I live in northern Indiana, where winters can get extremely cold. I have my own small barn and have come up with some valuable ideas to make things easier during those winter months...
Hack 1
I had a hydrant placed inside my barn last summer. Money well spent! Before I had the hydrant inside, it was outside of the barn. On occasions it would freeze, so my solution to avoid freezing hydrants and actually have to run a hose outside, was purchasing 2,80 gallon troughs and putting them inside the barn. Before the temperatures plummet, fill both troughs and don't forget to put the heaters in. I would also cover the water to keep it clean. I use a bucket to fill my heated buckets.
Hack 2
Sheets of insulation or plastic come in very handy to keep the strong winds out of an old barn. I bought enough for each stall door. I then cut them to size, but a little snug and placed them in the doorway at night to keep things warm. I also insulated the sliding doors to the entrances of the barn.
Hack 3
Added warmth. I start blanketing my horses after their winter coats grow in. I use a slinky under the blanket to protect them from any shoulder rubs and use them for added warmth under the blanket.
Hack 4
For safety. I keep a trash can with sand outside the barn where ice can be dangerous. I keep a scoop in the can so I can throw sand on the ice to avoid any nasy accidents.
This concludes my winter hacks so far. These were in place last year and have definately not let me down so far.
Please feel free to leave any comments below with winter barn hacks that have worked for you!