So here is what I ended up with:
8x10 spaces. Left the back rail off as we have the bushes and barn there so don’t anticipate needing it, but can always add it in later. Front posts are 8", back posts are 6". Filled with an ag lime base (today), and I just have a couple mats on it for now, may add bigger mats later. Also had a small shelf built into the middle board for setting brushes, etc. I have flexi hooks on front of the posts and I have 2 colapsible wood saddle racks to mount next spring too. Have used these a few times and so far I love them!!
looks nice, like the base
personally for the way our big butt horses tend to be I would add another 2 by what ever you used on the center divider so the horse in cross ties could swing around and knock the rail off … it would be to the left of the horse
yes I thought about putting another board on that middle section Clanter. Just didn’t do it yet because the front and back posts are different sizes so it might look kinda funny. I might add one next year then put like a 2x10 or something over the top of the entire rail to make a big long shelf and cover up the strange contour of the 2 boards at angles. our horses are pretty respectful of fences, so I’m hoping they don’t bug it.
May I direct your to my neglected blog? http://weownblackacre.blogspot.com/
I believe my outdoor cross-tie project is the first thing you will see. Along with my adorable mini-donkey.
Oh and then I realized you already built yours! LOL. Well if anyone is ever searching it’s there I guess.
I put in cross ties last year and am I ever glad that I did. We poured a cement slab and installed premade metal cross tie/washrack in the slab. The crosstie is U shaped It fits my 17’2 hand horse just fine. We have rubber mats on the slab so no one slips. Clearly one of my better projects! We use it when the vet comes, for tacking up, or just anything when I need to access different parts of the horse - with the U shaped metal cross tie, the horse cant get away from me which is helpful when we are doing shots or something he might not want to have done to him.
We have 3 side by side outdoor crossties at my barn, and I love them in the summer! The only thing I wish is had was a cement base with mats. I hate puddles and I hate mud when I’m trying to bath my horse and keep her whites white the night before a show!
I do love our set up otherwise, I’m not sure of the dimensions but it’s wide enough for our horses (everything from 13:2hh pony to a 18:3hh warmblood) to walk in and turn around. We have two rails as “walls” between and on the end of each and the back of it backs on to an existing field fence. We have those bathroom caddy type things hanging off the outside walls on the two end stalls to hold bathing and grooming things as well.
Love everything about it but if I were to do it in the future for myself I would lay concrete down with a slope for draining.
I have an outdoor wash rack. My pons live at home in a 3 stall barn. I have hay storage on the left of the barn, and wash rack on the right. My dad helped organize concrete to be poured/formed. I love my wash rack! Can’t use it much in cold december weather (okay, not that cold, but cold for louisiana…) , but I love it the other 11 months of the year! One thing: make the concrete sloped a tad!!! one thing that bothers me about mine is that there is NO slope and I will spend 5-10 minutes heavily hosing down the concrete because I have a lack of drainage.
We have 2 wooden posts stuck in the concrete, and I got two crown bolts to attach my weaver cross ties to.
I don’t have concrete, but built it on a hill and it is matted front to back (in a frame, so they don’t shift too much). You can see it in the picture. It works great. I laid down landscape fabric and then rock. The big mistake I initially made was using some pea gravel I had. Angular (locking) rock with stone dust is the way to go!!
Concrete would be wonderful of course, but I haven’t felt like I’m missing out yet.
Wow TrotTrot Pumpkin that is spectacular!
Glad to hear all of the great suggestions and feedback that people like using this type of set up. I’m loving it so far.
Our base is ag lime (crushed rock), on a pretty good slope away from the barn, compressed, and right now it’s frozen, so it’s basically like concrete. lol I anticipate using it more for grooming/blanket changing/tacking/vet or farrier holding than for washing horses, so hopefully it should hold up for that use. We had talked about concrete, but wanted to start with something less permanent in case we need to make adjustments.
I set up cross ties between 2 trees outside my barn and put down mats (no base under mats bc the soil is naturally sandy). I just drag the hose from the barn since it’s very close…my cowgirl washrack’s been working like a charm for going on 6 and 1/2 years so far!
Samigator: those look great!
Trot trot…now, I feel inadequate . I must have a pergola installed over my outdoor washrack . :D. Absolutely gorgeous!
I have to update some photos. what I did, was enclose an area connecting to the barn right at double door barn aisle entrance. this is on a slight grade, so I put full interconnecting mats down over packed bluestone, and at the ‘backside’ of the grade, under an aisle window, put a foot dug gravel pit, and a 10x10 deck over it. This is my ‘drain’. I got a Corian tear down corner counter with sink, and used that with two 6x6 posts at each end of the ‘L’ of the counter for my cross tie posts. these have cute carriage lamp look solar ‘caps’ on the top of each I know its hard to ‘envision’ and will try my best for photos. hung on the outer wall of my barn/run in area that the corner counter is attached to, is a Eccotemp L10 propane water heater, right above the sink.
