To those with American-style barns, either at home or at livery

[prosefullstop]

We are due to build a small barn at home later this year. I'm in the States, but English, and am far more accustomed to shed row stables than I am American-style barns. Needles to say we are very excited, but want to make sure everything is right!

We have someone building the structure for us, but it's down to me to select the stall hardware and such. And down to me to make sure we've crossed all the t's. The barn will have three 12 x 14 stalls, a 6 x 14 feed room, an 18 x 14 heated tack room, and a 12-foot centre aisle. Each stall will have a Dutch door leading to an individual, all-weather pen that will measure roughly 50 x 25, to be used when I'm either mucking out or when things get really nasty in winter and field turnout isn't possible. Hay will be stored separately, though there will be a loft upstairs for extra storage. One side of the barn will have a large overhang and cemented area for washing.

So what about hardware? Do horses generally prefer grille barriers between stalls or solid wooden barriers? Does your barn have drop-down grilles at the front of each stall? Or fully enclosed ones? Are automatic waterers something you like?

Feel free to rip apart any element of the design or point out glaring omissions! I shall obviously post picture updates once building work begins in September.

 

[Mince Pie]

The only thing I will say is that if you are having bars between the stables/the walkway is make them narrow. A couple of years ago a member on here lost her horse after it got it's foot stuck between the bars of it's stable

 

[OldNag]

I am at livery. We have grilles between the stables and that seems to work fine.

I love the barn setup, if I ever get the chance to build my own stables that's what I would do.
Have fun!

 

[Kat]

I am at livery and we have bars round some boxes and others are enclosed. Personally I would enclose them all. Lots of horses don't like the open sides so they have been boarded over. Horses can try to fight and can feel threatened by their neighbours watching them eat etc. Also if you only have bars you can't isolate a sick horse.

We all have bars to the aisle with space for them to look out. You can buy infill grilles for any that weave, bite or prefer to be enclosed.

 

[Polos Mum]

I don't like bars, having had a horse bite off a large lump of his own tongue fighting with the horse next door they do seem to cause problems

In a big livery yard with lots of horses coming and going all the time I'd probably enclose them all - but that will make it very dark and really reduce ventilation.

At home with your own horses (assuming you turn out together anyway) why have bars at all, my walls are quite low as I was going to do bars - then changed my mind and just left them - but an extra row of blocks and you'd stop any bickering . Ignore the ponies but the pick belowives you an idea


One thing to condsider - if I did mine again I'd put the doors in the middle so I had a corner for hay bar and a corner for water buckets - my water buckets are effectively in the doorway and it's a pain

I hate auto waterers - they always seem dirty as you don't spot the dirt, you can't see how much they are drinking and if they pull them off the wall your stable turns into a swiming pool!

The more storage you can find the better, wheelbarrows, mucking out stuff, wet/ not in use rugs,spare buckets blah blah - I fill a whole 4m2 stable with non valuable but esential kit not including feed and tack

 

[becca1305]

I think bars are a personal preference - for people and horses! I have a mixture which was forced by converting a very old red brick barn, however it works really well tbh. I only have (narrow) bars between 2 stables, then each of those stables has a solid brick wall the other end. This gives them some privacy (their stables are pretty big) but also one horse to chat to if they so want. I have this set up on 4 stables. One of my stables has walls both sides but this is the largest one so doesn't feel enclosed, and she is on the corner so can see all the others out her door easily and has a rear window to look out of. I'd be tempted to do this if building new, and never put bars on both sides of a stable. Make sure you have at least one that is solid walls both sides as an isolation box.

I'd also consider the longevity of the stabling type in terms of keeping it aesthetically pleasing - wood is prone to chewing and teeth scraping in my experience! However I'm not sure how easy this is to get round.

Other great designs I've seen - a couple of bars up each side of the top of the stable door to prevent horses biting their neighbour if doors are close together, with a gap in the middle for them to put their head out, but also with a closeable barred hatch/door.

Full height hay/haylage rack (gap at base that slopes gently up to prevent a hoof getting stuck under, for seeds to drop through) with a hatch in aisle to put forage in without having to go in stable.

Auto waterers I would go for if they can be turned off individually for eg if you have a sick horse and want to keep it on box rest and monitor amongst other things its water intake. However I have little personal experience of them and have heard of them freezing/ naughty horses pulling them off the wall.

Everyone will have different opinions on these things but I think you are being sensible to find out as much as possible before investing! Very exciting hope your new barn turns out to be everything you want it to be .

 

[Polos Mum]

A better angle, you've given yourself a nice wide walkway - skrimping on this is (IMHO) the cause of much tension, and you've got windows out the back (I'm guessing the door to their individual turnout will only be a half door - good also.

Where barns go wrong are when there is too little ventilation and too little light - I was always told if spider webs can take hold - the ventilation isn't good enough so if you have to dust down cobwebs then look at improving air flow

 

[Exploding Chestnuts]

The feed room looks very narrow, but you can compromise there.
not too much heat in tack room, but also ventilate to allow moisture to leave the room.
Do you have somewhere for for wet and dirty rugs
I would make sure plenty of natural light and ventilation, barn doors can be clear plastic windows. The roofing can be 10% clear.
I don't like haynets so hay to one side and water bucket on the other.
Make sure water won't freeze and also a drain near a tap., you need a hose down area

 

[Maesfen]

My stables were made from the old shippon so five in a row onto a passage with a large sliding door at the bottom, an outer door at both top and halfway; windows or doors opposite each box with a window in what is effectively, boxes 2 and 4. That is what I couldn't change at all and it has fared me well for the last 24 years, I wouldn't have changed a thing. The end boxes have their doors in the outer corners but the other boxes have theirs in the middle and I wouldn't change that either as it gives them added strength with the steel box door post; those shown without a doorpost above actually look quite flimsy to me and I know it would have been sod's law that the wall would have crashed down several times when you have youngsters having shenaigans as they don't respect you or their boundaries! As you go in the middle boxes, they had water bucket hooks in the right corner (had youngsters so stopped them tipping them over!) with hay racks and mangers on the back walls; now we have automatic drinkers either in the left front or right front corners (again, we had to adapt where we could, we couldn't start from scratch) The walls are concrete blocks with restraining bars down into the concrete and they have full width grills between the boxes. The grills are made of strong mesh type steel, the sort used to makes kennels runs, the holes are so small you can just get a finger through; I personally wouldn't use bars at all for dividing panels particularly with youngsters and foals but these mesh grills have been great. The only things I would change would be to have a panel where the manger is against the adjoining box to give them more privacy but as each manger is in the top left corner, they don't actually eyeball their neighbour when eating and to have a half door fitted into the solid back wall so they could look out (the ventilation has always been good in it) but as they would look straight into the old railway embankment that stretches above the height of the building they wouldn't actually have a view!!

I agree, your feed room seems a little on the small side when you take into account the bins and bags of food you will need to store; if you made it a bit bigger you could use it as a store for the stable tools/wheelbarrow too. Don't forget some shelving too for all the supplements, wormers etc. I love the idea of their outer pens too.

 

[prosefullstop]

Thank you so much for contributing ideas. I guess all the large barns over this way have the bars between stalls, but one horror story is definitely enough for me to reassess. And I'm going to divide the tack room in two, so that the tack and feed rooms are adjacent, measure 9 x 14 each, and the smaller 6 x 14 will now be the staircase leading to the upper level, which will have a wide catwalk around three quarters of the space, where I intend to have trunks for rugs and smaller items.

Does 9 x 14 seem big enough for a feed room? There will be two large skylights, and barn doors on all four sides, so ventilation shouldn't be an issue.

The builder has proposed this for the interior (just in terms of stall design; the roof is going to be twenty feet tall). Any thoughts?

 

[Polos Mum]

I like the lay out - personally I hate wood (as you'll spot I don't even have doors on mine!) at they eat it, kick it, get it wet so it swells/ rots etc.

No windows out the back of this one, but you've said you'll have a second door to turnout so that won't be an issue - this is a sales photo and it still looks dark!

Over here monarch do a lovely plastic wood effect for internal stables that looks really smart but without all the down sides of wood, or blocks (with steel rods down the middle are really very tough)

ETA - no kickbolts on the doors -having seen a horse with his foot stuck in the bottom of a door I'd make those essential (if I had doors that is !!)

 

[prosefullstop]

I hear you loud and clear about the wood, Polos Mum, but I think wood is my only choice. Everything is made in wood in Connecticut. Even my house is wooden (and 1770, so it's somehow managed to survive through the harsh winters). You can get metal buildings, but only in specific sizes as far as I'm aware, and I have to do this from scratch, as our footprint is a former tennis court and everything slopes off after that.

 

[Polos Mum]

Ahh tricky, then do lots of research into whether to have it pressure treated or not and if so with what - they will eat it so best not pressure treat it with something nasty,
Also find out what is horse safe that you can paint on it to protect it a bit and make it last longer and to stop them eating it
I guess you'll know whether you're eat wood already if they're already in wooden stables but I was amazed at the speed 3 of mine went though the partition of a wooden fieldshelter I had!
Cribox worked for a time (no idea if you can get it there) but it's really sticky so all over a stable probably isn't a good idea!

 

[prosefullstop]

Ahh tricky, then do lots of research into whether to have it pressure treated or not and if so with what - they will eat it so best not pressure treat it with something nasty,
Also find out what is horse safe that you can paint on it to protect it a bit and make it last longer and to stop them eating it
I guess you'll know whether you're eat wood already if they're already in wooden stables but I was amazed at the speed 3 of mine went though the partition of a wooden fieldshelter I had!
Cribox worked for a time (no idea if you can get it there) but it's really sticky so all over a stable probably isn't a good idea!

I have a long list of proposed materials, so I'll get it out later and have a look. I know that the material will be majority hemlock, which is very popular for barns, and I know that it's what the Amish use (they are renowned barn builders).

In any case, I love doing all the research, and get to pore over tasty-looking barns, such as this one

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFkoqoaYyTc

 

[SusieT]

I would encloe each stall but with grill 'window' between them. Either at front or back.
Something that's easy to board over if neccessary but that if horses are all ok lets them see each other while still having privacy.
I would never stable in wood stables having had a fire-being concrete saved us losing the horses.
I would definitely have automatic waterers-love them
!
There's a special type of hay feeder I'd love to have-it's essentially tall bars in the corner which means that they don't pull hay everywhere but not high like a hay rack.
Or a hay manger of some sort.
I like having at least one of my stables with a high door-means if ever I have a naughty horse in I can put them in with no issues re jumping out!
And window wise I would have the facility to close them but still have light (barred plastic material)

 

[SusieT]

Also- the godsend with auto waterers is to have a tap on each and every one so you can turn them off individually fithye leak or need isolating.

 

[Cocorules]

I kept 2 on livery in a very large American Barn arrangement. The stables were large and separated by grilles. One of mine was bullied by another horse through the bars and she could only use part of the stable until the YO moved them to another stable. As you will be able to control who goes where this may never be a problem for you though.

I agree with the person who mentioned spiders webs above as I spent ages knocking them down too. You definitely want good ventilation.

This does not only apply to Barns but the other issue that has bugged me in different places is drainage. Bad drainage is miserable so I would be really keen to really get check you are happy with that.

 

[Goldenstar]

I don't like to have no stable where a horse can completed protected from others .
So would always have at least one stable where the side walls are solid .
My field victim was not thriving he was in a internal stable with bars on one side separating him from another stable .
He was being bullied through the bars .
I moved him to a traditional loose box his relief was very evident .

 

[tonitot]

I have a long list of proposed materials, so I'll get it out later and have a look. I know that the material will be majority hemlock, which is very popular for barns, and I know that it's what the Amish use (they are renowned barn builders).

In any case, I love doing all the research, and get to pore over tasty-looking barns, such as this one

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFkoqoaYyTc

I have nothing helpful to add but I want that barn!!

 

[prosefullstop]

I have nothing helpful to add but I want that barn!!

Me, too!

Huge takeaway from this: I shall keep with the look the builder has proposed re: solid dividers between stables.

 

[STRIKER]

Me too. I do like american barns esp in the UK with the weather, but lots of ventilation, high roof can sort this, put a grill up on top of brickwork but make the wall 3/4s of the way then the grill, should avoid other horse intimidating another but they can stil see the one next to it when head is raised, allows for better airflow too.

 

[OWLIE185]

Barns have two major issues they allow micro-dust and germs to circulate within them.
Traditional stables allow horse to breath fresh air.
Micro-dust remains suspended in the air and is inhaled by the horse. Because the dust is of such small particle size and of little density it remains suspended in the air and is inhaled when the horse breathes. The horses respiratory system is unable to filter it out resulting in long term respiratory issues.

 

[STRIKER]

Install a couple of extractor fans.

 

[9tails]

Hay chute! I badly want one of those! The mountain of shavings looked pretty awesome too.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

If I was having a barn built for me and my horses, I would have a storage area, tack/feedroom and a stable divided off (for emergencies and tacking up in). Apart from that I would leave it open/undivided. I'd also have a yard area outside and a big opening between the two (eg a 12 ft gate). Yorkshire boarding some of the barn would help ventilation. Basically though the horses would be able to move freely from the yard to the barn and back as they pleased. If the field backed straight onto the yard that gate could also be left open when suitable.

The barn would need to be big enough to accommodate three loose horses. I'd also have a ring hay feeder with enough room so that they can shuffle round it without anyone becoming trapped and a water trough. A bit like Halsdon stud's open stable system where they put the mares and foals (as a herd) if they need to come in from the fields.

 

[prosefullstop]

This is the proposed layout, though the 6 x 14 area will now be the staircase upstairs, and the existing tack area will be split in half for tack and feed. The ceiling will be about 25-feet high. Unfortunately the barn will not back directly onto a pasture, but a circular driveway for parking, and then beyond that will be a field.

I would like traditional English row stables, but only the most hardened resident of Connecticut would attempt to use those in the middle of winter. I should add that I plan to do 24/7 turnout from April-November, and as much turnout as winter allows, which will hopefully allay any long-term respiratory issues associated with enclosed barns.

 

[skewbaldmillie]

look on mill equestrian in sparkford website and there us a good stable thing working there

 

[MrsMozart]

Sorry if I've missed it, but will you have a smallish heated room to dry off rugs and gear? I know that is on my list for when we get moved and have our own place

Ditto the spaces between the bars - I'm not sure what the optimum is, but you don't want something where a powerful kick forces a hoofvthroughcthe gap as you then can't get it out.

Could you have the low wall partitions with fixings to add a bar section? That would cover all your basis.

 

[sidewaysonacob]

I'm on livery in an American Barn with 9 boxes and a tack room. My thoughts:
- If you do use wood, make sure it's properly seasoned. Ours wasn't as well prepared as it might have been and is now an ongoing repair job
- You can never have enough storage
- Hook outside every box for headcollar and leadrope in case of fire evacuation (and loads of fire extinguishers etc.)
- Make sure you get the drainage right, we're on rubber matting with shavings on top and the floor angle isn't perfect, hence it gets quite smelly
- However well ventilated your stables are with an overlap type gap in the wall for air circulation etc., you don't want this in the tackroom as winter dampness can get in. We've plugged our tack room's gap up with old shavings bags

 

[TarrSteps]

I'd take the advice of people in your region, as barn building is one of those things that is very situational and what works well in one part of the world can be a giant pain in another. For instance, Conneticut isn't the coldest place in the world but in lots of places in North America if you leave gaps in your barn walls your horses won't have water for most of the winter!

I would agree, as much storage as possible. If you are going to store American style tack trunks upstairs make sure it's easy to get them up there!

Is your hay storage separate? Some areas won't let you have hay lofts anymore because of building codes and fire risk.

Sorry, just reread to see you've got separate storage for hay. Is there an area inside to put some hay if you get storms? (Are you using small or large bales?)

Re automatic waterers, they are default in many barns and in someways I love them but they have often been the bane of my existence in the winter. The last barn I ran had a gravity tap outside each set of stables with a short hose for easy filling. That was a super system - you could check consumption, it didn't freeze and if you had a problem with one unit you jugs turned it off (although we never did)