Mine has a ridge vent, insulated roof, vented eave overhang, tall 12’ doors on both ends and windows in each stall. The peak is probably 18 feet with 10’ outside walls. The walls between the stalls have are solid up to 4 ft then have 3" between 2 x 12’s up to 8’ so the air moves. Built in the direction for the breeze to come through. The barn in very cold temps is about 5-10 degrees warmer than outside as the water buckets start to freeze when the temp is around 18 degrees outside. In the summer we have fans at individual stalls and the barn is cooler than outside. I have to say the 12x12 doors are very important to the airflow in the summer. The builder did recommend ridge vent and vented eave overhang and I am so glad I went with it. I have plenty of fresh air but can not feel the wind coming through in the winter with the doors closed.
2Dogs I’m loving the image of neurosurgery taking place while other horses levitate :lol:
(OH, and I can think of at least a couple of neurotic candidates for the surgery…)
Your western exposure will really have an impact. Have you considered an awning? I was about to suggest you look at Farmtek but I see you have already found out about them (one of my favorite catalogs). Anyway they have shade cloth material that they’ll cut and hem to custom lengths and add grommets. Use metal conduit, connectors, etc to form a DIY frame.
Or for quick and dirty solution, just hang some ~3ft panels of shade cloth vertically across your barn doors. Your horses will very quickly get the hang of walking through it.
We have roof vents, 3 in the length of the 60ft barn. Our barn is running east and west, the way the prevailing wind blows most of the year. That wind is a big help in summer, keeping air moving thru the barn. In winter the wind shifts a bit more south, so it is not quite so “breezy” as in summer. That is also the end of the barn with tack room and hay storage, not affecting the horses stalls.
We get plenty of air movement even with the doors closed in winter. No drafts on anyone, stalls are solid walled to the floor with solid overlapping doors for preventing floor drafts. No smell of ammonia, ever. Horses come in each night in winter, stalled during day hours in summer with both end doors open for breeze to cool the barn.
I do think barn would be much hotter without the vents in the roof. We have no loft, so air moves within the entire barn length. It is several degrees cooler in summer, with shade, cement aisle, breeze flowing thru. Even with no wind in summer, the barn pulls air in to make it flow on thru.
I do have fans for the stalls, because those solid walls, cut air flow. The barred front windows let me put fans there for moving stall air. Horse can have wind on him or move aside to get out of the breeze. I think I will try some shade cloth at the top of aisle doors this year to see if that helps keep it cooler by cutting hot sunshine coming in. Don’t want to stop the normal breeze though.
Definitely get some kind of ridge venting, whether individual vents or a ridgeline vent so you have improved air flow in the barn, summer and winter. Put wire over if you think birds will get into it, prevent the problem like Chimney Caps for wood stoves. We really have had no bird issues with our vents.
As for the older horse, just being in out of the wind is helpful. No need to make the barn tight shut. My old horse wore a blanket outside for winter cold, it came off at night so she could get groomed, fluff back up in the cold box stall. She never got shivery inside, took her time eating wet beet pulp and wet hay cubes when she lost some teeth. She did quite well, never looked her age. Husband laughed and called her “Barbie’s Horse” with various blankets I used on her. Said horse looked disgusted at having to be blanketed in winter. She LIKED cold weather, no bugs! You have to remember they are horses, not your older mom or yourself, in dealing with cold. Husband gave me a funny cartoon with two horses. One is saying to the other “I have to wear these blankets because my Mom is cold today”.
[QUOTE=goodhors;8556353]
As for the older horse, just being in out of the wind is helpful. No need to make the barn tight shut. My old horse wore a blanket outside for winter cold, it came off at night so she could get groomed, fluff back up in the cold box stall. She never got shivery inside, took her time eating wet beet pulp and wet hay cubes when she lost some teeth. She did quite well, never looked her age. Husband laughed and called her “Barbie’s Horse” with various blankets I used on her. Said horse looked disgusted at having to be blanketed in winter. She LIKED cold weather, no bugs! You have to remember they are horses, not your older mom or yourself, in dealing with cold. Husband gave me a funny cartoon with two horses. One is saying to the other “I have to wear these blankets because my Mom is cold today”.[/QUOTE]
Thank you for this. Yep, he hates blankets, period! He loves his fly mask though and will lower his head when he sees it coming. I’m boarding now, I can’t WAIT to be able to do things my way, all the time. The barn politics have driven me stark raving mad. 
