Practical Horse Barn Designs

Take the view into consideration and locate your manure bin out of sight of your house but still handy.

The Minimum Fuss Layout
Less is more when it comes to many horse barn chores. If you can eliminate steps, your efficiency will skyrocket.

Consider distances when assessing horse barn designs. How far will you have to walk to fill the water and feed buckets? Where will you store your grooming supplies and tack? Keeping these trips short will pay off every single day in reduced horsekeeping time.

Save trips to the compost pile with a large manure cart. Locate your manure pile where there is minimal water runoff. Avoid areas of poor drainage. Choose a spot with reasonably easy access that is out of sight and downwind.

Ventilation
Good air flow is crucial to your horse's health. A typical 1,000 horse released two gallons of moisture into the air each day through respiration. Adequate ventilation is important year round because it regulates temperature and humidity. Horse barn designs must incorporate draft-free ventilation.

In warm weather, the air holds water in suspension. As the temperature drops, the water-holding ability of air drops and the moisture condensed on uninsulated surfaces. This causes dampness, dripping, mold and other problems.

Vent-style windows installed high in the outside walls let in air and light. They also create natural ventilation as the warmer air rises and flows out.

If possible, install a roof exhaust fan or two exhaust fans at opposite ends of the outer walls, near the roof peak. Ceiling fans over stalls also improve air circulation in all horse barn designs.

Ventilation also reduces horse barn dust and improves air quality. Equine respiratory illnesses are often a direct result of dusty, poorly ventilated barns.

Lighten Up
A well lighted barn is easier to work in...and fewerhorse flies congregate. A very nice added bonus.

Window and skylights provide natural (and free) light, but be careful that they don't let in unrelenting summer sun.

If possible, put a light in every stall. Do NOT install any kind of lighting with exposed components.

Flooring
You have two choices: porous or non-porous. Porous floor includes topsoil, clay, sand, road base and wood. Non porous would include concrete and asphalt. Each has advantages and disadvantages, including price, maintenance and durability.

All floors should have some 'give' to decrease tendon and foot strain, be resistant to odors, provide traction and be durable, low maintenance and easy to clean.

Stalls
A roomy stall helps keep your horse from walking in soiled bedding. You'll save money on bedding in the long run if your stall is at least 12' square.

Stall partitions are usually 7 feet high, either solid or topped with bars. The bars promote air flow. Between stalls, you may want to consider solid partitions in case neighbors don't get along.

Center the stall door in the aisle wall. Hang the feed bucket on one side of the stall and the water bucket on the other. This reduces dunking and keeps things neater.

Tack Room
Clean tack hung in a feed room will quickly accumulate dust. Ideally, a separate tack room keeps things clean and ready. But if space and budget are limited, a well designed tack closet works, too.

Feed Room
Keep only about a week's worth of grain and a day's worth of hay in your feed room. Store the rest in another building. Storing hay in the barn increases the risk of fire and raises your fire-insurance premium. And some insurance companies won't cover barns that store hay!

Other feed-room pointers:

• Line your grain bin with sheet metal to keep rodents out. If you use two or more feeds, add partitions to keep them separate.

• To minimize mess, load one day's worth of hay (one or two bales) in a wheelbarrow and wheel it over from your storage area in the morning; stow it in your feed room between meals.

Horse barn designs will vary according to your needs. But keep these pointers in mind when you are building or refurbishing a horse barn, and you'll have an efficient, comfortable space to house and care for your horses.

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