Also, back when I was a groom, it was more or less assumed that’s where I’d be sleeping.
I spent the summer in England doing the show circuit as a groom for combined driving and there everyone ‘camps out’ in their lorry. Either the lorry has living accomidations or they have a tent. I stayed in the carriage trailer and the sides were on hydraulic lifts. The horses were straight tied to one side to the trailer and the carriages were on the other. The sides of the trailer acted like a roof and there were heavy canvas curtains on the sides. I did not sleep the entire summer. It was one big open space under the roof. I was in my late 20’s so I could operate on little to no sleep and I did have access to a shower/bathroom and kitchen in the lorry where the owner of the lorry stayed. The driver of the horses stayed at a hotel and drove in to the shows daily.
It was cold, loud, damp, and an experience.
When I worked as a groom in Middleburg, my 2 room apartment was in line with the stalls. The barn had been build with the apt in the plans, it was not converted into an apt after the thought. I shared a common wall with the broodmare stall.
There was a second barn on the property and that one was more like those TB barns where you can jog the horses around and the stalls were in the middle so to speak with a hayloft and 3 room (kitchen/living and 2 bedroom /1 bathroom up in the loft.
Or because if you’re going to be up most of the night braiding, it’s better to have an extra 40 minutes sleeping on a pile of blankets on two shoved-together tack trunks than spend that time driving back and forth to a hotel.
I drove a Honda Civic so the tack trunks were comfier than my car. That’s why trunk covers have padded tops.
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I didn’t forget poor. Based on what the OP was presenting, it didn’t sound cheap. Besides the bargain hunters I show with are more likely to share a hotel room & muck stalls to lessen their bills.
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Wow! Thank you everyone for your responses!
I don’t think I’ll be able to address everyone’s comments, but I can try to address a few of the comments.
First, I want to preface this with saying that I am still in the beginning stages of my thesis, so I don’t have a solution yet for every issue. However, I do plan on addressing all the issues brought up here, such as fire code, sprinkler systems, septic systems, storm water issues, sound transmittance from the horses and other people… and their dogs barking 
and of course the cost! I also want to say that I have participating in shows and have been showing horses since I was 6 or 7. I have had to travel long distances a lot of times so there were many instances when I had to sleep in my trailer or truck and would get very little sleep because it was either too noisy, too cold, too hot, too many bugs, or I would be worried about my horse because of the cruddy stabling conditions, etc… I also don’t see this thesis as one “in search of a problem” per say, because I do believe this is an area that can be improved upon, and I do think that it could have a solution. I am merely in search of what that solution could be! 
I think there is some confusion on the link I shared, I don’t plan on following that project step by step with the composting and turnout areas attached, I was just trying to show the idea of having living spaces adjacent to the horse.
The look at cost to build and profit would be an interesting thing to study, I would love to make this project affordable for most riders, and welcoming enough that anyone could come and stay on grounds if needed throughout the year. So owners, trainers, grooms, or even people traveling across country with horses that need a place to stay overnight are in my mind while thinking of this thesis. Kinda a “one size fits all”. And this project, unless I decide to go for a modular building style that is compactable, would be for new builds. Septic and storm water where I live would not be huge issues and can be easily managed through the design.
Thank you for the recommendation! I will look into the 4 unit option for when I get into designing the building and living units. I also am planning on sticking to traditional plumbing systems for the design… I don’t currently plan on using the composting idea for my thesis.
I have found a couple interesting research articles that have looked at the emotional bonds. This article: https ://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S016815912030232X looks at a study of separating the horse from the rider and looking at their stress results. This article: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1525/si.2000.23.1.47?saml_referrer looks at the different relationships that a person can have with their horse. This link: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/9/12/1030 is a study on the emotions of both humans and horses. I currently am planning on doing an interview process for finding statistics on rider mental ease, but that can change as the thesis goes forward!
That’s really great to hear that people do love the cabin options! I’d love to hear about what you would have changed in that situation, as I am looking into ways to mitigate the sound in my thesis project. I will keep your comment in mind!
Thank you for pointing out the horse to human ratio… I haven’t thought of that yet! Around where I live, there are enough events at local equestrian centers that they would be busy every weekend. I can look into the living spaces serving a dual purpose though for the off seasons. I have stayed at some motels though during showing weekends that have made me wish I was sleeping in the tack room instead! My intent is to not make this project sketchy 
I would love for this to be hypothetically buildable. The first scenario would be the one I would focus on, with a permanent structure for riders and horses. I only am going this way because there is already a thesis out there that has studied the moveable living quarters for the human competitors, and I am wanting to explore something a little more permanent. I agree that turnout spaces are not going to be a good option for a lot of showgrounds, maybe shared turnout areas though for the horses that get along together? I agree and will look at rewording it as time goes on. I do believe that there is a mental comfort for us though for being in close proximity to our horses while at a show. As for the owner not being there, there was one study I found that is linked earlier where the horse showed less symptoms of stress when in proximity of a human, not necessarily its owner. I also really appreciate and agree with the idea of having a two story structure. I think that would be very efficient for space saving on the site.
@FjordBCRF haha no not only warm climates! I live in an area that gets to -40 degrees in the winter so I will definitely be adding heat! I stated AC though because most of the show season here is in the summer, and the lack of AC has been a very prominent point of uncomfortabilty. I wouldn’t expect many existing showgrounds to adapt this method, but I also don’t think that on a smaller scale of incorporating this idea, this would be a “complete overhaul” if they did.
@If_husband_asks_horses_are_fre I had to tell a couple of my horsey friends about your comment because it was so accurate and funny! I agree that horse show drama can be a bit crazy at times, so having separation but also a community feeling like you mentioned is so important.
I could go on responding to comments but I feel like my responses are long as is 
I can just say, thank you everyone who has taken the time to comment and I am reading and taking note of everyone’s ideas and new discussions!
I’d love to stay on the show grounds near my horse. I like to hand walk several times a day since my horse is stuck in the stall at the show. At some of the showgrounds near me you can rent a motor home/trailer to stay in for the show but I haven’t tried that yet though I’ve thought about it. I do like the comforts that come with a hotel.
I often stay at the showgrounds in my trailer, however, I always move my trailer so it’s AWAY from the stables. Horses are NOISY.
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I’ve lived in an attached apartment to the barn at home. Can concur that horses can and WILL keep you up all night! I hate when the show RV hookups are miles away, but I also don’t want to be parked next to the barns.
Show grounds are noisy. People come and go at all hours (late classes will have tons of people at the barn making all sorts of noise), cars and golf carts and dirt bikes are coming in and out all day and night, braiders are there working and chatting, grooms/prep crew show up early and immediately turn on the radio. Night check turns on the lights and doesn’t turn them off. Not to mention that it only takes one stall kicker/whinnying nervous horse to rile up the whole aisle every time a human shows up!
“Back in the day”, sleeping in the tack stall was just to save money. We certainly weren’t getting any rest! I’d imagine that an attached accommodation for humans would have to be SUPER lightproof and soundproof to be comfortable - that was the issue with my barn apartment. Unlike my barn apartment, you can’t just turn the horses out at night when you’re at the show!
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Look into Tiny houses! They have more durable tiny houses and some that you can assemble and disassemble kind of quickly ( the latter are aimed at hunters, weekend guests, vacations, etc.). If you’re looking at more durable places, consider rows of tiny houses on showgrounds that can operate like a air B&B. I go to a hotel at shows but would love to be near the barn.
Yep, I haven’t slept in a tack stall since I got my own trailer. I had a tiny bump pull with enough room for a cot. WEC Ohio has GREAT onsite accommodations but it’s too rich for my blood so trailer it is.
