Looking for cost effective ideas and what order to do some of these improvements. And if you guys would like to share any pictures, that would be awesome! I have fencing but would love to replace it. The barn on the property is barely workable for storage. I found that working horses in the field with other ummm helpful horses is not going to work. If you have had a barn built or did the DIY thing, I would love to hear about your favorite improvements and what you feel was your money best spent.
I’ll play!
When we bought our place there was a barn with tiny stalls, a flat area where there used to be an arena, and some half rotted fences here and there, covered by blackberry brambles…
We first fenced a sacrifice paddock behind the barn, and left one of the stalls open as a run in. We just used Tposts with 4 layers of polyrope. Then we rebuilt the stalls (4 of them). They already had doors to the outside so that was easy. We enlarged them so now they are 16x16. We built new Dutch doors so I could lock them in or out.
We borrowed a tractor and an arena groomer and scraped the vegetation off of the overgrown flat area that was once an arena. I just loosened up the dirt and rode on it. Works fine, but rocks do work their way to the surface so I am picking lots of them. I didnt fence it either, so super cheap and easy project.
But we will be moving the arena to a better spot, will have to do some dirt work but we have our own tractor now. And lots of friends with heavy machinery 
Then we started fencing some pastures, also with Tposts and polyrope. We have since started to replace the Tposts with pressure treated 4x4s. Eventually they will get rails (2Ă—6) as well. We also built runs off the stalls that open into the sacrifice paddock, we have started to install 3 rail fence around most of those.
Our second winter here we redid the barnroof and raised it, added a ton of height to my stalls! Basically used to be a flat roof off the gable, and we turned it into a gable. We had some help from DHs brother and one of his coworkers for this part…
Right now we are getting ready to add mudproofing to the runs as it gets very wet here in winter! Also installing an indoor washrack, tackroom and feedroom. My hay sits in a bay off my aisle, across from the stalls. Not ideal, but a haybarn is out of the budget for this year.
Greenhouse will hopefully go up this winter, as well as a “she shed” 
Everything is DIY here…
Would help to know what you may do with your horses?
You can manage things to be easy to have little to do but ride, or more involved you will spend more time caring for the horses.
Stalls can take more time to keep clean than keeping horses out with sheds, but if you compete seriously you may need stalls to have horses handy and clean with less effort for that than if they are outside fending for themselves.
Retired horses and broodmares will take generally less work to keep.
Keeping horses with others makes us feel good, thinking they are with friends and that ought to be the best.
Found out over years of that maybe that is not so for many horses.
Horses will fret about taking care of where others are and what they are doing if they feel in charge of the herd, or of doing the right thing so the boss horse is not annoyed and that causes stress and injuries.
Some horses get along, others not so much, some do at times only, not always.
The older the horses, the less they seem to care to be in the midst of herd dynamics with others not their choosing as we demand of them.
Giving horses some time alone, especially at meal times, or for some always by keepig them by themselves with other horses across a fence for company may just help horses live with less stress in general.
Best try to have different options, build so you only are forced to spend time in what matters to you more and so all horses you may keep can be happy.
Build where much is portable, so you can remodel as you see other arrangements may fit better.
That will depend on your horses and your goals for them.
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You need to keep your fencing in good shape first and foremost. Agree that if you are competing, you need a good area to ride and shelter for when you go show. Even a run in shed with storage room where you can hang a gate and lock them in for the night or day is helpful.
Celina sets mostly on gumbo clay soil which dries into concrete leaving huge cracks in the ground then expands when wet… and it is not uncommon to have rain falls of many inches at a time (also not uncommon to go months without a drop) so make sure you raise the floor of the barn above grade higher than you think you need. Sacrifice paddocks are must have feature in order to preserve the pasture and to have a safe turnout area that can be more easily monitored.
Flash flooding is common in the area…and that was before Celia has been been experiencing explosive growth. Any stream bed or dry wash may flash flood with little warning. Pull up the Google Earth satellite view of the area around your farm to see just what people have done around you (there is also a way to have contour lines added to map to determine sloops. The measurement feature on the Google maps is accrue to within inches of actual measurements, so use that to double check any estimates for fencing, running electrical service, water lines. (I have had to prove to sub contractors that their distances on their estimates were inflated… oh we just kind of guess at it… what the hell?)
Fire ants … just make sure all electrical is sealed, plug conduits otherwise they become super highways for the fore ants to go directly into your electrical devices … establish a protective perimeter around air condition units if you want them to want other wise the fire ants will invade the control panel eating the insulation off the wiring, destroying circuit boards
Just a thought… have you looked at he proposed NTTA expansion to Denison? the route will be west of Celina. Then there is the proposed Outer Loop that is proposed to run just south of Celina? If you are near these proposed routes you may want to plant a shielding tree line now
link to map
https://ftp.dot.state.tx.us/pub/txdo…verall_map.pdf
Winter winds are brutal as the only thing that slows the wind down is that barbed wire fence somewhere in Oklahoma that keeps failing. The wind comes mostly from north or north west so do not have any of the barn openings facing north or northwest… plant a tree line if possible to provide a shielded area for the horses
oh and must add… the local contractors have really inflated their costs due to the money from California (Toyota’s and several others move has all the contractors licking their chops… make sure you add a completion date to all contracts with penitently clauses for time overruns…and do not pay for work in advance unless you are paying the money into an escrow account being overseen by a bank officer.
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My barn/shop is only for storage. Open interior is lined with stall mats for farrier & vet, big enough to park a trailer full of hay inside. Mower, drag, wheelbarrows, line one long wall, enclosed 9x11 tack room in the far back corner. Other long wall has efficiency apartment w/ bathroom and my hay room in far back corner. Human size door on far back wall opens to 33’ wide x 15’ deep run in shelter for my horses. Door is between tack & hay rooms, super efficient! I currently have gate panels creating a 15x15 “stall” in the shelter while my mare recovers from a nasty leg wound. She’s content being able to see my gelding, whereas both buddy sour horses would be upset if she was in a stall inside a barn while he was turned out.
I LOVE my sand run-in shelter for simplicity in horse care! Picking poop out of shavings and filling buckets before and after work while my mare has been stalled with this injury has been a time consuming PITA, lol. I’ve got outdoor rated, closed motor fans mounted to the run-in’s ceiling for summer, and my wussy horse gets blanketed in winter while my mare grows her wooly mammoth coat.
A 33x60’, 5.5’ high, extra-thick pipe rail paddock extends off the run in shelter. This space is great for safely securing one buddy sour horse while the other gets ridden or trailered away. Gate panels are set up to include another 20x75’ area to serve as sacrifice paddock when pastures are too wet to graze, or if I’m limiting rich spring grass. I have “black gumbo” clay (Kaufman County, Texas) so a day of rain means squishy pastures for 4 days, 24 hrs of beautiful soft footing, then it’s dried hard as concrete. I don’t have an arena, just ride in the pasture or along the bridle path encircling our neighborhood.
Sacrifice paddock opens up to 4.5 acres of pasture. I stopped rotating almost 2 years ago and it’s handling 2 horses quite well. I will, however, close the front 1.5 ac in October to overseed rye for Jan/Feb grazing. There are a whopping 3 trees in my entire pasture, so the run-in is always accessible for shelter.
My front road-side fence is 4.5’ high pipe top rail w/cattle panels below - it’s pretty and strong. There is no-climb fencing on t-posts around most of the rest of the pasture. Two long stretches in my back pasture are multi-strand barbed wire - existing when I moved in 3 years ago, so I just ran a line of electric inside on a solar charger. Some day I’ll change it out, but I have lots of grass and/or hay and have never seen signs of either horse pushing on any fence line. Neither neighbor currently has animals, so it’s unlikely they’ll be willing to contribute to fence replacement.
This is great! I love hearing about everyone’s farm.
To answer a few questions, I have 4 horses (well one pony and 3 horses) on 11.5 acres. The goal is to do some local shows (hunters and maybe dabble in some eventing) and I would like to ride (weather permitting) 3 to 5 days per week.
I have sub par fencing that all needs to be upgraded. But 11.5 acres worth of fence line is overwhelming in my first month and I would like to get an idea of what would be good, cost effective fencing that will keep my horses in and reasonably safe and cows on 3 sides out! Not that I have anything against cows but they do kind of wreck the fence. I am thinking a top strand of electric. I have a barn. It is not anything that I am comfortable putting horses in even if it was repaired and renovated. I definitely need a dedicated space to ride because the other horses are very interested in participating and it’s just not as fun for me as it is for them.
I am not opposed to doing little things and doing a bunch of DIY. Libera, I wish I was as handy as you are!!! But I am learning.
Clanter, I have moved from Celina to Campbell. I am on stuff called Crockett loam? That seems to be a mix between the black clay and sandy loam. It seems to drain really well and I have a slight slope to my property that all runs into my tanks which is nice. Even after it pours, it doesn’t seem to be super slick to walk on or super muddy. But I pretty much have a blank slate on the property and am prone to over analyzing what to do next.
My wish lists is pretty simple. I would like to have some way to separate horses for feeding. I have 2 greedy fatties and 2 that need every bite of their dinners. I would like some sort of lighted and covered area that if I needed to medicate horses or have the vet/farrier there, it was handy. And I need to get some sort of arena carved out for everyone’s safety. I needed to lunge someone for a sound check the other day and it required help because I have no separate areas.
Cynical25 - I would love to see pictures of your run in shelter. I am considering one but can’t decide between a run in or just building a barn with an overhang.
I’m in the same boat as you. Moved into my place this past spring and have a mile long list of things that need to be done.
If fencing is not safe I would make that priority! Just do a bit at a time so it is not so overwhelming.
I have a ton of fencing to do, and have slowly been picking away at it. I have a large pasture (20 acres) that needs all new fencing. But I separated out a small chunk, and for this year just had one safe pasture area that I was comfortable putting horses in.
I keep my horses separated for ease of feeding grain.
An outdoor was a priority for me, so i made sure I got that done. Its not finished but I can ride on it at least.
Now it’s a push to get things done for winter. Watering bowls need fixing, stall floors need to be finished, more fencing etc etc. I am just doing what needs to be done to get through this winter.
I have lots of big sheds and that is so nice for storage. I can put all my round bales in there, and that makes such a difference. My hay from 2017 still looks fantastic.
Just remember the reason why you bought the farm… I find its easy to spend all your time working, fixing, cleaning etc and not enjoying the horses… make sure to find time for that.
Enjoy
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So much of this depends on how much money you have.
Observe drainage closely. Place gates, pastures, etc. accordingly.
The best thing we did right away was to build a very deep run-in shed and a dry lot, which was later expanded to another dry lot and run-in (gate between the two and to pasture). I can move everyone around without grabbing a halter. My dry lot is on high ground and my run in is even higher. I can gate off one of the run-ins if I need to confine someone due to injury, etc. Running a water line and electric right to the fence was great. I still haven’t upgraded to an autowaterer, but can easily fill the tank with a super short hose, which I can drain out in winter.
Some kind of electric fencing is your friend for low maintenance. My wood board fencing takes the most work to maintain. I really like my coated wire fencing the best (I have wood board, tape, no climb and coated wire).
We fenced about 3 acres to start, but I just lost a good junk to my outdoor, so will need to expand next year.
Outdoor riding arena cost WAAAAYYY more than I thought it would. I suggest riding on some grass locations first and observing your rainfall and water flows. I initially thought the high ground would be best, but it is tucked into two shelter belts and the mosquitos and lack of air flow were terrible and the horses spooked constantly at the monsters in the bushes. Also you want to be able to move equipment in easily, potentially run lights, etc. Go visit everyone’s arena you can before starting!
I did big 14’ gates in most areas and that has been great for equipment coming in.
I still don’t have a barn yet. We had a two car detached garage we turned into a hay shed. I wanted my arena more than a barn, so still no barn (been here 5 years).
I had a blog when I started. Hasn’t been updated in awhile, but has pictures. weownblackacre.blogspot.com
I’ll share
I just had to have a barn - HAD to. Now I wish I had built 2 more run in sheds first. I rarely have horses in. I do feed them and let them out twice daily, sometimes leave in all night if its been raining for days so feet will dry out. In winter I blanketed the OTTB and left in at night. But if I had a run in shed in each pasture my life would be MUCH easier.
I now have the OTTB in his own pasture, sans shed. The other two are best buds and share a pasture and shed. (Not for feeding time!) He is a juvenile-minded bother to the other two. He pesters them until they let him have it. No more kick marks since I separated them. I wish I had sheds everywhere. That’s for next year…
Fencing of course came first, one pasture at a time. I love my 36 x 36 barn. It’s a lovely little simple thing, it’s just too hot and humid here to be in it very long. Oh well, winter and fall and a bit of spring we all enjoy it. Mostly it’s a huge empty thing I spent money on. Build sheds first! You may not ever need a conventional horse barn.
Enjoy yourself, it’s been hard, but it’s the greatest time of my life.
Agree with some sort of electric fencing. And Congratulations!!!
Congrats!!! So exciting to have a new farm
I got mine in January and have been working on renovations since then. I had a barn that needed improvement and a “ring” of sorts that also needed a fair amount of work. My pastures and fencing were in pretty decent shape so the barn and arena were the priority.
I have a separate “barn” that is functional for storage, and that is where the equipment lives, as well as the hay and shavings. My horses generally go out first thing in the morning and stay out til dinnertime, by which time they are standing at the gate and asking to come in.
I did sacrifice a portion of one pasture to create a bigger arena, and I invested in some really good footing that would hold up to the elements. We get a fair amount of rain here and I wanted something that would drain well. My arena is now 100’ x 150’ and I love it, but it was a splurge. I split the remaining pasture area into two paddocks, one of which has a big run in shed and creek access. That required installing new fencing at $9/ft, which is the low end of the going rate for this area. I put in four board to match my existing fencing and am very pleased with it.
I also did a fair amount of renovation in my barn. I have a center aisle six stall arrangement with a wash rack and tack room. Originally only the 3 stalls on the south side of the barn had windows; I converted one stall to be a feed/utility room and added dutch doors to the other 5 stalls to improve access and ventilation. Luckily the barn is situated nicely to catch the breeze and the ventilation is quite good. I also put in mats, a solarium in the washrack and fans in the stalls, and added electrical outlets to the barn aisle. But my favorite project was finishing the tackroom. The original space was semi-finished in that it had a proper floor and plywood “walls” so it was more finished than a stall, but not weathertight. I added insulation, installed an inverter for heat/cooling, put in a proper window, finished the walls with decorative beadboard, added brass tack room fixtures and some niceties like a small fridge and so on. It’s a bit over the top but I have been envisioning it for decades so it was very satisfying to have it finally finished. If you’d like to see pictures of all my various projects, you can check out https://hedgerow-farm.com/. (For reference the pic at the top of the blog shows the original pasture that I altered to increase the ring size. That big pasture is now two smaller ones with a lane in between to get to the back pastures.
Good idea on watching the water flow. We have had some rain but it hasn’t hit the real wet season yet. Love hearing about the ways everyone is setting up their own place. Sounds like loafing sheds and fencing are the first things. Has anyone done a covered grooming stall?
you moved from the Cross Timbers region (Sub-tropical sub-humid mixed savanna and woodlands) to the west edge of the Piney Woods (Sub-tropical humid mixed evergreen-deciduous forestland)
Even in that short distance of a move you gained about seven inches of annual rainfall on average. Increased annual average temperature by about three degrees
link to pdf file explaining the various regions of Texas
http://www.twdb.texas.gov/publications/state_water_plan/2012/04.pdf
Also even though there is a growth eastward it is more restricted because of Lake Ray Hubbard and Lake Levon … once US380 and the proposed northern bypasses are improved and built there is less likely hood of the uncontrolled rapid growth taking place
Right…nothing sub about the humidity LOL My hair doesn’t love it but that is totally off topic. I really need to figure out what the rainfall pattern and run off really is because my land is such a blank slate that I have too many choices on how to lay it out. And I am hoping it will not grow like Celina. That was getting miserable!!! Thanks for the link. I really love the area except for the commute. But my boss is really cool and I telecommute a few times a week. I am hoping to have some sort of riding area carved out or at least a round pen put in for the slightly cooler weather.
Thank you for sharing your site! Love it! I have a feeling I am not working with the same budget but now I have goals LOL
Thank you! That helps so much. I might copy it!
I’ve got a very different property – coastal new england, wooded, rocky – but, a few things are the same wherever you are. Been here almost 5 years and feel like things are just starting to come together.
Drainage was a huge issue in siting my barn, and I lucked into a local excavator who’s a horse person. Watching the runoff bypass my barn and gate areas is a beautiful thing – no muddy spots, anywhere.
I put in a 2-stall barn and use it as a run-in shed, with stalls open 24-7 and the aisle, too, on hot days. I have a very sensitive skinned horse who loathes bugs, so for him, the deep shade of the aisle is necessary. If you just do run-in sheds, pay attention to the people on here who’ve built much deeper/longer ones than usual. That deep shade is what some horses really crave, and keeps the bugs down.
I’ve got a 70’ round pen I use as paddock, with 5’x12’ corral panels lined with 2"x4" wire to keep neighbor dogs out. I’ve built two run-outs off the stalls in case I need to separate anyone but I leave them open so far. The small pasture is Horseguard bipolar on t-posts with the brown t-post covers from HG. Looks great, cheap-ish, simple to install, works well on my super rocky soil.
There’s no spot flat enough on my 8 acres to have a ring, without blasting the granite ledge, which I won’t do. I put in an 800’ road of crushed asphalt between the barn & house and I use that as a . . . long, narrow ring. I’m going to make a loop through the woods, and will use that as a sort of riding-ring-trail. That’s as good as it’s going to get here, and it works for me.
Good luck setting up!
You are very welcome!! We were on a pretty strict budget (well, except for the tack room where I indulged my inner 16 year old, LOL.) But we are here for the duration so I really tried to figure out how to make the improvements the “right” ones … I did not want to have re-work later! Best of luck with your new farm!
Frog Pond, thanks for the fencing ideas. I have a combination of field fence and barbed wire (ugh). Most of it is in decent condition and we have tightened and stretched some of it where is was a little saggy. I will research that and see if it will work for me! Might be the ticket because I don’t want to dig post holes without some heavy machinery here.
