Is a two stall barn a mistake? Would I regret not having a loft?

[amt813]

I am starting to think about putting up a small barn on my property and am gathering information to make sure I make good decisions.

I would not want to have more than two horses. Both time and finances would make having more than that not a good idea. However, as I do compete and would probably ship out for lessons, I am wondering if I would want an extra companion animal to have the option of leaving one horse home.

Anyone have two horses and a two stall barn? If so, how have you handled this? Do you wish you had a three stall barn?

Also curious about lofts - I am leaning towards this is a necessity, but wanted to get peoples thoughts (again this would be for a two to three stall barn).

Ideally, I would just do the three stall barn with the loft for the peace of mind … but of course cost is a consideration, so just thinking about where I can save.

TIA.

[SuckerForHorses]

I have a 2 stall barn with a loft for hay. People on here poo-poo on hay above the horse area because of fire safety and the like, but it is what worked in our location and what we’ve always had.

It’s a 24x36 barn, the tack room and 2 stalls on one side, 12’ wide aisle is the other.

I do not wish to have 3 stalls. If I take one horse somewhere, the other stays in the pasture or in a stall. I have not had any issues leaving one behind. They get over it after the first few separations. Now, I may get a whinny here and there while we’re leaving or coming home, but otherwise nothing.

If you have the space to have your hay storage be on ground level but next to your horse barn, that is what most people will tell you to do.

I don’t mind having a loft now, but might when I’m older and don’t want to climb up and down. That is something to consider as well. Also, how will you get the hay up there? We have an elevator.

[Highflyer]

Two is a tough number to have unless you can select them very carefully. On the upside even if you never use the extra stall for a horse it is still usually useful.

[NoSuchPerson]

A three stall barn isn’t that much more expensive than a 2 stall barn and I know that I have never found myself saying, “Gee, I’ve got too much room in this barn.” :lol:

But, I can do without the loft. I’d rather have ground storage.

[arlosmine]

Save a little money and make a two stall, plus one loafing shed set up. Lots of the $ in stalls go to the stall fronts. Heck…if o were doing it, I’d make a barn with ONE stall (for emergencies), plus a large loafing shed that could shelter three horses if needed. 12’ X 30’. Very versatile.

[Calvincrowe]

I have a huge barn/shop but only two stalls. I can build a temporary third stall, if needed. I prefer having two horses due to time and space constraints (not enough pasture for three). I’ve had a horse and two weanlings and that’s doable. If your two don’t mind being separated then you’ll have no issues. I had a pair in for a while that freaked out if one was out of sight around the barn, let alone off property. The right two horses is key. My third stall is simply hay storage when not in use.

I do not have a loft, but all my hay is stored in the barn (40x60) along with the horses, chickens and rabbit. I have had a loft and find them to be a pain in the butt to load into, even with a hay elevator, but for space saving, they are handy. If your hay is put up right (dried properly) then fire is not a huge deal unless your electric is put in wrong.

[Jim_in_PA]

The type/style of barn matters relative to the efficiency of how many stalls work relative to the building’s dimensions. A simple shed row type barn doesn’t have much to hinder as little number of stalls that you want/need, while a small, center-isle barn may be more efficient to build with the equivalent of four stalls of space with two used for horses and the other two “stalls” area utilized for other purposes, such as a wash stall and storage/tack room or some other combination that works for a given owner.

I agree with NoSuch’ relative to a loft…that creates “work” and I’d personally rather have a little bigger footprint to accommodate ground level storage that have to deal with putting stuff up and down to a second floor. I have that situation with my woodworking shop and although I truly covet the extent of the storage “upstairs”…moving material up and down is a pain.

[Outyougo]

OWe have a loft ok a pain to fill but makes feeding much easier and cleaner – NO rats n my loft!

You will need a “at all” for your tack/feed and one for the Deere! And nice to have a visitor stall to keep all the buckeks and blankets

The bear thing I have close to the barn is my “Taj Manure” An 8 x10 covered pit for composting manure!

[cayuse]

I have a two stall barn and room for a mini stall squeezed in. I do not have a hayloft but have storage for about sixty bales of hay and my grain bin and some shavings. I really wish I had more hay storage somewhere. There never seems to be enough storage. We just looked at a property with a new barn and I was almost ready to move because of the hayloft it had.

[ElementFarm]

There are lots of threads regarding the issues that can arise with just two horses. It works just fine for some. It was a nightmare when we tried it.

We rented a small farm with a three stall plus tack barn with a hayloft overhead. I think the loft and hay worked as a good insulator in the winter and helped keep the barn nice and toasty. Not hot, but at least kept the water buckets from freezing most of the time. However, we didn’t own a hay elavator and it was very difficult to find hay suppliers willing to deliver to us, and the few that did, it cost quite a it extra. When we bought our current place, one our criteria was ground storage for hay. So far that is much easier.

If you could afford a 36x36 barn you could have three stalls on one side and a tack room plus 12x24 hay storage on the other.

[Frog_Pond]

I have a 2-stall barn – it’s 24’ x 25’, and the two stalls open onto a paddock with dutch doors. The other half of the barn is an 8x12 feed/tack room and a 12x17 aisle. It works really well for me. I just stuffed 90 bales of hay into the feed room and that’ll get me 4 months. I have a 10x12 shelter logic that houses fencing materials, buckets, tools, shavings – I’ll probably build a lean-to off the barn some day to accommodate that stuff. I wish I had an overhang over the dutch doors, but, otherwise I love this set up.

[2DogsFarm]

I have 2 12X12 (actual inside measure) stalls in a 36X36 center aisle barn.

In a pinch I could fit 6 stalls, but then I lose my tack area, hay storage - 300 50# square bales on pallets - and open space for whatever.

I purposely built without a loft.
Hate the constant up&down to get hay.
And getting hay delivered & stacked is a lot easier with ground-level storage.

ETA:
In almost 12yrs I have never regretted not putting in a loft

[Bluey]

[QUOTE=2DogsFarm;8452937]
I have 2 12X12 (actual inside measure) stalls in a 36X36 center aisle barn.

In a pinch I could fit 6 stalls, but then I lose my tack area, hay storage - 300 50# square bales on pallets - and open space for whatever.

I purposely built without a loft.
Hate the constant up&down to get hay.
And getting hay delivered & stacked is a lot easier with ground-level storage.

ETA:
In almost 12yrs I have never regretted not putting in a loft[/QUOTE]

A hay loft may keep a barn more warm, but do horses need a warmer barn?
Hay lofts take some room that may be better used for air exchange and when that happens with a hay loft, you get more particulate matter suspended in the air and so eventually in the horse’s and human’s lungs.

A hay loft is cheap extra room, as it cost less to build up than a larger building on one level.
The disadvantages of needing to go up there to handle hay and the dust and less air space has to be weighed also.

One more option, for just two horses, how about checking with the builders that have garage/shop specials, see if one of those may work and then add two portable stalls in there?

[SquishTheBunny]

Do 3 stalls if you have the option. If you don’t fill it with a third horse, the its excellent storage for hay or feed or tack etc. I have two horses and three stalls. At one point (and eventually again) 3 will be here. Its a better number especially if you plan to take one horse out for rides.

[judybigredpony]

For what’s it’s worth I have had just 2 stalls and always wished for an extra…also now that I do have extra and 2 barns one with and one without loft…the barn with loft is way warmer in winter…and in summer I open a central loft drop hatch and with cupolas it creates and updraft drawing air flow thru barn and out loft…I vote loft

[Doctracy]

[QUOTE=SuckerForHorses;8452761]
I have a 2 stall barn with a loft for hay. People on here poo-poo on hay above the horse area because of fire safety and the like, but it is what worked in our location and what we’ve always had.

It’s a 24x36 barn, the tack room and 2 stalls on one side, 12’ wide aisle is the other.

I do not wish to have 3 stalls. If I take one horse somewhere, the other stays in the pasture or in a stall. I have not had any issues leaving one behind. They get over it after the first few separations. Now, I may get a whinny here and there while we’re leaving or coming home, but otherwise nothing.

If you have the space to have your hay storage be on ground level but next to your horse barn, that is what most people will tell you to do.

I don’t mind having a loft now, but might when I’m older and don’t want to climb up and down. That is something to consider as well. Also, how will you get the hay up there? We have an elevator.[/QUOTE]
Can I ask where you got your elevator? We are just finishing our barn and have a big lift. 5 stalls,wash rack,tack room and cart/feed roo, along with two overhangs.
This is my first lift. I had an area in the barn before and then I had a hay roof at my last property.
I have a lot less open land now so space was a premium,plus,a loft was less expensive than ground floor space for hay.
We are going to have a fire/security system that is from the same company as our house. I am planning to have sprinklers added,just for safety.

[Doctracy]

[QUOTE=Outyougo;8452895]
OWe have a loft ok a pain to fill but makes feeding much easier and cleaner – NO rats n my loft!

You will need a “at all” for your tack/feed and one for the Deere! And nice to have a visitor stall to keep all the buckeks and blankets

The bear thing I have close to the barn is my “Taj Manure” An 8 x10 covered pit for composting manure![/QUOTE]
Do you put grain in your loft? How do you get it down easily each day for feeding?

[SuckerForHorses]

[QUOTE=Doctracy;8453067]
Can I ask where you got your elevator? We are just finishing our barn and have a big lift. 5 stalls,wash rack,tack room and cart/feed roo, along with two overhangs.
This is my first lift. I had an area in the barn before and then I had a hay roof at my last property.
I have a lot less open land now so space was a premium,plus,a loft was less expensive than ground floor space for hay.
We are going to have a fire/security system that is from the same company as our house. I am planning to have sprinklers added,just for safety.[/QUOTE]

I’m not sure. My dad got the elevator itself at an auction, and added a motor that he already had to it.

[Bluey]

[QUOTE=Doctracy;8453067]
Can I ask where you got your elevator? We are just finishing our barn and have a big lift. 5 stalls,wash rack,tack room and cart/feed roo, along with two overhangs.
This is my first lift. I had an area in the barn before and then I had a hay roof at my last property.
I have a lot less open land now so space was a premium,plus,a loft was less expensive than ground floor space for hay.
We are going to have a fire/security system that is from the same company as our house. I am planning to have sprinklers added,just for safety.[/QUOTE]

Google hay elevators and there are many out there, some probably close to where you live:

http://www.agrisupply.com/bale-hay-elevators/c/2000004/

We had one in one barn that would take hay to the edge of the loft, then extensions laying on the floor of the loft that took those bales to the other end of the loft.
It was still a lot of extra work and extra handling of small bales.

Consider also that many are going to bigger bales now, some you would not want to store in a loft.
Here many are buying alfalfa in big square bales, that cost half what it costs in small bales.
They flake out what they need for each horse from the big bale.

I would not count on always having small bales to feed and so needing small storage bales, as lofts are.
Then, you can always use that storage for other stuff.

Just more to consider.

[saultgirl]

I have a three stall barn that I’m considering changing to 2 stalls. I have just the 2 horses and the stalls are standing stalls, so I have been considering (for the last 4 years) making 2 box stalls. So far I’m hesitant to change the set up because just in case I need a third horse, I’ll be set. And my horses don’t mind standing tied overnight.

I have hay overhead in a loft; that is how it is in every barn around here. I have never actually been in a horse barn that didn’t have a hay loft. Until coming to COTH I had no idea people did it any other way.

A hay elevator is definitely on the wish-list though… so far we have been putting hay up by having my husband throw the bales up one at a time while standing on a picnic table. He is a saint and I love him