stables going up :) Landscaping ideas please

[TJ&Ozzie]

We have finally got planning permission for the stables at home. We are having 2 12x12 boxes with a storage area behind and a tack room. A dream come true for me!

However.....OH has real issues with my horses being "in the garden" and thinks that they make the place look like a certain type of person who lives in a caravan lives there. I am particulaly tidy when it comes to my horses and to me and anyone that visits everywhere is spotless. So to ease the situation I intend to make an extra effort. I wondered if anyone has any pics of their stables in gardens/land close to the house and how you have landscaped around it. Or if anyone has any ideas they would be gratefully recieved. My horses are everything to me and so is my OH I am determined to have both living together in harmony!

 

[Queenbee]

No pics but my friends had some stables built in their garden, they had a few apple trees planted around and it looked really nice sort of orchardy

 

[Queenbee]

Not sure what your style will be but it's nice to have a concrete hard standing out the front bordered with a post and rail to tie up to... Nice and smart, hanging baskets on either end of the stable blocks will really make it smart too and plant some flowers/bushes that will act as fly repellents like elderflower to keep flies away also look at your muck heap location, practical yet hidden away, choose bedding bearing in mind that the muck heap has to be disposed of by you! Lol x I'd go for shavings... Again less flies, nice smell and less waste x congratulations and good luck x

 

[TJ&Ozzie]

Thanks - I had thought about hanging baskets and I have ordered some nice chestnut fencing to go around the block. Muck heap is already in exisitence as the horses have been there a year. OH happy with straw bedding as he uses it on his veg so all good on that one! I like the fruit tree idea

 

[lachlanandmarcus]

Thanks - I had thought about hanging baskets and I have ordered some nice chestnut fencing to go around the block. Muck heap is already in exisitence as the horses have been there a year. OH happy with straw bedding as he uses it on his veg so all good on that one! I like the fruit tree idea

If he wants straw bedding then remind him of this the minute he complains about the smell. I would recommend hemp (Aubiose) instead. Rots down far quicker than straw, far less bulky in the first place, doesnt smell and makes beautiful compost which will not rob the soil of nitrogen when you put it on the soil unlike shavings and less than fully rotted straw.

But he takes his choice ))

I use these for extra exterior storage eg of rubbish/plastics etc (as well as grit). Much better made than flimsy horse stuff! The green ones are smart too.
There ares several stock colours but lots of other colours available without any extra cost, you just have a longer lead time for delivery.
I went for the heavy duty large ones.
http://www.grit-bins.co.uk/

 

[TJ&Ozzie]

If he wants straw bedding then remind him of this the minute he complains about the smell. I would recommend hemp (Aubiose) instead. Rots down far quicker than straw, far less bulky in the first place, doesnt smell and makes beautiful compost which will not rob the soil of nitrogen when you put it on the soil unlike shavings and less than fully rotted straw.

But he takes his choice ))

I use these for extra exterior storage eg of rubbish/plastics etc (as well as grit). Much better made than flimsy horse stuff! The green ones are smart too.
There ares several stock colours but lots of other colours available without any extra cost, you just have a longer lead time for delivery.
I went for the heavy duty large ones.
http://www.grit-bins.co.uk/

Does the Aubiose work out expensive? I'd prefer not be on straw but it is so much cheaper than other beddings.

 

[Queenbee]

Are you getting rubber matting? Will cut down the amount and cost of any bedding you use, also invest in a couple of water buts to collect water from rainfall, saves lots of money in long term . Name plates on stable also make it look extra swish a la Hilton hotel

 

[TJ&Ozzie]

I have my water butts ready Also father in law has made some nice name plates. OH is an awkward so and so at times! I really try my best to keep it tidy but he as a real hang up about it all. Hates electric fencing, buckets, the damage in the gate ways..... pretty much everything!!!!
I honestly think that whatever I do there will always be something! Deep down he will never be a horse fan but if he wants me then they come as part of the deal!! He gets jelous I think!!

 

[Merlin11]

We have a stone wall round our garden and the stables and fields are just over the stone wall and that looks good. Also keeps the horses out of the garden.

 

[LynH]

We are just making amendments to our planning permission and then can start building the stables. I'm so excited.
Our neighbour has Belfast sinks below each tap to collect hay etc so it doesn't blow into their garden which looks really smart. They also have sleepers at the bottom of the fence to stop hay and yard debris blowing onto her oh's lawn. I thought I'd copy both of these ideas to make my stables look smarter. We have grass mats to make the gateways look nicer. I like the idea of Merlin11's stone wall too.

 

[lachlanandmarcus]

Does the Aubiose work out expensive? I'd prefer not be on straw but it is so much cheaper than other beddings.

The bales look expensive but they go a very long way; you need lots and lots less, so that helps.
it depends on how much you pay for straw, normally straw would be a cheaper BUT

you will muck out so much quicker on Aubiose
You use a LOT less than straw even with mucky horses who poo through a sieve and then dance on it (especially them!)
you wont do your back in doing the muck moving
you wont get smell complaints from any neighbours
its eco friendly (the stalk of the hemp, the inner is used for insulation or clothes and this is the stalk structure)
there is Hemcore which is a bit cheaper version
you can combine it with wood pellets which also rot down a lot quicker than straw and less bulky to store/less big muck heap (thats what I do to keep cost down).

Lets just say the farmer next door will give me straw for virtually £0 and I still dont take him up on the offer ...wish Id changed to aubiose/pellets years ago and horses def prefer it as there are no wet patches, the wet just disappears, so they can lie anywhere and it doesnt drag round the stable or blow everywhere.

I found it a lot cheaper than shavings as I used lots less, and a bit more expensive than straw, but not massively.

Certainly if you ever had too much muck for OH to use, then straw would become expensive if you had to pay for it to be taken away.

The great thing about getting your own stables is that you can experiment and see what works for you. It's so nice to be able to do that!