Run-in barn?

[longlanefarm]

Looking for ideas and opinions on how to better use my barn space. I have a big old bank barn that we’ve started converting into a horse barn. I’ve attached a rough word-document “sketch” of the layout, not to scale. Also, I currently have 2 horses and a mini donkey but will likely add a 3rd horse in the future. [ATTACH]n10266433[/ATTACH]

There are four 12x12 stalls along the front wall of the barn, each has a sliding door. There are two huge sliding doors on the right leading to the driveway/house (indicated by two black arrows) and one sliding door on the opposite side leading into the dry lot and then to the pastures. This one sliding door connects the dry lot to a run-in area (indicated in red) and then into the barn through a gate to access the stalls. The run-in is tube gates at this point because I don’t know how I want my permanent set up to function. Currently, my hay drop is next to the first post (indicated by the blue rounded squares) but will be moving that to the “dairy” section of the barn and building an enclosed hay drop next to the future feed/tack rooms

I would like to add a large lean-to/overhang onto the run-in/dry lot area to extend the covered area for inclement weather. I try to keep them out 24-7 but they’re babies and hate standing in the rain. Now, if I don’t bring them in they huddle in the run in (approx 15x20’?). I don’t like to hang hay in there because then they will fight over it and likely keep one out in the rain without hay.

The lean-to will not be built before spring and I have a lot of open space in the barn I was pondering using it as a big run-in area. The floor right now is screenings. I would gate off the small “aisle way” that leads to the far left stall as it is too narrow to leave anyone unattended in.

I guess my main concern would be would that make the biggest mess ever? I don’t want to necessarily bed it like a stall (such a huge area) and I don’t yet have enough mats to cover the entire area (there are two cross tie areas each with 4 mats within that area I didn’t note on the drawing).

Thoughts and ideas welcome!

barn layout.pdf (80.1 KB)

[Trimming]

I have something similar, but on a much smaller scale - 20’ x 24’ - for my mini donkeys.

It ended up being a 10’ x 16’ tack/hay room, a 8’ x 10’ stall with an 8’ wide sliding door so it can be completely open to the run in area, and a 10x24 run in area. The run in area is open to their dry lot, which is connected to a small pasture. I have packed clay for the run in section and mats in the stall with pelleted bedding. Most of the time, if they don’t want go outside to pee, (raining/snowing etc) they go pee in the stall. I clean the run in area and stall daily, if not more often, and put down dirt/pelleted bedding on any pee spots in the run in. I remove that the next time I clean the run in area.

I don’t know how it would work with screenings.

[Cynical25]

Unless you add mats, I expect it WILL make the biggest mess ever, lol. They’ll excitedly explore the new section while pooping everywhere, then that poop and any mud from their hooves will get tracked around the screenings, bits of uncompacted screenings will stick in their hooves and get tracked outside, and everything will be gross fairly quickly since you can’t really sweep or wash screenings without losing some.

That said, I’ve been affordably increasing my number of stall mats via FB marketplace - have bought from several people who thought they would use their home gyms I have search set up so I’m notified when they get listed nearby.

[longlanefarm]

@Cynical25

That said, I’ve been affordably increasing my number of stall mats via FB marketplace - have bought from several people who thought they would use their home gyms I have search set up so I’m notified when they get listed nearby.

Great idea, I need to figure out how to set up my search that way. Yes, I’m picture that mess now.

Granted, I would not be removing the run-in tube gates, only opening them for full access when weather dictates. But even still, HUGE MESS without mats.

[Libby2563]

Can you clean out the large run-in area every day or two?

My large dry lot and 12’x36’ run-in shed have screenings with no mats and as long as I pick manure out regularly it doesn’t get messy at all. On days when I’m short of time, I pile the manure in a corner to get it out of the way and then scoop it out the next time I clean (this works better in winter than in summer, when it stinks and attracts flies). I also have 2-3 horses and a mini-donkey.

I have a friend who has a bank barn that functions as a large run-in and I don’t think he has mats. He just makes sure the kids muck it out regularly, no big deal. I believe the family has 9 or 10 horses.

If your horses are busybodies like mine, you’ll have to remove all blankets, halters, leads, etc from stall fronts so the horses don’t play with them. I would also close stall doors so no one can get trapped in a small space with an aggressor, but I know some people allow multiple horses free access to stalls.

[AKB]

My daughter uses half of the lower level of her bank barn as a run in. She cleans it daily but it isn’t a big mess. There are 2 exit doors so no horse can get pinned in a corner and beaten up. Her 3 get along well. The back half of her bank barn is stalls, which are closed except for feeding time.