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Even if the bales are perfectly dry, leaveplenty of space between the bales and ceiling to promote air circulation, and makesure that wall or ceiling vents aren'tblocked. Using wooden pallets on thefloor will also help keep air circulatingand temperatures reasonable.\and just feel the humidity,\\bales, test the hay with your hand. Youcan also get a tube thermometer from yourfeed store, which is inserted down into thelayers of bales and will allow you to checkthe heat buildup further down in thestack.\the temperature even if you're not concerned about moisture - and keeping arecord so you can spot any trend towardsrising heat.If the bales do feel hot, you need to getair circulating immediately. \do two things, right away. First, call thefire department, and have them stand byon your property with a truck. Then, getsome help, and tear down those bales andspread them out. You might be able to salvage your hay supply before it combusts,but you've got to work fast.\With luck, none of us will ever have toface that disturbing possibility, but it's agood idea to supply your barn with acordless phone so that you can call the firedepartment from any location. Punch thefire department's number into your speeddial, and post it prominently on the wallin your tack room or office, as well. (Andground that telephone line!)THUNDER AND LIGHTNINGWhat about lightning rods? They'retraditional features on many barns, butsurprisingly, Lindsay says they're of littleuse unless your barn is primarily made ofmetal and is the tallest structure in yourlocal landscape.\is random,\\it, or discourage it. But it'll hit a tree, 80 to90 percent of the time - because trees, notyour barn, are generally the highestpoints.\ever, it might be worth installing a lightning rod at each end of the roof, especiallyif the building is the tallest thing around.FIRE-RETARDANTS IMPROVE THE ODDSConsider the use of a fire-retardantpaint or stain on the wood surfaces inyour barn. Such products may reduce therate of ignition of a fire and the flamespread, cut down on smoke, and raise thecombustion temperature of wood (or anynatural surface they're applied to), givingyou up to 75 percent more time to get yourhorses out of a burning building. Thereare several varieties of fire-retardant products on the market, most of which can bebrushed, rolled or sprayed on raw woodsurfaces in much the same way that youwould handle an ordinary paint, withoutmasks, gloves or any unusual precautions.Bearing in mind that horses will happilychew any available wood surface, look forone which is certified non-toxic. If youdon't like the look of a paint, there are alsofire-retardant coatings available which arecompletely clear and colorless.Firefighter Lindsay particularly recommends the use of these products on theroof trusses of your barn or indoor arena.\problem we have (in the firefightingtrade),\crucial they are. If any one part of a trussstarts to burn, and it fails (starts to comeapart), the whole truss will come downand so will all the adjacent trusses. Thiscan happen with as little as five or 10 min54 Arizona Horse Connection March, 2026LMW HORSEMANSHIPWickenburg, AZ %u2022 707-889-8951Colt Starting %u2022 Tune-Ups %u2022 LessonsMy name is Leanne Wildman of Wickenburg, Arizona. I am aBrandi Lyons certified trainer (Level 1 & 2). My goal is to find the potential in any horse, maximize their ability and facilitate a relationship between horse and rider. I communicate and connect with horses through process of elimination, repetitionand memorization. I take horses in for monthly training, offer colt starting, workwith problem horses and give lessons as well as clinics. I striveto build soft, responsive horses, not only teaching them DIRECTIONAL CONTROL and SPEED CONTROL, but alsoEMOTIONAL CONTROL and how to use their energy and body correctly. My training helps ensure clients stay safe andconfident in the saddle and on the ground.My training program includes a month of intensive training,while solidifying key fundamentals of natural horsemanship. I am very focused on creating softness and responsiveness.These horses are cared for as if they were my own! They havearound-the-clock care. Picture and video updates are provided,as well as access to visit and watch!Check out my website for moreinformation: LMWhorsemanship.comPlease feel free to reach out to me atLMWhorsemanship@gmail.com or call meat (707) 889-8951 to discuss how I can help you enhance your program!Photos Credit: Shandlin Farrell of SGFequinemediacontinued on page 56