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Summertime
is a beautiful time for building. Many first homes are built in the
summer. These homes are the delight of their owners, as many hopes and
dreams are placed into the first homes people build themselves. On a
smaller scale, someone’s first barn being built is also a great
delight. Since summertime is the best time to build, this June article
is going to delve into the prospects of building a horse barn.
There
are so many different types of barns, from simple to spectacular. You
can find a great deal of information on the internet about different
barn types, how to build them and who builds. Building a horse barn is a
very specific craft. If you want to get the most for your money in the
long run, it is best to get information from those who specialize in
building barns for horses, as opposed to just building a hay barn. I
found a source that is particularly good by going to www.equisearch.com
and doing a search for ‘horse barn building.’
In
one article, a review by Jessica Jahiel, PhD, on a book called Horse
Housing by Richard Klimesh and Cherry Hill, she states, "The
saddest words heard from any horse owner who’s ever built a barn that
wasn’t quite right — or built a good barn in the wrong place — are
‘Dang! I wish I’d known that before I started—it’s gonna cost a
bundle to fix this!’" She is right on this, and what I would like
to get across to the readers of this article is the importance of
researching everything pertaining to building a horse barn before they
actually build.
There
are so many things to consider if you are going to build a really first
rate barn. Now if you are just going to build a "run-in shed,"
that’s a different story, but if you are planning on having a really
nice barn for your horses, then here are some things you want to
consider before building.
(1)
What is the best location to build your barn? This depends on your
situation of course. Will you build close to your home or further away?
How are the drainage conditions on the site you are thinking about?
Also, something that I would not have considered but could be very
important is the wind direction at the site you pick.
In
an article by Champ Hough with Elizabeth Iliff called ‘Build a Barn
That Works,’ Mr. Hough points out the importance of knowing the wind
direction at the site you pick. "When you find your site, spend
time there on a blustery day to identify the prevailing wind direction;
then orient your barn with that in mind. You want good air circulation,
of course, but you don’t want your center aisle to be a wind tunnel -
so orient it at about a 45-degree angle to the prevailing wind. If
strong winds come from all four directions, you might build a square
barn with entrances on all four sides and the ability to close down any
one, two, or three as needed." As you can see, this horseman has
had a great deal of experience building horse barns (he has built at
least thirty of them), and he is very willing to share his expertise
with anyone willing to do the research.
(2)
How big do you want your barn to be? This depends on many factors, such
as how many horses you have, how much space you have to build in and how
much money you are willing or able to fork out for the project.
Obviously, the bigger the barn, the more cost there will be. Size is
important though; if you have ever tried to turn around a seventeen-hand
horse in a small aisleway, you know what I am talking about.
(3)
What type of lighting will you want in your barn? Lighting is very
important if you are going to be working in your barn for any length of
time at all. Placing light fixtures where they are useful to you, yet do
not endanger your horses is key. Also what type of lighting would be
best for your situation, conventional or flourescent?
(4)
What type of flooring do you think would be best for your barn? Horse’s
legs and hooves must be protected, so for much of the barn just good
hard packed "earth" is usually fine. Many people like to have
aisleways concreted or paved with a special type of pavement because it
is easier to keep clean and has good traction for horse hooves. Some
want the whole facility concreted or paved, but personally I think it is
healthier for horses to have a little earth under their hooves,
especially in their stalls.
(5)
What type of tack room, feed room or storage room will you have in your
barn? All three of these are needed in a working barn. Some people like
to combine them into one big room used for all three purposes, while
others see the need for separate rooms. I personally think it is best if
these rooms are separate if you can afford it. The feed room would need
to be lined with some kind of metal liner to keep rodents and vermin
out. It would really not need a great deal of traffic going in and out,
whereas the tack room would. Whatever the case may be, you have to do
what is feasible for you in building the barn that is right for you and
your horses.
So,
there you have it, at least some starting points to get you on the right
track when thinking of building a horse barn. Alas, the list could go on
and on, but I only have a certain amount of space for the length of this
article. My point here is to prompt you to do the research needed to
build a great barn, so that you will say "Wow, I love my barn and I
am so glad I built it this way!" rather than "Dang! I wish I’d
known that before I started—it’s gonna cost a bundle to fix
this!" |
