What You Need To Know About Horse Stalls

---

Horse barns are best utilized as multipurpose buildings. When run like a facility, custom barns provide the convenience of efficiency. To operate your barn as an effective facility, you would do well to plan its design with the help of a qualified barn builder to suit the needs of both you and your horses. What comes to mind when you think of the perfect barn structure for your property?

Horse Stall Location

Primarily, your first consideration would be location. There are numerous reasons for carefully choosing just where to position your horse stalls. Some of these are:

• Access – to accommodate utilities, existing roads and driveways
• Ventilation – requiring placement that allows for adequate airflow
• Optimal drainage – which means avoiding areas that hold standing water
• Potential for expansion – including additional stalls, corrals, arenas, meeting rooms or more
• Excavation – which should be scheduled and executed before installation
• Adequate shade in summer
• Exposure to sunshine in winter
• The best views

Modular Custom Barns

One of the best ways to expedite construction of your new buildings is to buy prefabricated, wholesale, design-to-finish horse stalls. These modular custom horse barns use your designs as they are constructed at the manufacturing plant and then delivered to the site fully assembled. This means minimal onsite construction if any. Therefore, it is essential to have the foundation ready to receive the completed barn construction.

The property owner is responsible for the excavation and prepares the slab contemplating both plumbing and electrical as well as complying with local building codes and obtaining a necessary permits. As part of the design-plan preparation, these are elements that must be integrated into the planning process to be ready to receive delivery of the barn.

When you prepare to go forward with a project of this size, it is highly advisable that you consult with an attorney as respects drafting contracts, particularly if you are extending your site to include an equine training facility or if you are planning to breed. You will certainly have a contract with the barn builder and likely with the excavator, too. It is in your best interest to release funds in the form of payment as each phase of the work is successfully completed.

Drilling Down to the Efficiency Factors

When you plan well, your facility works like a well-oiled machine. Your plans should include easy access for you to receive deliveries of hay and feed, which brings us to where you plan to store your hay. Depending on the volume of hay you receive, you might want to store it in an area apart from the structure as a precaution. As rarely as it happens, hay can spontaneously combust. Give this aspect sufficient consideration in your planning.

Here are some more ideas to see where you are on creating your true “dream barn:”

Horse Stalls

Consider planning for at least two more stalls than you currently use. It is wise to think long-term and plan to expand in advance. It will save you the trouble and expense when you find you are increasing your stock. At this stage of planning, you might also think about allowing a few more feet to the overall area of the stall to give your horses a safe space to lie down and get back up again without the risk of incurring injury.

While you’re at it, include flooring in your plans. There have been improvements that contribute to your horses’ comfort while reducing the volume of bedding normally required. You can drastically reduce the level of maintenance typically required, too.

Wash Stall

Be sure to set aside one stall to be used as a washroom complete with a concrete floor, a drain, and overhead water sprayer. Rubber mats make an excellent surface for sure footing. Having a wash rack indoors is the answer to weather issues regardless of condition.

Tack Room

Having your tack nearby in a dedicated room that you can secure is a premium. Plan for sufficient room to prepare comfortably including accommodations that allow you to sit to pull on your boots. Situate your tack room near your cross ties so that grooming supplies are easily available. This could also be the time you are finally going to get that shower in the restroom you are surely adding to your tack room. Avoid the temptation to make your tack room double as a storage space for feed. Your expensive leathers will be the better off for it, and you might even provide for temperature control in the tack room written into your design plans.

Interior Adjustments

You would do well to increase the aisle-space area by a couple of feet. You need not be cramped in a space you get to design. Plan to allow as much natural light into the barn as possible. The choice to use Dutch doors opens the space for both light and ventilation. You also have options to use fixed windows and to make use of the eaves for more natural light. The more natural light you let in, the less power you need to light the interior from the grid.

While you are creating, here are more options to enhance your design:

• Chew Guards
• Cupola and Horse Weather Vane
• Drop Vents
• Feed hole designs
• Gable Vents
• Vapor Light for illumination

J&N Structures is an experienced barn builder who brings a variety of options for sliding or split stall doors, main doors and windows, Dutch doors, auto-fill water feeders, overhead fans, flooring and more. Visit the site and view the photo gallery to get even more ideas on how J&N customizes horse barns. If you can dream it, J&N Structures can do it.