The Barn Daily Checklist: A Ready-to-Use Template
This is a practical daily checklist template for boarding barns and equestrian facilities. Adapt it to your specific operation, your board packages, and your horse roster. The goal is a checklist that staff can follow without constant supervision and that creates a reliable record of daily care.
Morning (AM) Daily Checklist
Before feeding
- [ ] Walk all stalls and assess every horse (eating, standing normally, no visible injury or distress)
- [ ] Note any horse requiring immediate attention and contact barn manager if needed
- [ ] Check weather and update blanket instructions if overnight forecast changed
Feeding
- [ ] Feed hay per individual feeding instructions (reference stall cards, not memory)
- [ ] Feed grain per individual feeding instructions
- [ ] Note any horse that does not eat or eats significantly less than normal
Water
- [ ] Check all water buckets and automatic waterers
- [ ] Refill any below half full
- [ ] Scrub any buckets with algae, debris, or foreign material
- [ ] Note any horse that appears to have not drunk since previous check
Medications and supplements
- [ ] Administer all AM medications per the medication log
- [ ] Record time, medication name, dose, and initials for each administration
- [ ] Add any supplements to feed as instructed
Turnout
- [ ] Turn out horses according to the daily turnout schedule
- [ ] Check pasture gates are latched before releasing horses
- [ ] Note any horse held in due to lameness, vet orders, or other reason
Stall and barn
- [ ] Clean stalls or remove overnight waste
- [ ] Rebed as needed
- [ ] Sweep barn aisle
- [ ] Refill hay nets or racks for midday if applicable
- [ ] Check barn inventory (hay, shavings, grain) and note any items running low
Log
- [ ] Record any health observations, behavioral changes, or concerns for each horse with an issue
- [ ] Sign and timestamp the AM log
Evening (PM) Daily Checklist
Before feeding
- [ ] Visual assessment of all horses, including those in turnout
- [ ] Bring in any horses per the turnout schedule
- [ ] Assess blanket needs based on evening and overnight forecast
Feeding
- [ ] Feed hay per individual instructions
- [ ] Feed grain per individual instructions
- [ ] Note any horse with appetite changes
Water
- [ ] Check and refill water buckets
- [ ] Check automatic waterers for function and debris
Medications
- [ ] Administer all PM medications per the medication log
- [ ] Record time, medication, dose, and initials for each
Stall cleaning
- [ ] Full stall cleaning or second pass depending on bedding program
- [ ] Rebed stalls to appropriate depth
Blankets
- [ ] Apply blankets per each horse's blanket instructions and current temperature
- [ ] Check and adjust any blankets that are slipped or twisted on horses already blanketed
Barn security
- [ ] Check all exterior gate latches
- [ ] Ensure all horses are accounted for and in correct locations
- [ ] Turn off lights in areas not needed overnight
- [ ] Check that feed room and medication cabinet are secured
- [ ] Confirm water is accessible overnight (automatic waterers functional or buckets full)
Log
- [ ] Record any concerns, changes, or incidents from the PM shift
- [ ] Sign and timestamp the PM log
Using This Checklist
Print this template and post it in your feed room or tack room as a starting point. Then customize it for your barn: add horse-specific notes, remove tasks that don't apply, and reorder steps to match your actual workflow.
For digital version with timestamps and remote visibility, BarnBeacon's checklist module lets you run this same workflow on a phone or tablet with automatic logging. See barn staff management for how checklists fit into your staff accountability system, and barn daily operations management for the broader daily workflow picture.