New stables

[Spookywood]

Hi
Can anyone recommend a company who make stables, nothing flashy or too expensive! I'm in aberdeenshire.

Thanks very much

 

[Merlin11]

Saltire built ours and are very good. They are based in Cupar. They are not the cheapest but very good quality and a fair amount of choice on styles and extras. If you see them at a show they sometimes do a discount.

 

[lachlanandmarcus]

I would also recommend Saltire, they built our mini barn (4 stables tack room and gangway) and are coming back this week wheeeeee! to build a large (24x12) high spec field shelter.

It's things like their field shelters having hit and miss boarding along the top of the back to take some of the power out of the wind and stop the shelter being taken up in the gales. No one else I've seen do that as standard. You do pay a full price for their buildings but they are built to a good standard and you do need that up here (ESP where we are facing right onto the mountains). There's no point up here buying cheap and then coming to the field to find matchwood where the shelter was is the theory...:-o

Plus they specify everything down to the last nail etc so before you order you know exactly what you are getting, which I much prefer, would rather have the bad news then, so when I sign on the line I know that's it and exactly what I'm getting. Some others slip it in later or are poorly spec'd for Aberdeenshire weather.

 

[measles]

My OH is just finishing 5 additional stables for us in his spare time after work. I realise how fortunate I am!

 

[Spookywood]

Great thanks guys. I'll ask Saltire for a quote. Would *love* a minibarn!! Not sure my budget would stretch that far though. Are the prices on their website the price you pay or was there any room for negotiation?

Measles, you are lucky, fancy lending your OH out?

Any thoughts on the best layout? I have 2 horses so was thinking along the lines of 2 of the 12 x 12 boxes, a corner box and a tack room which would give me an L-shaped building and use one of the boxes as haystore as required. Any pro's or con's over having them in a straight line?

I'm very excited, can't wait to have my own stables!!

 

[lachlanandmarcus]

I would consider a minibarn as you can keep dry and you can get them like mine with exterior top doors as well as the main interior ones so not boring for the horses and v good air circulation. Certainly get a quote for both as the groundworks might be cheaper cos simpler doing just a rectangle instead of long shape with corners. If you do loose boxes then a corner is a good idea if you face them away from the wind, extra protection from it, and also more sociable for the horses. But groundworks a bit more £ possibly.

The biggest way to save £ is to find some level ground, we didn't have any of that....

Mostly the list price is it, but if you buy something and then like us order again, they give you decent discounts for loyalty and some free upgrades etc. Or maybe I'm just a rubbish negotiator!

They are quite good re advice too eg they advised us in very very exposed location not to have roof lights in mini barn as it means you have to cut holes in the otherwise complete sarking board lining for the roof, and inevitably that slightly impairs strength, we need all the strength we can get in the gales so went without the roof lights.

 

[Spookywood]

Unfortunately my budget only extends to about £6k for the building so a minibarn looks unlikely. Your one sounds amazing though. Very jealous!! Will give Saltire a call and see what they say. Was planning a large rectangular concrete slab the same width and length as the stable block rather than a corridor, so good to hear that's a more cost effective choice. We have already levelled the area and getting it hardcored in the next week, and then getting the concrete in. Just need to order some stables.

Do you know what sort of discounts they offer from their trade stand? I see they are at the Royal Highland this year, just wondering if it would make it worth the trip down, or rather as a tool to encourage the OH to take me down Apparantly to look at the pretty ponies is not a good enough reason to give up his weekend

 

[Merlin11]

You could try asking them if they will be offering discounts at the show. It is also a good chance to see some of their stables although you can also see some at Cupar. Agree an L shape is good for wind protection although mine are just in a line and as they are facing east are sheltered most of the time. I got a block of 2 stables and then a few years later got a field shelter which I use for storing hay but it could easily be converted to 2 more stables. I got a discount on the field shelter as was a repeat customer. Good luck and hope you get to the show!

 

[lachlanandmarcus]

You could try asking them if they will be offering discounts at the show. It is also a good chance to see some of their stables although you can also see some at Cupar. Agree an L shape is good for wind protection although mine are just in a line and as they are facing east are sheltered most of the time. I got a block of 2 stables and then a few years later got a field shelter which I use for storing hay but it could easily be converted to 2 more stables. I got a discount on the field shelter as was a repeat customer. Good luck and hope you get to the show!

That's a good point, it might be worth not ordering it all together if you can wait eg for the hay store, wonder how long the gap would have to be for the repeat order discounts to apply! but maybe the delivery charges x2 would wipe out the discount anyway...)

They will be up with me tomorrow so will post photos of the field shelter once it's up, super exciting!

 

[Merlin11]

I also didn't pay delivery for the field shelter as repeat customer. This may have been because I am not far from Cupar though. Wonder if your field shelter is similar to mine. Mine has 2 five bar gates as I use it as a hay and general store. Very chuffed with it.

 

[lachlanandmarcus]

I also didn't pay delivery for the field shelter as repeat customer. This may have been because I am not far from Cupar though. Wonder if your field shelter is similar to mine. Mine has 2 five bar gates as I use it as a hay and general store. Very chuffed with it.

Probably similar, 24x12 going to use it as lambing shed in spring, summer shelter for horses in summer from the heat or rain and possibly also overflow hay store in winter - it will earn its keep!!

2 five bar gates but lined with board as one of mine tends to wave hooves around so might get one stuck. also divided with boarded gate in the middle as my gelding can't share a field or stable with anything animal vegetable or mineral so the field split fence will also run up frm between the two openings.

Can't wait, it will mean in the high summer the horses can have a more natural time, living out more 24x7 and we will be a bit freer.

 

[lachlanandmarcus]

OP you might also want to consider these guys if your place is reasonably sheltered so the Saltire hit and miss boarding line isn't so critical?

I haven't used them but have seen some good feedback about them online. Also you can ask to go and see local examples of their work, Saltire have sent about 3 lots of people to phone to ask to see our mini barn, tho it would have been nice if they'd asked before if we were happy with agreeing to be approached!

http://strathearnstabling.co.uk/

 

[lachlanandmarcus]

Here's a pic of the Saltire field shelter that went up today

 

[Merlin11]

Very nice lachlanandmarcus. It is very like mine. Only difference I think is the cladding on the gates. I have red tiles but can't quite see yours. The horses and you must be chuffed.

 

[lachlanandmarcus]

It's just black onduline with sarking OSB board and waterproof membrane in between, not as glam as red tiles, very Versace they sounds )

Horses havent got to play yet as we have to divide the field as we have ultra dominant rugby 17 h gelding who would kill Mrs pony mare if she dared to go in his territory ))-

 

[Spookywood]

Ooooo your shelter looks great! Maybe ordering it in 2 bits might work out more economical! Is it a good discount you get as a repeat customer? Unfortunately they won't divulge any show offers until they start doing show prep. Just waiting on a quote from them to come through. Got a quote through from strathearn which is a little higher than the one I got from Vale stabling. Anyone heard of them? Also got an ok quote from National stables, if anyone has any experience of either of these?

That shelter does look good and sturdy though hope they come back with a competitive quote. Can't wait to get some stables!!! Yippeee

 

[lachlanandmarcus]

Ooooo your shelter looks great! Maybe ordering it in 2 bits might work out more economical! Is it a good discount you get as a repeat customer? Unfortunately they won't divulge any show offers until they start doing show prep. Just waiting on a quote from them to come through. Got a quote through from strathearn which is a little higher than the one I got from Vale stabling. Anyone heard of them? Also got an ok quote from National stables, if anyone has any experience of either of these?

That shelter does look good and sturdy though hope they come back with a competitive quote. Can't wait to get some stables!!! Yippeee

We got free delivery and upgrading to the wall lining boarding inside and also a 10% discount on the basic shelter price, although we had so many options on top of the basic that it probably was more like 5% off the total because of that. But if you had a more base spec it would be the 10% I assume, tho best to check.

Haven't had any experience of Vale stables, but National have a decent reputation and we almost bought a house in Kent that had a National block and it was good quality, so worth considering definitely tho I think they have different ranges depending on budget.

Basically it's a stable building in all but the lack of a concrete base. Where you could save more than we did is if you erect it yourself cos that's not discounted and seems expensive...well until you contemplate having to do it, it took 4 of them who are used to doing it day in and out and with all the equipment and generator a day to put it together but I reckon it would have taken OH and I a week and wouldn't be as well done...