BarnTalk-Monitor Your Environment

The safety of the horse is the number one priority for every horse owner. In 2021, Michael Hansen and Jim Ryken, the founders of BarnTools, created the BarnTalk system, a wireless barn monitoring platform that allows users to monitor the barn 24/7.

The system was originally created due to the challenges that Hansen and Ryken faced in the swine industry. Most of the alarm systems they came across relied on landlines not designed to work in rural areas. Since the majority of farms were set in more desolate areas, they needed a system that would reliably operate no matter where the farm was located.

“The technology is designed to work in rural areas,” Maddy McGarry, product marketing manager at BarnTools, tells The Plaid Horse. “It can connect to the strongest cell signal no matter where you live or what the carrier is.”

After seeing success in the swine and poultry business, BarnTools has started to break into the equine world, where many of their features have been found to meet the needs of horse owners.

The BarnTalk system has the ability to monitor the temperature, water consumption, and power at the barn as well as the humidity and the air quality. The dry contact sensor can also monitor power, generators, and other equipment.

Each system is able to be monitored through a phone app so that owners never miss a change in their horse’s environment. App users are able to customize their settings so they receive alerts when environmental changes occur.

The CallTree can handle an unlimited number of users so that everyone from the barn owner to the manager will receive alerts as necessary.

“The system was created in part to provide added peace of mind for livestock owners,” says McGarry.

The BarnTalk system operates off of the BarnTalk Gateway, otherwise known as the brains of the platform.

The Gateway is plugged into a standard 110V outlet and acts as the primary source for monitoring the power in the barn. It carries over 30 hours of battery power so that it is able to work during power outages as well. It is also waterproof and dustproof. Typically, one Gateway can handle up to two barns.

Once the main system is in place, the Gateway can be connected to up to 24 sensors.

These sensors include detection for Indoor Temperature, Humidity, Dry Contact, and a Water Meter. Up to one Outdoor Temp sensor can also be connected per Gateway.

The Gateway and each sensor can be purchased through the BarnTools website. Each system can be purchased separately so that users are able to customize their experience based on their needs.

There is a $49 subscription for the first Gateway, but a second Gateway receives a free subscription. The third Gateway and beyond is only $19/month. The system is designed for easy installation, taking only about ten minutes total.

Each BarnTalk Gateway auto-tests every two minutes to ensure that the system is connected and collecting data from your barns.

“We call that the BarnTalk heartbeat,” says McGarry.

In addition to its self-testing and backup battery, a comprehensive warranty, also known as BarnTalk TotalCare, is available for the Gateway and all sensors at just $15 per month. Should anything need to be replaced, BarnTools offers unlimited replacements for a low fee.

BarnTools is committed to offering practical, affordable, and efficient products to keep your barn and horses safe everyday, no matter what time.

“I think with using BarnTalk it’s really not just an alarm, but it’s also an investment into the wellbeing of your horses,” says McGarry.

For more information on BarnTalk or to order your system, visit .