# Barn or Trailer that is the question



## 1880cowboy (Jul 18, 2012)

So my wife and I bought a 5 acre property of raw land. We built the house and I have completed fencing 2 pastures of roughly 2 acreas each. I already owned 1 horse that stayed at my uncles place, we have 17 miles of trails that start right out of his barn. Anyway I wanted to bring my horse home which i have done and since have bought a second horse. I have access to ride maybe a mile of farm land behind my place.

Here is my delima and question. I have the money to buy a nice used trailer, nothing extavagent( 2 horse BP would be perfect) OR I could purchase or build a 12x24 run in shed with the 6x12 tack room and make that my "barn" since we have no other shade or run ins for them currently. What would you do? One part of me is saying buy the trailer so i can haul them and go to different areas to trail ride, the other part is telling me to set up my horses with the run in(note: This would be my permanent barn, i would put the run in shelter in a place that requires me to put them up and turn the out , will not be open for them to go out and free graze as i am trying to limit all day grazing and rotational grazing on my fields. Also i will be i would be splitting the run in to make two stalls and put stall fronts on so that would give them 9x12 stalls each). Just give me your alls feed back on what you would find as the most important to purchase. Thank you.


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

Could you make a 36 X 12 run in? 9 x 12 is pretty cramped for a stall. 

Before I suggest one over the other, I have a couple or questions. Do you live in a wildfire area? Does your vet make farm calls? If yes, then I'd build the shelter. If no, then I'd buy the trailer.


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## 1880cowboy (Jul 18, 2012)

Thanks Dream Catcher

I would have to see what difference is in money(im paying in cash so i might be able to get a better deal even if i go a bit bigger). My farrier and vet both live within 5 miles of me and we are all good friends so yes they both come over to my place for their services and for dinner sometimes to. I miss just going to other places to ride and its not like i do not have access to borrow a trailer, i just have to travel 30 minutes to go pick it up and go drop it back off, so the extra gas of that sucks but for free use i can put up with it, its my families cattle trailer. If i cant go quite 12x36 would you still consider the shelter at a 12x24?


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

1880cowboy said:


> Thanks Dream Catcher
> 
> I would have to see what difference is in money(im paying in cash so i might be able to get a better deal even if i go a bit bigger). My farrier and vet both live within 5 miles of me and we are all good friends so yes they both come over to my place for their services and for dinner sometimes to. I miss just going to other places to ride and its not like i do not have access to borrow a trailer, i just have to travel 30 minutes to go pick it up and go drop it back off, so the extra gas of that sucks but for free use i can put up with it, its my families cattle trailer. If i cant go quite 12x36 would you still consider the shelter at a 12x24?



The other question, about wildfire or other reasons you might have to evacuate quickly, would still need to be answered. 

As for the size, 12 X 24, yes but I'd want to make the tack room pretty small if that was the best I could do. The idea being to give the horses as much room as possible, the closer you could get to 12 X 12 Stalls the better. 

I've got 12 X 12 stalls in my barn and actually have a couple of horses that I feel sorry for if they have to stand in them more than an hour or 2. One mare, I'm not sure I could close the gate if it was 9 X 12 :lol:


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## 1880cowboy (Jul 18, 2012)

No wildfires in my area so no quick evacuations would bee needed.


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

Then I'd build the shelter.


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## mnevans (Apr 13, 2014)

I would go with the shelter and Make it at least 12 x 12 for the stalls. Your horses will need the shelter more than going out on trail rides for your pleasure. I'm not meaning to sound rude or anything but the shelter is more important right now that the trailer. Really shop around for ideas. There are some great priced on pre-built barns and run-ins from barnpros.com and horizonstructures. They deliver nationwide also. The one from barnpros you can get a pasture run-in and then later add the stall package. You can DIY the project and don't need any sort of site prep other than a level area and some stall mats maybe depending on what you want to do. If you go ahead and get the stall package it will already come with stall mats and the doors and everything. I'm seriously considering going with barnpros!


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## roverdisc98 (Oct 8, 2013)

build the "barn". it would get used almost daily and the trailer not so much


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## Chevaux (Jun 27, 2012)

Another option might be to put up wind fencing. I assume, in your area, you can buy ready made metal, portable frames and add the wood although that is rather pricey. The alternative to this is sink some poles in the ground and build the fence onto them - a lot cheaper but more labour intensive. You could probably do a three sided wind fence of the same size as the shed package at a fraction of the cost and still have funds available to get the trailer. Then, after you've replenished the funds, you can build a proper barn or if you were really clever you can eventually put a roof and proper sides on your wind shelter thus building your barn in stages.


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## DuckDodgers (May 28, 2013)

Based on the information you provided I would build the barn- especially since they don't already have some form of shelter. Summer is fast approaching and the horses will need shade. It seems like a necessity for me, while the trailer is more of a luxury. 

I agree with the idea of building a larger shed. I would still definitely build the shelter even if you can't go bigger, but you may have to consider reducing or eliminating the tack room's size. Personally, if 12x12 is all you can do then I would make two proper stalls and eliminate it. This way you can put both horses up with adequate room if you need or want to, and if you only want to put one up then you can still have the run in available for the other horse. If you get really creative then you could even put a tack locker and trunk in one of the stalls and keep it locked so you can have your stuff there, but you still have the flexibility to confine a horse in there. If/when you have additional money to buy a trailer then you can get a bumper pull with a tack area for your stuff.

A trailer will be nice one day, but it sounds like you have a fair amount of riding space available to you. Build a couple of nice stalls and maybe a tack room, and save up some more until you have enough for a trailer. Your horses will thank you when the summer rain and sun come along!


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## 1880cowboy (Jul 18, 2012)

Thanks for all the replies. I live right in the central KY area, so winters are not by normal years brutal but every few years it gets crazy cold and snowy for the area. I was sort of thinking the barn idea to and my plan was, if i go this route, is to lay out a "pad of dense grade rock. Start by building a rectangel frame from treated lumber or railroad ties that hold the rock in place and this area would be about 4 foot wider on all sides than the run in shed(i have a flat 5 acears), then purchasing a pre-built run in shed of size i can afford and have it delivered and set into the rocked area. Once in place i would fill the stalls and rest of the barn pad up with limestone fines/dust(maybe its called something else in other areas). The direction it will be facing offers protection from the prevailing winds and rains, however they can come from different directions than the normal west/northwest, so i would have to eventually modify the front of the run in to make it so i have closed stall doors. I would also at some point in time put an overhang on it to make it more of a shed row style barn, but again thats as i get the money to pay for it. Does that sound like a sound and wise idea. thanks for all the replies keep them coming.


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

In OK, those prefab run ins are about $2500 and up, before you pay for delivery. I can build one for around $750 +/- a little bit. So, look at your available materials vs the prefab and see what's less expensive for you. Otherwise, the rock & fines sounds like a good plan. I'd put rubber matting on top, that is more expensive in the beginning but will save you money on bedding over the long haul.


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## 1880cowboy (Jul 18, 2012)

Yes, the one I was quoted yesterday, the 12x24 with 6x12 tack ran 3823.00 + tax with free delivery within 50 or 75 miles which I am. I have not priced out the materials and im sure it could be built for less as a DIY project, however there are times when I am willing to pay for the convenience as i have two young kids that are in 4h, baseball, and shool activities so who knows how long it would take me to finish one just working on it an hour here and there and weekends.


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## churumbeque (Dec 20, 2009)

Run in shed should be the highest priority. Shelter and care of your horses is most important. Do want to bake in hot sun or stand in the cold wind?


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

Run-in sheds are not super difficult to build nor need they be expensive.
You need shelter for your horses, period.

You have 84 Lumber centers in your state, hopefully close to you. You can search online and find many styles, sizes and then just need to go speak to them for a price relevant to your area.
They have simple plans, materials lists and those materials. They can give you a price also on "raw" materials that you will need to cut and assemble yourself or hire a crew to do.
You do need to be somewhat "handy" but if you are thinking of building then think you have that covered.

You can also consider a pole barn...buy the "kit" that includes most everything but nails...it is a roof, beams and all material to get you well started. It need not be expensive.

On-line there are free plans and directions to build barns.
Decide on what you want, need and then go from there.
I was told by a pole barn company it was cheaper per foot to go wider than longer so consider that too.

Myself... you have 2 horses... I would build a 3 stall structure size minimum with a large overhang and additional space for that feed/tack room to appear in the future.
I would honestly go and build a 36'x36'... yes, it is large. It gives you 3 stalls, provides storage room and a place where the horses can come in from the weather and not be standing in their stalls either...just under the roof.

Build on high ground....a geographical map is available online of your land and that can tell you to near inches your elevations... 
Plan for the future to maybe do a gravel base *if* you truly need it. Many barns though when built on high ground don't need "base"..Kentucky has clay in their dirt so that may work in your favor. 
Do get a barn up before the swelter of summer arrives stopping the hammer swinging so easily and then nasty weather soon follows.

Your horses living conditions should be a priority, at least to me they are.
That trailer at the family farm...sounds mighty inviting and not so inconvenient to borrow and use for the occasional ride someplace else...

_jmo..._


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## JCnGrace (Apr 28, 2013)

I'm in southern IN so our weather is pretty close to the same. You'll find your horses will use the shelter much more in the summer than in the winter to escape the sun and the insects. They're going to be needing it pretty soon and the barn is much more important than a trailer.


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## Left Hand Percherons (Feb 1, 2011)

I'll agree that you need a shed more than you need a trailer at this point but I'll disagree that you need to build stalls. Your horses are going to be happier with just a plain old run in shed and not confined to a 9x12 stall. As someone else stated, your horses will use the shed more in the summer than in the winter. You want maximum air movement in the shed for the heat and bugs. An enclosed stall will act like an oven. You don't want them to have 24/7 access to the pastures but you want them to be able to move about. Build a small corral (40x40 is big enough if the horse like each other) that encloses the shed and feeds into the 2 pastures. Build a 12x24 shed. Give the horses 16' and that will leave you with a 12x8 feed/tack storage area.


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## Dustbunny (Oct 22, 2012)

Shelter!


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

Is there a sawmill in the area? Lumber, altho not kiln dried is considerably cheaper that dressed lumber. Here's how to get both. Build the barn just large enough for two stalls and use the trailer for your tack room. You can always add onto the barn/shelter at a later date. Mine sits on RR ties and I had 3 yards of sand dumped which I spread, before putting the walls up. Allow a min of 4' for a doorway altho 6' is better. No windows but do hang an old carpet or canvas tarp. over the doorway to keep it dark. That will keep the bugs out. Mine grew in stages and the last addition was 12'x 16' roofed in area to store hay. You might want to consider a large paddock, a sacrifice area so the horses can go in and out at leisure. Unless I was at home I could never lock my horses up - just can't do it.


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## Viranh (Apr 7, 2013)

You're better off doing a dry lot and adjoining pasture with a cheap run in shed. You can get a pre-fab run in with tack for about $1500 and just the run in for $700-$1000 around here at least. You may also consider a larger home-built barn for hay storage. You really want to be able to store enough hay to get from last cutting to first of the next year. Feb/March is no time to be searching for hay to buy. I've had to do it and paid 3-4x normal price and drove a long way to get it.


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## 1880cowboy (Jul 18, 2012)

Thanks for all the replies to. I went looking at a couple run in shelters on Sunday. I think I like the metal ones better than wood and i can get a larger run in without the tack/supply room and build that at a later time. Currently I have all my tack in my walkout basement hanging up and for the saddles i built saddles racks out of 4x4 lumber and hung them on a basement wall and the feed is stored in rubbermaid containers in my garage. From where i am planning on putting the run in it would be a walk of about 75 to 100 feet, so i could put a hitching post by the run in and just carry my saddles and tack to that spot for the time being. The run in i saw w/out tack room is 12x28 for 3150.00 or 12x32 for 3525.00. Anyway thats the new for today looking this weekend.


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## DuckDodgers (May 28, 2013)

I think that's your best bet... Build the shelter and keep your tack where it currently is. Save up and buy a trailer when the time comes, and you can start keeping your tack in there. Upgrade your run in to include a tack room when you have the money/if the need arises. As long as the horses get their shelter soon then the rest is up to you!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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