# Renovating An Old Barn... From Big Cats to Horses!



## Lauren123 (Jul 26, 2012)

Over the past few months I have been working on renovating a large 40ft x 40ft barn on my new 13 acre piece of land in the mountains. Back in 2001 it was a safe haven for abused and neglected big cats (lions, tigers, white bengals, cheetahs, etc.) and was shut down in 2007. It's the perfect size for me to fence and move my horses to the land, and add more horses later. My question is about the barn though. When we first started, this is what the inside of the barn looked like:















We ripped out all of the cages and bad wood, and now we're down to this point: 









My question is what to do with the stalls. They are plenty bug enough for our horses, but the whole floor is concrete. How do I go about making the stall comfortable for the horses, especially for my mare who had a club foot/Neuroma/surgery feet? I don't want them to feel like standing on hard floor all night, and I don't think cutting out the floor is an option. Anyone?


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## natisha (Jan 11, 2011)

Ripping out concrete is very expensive so I would use heavy thick mats individually cut to tightly fit against the stall walls, then bed heavily.
A few extra mats in the aisle should keep your mare comfortable & safe.

Now would be the time to add windows to the stalls if you wanted to do that.
I'd also insulate at least the ceiling to decrease rain noise.

Is there electricity in the barn?

What is the in stall ceiling height to the loft floor?

Sorry for all the stuff you didn't ask about.


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## Lauren123 (Jul 26, 2012)

natisha said:


> Ripping out concrete is very expensive so I would use heavy thick mats individually cut to tightly fit against the stall walls, then bed heavily.
> A few extra mats in the aisle should keep your mare comfortable & safe.
> 
> Now would be the time to add windows to the stalls if you wanted to do that.
> ...


That's what I was thinking, I had found some cushioned mats that aren't too hard that I'm looking into. Right now we are sort of stopped in reno because of some financial closings on the house and fencing, so once that's done we will have the money to go ahead and build the stalls and cut out the windows. And thanks for the advice on the ceiling, will definitely call someone about the insulation. The tack room will definitely be insulated once built and with cedar walls. We just got full power in the barn but have yet to put up the light fixtures. We are also asking to someone about water and plumbing; theres pipes and sinks but the well is dried up. From what I remember the stall height is roughly 8ft. It varies just by a few inches on each stall because the last person who built in here didn't measure anything correctly. Also, the wall in the stalls will be covered with isolation and wood planks.


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## natisha (Jan 11, 2011)

That sounds like a good plan.
I wonder if after all that time there would be a cat smell that the horses would notice?


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## Yogiwick (Sep 30, 2013)

That's what I was thinking lol.

I was at a barn with really neat mats. They were almost like gel filled. I'm sure they cost a fortune but if you are really worried about your mare it may be worth looking into. The rest should be fine with "regular" mats and plenty of bedding.

I wish I had those mats for my house! lol they were really nice!


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## Shosadlbrd (Nov 3, 2013)

Just put down stall mats and bed with shavings. I built a new barn and concreted the stall area as well as the runway. All my stalls have rubber mats. I LOVE IT!


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## Jan1975 (Sep 7, 2015)

Well that is a new one, I've never heard of a barn for big cats! It looks like you're making great progress on it. I asked about concrete floors once because a barn we were looking at boarding had them. Most people I asked said it would be okay with thick mats and a lot of bedding.


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## Kristyjog (Nov 11, 2013)

ComfortStall Equine Horse Stable Barn Flooring Mattress Surface Surfacing

My kids take lessons at a barn that uses this system. When you walk in the stalls it's like walking on a firm mattress. I'm sure it's pricey.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Horseychick87 (Feb 5, 2014)

Yogiwick said:


> That's what I was thinking lol.
> 
> I was at a barn with really neat mats. They were almost like gel filled. I'm sure they cost a fortune but if you are really worried about your mare it may be worth looking into. The rest should be fine with "regular" mats and plenty of bedding.
> 
> I wish I had those mats for my house! lol they were really nice!


 Those are gel mats for dairy cattle most likely. I've looked into them, they're horribly expensive and don't hold up very well. People have been stripping them out of their barns left and right and replacing them with basic rubber mats or sand. I'd hate to see what a possibly shod horse could do to them.


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## Yogiwick (Sep 30, 2013)

I don't know but I believe they were specifically for horses. They seemed very durable and most of the horses there were shod.. They looked like the regular ones until you stepped on them. I haven't heard of gel mats for dairy cattle?

Maybe it was the comfort stall. I remember it feeling gel like.


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## stevenson (Sep 12, 2011)

I would go with stall mats and bedding. Be sure to cover any insulation in the ceiling with ply wood or dry wall. I would not insulate between stalls they could chew the wood out or kick through it. You would want vents for summer on the roof . how many stalls do you plan on making?


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## Horseychick87 (Feb 5, 2014)

Yogiwick said:


> I don't know but I believe they were specifically for horses. They seemed very durable and most of the horses there were shod.. They looked like the regular ones until you stepped on them. I haven't heard of gel mats for dairy cattle?
> 
> Maybe it was the comfort stall. I remember it feeling gel like.


 If they were black it was likely comfort stall, the dairy mats I've seen have been clearish or reddish in color. Like these:


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## Yogiwick (Sep 30, 2013)

Weird. Yes they were black.


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