What's in your barn? Update- found a builder! More questions....

[wildlifer]

@goodhors

This newer thinking, type horse keeping of total turn out, hay over the fence, shed for shelter, seems to get many equines believing they run the show! They disagree with people, not cooperative when you actually wish to use them, mess up their nap schedule!!
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Wait, what? Not sure where this idea came from, but no, that’s not what happens , LOL. Many working ranches provide decades of evidence.

My horses live out 24/7, I didn’t build stalls because I have no interest in cleaning them & I have an actual job. I can close off part of the runin shed if needed. My daily necessary chores take about 10-15 minutes. (disclaimer: I purposely dont live where it snows often, we get only occasional snow)

My horses are not “feral”, rofl, they come greet me for every meal. During which they are groomed (unhaltered while cleaning feet, the horror), inspected, etc. They have excellent manners and I go fetch and ride them whenever I feel like it. They also come greet me whenever I go in the pasture. Because I have built a good relationship & I make the terms of our agreement fair & clear.

Horses do not “forget” training simply because you don’t put them in a box every day, feel free to do what works for you.

[stressgirl37]

Whoa- what’s happening here?

[PsyPsy]

I don’t think it’s been mentioned yet, but there are a lot of other posts referencing this book…purchase “Horsekeeping on Small Acreage” by Cherry Hill. She has a lot of barn and pasture layouts and covers the pros/cons of considering all types of materials. Great reference to read before you start building!

[stressgirl37]

@PsyPsy

I don’t think it’s been mentioned yet, but there are a lot of other posts referencing this book…purchase “Horsekeeping on Small Acreage” by Cherry Hill. She has a lot of barn and pasture layouts and covers the pros/cons of considering all types of materials. Great reference to read before you start building!

Yes, I have it along with another one that I think her husband wrote. Lots of good info. Thanks.

[anicolle]

I too moved from CA To MT. My horses live outside 24/7. Right now we have 20 acres.

Surprisingly no one really stores their round bales inside…

Figure out your watering situation. No fun breaking ice everyday. We water our horses out of our year round creek, so we are down breaking ice whenever it’s freezing.

[Mukluk]

What’s in my barn? Horses and a whole bunch of mice!!!

[S1969]

The best thing about my barn (in NY) is that it is positioned properly so that the prevailing wind is on the back side of the barn. The opposite side has Dutch doors (that also open into the aisle) and horses can use them as a run in. They are open to the rising sun so they warm up on winter mornings quickly; shaded from the afternoon sun which keeps them cooler in summer. Snow does not blow into the Dutch doors because of the barn position. This is really critical.

I have a hayshed on the windy side which also helps insulate the barn in the cold weather. (Sort of built as a separate section of the building but under the same roof.)

The main reason I wouldn’t want horses out 24/7 with only a shed is for farrier and vet/medical use. My barn aisle is well lit, out of the wind, and horses are easily accessible from the barn aisle. Before a farrier or vet visit they get stalled; and then they are all easily at hand. (And, my farrier doesn’t work for people without a barn. He used to, and now feels he doesn’t need to be available to everyone - his comfort while working is important too.)

If you want hot water in the barn, I would definitely have it an insulated feed room; and I would probably heat it if I was going to go that far. Nothing worse than frozen feed except frozen water.

[SAcres]

My barn has 6 10x12 stalls and 1 12x14 stall. There is a 6x12 foot “stall” for sawdust and equipment storage (pitchforks, wheelbarrows, etc). We have a hot/cold water wash stall, 10x12 feed room that is heated, 12x20 tack room with full sized fridge and a 12x20 hay storage area. My aisle is 12 ft wide and the barn is low profile, so no usable loft space to speak of. The barn was built when I moved in.

Things I would change: larger stalls, a loft for hay storage, better insulation. I love having a larger barn. In bad weather I typically will let each horse into the aisle while I clean their stall, and there is enough room in the barn for ground work.

[stressgirl37]

A bit of an update. We found a local builder, saw some of his barns and I have zeroed in on many aspects of what I want in my barn. The building will start this fall. One thing I’m not sure about is water. What I mean is will I want/need water access in each stall or just one frost free in the barn? As my original post said, I don’t plan on keeping my animals in their stalls much. I remember reading someone had a system that was PVC that went above the stalls with a spigot at each stall. The pipe was at an angle so it would drain all the way after using. Thoughts on that? In the winter that water would eventually freeze and I’m not sure how well bucket insulators work. The barns will have stalls, with covered run–ins (run-outs?) then about 2 acres of a fenced-in space. I would like water access to all of those spaces, if possible. A lot of people around here use something like the brand Drinking Post, and I think we’re doing that. Any hints or suggestions appreciated.