Barn layout suggestions/tips please

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now_loves_mares

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Just got a building warrant to put up a new barn. It is roughly 12m long by 10m wide. My plans are for 3 stables, a wash bay, a tack room, and a hay store. All 6 "bays" will be 14'*12' (excuse the jump from metric to imperial). Just trying to work out the best combination. The 3 stables will be at one end - so two next to each other down the long side, and one opposite the first stable. The wash bay will be opposite the next stable. The tack room and hay store will be opposite each other at the other end. So would it best to have:

Stable..........Stable
Wash bay.....Stable
Hay store......Tack Room

Or

Stable........Stable
Stable.........Wash bay
Hay store....Tack room

The hay store and tack room are fairly fixed due to the way the doors work but the wash bay could go either side. If it matters, the right hand side as per the layout above is South facing, and the left hand side is north. The stables and wash bay will have top doors that open.

Or would I be better making any of the bays smaller to leave a bigger storage area. Eg do I need a 14*12 tack room?

Happy to take any and all suggestions. Oh another question, I will be using partitions from stables online and need to decide on full grill/half grill or full boarding between the 2 adjoining stables, and the stable and wash bay.
 
How is the drainage from the washbay going to work? That could be a decider on where to site that, also how often do you need a wash bay, I'd personally double the storage for hay/bedding & use the isle for washing off, assuming water will drain away & not into stables etc
 
I would put the wash bay after the two stables on one side
And make your tack room half the size and use the rest of it for a larger hay / bedding store on the other side with the one stable (if that makes sense!). Have it with easy access to get stuff in.
You can never have enough storage for hay / bedding and means you can buy in bulk and save cash
But a v large tack room encourages you to accumulate lots of stuff you likely don't need for 3 horses
I do think a wash bay with cross ties is useful for washing (esp if you can get hot water) but also for farrier and tacking up etc.
 
I have to agree, drainage was my first thought too. You'll need to get your falls to a drain perfect and probably seal the panels from the wash bay if they are adjacent to either a stable or a store. I would definitely look to put it at one end if at all possible.
 
Wibbler we can put the drains anywhere as it's a completely blank field right now, there will be a central gully into proper drains so it doesn't really matter what side it goes from that point of view. My thinking of the sizing was that it could become another stable if needs be. But maybe that means putting it next to the hay store makes sense, so if I find I am not using the washbay much I could remove the partition and expand the storage.

SportsmanB not 100% sure I can move the tack room but I can give it some thought. I take your point about stuff, but I already have a lot! All the spare rugs, electric fencing stuff, etc all adds up. I haven't decided where to put the feed yet - perhaps also in the tack room, freeing up space for more hay.

Maybe I could make the washbay smaller just now and, as I won't be buying a front for it, always move it if I find I need a bigger stable. Would a 10ft wide washbay work?
 
Where is the access to the barn? Will wet weather cause problems if hay is stored next to a wide open barn door? Then again, easy access to deliver hay would be a benefit. How wide will the aisle be? Can a trailer be reversed in fully?

Will the haystore being next to a stable cause problems? My mare would do anything to reach around and snaffle the hay, and would probably break the partitions in the process.

What an exciting problem to have though, good luck!
 
Would the drainage really be more of a problem than, say, having a hose you used in the aisle? In my last house we had a timber stable block and just hosed off outside, the water didn't seep into the stables. However I guess I could put the washbay at the top end, ie away from tack room etc, I just thought it would be more practical closer to where all my stuff is stored.

HeyMich those are good questions. The barn will have 2 sliding doors - one at the gable end where the stables are going, this will be the route in and out to the fields. There is then another sliding door on the side wall where the hay store is - so hay can go straight in here but horses won't need access unless in emergency. So this door will stay shut unless I'm putting bales etc in. There is then a pedestrian door on the gable end near the hay end, which is where I will come in and out from the house.

I will put a solid partition up between the stable and hay store to prevent that issue, but it's a good point!
 
Yes your washbay wouldn't have to be as wide as a a stable - wide enough to comfortably turn and work from either side, then you could use that extra space for bedding / feed and keep the tack room.
I tend to stay away from feed in the tack room if possible, due to the extra potential for uninvited guests (!) but also so that tack room can be more securely locked up, and if for example popping out to feed in PJ's or getting someone else to do it when you're not there, it reduces the risk of an accidentally unsecured tack room or having to remember / give someone extra keys. You can get good shelving and plan the tack room well since you are starting from scratch and should still be able to store plenty in it.
Its definitely a nice problem to have, but I am sure it feels like a responsibility too to try and think of all the things now since you will be enjoying it for years!
 
w1bbler said:
How is the drainage from the washbay going to work? That could be a decider on where to site that, also how often do you need a wash bay, I'd personally double the storage for hay/bedding & use the isle for washing off, assuming water will drain away & not into stables etc
Click to expand...

This. I would have drainage so you can wash off in the isle, just so you could decide to convert the wash bay to a stable if you so wished. I would have that next to the hay store so you could also decide to convert the wash bay to a stable if that was needed. That way the wash bay could convert either way.

I would not have bars between the wash bay and stable, however careful you try to be with a hose, in the end you will woosh the water through the bars, and if you converted to a hay store you would be better to have a solid barrier to the dust when shaking hay/ sweeping the hay store.

So, I would have the top configuration, with a solid partition between the wash bay and stable.
 
sportsmansB thanks that's useful hints re feed storage etc. Yeah mice were a problem in our last place, except we had a very good mouser who is sadly no longer with us. Security points very well received too, thanks.
 
I would go for top configuration, so you could make wash bay into additional storage if needed. Where will you hang wet/dirty rugs, somewhere to sling them that isn't in your tack room makes life a lot easier. Could you have a smaller well organised tack room, then space for drying rugs, numnahs etc? Solid partitions for storage and wash bay, but I would go for half grille partitions between stables. Think about where you will feed hay in stables and put the solid bits there. My lot get on well but it stops arguments and greedy pony pinching someone else's hay
 
Maybe i am wrong but to me this wont work 12m == 39ft 10m ==33ft presuming that is interior sizes, (will be about 1ft6 smaller each way if external sizes) 3 x 12ft == 36 (3 × 13 =39) 2x 14 = 28ft 33ft -28 ft = 5ft centre isle , thats not a lot to have to turn into with a bigish horse.
 
Hmm so how about

Stable 14*12..........Stable 14*12.
Wash bay 10*12.....Stable 12*12
Hay store 18*12......Tack 10*12
Hay store................Feed area 6*12

Would mean the ends of the wash bay were not quite aligned but might not matter as the tack room will be a solid wall. And I currently only have 2 horses so would use the two bigger stables opposite each other. The hay store will sort of spill over the aisle too as I don't need through passage for horses.
 
The stables are 14feet long, ie 4.2m. Yes those were internal dimensions. Stables are 12feet deep, 3.9m, with the aisle between them.

My sizes in the original post were rough. It does all work out fine on the official plans!
 
Are you planning on having an aisle between the hay store and tack room?

I would put the tack room and haystore at one end but have the tack room within the haystore at one side - you're losing a space of 2.6m x 3.2 for an aisle where it is not really necessary - i would have the 3 stables and 1 washbay and then close off the other end to make one big room for hay storage, feed and a secure tack room
 
now_loves_mares said:
Hmm so how about

Stable 14*12..........Stable 14*12.
Wash bay 10*12.....Stable 12*12
Hay store 18*12......Tack 10*12
Hay store................Feed area 6*12

Would mean the ends of the wash bay were not quite aligned but might not matter as the tack room will be a solid wall. And I currently only have 2 horses so would use the two bigger stables opposite each other. The hay store will sort of spill over the aisle too as I don't need through passage for horses.
Click to expand...

NLM - I think this is a good configuration but would suggest you make the wash bay 12*12 as that way it would be easy to convert to another stable if required. Yes you will 'lose' 2' of hay store but in the long run it makes it a much more flexible layout
 
alibali said:
NLM - I think this is a good configuration but would suggest you make the wash bay 12*12 as that way it would be easy to convert to another stable if required. Yes you will 'lose' 2' of hay store but in the long run it makes it a much more flexible layout
Click to expand...


agree with this ^^. 2ft is nothing with regards a hay store, but could make a big difference when you start adding to your herd, which happens, even when its not meant too:D:D

the separate feed room is a must. Mine is similar to what you have put, maybe a but more narrow, and I can get feedbins in and rug racks. So its a great room, and keeps all the mess out of the tack room
 
I would have the washbay at 10'x12' which could be turned into a pony stable at a later date, we used to keep all our smaller ponies in 10'x10' when I was younger and only horses got the 12' stables.

I would also have the tack room 8'x12'.

You cannot have too big a hay store and other things can get put there when stocks are low.

I ha

Just make sure that you have sufficient ventilation.
 
Ah we have dissenting opinions! The partition would be moveable I think, but that might mean the drains were off centre. So what would be the best size for the washbay as a washbay, do we think? 12*12 would match the other side if I went for that plan?

Also I wonder if the feed area is better the other side of the tack room. So:
Stable......Stable
Washbay....Stable
Hay store....Feed area
Hay store....Tack room
 
Trying to picture it, but providing you can get the drainage working right is put the washbay in between stable and hay storage. Just thinking in case of fire you just have a bit more chance of getting horses out
 
A further thought is would you have sufficient height to put a ceiling/ mezzanine floor over tackroom / feed area for further storage.
 
100% have your wash bay backing to the prevailing wind.

my old one did allow some drafts in due to location in, where as at new yard its totally sheltered and it makes a massive difference to warmth-with the heat lamps on i can strip down to a thin jumper mid winter and crack on with grooming/washing/clipping etc.
 
Andrew657 said:
A further thought is would you have sufficient height to put a ceiling/ mezzanine floor over tackroom / feed area for further storage.
Click to expand...

Yes the tack room will have a flat roof, so I can store things up there, I'd forgotten about that.

Hallo2012 said:
100% have your wash bay backing to the prevailing wind.

my old one did allow some drafts in due to location in, where as at new yard its totally sheltered and it makes a massive difference to warmth-with the heat lamps on i can strip down to a thin jumper mid winter and crack on with grooming/washing/clipping etc.
Click to expand...

Hmm it will be inside the barn. I think the prevailing wind would come to the corner where the tack room and pedestrian door are going to be. Hopefully not too drafty.
 
Sounds fab! After being stabled in an American barn with wood partitions half way and then grills I would definately have it partitioned off fully, as a number of horses including mine hated their neighbours in their personnal space and many booted the walls. It did look lovely and light being 'open' but liveries were having to put rugs over the grills to prevent the kicking. Also skylights definately lightened up the whole barn.
 
I'm not 100% sure what to do for the best about the grills. My current two horses are used to being stabled together but have done both being able to see each other, and not. They don't seem to mind which. However if I go with the configuration I have, they'd be across the corridor from each other and it would only become an issue if I introduced another horse. I'm highly likely to, but it may just be a pony.
 
Think of drainage, do you need the wash area to be internal could you have an outside concrete pad linked to a drain, giving more room for hay storage.
 
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