Barn Designs?

Question

We just bought a 7 acre farm that we plan to keep our two horses on part time. (weekends and during school breaks). Anyway, we are looking at putting a small barn on the property. Right now I am looking at doing a set up with 4 stalls, a wash rack, feed room and office/tack room. So my questions are as followed:

Are there any features that you love about your barn that might not be the norm?

What materials would you build a barn out of or is your barn built out of? (Treated lumber ect)

Types of flooring? (concrete, asphalt, clay ect) Likes/dislikes?

What stall designs or set up do you/your horses prefer? What is better health wise?

Any info/opinions are greatly appreciated! We are (of course) going to get professional help with building the barn but I want to know the little extras that make barns great.

Also if anyone is bored, make up a barn design (with layout and measurements) and e-mail it to me. ([e-mail]) I would love to see what yall come up with!

Answer 1

I love my barn...it was what sold the house as far as I'm concerned.  It's a 32 X 60 ish post and beam constructed barn, with a 24 X 32 stall area and two separate sides that are 18 x 32.  I opened the end on one of those sides to provide shelter access 24/7, and I love that.

We're hauling in loads of lime dust for the areas right outside the barn...it gets so muddy there, and the lime dust will help stop that.

I would have made the stall area at least 4' wider to all allow for bigger stalls.  I have 8 x 8 box stalls, but they are just for feeding/vet etc so they work ok.

The base in there is lime dust and pea gravel.  I'd stay away from concrete, as it does not "give" like asphalt does.  Asphalt is better for the feet and legs.

Even if you don't think you'd ever use a loft, build the structure tall enough to allow one.  If things change and you need it, it's easy enough to add it if the height is there.  

One of the fall projects will be piping water directly to each of my stalls.  A big convenience for winter time.  While we are plumbing, we will be putting in an electric hot water heater...turn it on and off at the breaker when you're using it nearly eliminates any fire risks, and having a prep sink with hot water can come in very, very handy.  

A secure feed storage area is also nice, too.  With fuel so high, it's nice to be able to buy several weeks worth in advance.  One trip to the feed store, bulk discount...pays two ways, but only if you can store it properly.

A well lit area for vet work is wonderful and your vet and farrier will love you forever for it.

Answer 2

I used to have a 20 stall barn that I leased and managed...though that experience, I learned a lot about what I would want if/when I built my own.  I never did, I have always had to make do or make changes in an already existing facility.  It had automatic waterers (heated) in the stalls, half of the barn was built against a hill, so that on one side, half of the barn was underground, the whole area above the stalls was for hay storage, to be dropped down into the feeders into the stalls. Speaking of the stalls...way down under the stalls were railroad ties, then 18" of sand on that, shavings...needless to say, the stalls NEVER got wet.  we picked the stalls twice a day and the barn smelled like shavings and clean horses all the time..now, the waterers were always a headache..and....you NEVER knew if a horse was drinking or not and if there was ever a short in one of the waterers, and a horse got shocked even one time, he would never go back and drink from it...so I turned off all of the waterers and hung buckets in the stalls and pulled a hose down the aisle to fill them...still the best way, more work, but you can keep track of what is going on with your horse.  Oh yes, the overhead hay storage was a dusty headache...also made the barn hotter when the loft was full, and impaired the circulation, even though there were several vents.  I would try not to even let anyone up there while there were horse still in the stalls because of the dust that was created by walking in the loft.  One thing that I did appreciate was that half of the barn was against the dirt...even in the summer, it was cool in the barn.  I also consider it important to have a solid window in every stall that opens wide enough for the horse to comfortably get his head out.  There are lot's of reasons for this, not to mention the fresh air, but it lessons the boredom, which in turn, lessons the weaving and cribbing and kicking the stalls.  I like concrete for the washrack and alley, and it should be wide enough that horses can be tied on either side and still be groomed.  Also, if the wash stall has a window, just like the stall window in it, your horses will walk in much easier because they can see out and don't feel like they are going into a dead end...you can always close it when you get your horse tied.  Of course, you will want a hot water heater just for the wash rack.  If money isn't an issue, a small bathroom is a must, and well planned, locked tackrooms...I always dreamed of having, within the large tackrooms, partitions for each individual's tack that they could lock up and know that their stuff would never be used or touched by anyone else while they were gone.  Keep in mind, everyone that boarded there wasn't family, so that was a big issue that had to be addressed on a regular basis.  Boy, I could go on and on...guess I already have.  No, I don't like mats, have tried them, would rather have good drainage with shavings.  I personally don't like cross ties, but every stable has them and uses them, and most of the time, successfully...but then...there is always the horse that just flips, for no reason, and you have to haul them off...seriously.  I would prefer individual places in front of the stall meant for tying, along with a blanket bar...out of reach of where the horse can't chew...Oh yeah, a doctoring/clipping chute somewhere in an out of the way, but well lit area...guess I'd better stop, we all have lots of ideas..hope this helps a little...and one more thing, you NEVER have too many lights...with convenient places for switches.

Answer 3

We want the EXACT same thing as you. As simple plan with 4 stalls. There was one I REALLY liked but I forgot the link. This one is like exactly the same so here it is...

http://www.stablewise.com/barn_plans/ind...

Answer 4

well i would go with the "all green" barn it may be a little expensive in the beginning for everything to be enviornmentally friendly but the running costs are almost nothing.for floors i like the rubber mats its best to look through the backs of lots of horse mags and get ideas that way also

Answer 5

i like a wide aisles for grooming... and to make it seem "open" (claustrophobia.. haha) also, skylights are nice, once again to keep it open and airy.

Big windows and doors are hugely important (as I'm sure you know....) for ventilation's..

O, and rubber mats in the stalls and the aisle (or just the grooming area/wash area) are always good for joints during a long grooming session XD

Can you tell I've drempt about building my own barn?! I'm thoroughly jealous [=

Answer 6

Due to a fire last winter I have to rebuild too.  I still have the barn, which is cement walls abd floors with full hay mow.  I have to have the hay mow for hay storage, been this way since a kid and I cannot change now.  I also have automatic watering with thermostats.  I love that set up too makes the winter watering so simple.  Lots of ventilation is a must, I leave the doors open all winter and summer for the horses to come and go as they please, this also works for me.  

For the new building I also want the hay mow.  This new building will be an all purpose building.  I am thinking of baton board, not sure if y'all know what that is but is is basically board with batting in the cracks.  The steel buildings are so hot in the summer, and so very cold in the winter, thus my choice of the baton board.  No cement floors in this new one, too hard on the horses feet for the stall area.  Ventilation will also be a must in the new building...on the horse side I am  thinking of the dutch door set up then on the opposite side of the building there will be the large garage type doors which will be left open for the horses.  This new building will not have permanent stalls, rather stock gates creating a stall atmosphere. my horses do not have stalls in the old barn either it is the loose housing which works great for me.  No cross ties in  the new barn either, as I don't have them anywhere on the farm.  I can rig one up if I have to for doctoring etc.   Yes I may put in a wash rack in the new builiding and I will have a tack room on the one end of the building.   This one end will have a cement floor more for "critter" control than anything, those darn racoons and rats etc get into places so easily that I am trying to out think them.  This set up that I have is for me and my horses, I do not board horses here, so I can have what I want and use, and I do not have to cater to others desires, sort of makes it easier to make decisions.

Answer 7

We put in a drainage system that I recommend for your stalls.

We dug down 36 inches, but it could be made even deeper.

At the bottom we put in large rock, then layered smaller rock over that, then layered gravel over that, and finally used agricultural lime as the top layer.  The top layer of lime is a foot deep.  We use rubber mats over the lime, and keep hydrolyzed lime on hand to soak up urine off the mats.  Ours is a run in, with the matted portions on each partially enclosed end.  We built off of the existing barn and made a run in shelter, with stalls on each end that are open to go in and out.  Our water trough is in it, with the water faucet right over the trough.  A portal into the barn allows an electric line for heating the trough to go through the wall from behind the trough so horses can't get it...so it's heated in winter.  We also have an oscillating fan wall mounted off the back wall of the barn to move air in the shed, and run an industrial fan through the gated doorway on very hot days, or when bugs are bad.  I highly recommend the run in as opposed to inside stalls...it's easier to maintain and the horses love it. We also have sliding vent windows on both ends of the run in to allow light and breezes into the shed.  We made it 16 feet deep by 36 feet wide for our two horses. The drainage is excellent and there is never an ammonia odor in the shed.  We actually also put the same drainage I described out to 4 feet in front of the shed as well, to eliminate mud.