Converting barn to stables

[S_N]

Someone I know I converting a large barn into stables. The stables are going up as we speak, but they haven't graded the floor for drainage........ Well, it is slightly on a slope, but all in one direction....... They were counting on the bedding used to soak up any urine/water. What about unsealed rubber mats though? Isn't it going to get a bit icky?

 

[Patches]

My internal stables used to be cow isolation pens that you'd tie cows up in on a log and chain.

They have full height walls to the back and both sides of each stable, vaulted into the ceiling with open beams. Back wall has a window in. We had a front wall built up to six blocks high with an extra wide metal door way on each to the same height as wall. The only bug bear I have is that each stable was graded to drain off the front open aspect as there is a step up to them from the gangway in the stable. The idea was that they could be hosed off, disinfected and water would drain off the front into the drainage channel and outside. Only problem I have is that they now drain out under the doors! Not nice but it would cost a lot of money to redo the flooring and drainage so that they drain out of the back wall.

One plus is that the urine does all run to one corner of the stable and I can easily pick it out as it's well soaked up in the deep bedding. With the front wall being the same height as the door, I don't find that mine stand over the door when in anyway. They tend to stand and look over the wall anyway...comfier to rest their weary heads on I think. It's not ideal, but mine were all but ready for horses to come into and wasn't really cost effective to go knocking about the existing structure.

 

[kildalton]

My mare was in a converted cow stall and like you, all the wee used to come out of the door.Shavings were better, but so expensive, and the wet used to pool under her matting, it was hard work.

 

[S_N]

Hmmmm, but what about the chances of horridness from one stable running across the isle way and into another stable - ewwwww

 

[Maesfen]

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Hmmmm, but what about the chances of horridness from one stable running across the isle way and into another stable - ewwwww

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You'd want to make sure you had one of the top boxes!!

Seriously, could they be persuaded to put in a central gulley running the length of the shed, a scoop out, drainpipe size would be enough; if they didn't want to put a grill on it they could onle gently slope the sides so nobody slips on the slope. Failing that, they could put a channel running along the back of the boxes, or even take out 3 or four baseline bricks in each box on the outer wall to allow any pee to drain through; not neat, but effective.

 

[Patches]

Eeeekkk.. that would be horrid. I only have one "side" of stables so it's not a problem for me. However, anything that runs out of my stables runs along a drainage channel and out of a hole in the external wall. If I did have a block across from mine it wouldn't cause a problem.

I think your friend needs to do something similar with hers.

 

[Patches]

I don't have wee pooling underneath the mats as I have drainage holes drilled through the front wall at intervals. The mats were put down in so that the gulleys underneath them ran parrellel to the drains in the wall. Wee seeps out of there and then drains into a ditch.

I only find that it's Patches stable that has anything at all leak out. She clearly is wetter than the others as their bedding alone soaks up their urine.