So, American Barns...are OWNERS happier?

Enfys

Enfys

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Following on from the 'are horses happier in american barns?' thread, because I'm bored, ill, and it's snowing.

What about owners though, what do you prefer?

Personally, given the choice, I would never, ever, have outside stabling again. The pros of a barn outweigh the cons.
 
Hmm, difficult one. I like barns because you're out of the weather, it's slightly warmer, and it's quite social. It seems cosier too, and easier to keep clean and dry, no ice etc. But then I like outside stables where you can be in the sun (ha ha), and I find it easier to keep myself to myself.

However, my horse prefers outside stables, so so do I :)
 
i'm loving the barn, purely for the shelter from the rain. The only downside is I'm paranoid someone can hear me when I'm talking to the horse, as I just spout complete waffle to him when i'm grooming.
 
The American Barns that I have been in have no storage outside the stable and the middle aisle is too narrow so if one horse is tied outside another can't pass safely. I wouldn't want to be in close proximity of at least 11 other boarders, so I would always opt for an outside stable with overhang.
 
I prefer being in a barn, find everything easier in there :) Especially sweeping up without the wind blowing it everywhere!
Also like that I dont have to walk outside to the arena as the indoor is under the same roof :D
 
I am lucky at my yard, the American barn is huge. We have been known to have every horse tied outside their stable and still have room to walk a horse down the middle. Some barns don't have much space but ours is big.
 
Hmmm, only kept my horses in an american barn set up once, and on that experience alone whilst I wouldn't be put off, I also wouldn't rave about them.

Obviously it depends on the barn, but whilst this one was very well ventitlated, it stank inside from the 2 stables out of the 10 that were only on rubber mats. It got very very hot in summer, and stayed very cold in winter, obviously it was good in the rain though!

Socially....er you couldn't really get away from people, which was fine until the b*tching began between people!! Again, depends on who is at your yard, but I used to get driven nuts by sweeping up outside my stables, and then someone dropping muck all over where I had just swept! My mare was on box rest for 8 months whilst we were there, and I think it would have been nicer for her to have been in an outside stable, as during the day when all the other horses were turned out there wasn't really much for her to look at apart from the empty aisle!

I'm sure though there are some lovely examples!!
 
Would chose a nice america barn over a nice outdoor stable block. The ones where Leo is based are fab- The horses arn't tied up in the middle and go in stalls to be tacked up etc, works really well and probably easier to keep everything clean. We have 2 small indoor blocks of 4 at home and 6 outdoor stables, just as space allows really.
 
Have been in several barn style systems and the one I'm in now is far the best. Its old fashioned stone/brick stabling with scalloped fronts so the horses have a good view, its very well ventilated, stays warm in winter and cool in summer and is very sociable for people and horses - the tackroom, feedroom etc are also in the barn so there is alway plenty going on which is great for my boy when he's in as he's incurably nosy!!

Given the choice I prefera good indoor system as it makes everything so much easier, don't think my horse really cares, his main priority is being able to see what's going on so if he's got 'a room with a view' he's happy!
 
Our yard has both instead of a long corridor, the stables (5 of them in each block) are shaped in a C, with the open side facing onto the yard.

You then have 2 stables each with a little window facing the yard, 2 larger stables and then the middle one facing the yard.

I haven't explained it very well, but it really works well. Is also good as should there be a fire, no corridor, just open doors and let them out. I prefer this tbh.
 
Not sure if I'd cope with outdoor stabling now!!

Our American barn is lovely and light and airy, really well ventilated. We can shut the back windows and the doors in the worst weather and make it nice and cosy too. It's fab in the snow and ice as it's not treacherous inside for mucking out etc
Tackroom, feed room, storage as well as wash down area all under one roof means theres always something going on for people to watch and it's nice and sociable.

Our aisle is big enough for 2 horses to walk side by side, but the tie up is at the far end by the tackroom. Works perfectly. Means theres under cover space for the farrier or vet too.

The back windows on each side open out onto the fields, so any horses on box rest can still see other horses, as well as the general goings on of horses being tacked up etc.

Then again it's a private yard, no liveries only comp horses ... and I think it's the no-b*tching that makes it really pleasant!
 
Yes as I don't get wet so that makes me happy. Fortunately have plenty of storage/wide aisle so that it good. Only downside is that when it is sunny outside, being outside would be nicer. Fortunately horses have plenty of turn out and there is a wide door to the barn so they do get their sunshine.
 
I've stabled in both and all the barns I've been in have had a narrow aisle, so you couldn't really tie up outside your stable. I think there are clear pros and cons for both.

When I moved to my current yard my horse was in the barn, but he hated it and turned into a monster! I had to move him to the outdoor stables where he is now happy as larry. Personally, I'm quite happy being outdoors as when it is sunny and nice I get the benefit of it. When it's raining or horrible I just stay in the stable/under the overhang :)
 
outside stables with overhang, I absolutely HATED the american barns at college, they drove me mad, they were unbelievably dismal and I actually felt depressed for my poor horse.
 
RunToEarth said:
outside stables with overhang, I absolutely HATED the american barns at college, they drove me mad, they were unbelievably dismal and I actually felt depressed for my poor horse.
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I'm with you there. Dark, dismal, dusty, claustraphobic and unnatural. If I were to have a barn of any sort I'd have one completely empty of stables, just bedding, so the horses could stay in their pair and group bonds. I've drawn up the design (a round barn) now just need to win the lottery.
 
I now can't imagine being on a yard with outdoor stables. Our barn is lovely and cool in the summer but doesn't get stuffy in the winter when they are all in. They can all see lots of other horses and there are big doors at one end and on the side at the other so it doesn't become a wind tunell. It is wide enough to tie outside your stable and you can store rugs, grooming kit etc outside as well. The tack room is inside the barn and feed rooms are part of the barn but the access is from the outside
 
I love American barns! Having ridden in England recently, I was miserable tacking up and grooming in the freezing cold, but the barns in America are so much more pleasant. The place where I ride has a wide corridor, and each stable has a "shed row" door facing out as well as a grilled door facing in, so you can have the best of both worlds.
 
I love the barn my horses are in - it's light, airy, my inquisitive mare has an end stable with great views down a well-used lane so lots of action to watch when she's in; they can see all the other horses in the barn and play through the bars, all their rugs/fleeces etc all hang on the outside of each stable. It does help that the tack room, wash down bay and grooming bays are all integral within the barn. It only takes a few strides out of the barn to access the covered arena, but I can do all my grooming and tacking up in the dry - heaven!!
 
Back to the original question, are owners happier? Yes, I think it satisfies some nurturing, cosying up and secure type issue with some owners, and for others it's convenient to have their horses in a dry enviroment.

Sorry, it's just me I suppose, but I can't cope with that sort of regimented way of keeping horses. And thinking about it more, and purely from an owner's point of view, it tends to create a lot more sniping, bitching and oneupmanship amongst owners in that close enviroment, than if the stables were seperate. The way you muck out, feed, rug your horse and tie your haynet , it's all watched and noted. Don't get me wrong, the last time I kept my horses in an american barn I made some great friends, but it just wasn't right for me and my horses.
 
I've done both, and I like the american barn set up better. When I was at a shed row barn, it was hard to lug all the tack to my tied up horse (where there was no safe way to tie under the overhang, only on the tie up post out in the open parking lot). At my barn, I have a wash bay out of the aisle, next to the tack room, with cross ties in the aisle if needed. Horses have dutch doors that all open out, with sliding doors facing it. It's very airy and situated to get the cross breezes in our very hot summers. Now, in the frigid cold (-11 last night) I can close up the doors and windows, and the horse's own heat keep the water buckets from freezing. The shedrow barn also had much smaller stalls. The shedrow barn we didn't mingle much. My barn now is private, so no drama anyway.
 
If the isles are built wide enough to tie my horse up in :rolleyes: At the yard I'm at there's a barn and a covered area with three other stables in- Red is in the covered area as he doesn't fit in the damn isle! He is too long! So has to be in the other bit, although it's quite nice as you can get away from all the annoying people in the barn and I basically have the covered bit all to myself :D If he fit in it I would like the barn :p
 
I think the answer to the question is: People like American Barns but do not like an English version.
One yard I have been in here in UK, had all the stalls in barns - I hated it, my horses hated it. I'm now at a farm that has a number of outside rows of stables. But I visited Lexington a few years ago and the Barns were beautifully designed. Great ventilation, wide aisles, big outer windows that could be covered up in winter, super sliding doors etc. etc.
 
Think so nicer than being outside! Have near perfect ones where my horse is big high barns with yorkshire boarding on top half of walls so lots of airflow. My horse is at end one so she can see outside a bit. Really like the ones with windows to the rear.
Think the social aspect is good in a nice yard.
 
I like it cause my sausage can see all the other sausages, so it's nicer for them all, our stables are nice and large so you can do everything from inside the stable without tying up outside, so no problems there, best setup I have ever had.
 
PapaFrita said:
A good barn is great, a rubbish one.. well... just not worth it :)
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Definately!!!

I like to think ours is a good one, at least im happy with it! Its well lit, airy, good width isle, plenty of storage. The only thing i would change if I could would be outside windows, but to be fair the horses spend most of their time flat out asleep so I dont think they would really use them anyway! Oh & an indoor school :D
Heres ours mid construction of stage 2!
363-1.jpg

Stage 1 complete
13969_198858934399_506569399_391176-1.jpg
 
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