How to Design a Small Horse Barn

The first step before spending money on a small horse barn is choosing a good design. By keeping the barn plans simple and efficient, you and your horse will love the place and be glad time was spent on coming up with the best design.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Paper and pencil

1. Think of a small horse barn as rectangular with a single or double-sloped roof or a traditional gable barn roof.

2. Use post and beam construction techniques for a sturdy horse barn.

3. Consider a simple horse barn design with one floor and a small loft for hay storage or a four-sided structure with a single sloped roof for rain and snow drainage.

4. Plan to use one stall per horse. The ideal stall size is 12 feet wide and 12 feet deep.

5. Lay out the horse stalls on the one side of the barn and plan on the other side for storage and work areas.

6. Place an entrance at one end of the barn and an exit at the other, big enough for a horse to fit through.

7. Consider that the horse stall must be around 6 inches higher than the surrounding area for ease of cleaning and dirt replacement. Dirt floors are easier on horses than cement ones.

8. Put partitions between horse stalls from floor to ceiling. On the stall wall facing the center of the barn, place a short fence with a latched door so you and the horse can get in and out of the stall from the inside of the barn.

9. Have areas in the stall or on the fence to hang water and grain buckets.

10. Choose Dutch doors for the doors from the individual horse stalls into the fenced pasture or paddock area. These door types allow for fresh air yet keep the horse contained in the barn if desired.

11. Add on a spare room or a small loft for hay storage within the barn.

12. Prevent damage and place windows high on the walls with screens.

13. Allow for good ventilation throughout the barn for healthy horses.

14. Create storage cubbies or organized work centers on the other side of the barn for all of the necessary horse activities like shoeing, grooming, and stall cleaning.

15. Set aside designated storage areas for horse feed stored in closed plastic barrels or a wooden box with covers.

16. Have a large enough space in the barn to store one or more saddles and other riding equipment.

Tips & Warnings

• Consult with your local building inspector for special codes that may affect the barn design.
• Sketch a rough design on paper before focusing on the finer details of the horse barn.
• Best to have too much room for a horse than too little in a small barn design.

Resources

• How to Buy a Pole Barn Kit
• How to Keep a Horse Warm in Winter
• How to Bed a Horse in a Stall
• How to Build a Horse Shelter

[ryonslions]

on 8/13/2009 This article gave me some really good thoughts and ideas! Thanks!