CountryByNet.com Forums :: Building a Horse Barn

Hi Steve,
I am a bit late here but based on my experience here are some of my thoughts. Mind you I think you have had very good advice from the others….
Barn: I strongly recommend the metal laminated walls that you can get from MD, Barnmaster, etc. These holds up very well and are easy to disinfect as well as being almost indestructible. You can buy these separately and install them in your structure if that is what you prefer. If looks are not a problem, then I like their barns and I think you can get a nice 4 stall with over hang installed for $25k. Feed in the loft can be an easy solution if the barn is set up for it and if you can get a fair amount in at once. If you do this, have them cut the opening so you can get a squeeze in. However, I agree with Steve….due to dust, mold and fire concerns we try to keep no more than 1-2 bales in the barn at one time so we store most of it in another building along with shavings etc. I have never found a way to store feed without attracting rodents and the thought of their dropping filtering down into the stalls or aisle bothers me (I HATE them!). Think about stall doors that slide open rather than those that swing. If a horse gets fractious, it’s nice to have it secured on 4 corners rather than the 1 or maybe 2 bolts you have on a swinging door. It also takes up less aisle way space when opened. If you can, set it up so the horses can see each other through the front of the stalls as well as the side. Being herd animals it helps reduce their stress if they can see each other. If you can get bars on the walls that run vertically take that option. Separate feed doors into the stall are a nice option, along with more blanket racks than you think you will need. If you think your horses are going to be in stalls very much, as ours are, you might think about a 12x16 or 12x24. For us, when it’s raining it would be a nice thing to have. I agree with Richard that a nice large, rodent proof tack room is really nice. If you have had horses long, I don’t need to tell you that its easy to lose a ton of money to rats……I HATE them! If you have a lot of expensive tack you might want the ability to lock it as well.

Waterers: If you go with automatic waterers, Nelson is the best but I feel pretty strongly that you are better off with buckets so you can monitor their intake. Perhaps there is some sort of meter you can get with the others but I am not sure. In case a horse throws themselves down, a bucket will move and not hurt a horse. If you choose buckets make sure you can get to a hose without having to go outside in the rain.

Flooring: For me, there are too many conflicting studies on concrete or no concrete. We went without and have had no problems for years including ammonia. At a recent UC Davis(one of the best equine vet schools in the nation) visit I was speaking with one of the vets and his opinion was it is 6 of one half dozen of the other. He felt that with mats over gravel/sand there is a certain amount of decomposition that takes place and eliminates some of the problems. I agree with Richard that you should bed them pretty deep and that good dried shavings are the best.

Ventilation: I don’t think you can get enough of it as long as there is a wind break and they are out of the rain. Just add more blankets/hoods. I am not sure if you use fans in the summer but if you do, you might consider having the plugs set up on a timer so the fans go on automatically. If you are going with a more traditional barn then with a loft then make sure you get a lot of roof vents. This is one of the reasons I like the MD/Barnmaster barns. You can get them with large openings to allow the air to flow.

Lighting: We have fluorescent lighting in the aisle for general light and, because we have performance horses with a show season that runs from March through Nov, we also have a stall light with at least a 200watt bulb. This helps keep their coats short. If you do run lights consider putting them on a timer as well so you get the min amount of bright light.

Fly control: If flies or mosquitoes are a problem then I strongly recommend an automated fly system like Shoofly. Just make sure you have a place to store the system and set it up so there is good coverage in the stalls and aisle. If you choose to do this, take into account the impact of any fans you may run. You might put two nozzles in each stall.

Aisle: We run DG because we did not put concrete in the stalls and wanted good footing when they are in the cross ties. Personally I am not a fan of concrete but if you do put it down consider putting matts on the floor or those rubber pavers.

Wash Rack: gsganzer has describes one way to do it and I know a lot of people like it. I just prefer it to be outside of the barn if you have the roof extended. If you show, consider one of those portable propane ones for both the barn and showing. Having it outside gives us a chance to have a horse in the wash rack and one in the cross ties.

Fiberglass roof panels: They don’t last as long but I sure like the way they let natural light in. Not a big deal but I like it. Also, it amazes me how many people forget to have rain gutters put on. It helps keep water from cascading on to the horses as well as you and keeps erosion down. We don’t have any snow to speak of so your needs may be different. If you choose a metal roof try to get it insulated to keep it a bit cooler in the summer, a bit warmer in the winter and mostly keep the condensation down in the winter.

Turn outs: if you can give each horse a turn out that would be ideal. This gives them a chance to get out and watch things. If you choose to do this you might think about having split doors so the horse can hang its head out even if its not allowed outside. This is where its important to know how the wind blows in your area and have rain gutters.

Orientation: Generally you have a house face south so you might consider how to orient your barn to take advantage of the sun and local weather patterns.

Washing machine: One thing we did not do was set up a washing machine. When we put in a new barn I am going to have one. Great for washing blankets, sheets, wraps etc without using the home machine and trying to sneak into the Laundromat.

Halter hooks: perhaps I am paranoid but we always try to keep a halter and lead rope right by each door that we know will fit the horse. If there is a need to get the horses out quick, then I don’t want to search around trying to find something.

Feed storage: if you are going to feed anything other than bale feed then plan on how you are going to store it. We like cubes and have large plastic drums to keep the rodents out. I HATE rats!

Saddle pad storage: not sure if you ride a lot or bring in other horses but if you get bad cases of fungus running around, its important to store the pads in a way that they can dry. Sunlight is the best thing for getting rid of crud. You might buy or make a good rack.

Bridles: build something that will allow you to put one bridle on a holder that is round at the top. This allows the bridles and reins to hang naturally and not get a kink in them as they would if you just had a nail or peg.

White board: You can use this or one of those erasable calendars. Its good to have one so you know when the next shoeing appt is, what wormer you gave last time so you can rotate them and leave notes as to who has been worked, needs to be worked or needs to be laid up. My wife likes it because its one more way she can tell me what to do…..:^)

Those are some of my thoughts based on what works for us. The others have also given good advice based on what works for them in their area. Best of luck and post pictures of what you build and good for you for being so proactive in your horses well being.

Mark

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