Building Barn for First Timers!

[dressage_1991]

Hi everyone!

I’m looking for advice as I’m setting out to purchase and/or build my first horse property in the next year. I have always boarded by horse but with limited boarding options available and wanting to care for my horse myself, my hope is to set up a small barn on my property w/ turnout and ideally eventually an outdoor (maybe indoor if I win the lottery)!

I’m located in Northern Minnesota where the winters (temperature and snowfall) are harsh. I’ve had horses my whole life but have not had much experience when it comes to barn construction, how to save, and what aspects are a must! Any insights or tips are very much appreciated!

Cost is definitely a factor – I’ll be selling my house now and looking for something with a bit more land. I’d so appreciate any ideas on how to best save! I’m thinking 3-4 stalls. In floor heat would be wonderful but I’m not sure if realistic. I’d like to do dutch doors with runouts for at least two of the stalls.

Any experiences good or bad you can share?! Thank you all!

[Cowgirl]

I bought a place that had a very expensive four stall Morten barn. It has a heated tack room, heated bathroom/laundrey room with toilet, a heated wash rack, a 12 x 24 hay storage room, two 12 foot overhangs (I highly recommend–on the north side, I park my truck and can store 5-6 pallets of shavings, on the horse side, they have a 12 foot shelter, plus 60 foot runs. The aisle is super wide, so you can back up a big hay rig in it and unload 200 bales of hay into the storage area. On the concrete edges, there are drains so you can dump water buckets into them or hose out the barn. I have four stalls that have Nelson waterers, fans (electric above the stalls), strip doors on the dutch doors, and 60 foot runs with Buckley steel board fencing. The only complaint I ever had with the insulated barn (make sure yours is insulated!!!) is that they did not put a frost free hydrant in the wash stall and every year the faucets would split and burst because there was no way to blow them out for the winter AND keep the water to the laundrey room/bathroom. This past year, I had frost free installed (you still have to remove the hose after each use). I LOVE the drain at the front of my wash rack instead of in the middle of the wash rack. The wash stall is tilted slightly downhill so that it drains. There is no worry of horses stepping on the drain and getting upset.

I would make sure I had: frost free water, drains, insulation, adequate storage for hay and shavings (and any vehicles–which I had a roof over my trailer too). Lots of lights, and electric in case you have to plug in water troughs for pastures or a diesel truck, or a hot wire charger (I ended up adding some exterior outlets).

[Willesdon]

This is something of a brain dump while awake in the middle of the night.

Lists, lots of lists to start with. Think of all the barns you have kept your horses in over the years. What worked? What was really annoying? What made your life easier? What made you go “that’s a good idea, must remember that one”. What makes you go “wow” when you see the pictures. Somehow, all the articles about visiting famous trainers or going “behind the scene” miss out the mud and muck heaps.

Start with the basics: access, drainage, ventilation, storage. How would you bring in bulk supplies or get your horses out in an emergency? How are you going to deal with muck disposal? - there are good alternatives to a muck heap available. How will you manage water? That can be as simple as buckets vs automatic waterers, but also consider water stewardship, waste water disposal, cost. Good ventilation is key to horse health and can easily be built into your design, things as simple as having adequate vents on the roofline. Do you want just horses in your barn or room for other equipment - remember resale value because there are (gasp!) people out there who have no interest in horses but like the idea of a big workshop or vehicle storage. But storage includes simple things like where do the wheelbarrow, forks and brooms live? Off the peg or custom build? There are lots of plans available from commercial barn builders to compare and contrast. Always think of the environment, climate change and sustainability. What materials will work long term - metal vs wood vs something else that works in your specific location? Getting the site right, taking into account prevailing winds or warmth of the sun can make a barn work better for absolutely no cost. Turnout needs to work in your particular climate: dry lot, sacrifice paddock? Look outside horse barns and see what other buildings might be adapted to horse use because that might be cheaper than “equestrian” build. Anything with the word “horse” in it tends to cost more.

Take an international look around. The UK has recently taken to the “American barn” because it offers an easier human work environment than our traditional “shed row” but they have been adapted. Many such “yards” use clear span agricultural buildings that have prefabricated stable units inserted. None have the low ceilings common in the American originals. The stalls usually allow horses to stick their heads out and to see each other rather than the cell-like units I see in pictures of American barns.

Have fun. It is nice to make plans for the future.

[2DogsFarm]

If you search, I’m sure you’ll see my advice on older threads.
But I don’t mind repeating
*Check property for drainage & know which way prevailing winds come from.
My excavator recommended locating the barn farther from the house than I’d wanted because the land dipped & barn would have been in the low part. Meaning prone to flooding.
He was right.
I may have to walk farther (250’ rather than 50’) but no flooding in almost 20yrs.
*I put my frostfree hydrant inside the barn.
When I had to have it dug up for a leak repair in February, plumber told me the heat tape I was using wasn’t necessary.
He was right.
Since then, through Polar Vortex Winters, hydrant hasn’t frozen.
*I have never closed the barn up completely.
Big slider at the front & another that connects barn to indoor do get shut.
Stalls open to the East (least weather comes from there) at the back & the Dutch doors there are open 24/7/365.
I close them - bottom half only - to keep horses in for vet or shoer.
I can count on 1 hand the number of times I’ve completely closed them to keep horses in overnight.
*Stalls open directly to drylot, which surrounds the front of the barn & opens to.pastures.
Horses are turned out with barn acting as a run-in.
They choose Out over In, no matter what the weather is.
They come in by themselves for feeding, so I don’t have that task & even non-horsewise people can feed in a pinch.
*I store a year’s worth (300) of small square bales stacked on pallets across from the stalls. They take up the space of 2 stalls: 12’ deep by 24’ wide. No loft means no stairs.
Every Spring I lift the pallets & sweep out the fines. Those get used as compost/mulch in my veg garden.

The only things I’d redo differently:
*Drylot has geotextile under 9" of roadbase gravel. When it was laid, I was asked if I wanted it by the gates. I said No.
I was wrong.
Those are the only places with bootsucking mud.
*Fencing is coated tensile - top line of 3 can carry a charge. I’ve never used a charger, horses respect the fence.
Top line - #4 - is a Centaur clone 4" rail. If I could, I’d replace it with electrobraid or another line of coated tensile. The rail is chipped in places & looks ratty. Plus it’s harder to tighten than the single lines.
*My only Fail is the area directly in back of the stalls, extending out about 10’.
I neglected to add an overhang. D’OH!
Horses drag bedding out & I confess to tossing loaded forkfuls from picking stalls when weather is bad & I’m lazy. Ends up an ankle-deep morass by Spring.
I’ve had it graded, dug down to the geotex & more gravel laid twice. Muck returns
Neighbor with a tractor & blade scraped it down this Spring, but, it’s baaaaaccckkk!
I’m considering cement, but

Even with the few problems, I’m happy with how things work for me. Pros have complimented my design so… {pats self on back}
Hope this helps.

[Demerara_Stables]

Great advice on here already. I’d add that just for funsies, check out the Stable Style Instagram/website. I think I scrolled through the whole account when I was designing my barn and copied a ton of things!

STABLE STYLE

https://www.instagram.com/stablestyle/

[clanter]

@dressage_1991

Any experiences good or bad you can share?! Thank you all!

whatever the beginning budget is the actual finished cost will be close to 2.5 times the amount that was considered

[endlessclimb]

Agreed.

[mmeqcenter]

With exterior dutch doors, make sure to do at least a 2-3’ overhang on the roof if not a full extra 12’.

Wide aisles are great, safe, and can get lets of equipment in and out easily. Personally, 16’+ is a must.

Heating the barn is not recommended. The horses generate quite a lot of heat when closed up in stalls eating hay. If you do heat the barn, make sure you have ample ventilation. I boarded at several barns in Ohio that boasted the barn was heated in the winter. What they didn’t advertise was the eye-burning ammonia stench that resulted due to poor air circulation.
Definitely insulate the barn for your own comfort.

Keeping horses at home offers the luxury of choosing your own schedule. I always let mine be out 24/7, as I feel it is the healthiest and happiest option. Even in the cold.

Keep in mind, construction lead times are quite long right now, and unlikely to change anytime soon.

[NancyM]

In a cold climate, the coldest place for a horse to be is standing in a stall. Heavy blanketing and a heated barn doesn’t help. If horses can be kept together, in a herd, with room to run together, it’s a healthier and warmer option for THEM (which is what is important IMO). Horses who must spend a lot of time in a stall are more susceptible to impaction colic, and hoof contraction issues (navicular issues), plus the stress of isolation from others.

My family has built THREE equine establishments in the last 80 years. I have been involved with the design on two of those. Here’s some input for you. We have NEVER built a barn with box stalls without an attached paddock. We have NEVER had an issue with navicular problems creating unsoundness. But if you get high rainfall/snow, the problem is water. We sold the last place because of the inability to deal with excess water that falls out of the sky. Look for land in a “semi arid” situation, with plenty of water availability, but not the water that falls out of the sky. Water that comes out of the ground. Semi arid, with water availability is the key

Now, our horses live outdoors, together, year round. Those in training live together in paddocks nearby the arena. Retirees, cripples and pets live in pastures, with run in shelter and trees. We have NO mud issues or problems (other than break up in the spring for a week or so). We use no horse blankets usually, unless there is a problem that requires one. -40C is about the coldest we get in the winter. I do not ride in winter with this cold weather, because I will not clip horses, and blanket them, and lock them into stalls… and if I ride when it is cold like this without clipping, horse gets wet with sweat with very little work, and it is not an easy task for them to dry off without getting cold. So winters are time off, for everyone. Dunno if that will suit you and your goals.

In cold weather dry climates, barns are for hay, not horses. My winter barn has a hay storage area in the center, and sheds on either side. One BIG stall with attached paddock on each side, which has been used for foaling out, for injured horses etc. I really like this barn, it’s perfect for us. Manure is harrowed into the ground in spring time, when horses move to new pasture and into training, and the grass grows all around the barn. Little barn work to do.

My neighbour’s farm has been for sale, currently not listed. In BC, five hours drive to Thunderbird Show Park etc. Indoor ring, and stables with stalls. Pasture, hay fields, irrigation. Same price as an average house in Vancouver. PM me if you want their phone number.

[Bluey]

First, think multiple use and portable.

What you think you want now WILL change once you build and you will want to make changes over time to accommodate all kinds of current needs.

You may want a backyard barn for a few pet horses ridden in the weekends, a breeding barn that fits broodmares and youngsters, a low end training barn, a high end one, change disciplines and so needs in a barn.

CHANGE is the name of the game of life, build with that in mind when it comes to permanent structures that will be there for decades.

Our big barn can be used to store big machinery agricultural goods, is a horse barn with stalls and arena right now as it is intended to be training competition horses.
We built a shell and then all else added is portable, the stalls are, the run panels are, the arena panels and roping boxes and cattle pens at the end are, etc.

The tack room/office/lounge/bathroom and feed room are not portable, but they would be easily remodeled if necessary.

The barn is all metal, no wood on it, as in our area we have 100+ old metal barns that are still like new, we have several, all sizes.
The ones that were built out of wood clad with wood or metal all died eventually.

The portable stalls and panels lining the arena and roping boxes are metal, so is all other in there, except the human quarters, tack-feed etc, that are stick built and insulated and have a mini split for heat and air conditioning. There is a large window to watch the arena from that space and the bathroom has a shower and is handicapped accessible, etc.

We have held small agility dog shows in there and horse clinics, the local 4H trained out of it, but is a smaller, family oriented barn, not a commercial one.

There is so, so much to consider, location, orientation to catch best sun to dry things up, use wind to your advantage to cool in the summer, build so you can close the North side exposure off in the winter, if you get snow, build where snow will blow by, not make huge vortex drifts up to the roof that may collapse it, happened to a neighbor’s barn, has been reconfigured since.

Any kind of structure can be made also esthetically pleasant with a little creative thinking, some architectural details that don’t add to the cost, are built into the plans.
Think about what you will put outside, we have a french drain for the washroom and is a rock feature on that side of the structure, looks nice and finished.

There have been whole books written about how to build horse barns, check the library.

Above all, make plans for months, years if you can, keep pictures and lists in a file and keep adding to that and, in the end, once you have your barn, you will be so happy and also already start again learning more and what could have been a better feature, is all part of building anytihing.

Most important, if you wish, let others learn from your path to your perfect barn, so they too can dream of the one they may build, or use features to remodel theirs for better use or looks.

Oh, don’t forget to have fun, don’t let building stress you, buy a bushel of patience and use it.

[LCDR]

There are some things NOT to skimp on during construction, thinking you could add them later.

Electric service with enough amperage to run more than you initially plan for, with space in the barn circuit breaker panel to add more circuits for things like more lighting. And LED lights, not fluorescent.

Add more hydrants. I have just one in the middle of my barn, and dragging hoses from there is a pain every day. I wish for one at each end as well, even though it is only 30 feet each way.from the center.

Do not omit internet cable. You might think that you’d never want it in the barn right now. But while all the ground is trenched during construction is the time to run high quality internet cable Even if the line is not connected to anything it at least is there waiting. And add 2 or 3 cables, not just one.

You will likely find a compact tractor useful for manure, maintenance, and snow, even if it is not in the current budget. Add a place to park it now rather than waiting, enclosed if possible so it will start throughout the winter.

Heated waterers - definitely.

And during construction, go out every day and take pictures. Five years later you’ll know from them where all the trenches are, and how the wiring and plumbing runs behind the walls,

[clanter]

@LCDR

Add more hydrants. I have just one in the middle of my barn, and dragging hoses from there is a pain every day. I wish for one at each end as well, even though it is only 30 feet each way.from the center.

having a shut off valves for each pipe run to isolate a broken pipe/fault is nice, we had a lawn sprinkler company install about 1500 feet of water lines for the four hydrants we have, they did it all in a few hours since it was done during their “off season”, they came with several trenchers and crews and a trailer load of pipe.

if in a snow belt and using siding doors to access the barn, look at hanging the doors on the inside of the building otherwise you might be shoveling snow and breaking ice to get doors open, When we were in Kentucky after dealing with repeated snows we rehung our barn doors to inside as we had the clearances

[luvmyhackney]

I know you want a barn but the most efficient way to start with a horse property is to get proper fencing, then build run-ins that can double as stalls if needed.

Then have automatic waters and easy location for feeding. Then build your indoor. You can use it for temp stalls if needed.

Otherwise keeping horses at home is time consuming and lots of labor. Think about how many steps each chore is and making things as efficient as possible.

[Bluey]

Our stalls are 16’ wide, 12’ deep, so runs off the stalls are 16’ wide, way more comfortable for horses not to be scared of an aggressive neighbor making threatening moves.
We have 6’ wire panels between runs, horses can’t chew on each other or manes/tails for entertainment.
The runs are 20’ under an overhang, that is where the watered between runs is automatic and heated.
The outside of the runs is 16’ x 48’, the whole outside pen is 16’ x 68’ and we can close the stall door and leave the horse in the covered run only.
The runs connect to different outside pens and those to assorted pastures.

Horses seem comfortable and contented and we don’t have to keep handling horses to bring them in or turn them out, unless we choose to do so as if the barn was separated from turnout and you had to keep leading horses in and out all day long.

[2DogsFarm]

@luvmyhackney

build your indoor. You can use it for temp stalls if needed.

Otherwise keeping horses at home is time consuming and lots of labor. Think about how many steps each chore is and making things as efficient as possible.

I did that with my indoor - attached to barn - when fencing company took an unscheduled break (foreman had appendicitis ).
I put hay out for them & buckets of water.
Horses were fine after Day 1, when I came home from work to find my TB had run himself into a sweat
TWH was fine, had not participated in the hysterics.

I had planned for ease of use & even when I strip both stalls, chores never take more than an hour.
Which includes me sitting to recover, while they line up for cookies.
I am no Spring , I’ll have been doing this for 20yrs this August.

[fourfillies]

Find a copy of Cherry Hills Horsekeeping on Small Acres. It’s pretty old at this point but lots of it is very sound and timeless. I used it to help Reno my first mini farm almost 25 years ago and still occasionally pull it out.
And, find a way to set up that in an emergency a friend/neighbor can feed/water with nominal animal interaction. Priceless when it’s needed. I have stalls to run outs to dry lot to paddock. Ideally I’d loop the paddock to my large field but well life.
And an auto Waterer. Also priceless in the cold weather.

[clanter]

@Bluey

The runs connect to different outside pens and those to assorted pastures.

we have most all of our six paddocks interconnected with gates to allow moving the stock around without having to take them out then lead around to another place. Also gives us the ability to isolate a horse if or when needed

[Bluey]

@clanter

we have most all of our six paddocks interconnected with gates to allow moving the stock around without having to take them out then lead around to another place. Also gives us the ability to isolate a horse if or when needed

We are using our old barn that has its own stalls, 14’ x 14’, pens and pastures for quarantine barn when necessary, separate from the main barn.

[LCDR]

Another quick note. I’d have a toilet in the barn. That may require its own septic system. But having to run back to the house in the snow when it is 20 below and blowing a gale isn’t something to look forward to.

But there is the share the horse stall option too.

Running hot water is another must have for me. Even just a small point of use tank under the tack room sink may work for you.

[walktrot]

I did all the research for the BO shorlty after I met her in 1999. She wanted an indoor 80x200 and attached barn. We are in Maine. She selected a steel building from a company in upstate New York. The local rescue barn (in business for 150 yeras) construted one from the same company about 4 years ago.

I looked at numerous options. One major consideration: be sure you have the local ordinances for snow loads. That has a significant impact on construction of the roof.