your horses when severe weather keeps you separated.
