Easing Pregnancy
Problems
50 www.EliteEquestrianMagazine.com
Emma and Uno
EE
The eight ComfortStalls Emma added
to the original 16 include two stalls
adapted into a 12’ by 24’ foaling stall.
“I knew I wanted the ability to un-divide
two stalls to make one foaling
stall, and I’m so glad I thought of that
in advance.” The ComfortStall top
cover is normally installed so that it
extends a few inches up each wall,
to which it is sealed with HDPE anchor
strips. A modification to accommodate
the removable stall divider was
easy to devise, Emma says.
Because Delfine is a first-time mom,
Emma removed the mare’s shoes. A
maiden mare is more likely to accidently
step on her foal in the early
days. That advice made sense, but
Emma worried that carrying an extra
200 pounds on unshod feet would
be rough for a show horse that had
worn shoes for 12 years. “I pulled her
hind shoes first,” Emma explains. “On
regular barn aisle mats, she was a little
ouchy, but in her stall, she was completely
fine.”
Pregnancy usually brings swollen legs
from restricted circulation, but that
was another non-issue for Delfine. The
constant, tiny muscle movements that
occur while standing on ComfortStall
prompt proprioception that improves
joint health, whether pregnant or not.
As a result, Delfine has not suffered the
usual lower leg stocking up.
“But why?” he wondered. “I believe
it’s because this flooring allows the
feet to articulate in whatever way
they want to. The hoof is not set at a
certain angle because it’s on a hard
surface. It allows give and take and
for the bony structures of the foot to
go where they want to go.”
Corey and his junior rider, Victoria
Craig, did well at the 1.1M and 1.15M
jumper division at Wellington’s Winter
Equestrian Festival this year. They are
confident about moving up now that
his condition is so well managed.
The “big boy” also seems to be getting
more rest. “He didn’t used to lie
down that much before, but now he is
really comfortable doing so,” observes
Pat Craig, Victoria’s mother.
Breeding is a new adventure for
Emma, and for her former Junior
Jumper mare, Delfine 3. As usual, the
stable owner approached the task
with extensive research and inquiries.
Ample bedding was advised for the
mare’s comfort throughout her pregnancy.
Emma was happy to already
have that detail covered with ComfortStall’s
orthopedic foam.
Bottom Line Booster
ComfortStall requires only enough bedding
to absorb urine and it prevents
urine seepage that creates unhealthy
barn air and requires regular, heavyduty
cleaning. For those reasons alone,
it substantially lowers bedding and
labor costs, often paying for itself in less
than a year. Less bedding in means
less soiled bedding out, making ComfortStall
an environmentally friendly
choice, too.
At Whillans Equine, Emma is most impressed
by how far beyond the bottom
line the benefits extend. Most of all,
seeing her own and her clients’ horses
at ease in their stalls and in their bodies
is the best dividend for this forwardthinking
barn builder and business
owner.
Visit us at
www.Haygain.us
Corey needs special farrier work
Elite Equestrian does not endorse or confirm content suggestions in any articles. See credit page for disclaimer.
/www.EliteEquestrianMagazine.com
/www.Haygain.us