12 Tips for Building Your Perfect Horse Barn - Savvy Horsewoman (2024)

When trying to build the barn of your dreams, there are a lot ofthings to consider. In addition to having the equipment, you also need tocomply with building codes.

Of course, staying organized throughout the process is usuallyeasier said than done. That’s why we have compiled 12 tips that you shouldconsider when building a horse barn.

Your Ideal Barn

Being a horse enthusiast, you’re probably already aware that yourdream barn should have a tack room next to the cross-ties. Having a shower inthe bathroom is also a good idea.

However, have you thought about the horse stalls? What are youplanning to do about the ventilation? How and where will you store the horseequipment and food? These are all factors that are apart of the buildingprocess.

The Most Important Part to Building a Horse Stable

Before you saddle up with your toolbelt, you must first thinkabout your level of expertise. Even if you’re a true DIY’er, it’s important toonly tackle projects you are comfortable taking on.

Unfortunately, far too many people don’t realize the amount ofwork that goes into building a horse barn.

Although we’ll be addressing certain problems regarding horsestalls, you can’t think about those before thinking about the size of thebuilding itself.

Keep Long-Term In Mind When Planning

Where there is one horse, there are usually more to follow. Forexample, let’s say you already have four horses but are planning on buyingmore. You’ll need to add more stalls, perhaps five or six, for your horse barn.

You may be wondering “What would I do with them in the meantime,leave them empty?” In a manner of speaking, yes. While they may remainunoccupied, you can still use the stalls for storage in the meantime.

Make the Stalls Bigger

Many professional horse owners say that a 10 by 10 stall is too small. Instead, they recommend a 12 by 12 stall so you can have more room for bigger aisle-ways.

Install a Mat System

When planning your new barn, you also need to consider theflooring. The most common and recommended flooring is a granite base for thestalls. The aisles should be covered by rubber mats to ensure the horse iscomfortable. If you prefer something different, consider choosing concrete andbrick pavers.

Which Horse Barn Design Will Work Best

There are two types of barn designs; interior column and clear span. With an interior column type, the columns of the barn hold the rafters in place to support the roof. A clear span type has trusses that span the width of the barn and doesn’t need columns to support the roof.

Install a Horse Wash

You can install a drainage system in an empty stall and easilycreate a space to clean your horses. You’ll need a concrete floor and drainthat’s covered by rubber mats and an overhead hose.

Make Space For a Tack Room

Every horse barn needs space for a tack room. A tack room is a place where you store all of the equipment such as saddles, horseshoes, blankets, and brushes. Make sure to incorporate a door to keep the dust to a minimum.

For storage ideas check out 10 DIY Horse Barn and Tack Room Organization Ideas

Providing Enough Airflow in the Stalls

Having the proper airflow is essential to the health of yourhorses. Make sure to install a ventilation system in the roof to improve theair quality, reduce heat and keep your horses happy.

Install Fans in the Stalls

Some horse owners may opt to install an overhead horse fan ineach of the stalls. However, don’t confuse horse fans with typical house fans.Horse fans are placed on top of the ceiling, which blows the air down.

Consider Sliding Doors

Rather than having noisy overhead doors, why not install slidingdoors instead? The noise they produce won’t startle the horses as overheaddoors would.

Put in Some Windows

Adding natural light to your barn is a great way to reduceenergy consumption. A great way to do this is to install horse stall windows.Not only do they provide natural light, but it also provides extra ventilationas well.

Keep Your Hay in the Next Building

Storing your hay in another building isn’t to keep your horses from overeating. It’s done as a safety precaution. While it’s rare, horse barns can randomly catch fire and hay burns very quickly, giving you almost no time to react before your horses in time.

Think About Feed & Water

It’s crucial to think about where you’re going to store the feed for your horses. You can put it in the tack room, but that can make it more difficult to deal with dust and vermin. A separate, secure room with metal feed bins is ideal.

Also, always remember to factor in a water supply to either fill buckets by hand, or install an automatic watering system.

As you can see, there is a lot to go through when planning your horse barn. If you’re up to the challenge, you can do it yourself. If not, enlist the help of a builder who is experienced in building barns.