Help me design my barn!

[beau159]

Alright COTHers! I want your do’s and dont’s and suggestions for a barn. I won’t be actually building for at least a year or longer, but I need a general size and layout because we will be putting the house up this fall, and we just want everything “laid out” for planning purposes.

Details: Our land is 130 acres in size. No trees, but there are lots of hills.
Location: North Dakota. Barn and house will be located on the south side of the hill for natural protection from the north winter winds.
Horses: I currently have 2 horses but that will expand when I won’t have to board anymore, and as my 2 children grow and need their own! I normally keep my horses outside 24/7.

i already know that I want a large climate controlled tack room. I had also planned to put a wash rack next to the tack room so I can have hot water. While I will not heat the barn itself, I do want some sort of heater above the wash rack. (Which would be super nice if I need to doctor wounds in the middle of winter)

While my horse’s won’t spend a lot of time stalled, I do want spacious stalls. I’m thinking 14x14. I am undecided how I want to do the corrals outside. I like the idea of individual runs outside each stall but I don’t really NEED that unless I’m keeping an injured horse locked up. So maybe I could just do that on one or two of them??

Im undecided how many stalls I want. Again, they aren’t really going to be stalled a lot but it would be nice for each horse to have their own for giving daily supplements or whatever it may be. Of course, I could always tie them in the stall for that if I end up having more horses than stalls.

I know outside side with the corrals, I want at TWO automatic waterers. So if there’s ever a bossy horse, at least there are 2 sources of water. (South pastures actually have a large dam and body of water.)

I will primarily feed round bales but I do travel and want to have squares on hand. So part of the barn will need some hay storage.

I dont think I want a hayloft / storage area above … but sometimes that extra storage space is nice!!

So I probably should stop rambling now, haha, but putting my thoughts down helps!!

[frugalannie]

I live in New England, and while the idea of 24 hr turnout is appealing, I’ve never worked at a barn that has it nor built that capacity into my own barn, so I defer to others on that subject.

As to an actual barn? That I have lots of opinions on! Unless your horses are ginormous, 12x12 or 13x13 is plenty big for a stall. I don’t know what your soils are like. We have all clay so under our stalls are 4 feet of crushed stone topped by a few inches of stone dust and then rubber mats. We bed lightly with shavings on top of that. I budget 3 bags of shavings per week per horse, but actual use is more like 1 1/2 unless we have a horse on stall rest or the weather is rotten for several days.

You probably know this but do NOT use pine for stall construction or for anything the horses can get to. They love chewing on it. We used rough cut oak and it’s in great shape after 10 years plus.

Consider access when designing your barn layout. How can delivery trucks or emergency vehicles get in and out?

I love the idea of automatic waterers but the reality, at least in New England, isn’t quite so wonderful. They’re tricky in install, can freeze up and you never really know how much your horses are drinking. YMMV.

We have hay and shavings storage in the hayloft and a 1/2 stall on the barn level where we stack the materials needed for a couple of days. We can fit a year’s worth of hay and shavings in our loft (not round bales), which is a bonus when we have lots of snow and ice. And I get the best price possible by buying a large quantity with the hay coming straight off the field. But I worry about fire issues so…

We have rate of change heat detectors in the barn on each level hard wired to the automatic alarm system… Smoke detectors do not work below 32 degrees, or at least not reliably. And they are a pain when dust and spiders get in. ROC heat detectors will go off if the temp suddenly changes from say -10 degrees to 0, or at any temp if there is rapid change. And we have fire extinguishers all over the place.

Do what you can to introduce natural light and of course ensure good ventilation.

Happy to try to address any specific questions.

[Willesdon]

Plan for ventilation all year round. Horses need fresh, clean air to stay healthy.
Plan for emergency evacuation, such as a turn out where they can be safe if pulled out of the barn in a hurry.
Plan for vehicle access and have sufficient turning space.
Plan waste disposal so it does not contaminate water.
You can never have too much storage.
Good lighting both in and outside.

[beau159]

Bluey: Yes, most likely the barn will be a pole barn type of construction. Whether I do runs or not off the stalls, I do plan on having an overhang. Even if I don’t open the stalls for the horses in bad weather, they will either have that and/or shelters in the corrals.

We plan to plant some trees rows on the apex of the hill. Where I board now, they have a very similar setup and there is pretty much no wind by the barn. So nice and sheltered! Of course, it will take time for the trees to grow.

Frugal Annie: We are going to have the soil tested before putting up the barn so that the structure has a suitable base. I have not decided what I want to do for stall floors yet.

I am honestly leaning toward concrete with some sort of matting and proper drains. Mostly, I want something that can clean up well and so horses can’t dig holes

Stall wood is going to have some sort of metal "protection " on it - metal edging or whatever you want to call it. I haven’t decided if I want traditional stalls with bars … or just do the wood walls and leave the tops open (no bars).

FYI, automatic watered can be insulated and heated. Sure, they do freeze up somethings but not often (another reason to have two!)

I too am brainstorming on the fire issue of storing hay in the barn. I’m not sure if I should add-on a separate concrete room (with appropriate ventilation) for hay. Of course, that would be costly for concrete like that. But it would be more fire-proof. Or install a sprinkler system. Or other ideas like that. Good tip on the smoke detectors. We do have something similar in our garage, I believe, now. They would go off based on temperature and not on smoke.

Yes, going to have lots of light (boarding currently where the light in the barn stinks!!!) and yes lots of good air flow.

Willesdon: I haven’t planned the layout yet, but I want to set up my pasture rotation so that no matter what pasture they are currently in, they can always come back to the barn. So I will have some sort of runway layout where I can just open and close gates.

And yes, lots of turning space . I hate tight yards where you can’t even turn around with a horse trailer.

[2DogsFarm]

Everything @Willesdon said :yes:

PLUS:
A frostfree hydrant inside the barn is a Lifesaver.

I keep my current Herd of 3 (TWH, Hackney Pony & mini) pretty much as you do now.
My 36X36 pole barn has space for 6 12X12 stalls & a 12’ center aisle.
Right now I have 2 12X12 stalls & a mini-size 10X10 on the leeward wall (opening away from prevailing winds).
My horses routinely share stalls - I have even had all 3 in one < their choice.
They separate - on their own - into stalls for grain, but will share hay in a stall.

No loft, I store a year’s worth of small square bales - 400, avg 45-50# - on pallets across from the stalls.
Feed & supplements are kept in galvanized trash cans - also on pallets - on that same side, tack is hung between hay & feed,
I also store the mini’s wire cart on pallets next to the hay.
No enclosed tack room, but I have a couple resin standing cabinets that hold odds & ends,
A wall-mounted cabinet, repurposed from a kitchen rehab, is hung over the mini’s stall to hold medical supplies.
(Mini was the last addition, cabinet was there before his stall was added & is hung out of his reach)

Stalls open to my sacrifice paddock which opens on either side to pastures,
I can limit turnout just by closing a gate.
Dutch doors at the back of the stalls remain open 24/7 so stalls also serve as run-ins.
The arrangement also simplifies feeding for non-horsy people in case I need that help.
They can toss hay, water & fill feed pans from the aisle.

Where you situate your barn depends on prevailing winds,
Here that means mostly from the North, so barn & attached indoor face North/South & stalls open to the East.
Put your barn as close to your house as legally allowed - a short walk in bad weather & handy for keeping an eye on horses. Although, with 130ac probably not dependable for you.
If possible I would rotate my house 180 degrees so it faced the barn & pastures. As it is, I can only see them from my BR window

ETA: my stalls and aisle are floored with stonedust - 6" over a 9" gravel base.
Over 14 years it has compacted to where it feels like concrete to me - can be swept & hosed. Horses still leave shallow hoofprints in the aisle, so it has some give for them.
It drains well in the stalls, I do not have mats, bed on wood pellets & there is never any ammonia smell from urine.

Another tip is to put down geotextile fabric beneath whatever footing you use in the sacrifice area. I have roadbase gravel - rocks from fist-sized to ~1". Put down 6yrs ago, it has become mudfree footing & barefoot horses have no issue walking.trotting across.

Have fun designing!

[beau159]

2dogsfarm: Your setup sounds very similar to what I’m planning! And yes, a frost free hydrant will be inside the barn as well as ones outside the barn!

yup, planning on Dutch doors for the stalls (to go outside). The barn will be fairly close to the house. I’m also going to leave room a future building site for an indoor arena, right next to the barn. It will be expensive but I would love to kind of build it into the side of the hill. Natural insulation to keep it warm in the winter and cool in the summer.

This is going to be our forever home so lots of planning!

[TrotTrotPumpkn]

I’m in SE SD. Which means everyone thinks I’m in ND surrounded by oil, but anyway…

I highly recommend touring all the boarding and private barns you can in your area and taking notes.

My friend in ND has issues with opening her barn doors sometimes because of snow that has blown against the doors, so plan your access points well.

I would not do 14 x 14 stalls personally, and I have larger horses. I find it is a lot of wasted space, mats and shavings. 12x12 is great and you can always build two with a removable wall inbetween. That way if you have someone on layup, or a mare and foal, you can do a double stall as needed. If you want to do concrete floors, check out the stall mattresses. I have a friend who used them in her Morton barn and is a big fan because you use less bedding.

Think about if you want to drive down your aisles or not. I’ve never heard anyone say they wish their aisles were narrower.

I’ve been in boarding barns all over MN and SD, and the biggest issue I’ve seen is issues with the wash stall drain. My favorite wash stall set up has the wash stall angling towards the aisle and that is where a big drain (like you find in a car wash) is. That way most of the hair and poop doesn’t get to the drain to clog it before you can sweep it up and the horse doesn’t have to stand on a drain in the wash stall (which they hate).

Beyond fire risk, hay is dusty, so if you plan to store it in the barn, you will have that to contend with. I have a separate hay barn and bring over a week at a time worth of hay to my run in sheds. When I build my barn, I still plan to have separate hay storage for the majority of it.

Site prep is huge. You want your barn higher then the surrounding area. I know several barns that have had issues with stalls flooding in the spring, because the water seeps in.

Westridge in Baltic SD is a barn and arena built into a hill. IDK if you can find picutres online. I will say it is SUPER dark and always seems a little damp to me.

[jawa]

Go to as many barns as possible. Take pictures of things you like and things you don’t. Talk to the people using the barns what they love and what they would have done different.

12x12 stalls are plenty big. One barn a friend owned had 3 12X12 stalls along one side. A 12X16 stall on the other. The barn had a feed room and a separate tack room. The feed room had space for 10-15 bales stacked along one side and had bins on the other for grain with shelves above for supplements and medical supplies. The side with the 3 stalls were dutch doors that opened to a lean to that was 10 feet deep. The lean to/ run in area attached to a sacrifice paddock that had 2 large fields that could be accessed by gaits at the lower end. The other side of the barn had a similar lean to on it’s side which allowed for the parking of her tractor, spreader and other supplies/equipment. It had a loft for hay storage and had a loft door. This was far enough from the house to not have to deal with barn odors (her husband wasn’t horsey), but only a short walk away. She did not have a wash stall or hot water. She never had more than 3 horses, but the large stall was great for a lay up, storage, and was used as her foaling stall.

I would be sure to locate/orient the main entry such that it won’t be blocked by snow failing off the roof. I worked in one barn where this was an issue. It wasn’t fun having to dig the mound of snow away just to be able to get into the main entry.

When you plumb/trench your hydrants, go ahead and add electric to those so that you can have tank de-icers.

Make sure all water has a way to get away from your barn and the most heavily trafficked areas to and around the barn.

Check with your local extension agent to find out the best way to create a firm pad in your area in at least part of your sacrifice lot.

Have an idea of what size hay bales you will be using and make sure you have an easy way of getting them into the barn. If you are going to be storing most of your hay in a separate space, be sure you can easily get from one to the other in any weather. Also be sure you can store a week to 2 weeks or more in your barn, so that if the weather is truly nasty, you can plan ahead and get it moved early.

Really think about your lighting. Nothing is more aggravating than poor lighting when you are trying to clean a wound, or clean a stall. It can also be nice to have flood lights on the corners of the barn to be able to check on things when it’s dark.

[beau159]

Great suggestions everyone!

trottrotpumpkn: If have certainly looked into StallSavers or other similar mat systems. So it is on my list of considerations!

Thanks for the tips on the wash rack. I’ve never actually had a wash rack before, anywhere I’ve boarded. I just look forward to the day when I don’t have to do it in the grass or the mud with a cold garden hose.

Tory: Oh if I don’t decide to do bars, I’m not going to do a full solid wall. I would just do a half wall with nothing above. The first place I boarded when I got done with school (private home - I was the only boarder) had their stalls like this and it worked very well for them.

Jawa: Good thoughts on tractor parking. Hubby and I have not decided if we want this parking in the barn or if we should put up a separate building. I’m leaning toward a separate building because then hubby can have his shop (and his mess!) for whatever projects. Plus a place to store our Bobcat, lawn mower, future side-by-side, and whatever else we end up getting down the road.

We are going to do our best to plan for snow but sometimes you just don’t know until it’s up. I do want things clear of posts (for overhands) if possible because it makes it so much easier to scoop on by with the tractor or Bobcat to remove snow.

Same goes for where I end up storing square bales. I want to be able to drive right up with the trailer and unload them.

Good news is that hubby is a project manager for a home building company so he’s got all sorts of contacts to make sure we do things right for lighting, elevation, etc etc.

The one thing I’ve thought about but haven’t figured out how to lay out. I want to store my horse trailer inside the barn somehow. I’m thinking to somehow have a lean-to where I can drive it through or back it in. Bonus if it’s right next to the tack room for quick loading and unloading.

[Bluey]

When figuring hay storing, remember that any more, small bales come in pallets, so provide for plenty of open space, in case you are using big round bales, big square ones, or pallets full of smaller bales.
Don’t make that space for only the kind of bales you like now, but so any can be stored there.

In one barn in WY, we didn’t feed baled hay, but cubed alfalfa, that a big semi truck would bring and unload right into the hay room thru a trap door in the ceiling.
We would scoop the hay cubes with a shovel right into small buckets to feed, each horse a different amount.
Horses thrived with those.

Our outside runs will be 16’ wide, so horses don’t feel threateded or a need to threaten those by them, as they can on narrower outside runs.
That makes our stalls be 16’ wide also, but will make them only 12’ deep and set back under the barn 5’.

There is a trade-off to open between stalls.
Horses tend to, being idle so much of the time, make it a game to irritate the one across, to fight each other, to eventually start kick at walls, etc.
When other horses walk by and especially at meal times, open between stalls contributes to happy horses at times, when they can see the others and unruly horses at other times.

I know of more and more trainers that are going back to all solid walls between horses, or as an option in some stalls for some/many horses, because of that.
They say especially mares like their privacy and are more apt to kick if annoyed by a horse next door.

I wonder if, in 12’ separation walls, it would work best to have both 4’ ends solid, a 4’ opening in the middle that can be closed easily if necessary, a sliding window maybe?

Decisions, decisions …

[frugalannie]

I’d recommend if the tractor is going to be in contiguous space to the stalls/ hay storage/ bedding storage have fireproof walls isolating the tractor for obvious reasons.

Our barn is on a grade. The front of the barn is at the highest part within the footprint. The back of the barn is about 4 feet above the grade, but that gives us a level stable area. We built a ramp off the back door to get to grade. It is split so it goes right and left from the back door, if that makes any sense. Works well for us. But it gave us the ability to do a “garage” that abuts the barn aisle. We use a dump trailer for manure removal. It is backed into this garage to a door that opens to the aisle. Full wheelbarrows are brought to the edge of the aisle at the door and dumped into the trailer. The grade change makes dumping pretty easy, and it is a such a boon in bad weather. (That may have been the most confusing description ever!)

Following up on a suggestion from above, we have a frost free hydrant at each end of the aisle and one half way down as well. Each hydrant has a drain underneath it…because why not? And they’ve been very handy.

As to the wash stall, we used prefab channel drains on two sides (when and if I win the lottery the third side will be done as well). They drain out to a dry well (again the grade works for us). The opening is capped with the same kind of flapper used on dryer vents. This never clogs with hair and keeps the cold air out in the winter.

Please, please follow the suggestion to check out old barns in your area. The old folk really knew how best to site a barn!

[beau159]

@Bluey

When figuring hay storing, remember that any more, small bales come in pallets, so provide for plenty of open space, in case you are using big round bales, big square ones, or pallets full of smaller bales.

I don’t know if I’m misinterpreting what you typed but around here, square bales do not “come” in or on pallets. They come from the hay field, thrown by hand onto a trailer, and then unloaded at their destination (aka my barn!). Yes, pallets work fantastic to stack them on because then you have good airflow. But they done come “in pallets”!

[Bluey]

@beau159

I don’t know if I’m misinterpreting what you typed but around here, square bales do not “come” in or on pallets. They come from the hay field, thrown by hand onto a trailer, and then unloaded at their destination (aka my barn!). Yes, pallets work fantastic to stack them on because then you have good airflow. But they done come “in pallets”!

Not today, but they may tomorrow, as they are here now some of those, 21 bales to the pallet is what a local farmer puts together.

My point was, try to make the storage area as accomodating of all kinds of hay you may ever encounter as you can make it, a good idea when building new.

[RPM]

Put in a bathroom. I read a post here on COTH years ago by a Canadian who got stuck in her barn overnight in a bizzard. For that reason – if no other – put in a bathroom.

Other than that, I agree that with the turnout schedule you said you want, 12x12 stalls should be big enough, unless you have humongous horses.

I don’t like rubber mats as an excuse for skimping on bedding. I think the mats are fine, but I like a good thick bed. Not “deep bedding” per se, just deep enough for comfort as well as absorbent. Again, with something like 24/7 turnout, maybe not necessary, but I still prefer it.

[beau159]

RPM: I have thought about putting a bathroom in the barn. I am undecided. The house will be close enough that I can just go there. Or else pick a stall… However, a sink would be very nice for washing hands or whatever, and that takes plumbing anyway.

Oh, I will still be putting down bedding over mats. That is something I do not skimp on!! I don’t like pee splashed around. And I want my horses comfortable. Even if they won’t exactly be in the very often or long.

[Bluey]

A sink seems a luxury until you have one and realize how much you are using it.
We have one in the tack room and we added one in a corner of the wash stall and everyone uses and compliments all the time about those, from washing skid boots and cinches to the vet washing his things, everyone has found it was a very good thing to have.
Ours are the kind sold for kitchens, that are self standing.
They have special fittings and plex lines that will work even where it freezes, check into them.

[Dance_To_Oblivion]

I recently built a barn and house. So much of is is personal preference and how you will use it. My barn and my house are super close together which I LOVE because it is so easy to just walk quickly to. I have some large horses and love having 12x14 stalls. Having the front of the stall 12’ made the stall fronts easier since I ordered them from Classic Equine. I used Stall Savers because over a good draining base they work extremely well, are incredibly cost effective, and one solid piece so I never catch the edge of the manure fork on a stall mat, which is one of my big pet peeves. Since I breed and some of my mares can be over protective of their foals I have mostly solid walls, I also don’t like horse heads in the aisle so full height stall fronts were a must. I really like using the U Channels to create the solid diving walls and then I can slide the boards in and out to expand my stalls as needed for foaling. That is also a super cost effective.

Since my barn is so close to the house I didn’t do a bathroom because it would have needed its own septic system and I didn’t want that extra expense. One of my friends that just built a barn that will be very far from the new house and put a composting toilet in it, so that can be an option.

We built a hayloft, and I regret it. I wish we had done a separate hay building and then a small storage area in the barn. We sometimes get hay on pallets, we sometimes get it off the truck from the field. Both options would be much easier if I had ground floor hay storage.

I did a FB album of our barn building which was very fun: https://www.facebook.com/kathryn.krische/media_set?set=a.10202914767886334.1073741854.1116980909&type=3

[beau159]

Bluey: that’s exactly where I would probably put a sink : in the corner of the wash stall. Since my climate controlled tack room will just be on the other side, that may work well enough to keep the pipes from freezing.

Dance: you are right - I would need a septic system for a toilet. I didn’t even think of that. Nah, wouldn’t be worth the cost when the house will be close enough!

Yes, love seeing pictures!! Your barn is beautiful.

[2DogsFarm]

@beau159

2dogsfarm: Your setup sounds very similar to what I’m planning! And yes, a frost free hydrant will be inside the barn as well as ones outside the barn!

yup, planning on Dutch doors for the stalls (to go outside). The barn will be fairly close to the house. I’m also going to leave room a future building site for an indoor arena, right next to the barn. It will be expensive but I would love to kind of build it into the side of the hill. Natural insulation to keep it warm in the winter and cool in the summer.

This is going to be our forever home so lots of planning!

Continue to Do Like Me () & if possible, attach the indoor to the barn.
No walking tacked-up horses to & from barn in yucky weather.
Plus in really nasty Winter weather I turn them out in the indoor to blow off steam & get a chance to roll.
Which also lets me clean stalls w/o any “help” from Watcha Doin? horses

My barn/arena is as close to the house as legal here - some 250’
I could have put it closer, but the excavator who put down the base recommended moving it to higher ground.
In 14yrs NO floods inside the barn.

Agree with @jawa Really think about where you want lighting.
I cut back about 50% from the Electrician’s initial estimate - told him I would not be doing neurosurgery in barn or indoor!
I ended up with 3 banks of five 8’ fixtures in the indoor & two banks of 2 in the barn - placed offcenter over the aisle & over the stalls so if a horse did rear it would not connect with the bulbs (set just below the 10’ roof height).
Skylights & eavelights give me enough light so I seldom need the fluorescents.
& that’s another thing: Get Enclosed Fixtures!
I hate the buzz & wait time for halide, so went with open cold-ballast fluorescents.
Which are temperamental about damp & dust shortens the ballasts life.

Also watch where switches go & how they operate.
I had electrician put in a switch that operates the flxtures in the barn separately - so the ones placed above the stalls can be left off if I just need light on the aisle.
No need to levitate sleeping horses if I need something from the barn in the dark,
Same for the arena - each bank has its own switch. I rarely need all 3 lit, even riding after dark.

[TrotTrotPumpkn]

I have a friend who built a big overhang and parks her trailer underneath it–right next to the barn. I guess it depends how good you are at backing a trailer, but I would give yourself lots of room, so if you go with a larger trailer someday you can still use it.

Plus if you are talking about a big run-out overhang off your stalls, you can do that on the other side and it will balance the look of the building nicely I think!

You will have to go higher on your sidewalls. But I like higher ceilings anyway.