Show me your yard layout

[dixie]

As long Last we’ve found a nice property to buy. The only problem is that it doesn’t have any stabling, although there is a dilapidated barn.

Assuming we can get planning permission I would like 4 stables, hay barn and tack room - all depending on cost.

I’m not sure yet whether to have a barn or a stable block instead atm. Probably cost and planning depending.

Would appreciate seeing people’s yard if your happy to post and what you wished you’d done or not done. I would quite like to incorporate some sort of field shelter into the design so they’re not kept in during the summer.

Thanks.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

We had to use the buildings that we inherited and I can't post photos but the best thing we did was convert an old poultry shed into a field shelter. We kept the door from the yard into the shed, so that we can take hay, etc into the shelter without having to go through the field gate.

 

[meleeka]

I just have 2 stables and a store on one side and a haybarn and stable opposite, with a concreted yard in the middle. It’s right in the middle of my land so I can leave stables open for them to free range. I do like that I don’t get wet when it’s raining as everything is close by.

 

[LadyGascoyne]

Ours is below.

Pros:
Having the view of the stables from the house is very helpful.
Proper space for hay makes life easier.
Having electricity, hot water etc on hand is brilliant.
Lots of storage
Well insulated, proper indoor office space separate to the house means farm admin is separate to home admin.
Deliveries are easy, access is easy.

Cons:
Stables don’t have easy access to, and aren’t facing the fields. You have to walk around from the yard to the fields. It’s not a long walk at all, and it’s not a crisis but if one is on box rest, it cannot see it’s friends so two have to come in.

Yard being used as general access for home and farm things means I can’t let them wander in the yard safely on the hard standing, they need to be tied securely at all times.

Weird one but the walkway along the front of the stables is just too narrow. If you’re walking with a wheel barrow, someone else couldn’t pass.



ETA - I plan to put a field shelter in to keep them out as much as possible too. It’s definitely helpful.

 

[The Xmas Furry]

One thing to think about when putting buildings up, is access by vehicle to remove any livestock that becomes deadstock. Likewise gate access too.
Not a pleasant thing to think about but it can and does happen. Nothing worse than distance winching. Bad enough to just go through a door but further is worse.

Sorry, not meaning to derail but some modern yards layouts are a nightmare for fallen stock collection.

 

[SEL]

FF is correct - I've seen that and it wasn't pleasant

I'll try and get a photo later but the biggest plus of my yard is my hay barn. I use half as a tie up area for tacking up, farrier etc because it's under cover and I can store 14 large bales in the other half. The farmer who delivered my hay built it for the previous owners so it has good turning space for tractor delivery.

My muck heap is also situated where he can remove it

Don't underestimate how much storage you'll need for "stuff". I have a tack / feed room but one of the old stables is full of bedding and the other is full of random bits of kit needed for managing land.

I don't have room to turn a trailer annoyingly so bought a 3.5 tonne.

 

[Ahrena]

I can never seem to upload photos but I have 5 stables on an L shape. Two are foaling boxes.

I use the corner following box as a tack and feed room then one of the normal sized ones is a solarium and has the open hay bale in it. I made them all stables so if I ever need to, I can swap uses as and when.

I have a storage container which I’ve put vents in so I can use that to store hay as well but mostly houses tools and kit for land management. Yard is fenced off so there’s a decent concrete bit which they can wander round on if I want them to.

My biggest bug bear is not having a proper hay barn. Also doesn’t help that my stables are at the bottom of a steep hill with a shite track. Will resurface the track next year hopefully but at the moment the hay man doesn’t like bringing his truck and trailer down it as it’s so steep. I get wrapped hay as I don’t have enough covered storage so it lives up the hill by the house and we have to roll it down the hill each week. Luckily the hill is steep enough that it takes itself down, it’s basically a sport.

 

[Ahrena]

The other unforeseen problem is the track is too steep for farriers van! So have to bring horses up to the top by the house and hold them to be shod.

It’s ok at the minute as I only have youngsters so not shod. Unfortunately I can’t do anything about that though. The hill became less steep in my mind between viewing and moving in

 

[pistolpete]

I’d love a big barn would leave it open for access from fields and option to have occasional stabling with moveable partitions. Would be a huge great thing in my dreams!

 

[Sossigpoker]

I really like a U or horse shoe shape with a little courtyard in the middle. This way horses can see each other when they're in and IME it helps horses settle if they're a bit anxious.
The courtyard bit allows for access for machinery to deliver hay (if hay store is a part of it ) and removal for any sadly deceased animals.