Stone vs. Wood Stabling?

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kit279

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If you were building a stable block from scratch, would you choose wood or stone stables and why? Which is more expensive?

Am trying to work out whether it is worth getting a quote for breezeblock type stables or whether I should just stick to the wooden ones.

Any pros/cons/advice welcome!
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I love wood stable, I feel they are much warmer in the winter. Not sure about the price, I know wooden loose boxes are expensive but no idea what breeze block would cost.

I would say a con of wood is if you get a horse that kicks you need good quality kick boards and even then you are not guaranteed no damage, my WB knocked a huge hole in the back of his wooden stable by bucking above the kick boards!
 
In my experience my parents old stone cow barns make perfect stables, being light and airy without being cold in the winter. The wooden stables at the livery yard get quite hot in the summer (I've taken to using a chain instead of the door to help the air circulate) and I don't have any experience of concrete blocks/breezeblocks but assume they will be more expensive but more long lasting than wood?
 
I'd go for stone everytime, warm in the winter, cooler in the summer, and they dont rot/require the maintenance of wooden ones.....
 
Planners may have a view! I know that in some areas they take the view that block built stables are more likely to be turned into living accommodation.

Personally, had I the choice, I would choose block, stone or brick over wood every time. I have both brick and wood stables and in the winter the water very rarely freezes in the brick stables but often does in the wooden ones. In the summer the brick stables are cool but it's sweltering in the wooden ones.
 
We are going for brick stables (hopefully if the architect ever gets off his backside!) Mainly because they last longer, are stronger, and take less day to day maintenance, and look nicer.

Downsides are your business rates/council tax will go up (don't ask me why, I have no idea) and unless you insulate them, they are colder than wood.
 
Having had a horse on box through the summer in both stone and wood, I would say stone. It was much cooler, the wood stable turned into a sauna!
 
We have one wooden stable & two stone at home. I rather the stone one because if its a hot day the wooden stable is far to hot to put a horse in. The stone ones are nice & cool.
 
My barn is stone with interior walls in concrete block.

http://photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-...5_7531024_n.jpg

If I was building from scratch I would use breeze blocks, render the outside of the building and maybe line the box walls with marine ply. You can put a much more substantial roof on block walls. I would also try and put a rammed earth/clay floor down in the boxes if I wasn't using mats, rather than concrete, but that's pesonal choice and wasn't possible for me as the stable floors are different heights.
 
I thought you meant acctual stone! Real stone stables are the best! Nice and cool in the summer, warm in winter. The stables at work are in a coaching yard built 1886 with internal loose boxes (were stalls too but taken out for carriage museam) like the ones described in black beauty with bars half way up. They are fabulous and brilliantly designed, sloped floors, two drains, mangers, hay racks, horseproof locks. Only issue is cobbles are a bit slipery.

I have seen some nice breeze block stables but I think its the roof thats all important and window placement so breeze can circulate. Oh and of course positioning. Wood is cheaper but less durable than a well made concrete/stone box. Wood also needs painting/creasoting and that sort of thing.
 
If you can get PP on, and afford some sort of stone/brick stables then deffo go for that.

Wooden stables get really warm in the summer which is a real no no for me
 
All our horses chew wood worse than beavers so for us it's breeze block / stone all the way! (No idea why they do it as they're definitely not underfed and it doesn't matter if it's treated or not, or whether they're in the field
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All our horses chew wood worse than beavers so for us it's breeze block / stone all the way! (No idea why they do it as they're definitely not underfed and it doesn't matter if it's treated or not, or whether they're in the field
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!!)

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Funny how some horses just seem to like chewing wood! I've known perfectly content, happy, healthy horses who just like to chew. They don't windsuck on it just distroy it!

We have to linsead the loose boxes every now and then and they all end up licking the walls for hours...... great bordom breaker though! lol
 
We built our own some five years ago now and opted for block. Warm in winter, cool in summer, sturdy, sholdl last much longer - and won't burn so easily!!
Price wise, I believe block is more expensive, but, IMO, worth it.
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