# Building My Barn



## Jumping4Joy (Jan 29, 2014)

I don't have my own farm, but I have looked into barn packages, and you should look at some! They have really nice barn kits out there, and they usually include all of that stuff. Good luck!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## xJumperx (Feb 19, 2012)

If your horse has been boarded all of his life with other horses, he's not going to enjoy suddenly being all by himself. Horses are herd animals, they literally CANNOT live alone. I would STRONGLY suggest looking into purchasing another horse; if you can't afford another riding horse, look into a suitable miniature horse. They are giving minis away down here, and they are a little cheaper than the full sized horses. That said, a two-stall barn would probably be a must.
Sorry, I know that's not the info you asked for, but I did want to mention it 

Now onto the questions you asked in your post:

My stalls are approx. 12'x12', and I love them. They fit my 16.3hh Thoroughbred very comfortably, and my 14.1hh Arabian with plenty of room for her to roll and lay in, which she does frequently in her stall. I don't know the exact dimensions for my tack room, but I think it is somewhere around 16'x18' or so. Within that tack room I keep all of my saddles, bridles, saddle pads, feed, winter blankets, and medical supplies. It's very spacious for me, and I adore it  My hay storage sits above my tack room and other storage area, I honestly have no clue of the dimensions. 16' x 25' maybe?? I don't know, but it holds about 100 to 200 square bales.

Rubber mats in the stall are a must! I dealt with dirt floors for two winter seasons, and it was rough. You save so much money in bedding when using rubber mats, that it is completely worth it. Rubber mats throughout the whole barn would be ideal, but that's big money. 
Water in the barn is also a big, big plus. Electricity is a must, but make sure everything is tucked away and safe.

Best of luck, post pictures of the progress!


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## Chevaux (Jun 27, 2012)

I second what xJumperx said - you need to factor in companionship for your horse. His disposition will either allow a more delicate animal such as mini horse or goat or you may have to think bigger such as a large pony or another horse.

My barn has four stalls (one for each horse) and space to store about a weeks' worth of hay and a couple of weeks' worth of straw and a gated space for general work area, storage of feed/buckets and water hydrant. The storage and work areas are roughly a combined 20 ft x 32 ft (which includes the alley way).

For storing hay, you could go with a traditional loft on top of the stalls. Pros are having the hay handy and constructing one building; cons are possible dust creation in the building, fire hazard and considerable effort getting the bales up into the loft. Alternatives include stacking with a tarp over it (cheapest and quickest) or putting up a hay shelter (initial $ outlay but good long term investment). Shelter size would probably be something like 15 or 20 ft wide and 25 ft long to accommodate 150 or 200 square bales -- the higher the stack the less ground area is needed so you could see different dimensions based on the height of the walls vs the foundation size.

Rubber mats are never a bad idea in a stall; electricity is pretty much a necessity as well as a water hydrant because otherwise you'll be hauling water from the house. Since you're in Alberta, you'll probably be getting some cold winters so a decent quality hydrant is necessary that minimizes freezing up and maximizes maintenance free care.

Good luck with everything - I hope you can get your horse (and new companion, of course) home.


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## stevenson (Sep 12, 2011)

horses can live alone. it may not be ideal, but they can. 
I would not store my hay to close to the barn ( fire hazard)
I don't have box stalls , they are covered pens 18' wide and 32' long cover is 18 x 12 . If I ever get rich I would have some back walls installed , so it would be open box stalls.
I also have shade trees for summer. tack shed 10x14 and wish I had one shed just for supplements . My hay shed is seperate.


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## Left Hand Percherons (Feb 1, 2011)

I think you are biting off too much at this point of the year. You have about 2 months to make everything happen. I would just go ahead and make arrangement to board her this winter. 

Your wish list could be pared down if it had to happen. You could go with a simple 3 sides loafing shed and frame the front and attach some panels for a run. You can set it up close enough to existing building to use power and water so you don't have to deal with that right now. You can move it come spring to where it is more useful than concentrate on a barn. A dedicated tack room is a luxury and waste of valuable space Build a 6 foot tack box big enough to fit your saddles and tack or leave it in the trailer or garage. I figure a 10x10 stall will hold 100 bales. Not a huge fan of storing hay above the stalls but when space is limited sometimes you don't have a choice. It will also provide some added insulation. You can stack hay outside. I'm sure you have terrible winds that will shred tarps but as long as your snow does not melt and run down into the bales, they aren't going to spoil.

Your basic plan would be 24x36 with your wish list. Two 12x12 stalls on one side, a 12' aisle (probably the thing you want the most), 6' for tack and feed and 18' for hay. You could cut it down to a 12x24 or 12x36 loafing shed. 12x12 for one horse, 12' for hay (no tack storage or work area) or 12' for one horse and the remaining 24' for hay, tack and feed storage.


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## Chevaurra (Aug 16, 2014)

Thanks guys!  I will certainly take your suggestions into consideration!

I was definitely planning to get water and electricity in the barn. That is a definite must. I am not carrying water buckets from the house to the barn. My mom is allergic so the barn isn't going to be too close to the house. xD And rubber mats...my cousin suggested them because she finds them so useful. 

And about companionship, my horse is alone right now. The other horse just left a week ago, and she's lonely, but doing fine. When I bring her home, she's going to at least have my cats and the dog to keep her company, so she should be good (she has quite a cat-like personality anyway). She's not much of a herd-bound horse anyway; she's always liked being on her own. I'm not saying she doesn't enjoy having another horse nearby, but she doesn't need it as much as some horses would. 


I'm not planning on having a large tack room either, by the way. Just a little space. I don't have much space at the barn I'm at now anyway.


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## Chevaurra (Aug 16, 2014)

Oh, and Left Hand Percherons--I do have plans to board already. I contacted the owner of the barn I used to ride at. She's selling her farm, but if she's still there this winter, I'll be able to board (hopefully). Otherwise, there are a couple of other barns (or friends with little barns, I'm sure) that would take her if I can't get everything worked out in time.


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## Koolio (Apr 7, 2010)

I also live in Alberta and keep my horses at home. I assume you have some property to keep a horse. How many acres do you have? Here ares come suggestions.

UFA sells a run in shed with an attached tack room. I think it is around 10x 24 with the shed area being 16' wide. These are pre-built and they will deliver. It can be set on any level ground as it is on skids. I think they cost around $3000 or so. Much less expensive than building a barn. I bed mine down with straw on top of the dirt. My horses live outside all year, but have this for shelter. I used a system like this for the first 3 years we kept horses on our acreage. (Now we have a 36x36 barn).

For hay storage, I purchased 12'x20' tarp garages from Canadian tire. We out a tarp on the bottom and then a layer of pallets to eat the hay on. This works much better than a large hay tarp because it has a frame, it is quite durable and allows for good air flow. I just loaded 400 bales into my 2 sheds so one will fit 200 bales.


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## SueNH (Nov 7, 2011)

Some of those tarp garages perform a whole lot better than I expected. There is an old lady down the road from me that has one for her car and it's been going strong for 6 yrs now. I expected to see our heavy wet eastern snow to crush it. Hasn't happened and it's lasted a few tropical storms.

I just have a big run in for my horses. It's 32 x16 and it does have a 16 ft wall in the front to block more wind and wet. 8ft doorways on either side of the wall stop a lot of arguments about coming and going. The horses being able to come and go saves me a lot of stall cleaning. Most of the time they go out to a toilet spot and do their thing. Inside the walls are painted white which makes it surprisingly bright.

Water is a little problematic out there. While I could hit water just about anywhere on the property insulating the pipes so they don't freeze is another story. I find it easier to run a hose from the house to a big stock tank and fill it that way. I have to then run the hose up into a tree branch and make sure I drain all the water out. A good extension cord runs a small tank heater.

My tack I keep inside the house. Too many sticky fingers wandering around here. Having had a saddle and a few odds and ends stolen it's just easier inside.
Hay has come up missing too. Grain is kept in a mudroom because of bears and the sticky fingered soul. The bear doesn't irk me half as bad as the other one.

Here's enough free plans to keep anybody building for a lifetime. 

Free Framing and Utility Building Plans


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## Koolio (Apr 7, 2010)

Water is a challenge here too since we get 7+ months of winter. I use an insulated stock tank with a heater and fill with a garden hose from the house. This means I must water near the house and keep the hoses inside during winter. It isn't ideal, but the cost of trenching and running water lines or digging a well is huge.

Our hay is stored and fed on the opposite side of the property. This means the horses have to walk between their feed and their water, which prevents them from stocking up in the winter. Feeding far from the house also minimizes the smell and any fire hazard associated with the hay.

We built our barn last year and put it close to the house. I love the convenience and since we don't keep our horses in the stalls unless it is very cold or one is sick, there is no smell. We also built it so that if we sold, it could easily be made into a workshop. You have to think ahead beyond your own use of the property.

To the OP, you don't really need a full barn to keep your horses. With proper feed, shelter and blanketing they will be fine outside. I am in northern Alberta and have kept my horses outside for years. A barn is also very expensive and will impact property taxes and property value, so it is worth taking your time to plan carefully and do it right. It took me 4 years after moving to our property to plan and finally have our barn built. Once we had the plans in place it still took many months to get it done. Around here, it takes about 3-6 weeks just to get a building permit. Finding a contractor in Alberta right now is also a challenge as they are booking months in advance. If you are doing power, water and a building, you will need multiple contractors, including someone to landscape and prep the site. The site prep alone costs about $5000 or more. Expect the cost to be between $25-50,000 for a barn with full facilities. Once you have a quote, add 20% for unanticipated extras. The rubber mats were the cheapest part of our entire barn project.

When you are ready to plan, I suggest going bigger than you need. If you think one stall, plan for 2 or at least leave room to expand. I have 2 stalls, but can put in 2 more if needed. Instead of 10x12 stalls, go 12x12. Leave room for machinery such as mowers, a small tractor, wheelbarrows, etc. as there are necessary if you are horse keeping on a small acreage. I can recommend a barn builder in the province if you want.

As I said before, you can get by quite nicely. With a good shelter and tarp garages for hay. You may find down the road you have more horses as well. While you can keep a single horse, they do get lonely. If you have the horse bug, you will soon find that one is never enough.


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## Chevaurra (Aug 16, 2014)

Thank you! I really appreciate your suggestions. 

Also, my horse stays outside most of the time (she's allowed to go in and out of the stall as she pleases); I'm planning to do the same with my barn, but I do want it to be an actual stall so that I can put her inside when I need to. She does quite well with a blanket, but she still gets cold sometimes (Arabian problems, lol) so I like having the option of keeping her in on especially cold/snowy days.

She is also allergic to some things (like oats...probably dust too) so keeping her out helps with that. 

And I think the idea of going bigger than what I think I need is a really good idea. We're going with the idea that if we no longer use it as a barn at some point, it'll be changed into a garage. And Koolio, I definitely agree with you--2 stalls might be a better idea!! I was thinking about breeding my horse at some point, but now I'm thinking (because I don't have the facilities to train a foal) about maybe buying a cheap older horse or adopting one instead...a few years in the future, of course, as now is not really the right time to have more responsibilities than I already do, haha!


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## Chevaurra (Aug 16, 2014)

BARN UPDATE:
Okay, so I am going to be boarding this winter. We're going to start the ground preparation this fall and then build next spring/summer and by next fall I'll have my horse at home.  

I also have a better idea of how the barn is going to look. Basically, I'm going to have my horse's stall on the left back side (10x12) with the tack room in front (to make a total of an 18' side). Then there's going to be an 8' wide aisle beside the stall and tack room, and on the other side of the aisle will be the hay/bedding/equipment (pitchforks, wheelbarrows, and anything else). This portion can be made into a second stall if I ever need it.  That part will be about 22x18, maybe a bit bigger.

Then for smaller details, there's going to be a door in my horse's stall so she'll be able to go out and in whenever she wants (it'll only be closed during bad weather), and I am going to have rubber mats. xD The tack room is going to be used also for feed, and it's going to be heated (eventually) with a sink. And maybe someday I'll have a shower, and hey, why not, a toilet, in there. And you know, then I might as well just make an insulated, heated loft and live there, right? xD hahaha. And I am not having sliding doors because I absolutely detest sliding doors. xD And during the summer, my horse should have about 2-3 acres of pastureland. 

Quick question: Can you cross tie in an 8' aisle? I'm sure I've seen horses cross tied in smaller, but I want to make sure.


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## Chevaux (Jun 27, 2012)

My aisle is 12' and I can do cross ties in it so 8' should do very well.


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## Chevaurra (Aug 16, 2014)

Okay, good to know. Thanks!


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## stevenson (Sep 12, 2011)

I could see a toilet, as then your boarder would be coming in and out of your house . 
I would never put heat next to any type of feed. 
Prefer to have feed separate from any tack, to prevent any rodent issues. 
You can do the box stalls with the dutch doors, and in summer just leave them open, you just put a hook and latch on the door and back wall.


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## Chevaurra (Aug 16, 2014)

Yeah, doing the stalls like that sounds like a good idea! 

What's wrong with keeping feed near heat? Theoretically, won't have any rodent issues because the feed will be kept in a closed container.


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## stevenson (Sep 12, 2011)

no feed by heat besides fire for forages, to hot could cause spoilage.
My tack shed where I keep feed in barrels is insulated and dry walled .


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## Chevaurra (Aug 16, 2014)

BARN UPDATE: Barn is up! Now we're building the stall and front corral. Boarding plans for the winter actually fell through (unforeseeable circumstances) so I will be bringing Destiny home this winter. We just have a bit more work left to do before I can ride her here!


Okay, so now I have to think up a name for our barn. XD So I'm thinking about it...

Silver Creek Acres was what I called my 'dream barn' when I was 10...but I'm not really sure I should call it that.

Round River Ranch is my stable name on another game I play, but that doesn't really even make sense, lol.

And then, I could name it something about her show name...but I can't really think of anything to do with "Aswad Aamirah" that would make a good barn name. I could go like... A&A Stables...but that sounds too English. I'm trying to make her into a western horse. XD

I'm trying to think of names that would go with her personality, like something fiery. But I can't think of anything.

Or I could try something to go with her barn name. "Destined to Dream" maybe, but I'm not really entirely sure that sounds like the name of a barn. Or I could more along the lines of 'Desi' or 'Destiny', but...I still can't think of anything.

Or I could just try something random. Like Aurora Borealis (could be like... AB Ranch). Or Chevaurra Springs (don't even ask, lol). I am seriously not good at thinking up barn names. XD

So this is my list of possibilities so far: 
Silver Creek Acres/Ranch/Stables
Round River Ranch
Destined To Dream
Aurora Borealis Ranch/Stables
Chevaurra Springs

Any suggestions? :3


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## Zexious (Aug 2, 2013)

Out of your current ideas, I actually like Silver Creek and Round River the best xD I look forward to hearing what you choose :>


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## Chevaurra (Aug 16, 2014)

Thank you! It looks like it might be between Silver Creek Ranch and Shale Ridge Ranch now. But I like them both equally. WHAT SHOULD I CHOOSE!?!?!? xD


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## xJumperx (Feb 19, 2012)

Silver Creek! What you called your dream barn as a youngster, right? I think you'll subconsciously love having your barn "come to life," I know I would 

I always had my Breyer Model Horse barn named Flight 10 Stables, and I plan on using that name down the road. No shame in a little nostalgia


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## Nickers2002 (Nov 25, 2009)

Picking a name would be easier with pictures


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