# Greetings from eastern Canada!



## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

Hi,

New to the forum (obviously) and looking forward to reading up on all the latest on horse keeping! I grew up with horses as a horse owner from age 5 to 17, but have been horseless since. Went to university, started a demanding career, had children... but now, my 10 year old is as passionate about them as I am and after four years of riding lessons, I think she is ready. We have begun looking at barn plans since we have 13 acres of land and lots of room for horses! This year, we will be preparing the site and next year, we build and fill the stalls! I will be studying all your posts about riding, care and maintenance of horses and horse-related stuff with great interest!


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## stevenson (Sep 12, 2011)

Welcome. There are some people from Canada on this site. As you start building or planning on your placement of barns and pens/pastures try to get an areal photo and draw them out. Try many different placements. Find the high spots on the property for best drainage etc. 
We changed plans many times, and when it came to the tractor work etc, my husband and tractor guy, did what they wanted , not what I planned..lol.


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## Chevaux (Jun 27, 2012)

Hi Acadianartist and welcome to the forum. We also built our barn when we bought land - technically we're on our second barn (this one has, what I consider, improvements over the previous one which suggests to me that you need to do a practice barn or two before you get it right (well at least I do:lol). 

There's lots of work involved in keeping horses on your own place but well worth it in the end. I hope you enjoy the journey.


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## amberly (Dec 16, 2012)

My town is seven miles from the border and the only reason it ain't a ghost town is because of Canadians - which is probably why the entire town talks like them, so call me Canadian!

Welcome to the forum!


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## NBEventer (Sep 15, 2012)

Greetings from a fellow East Coaster! I'll give you a guess where i'm from based on my name lol.


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

When it came to building a barn I decided on my budget first. I'm a person who if I don't have the money, I don't get it. Called around to lumber yards to get prices on various sizes of lumber (rough idea) then bo't a pkg of graph paper. My barn went from a "would sure like to have" size to a size that would work and stay within the budget. It was small by most standards but a few years later I was able to add on. Then later a hay shed was added on. I had zero labor costs as I did all the work myself.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

Thanks all for the warm welcome! Just getting used to these forums. 

stevenson, the first thing I did was take the satellite image of our property and draw out the barn, paddock and pastures. Then I showed it to a bunch of horse people. Still lots to figure out but we're on our way!

Chevaux - yes, it's a lot of work, but I just cannot deal with the idea of boarding horses. I NEED to see my horses every day and interact with them! It will all be worth it in the end. 

Saddlebag - same here. We have a budget. Remains to be seen whether it's doable or not!!! Our contractor is related to my husband and is local and experienced at agricultural construction so I'm confident he will treat us well. We have already gotten lots of tips on where to get this or that material cheaper. Still lots to learn!

I look forward to learning from everyone on these forums!


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## WhattaTroublemaker (Aug 13, 2013)

Where from? I'm from NB! Welcome!


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

WhattaTroublemaker said:


> Where from? I'm from NB! Welcome!


Right outside Fredericton! You?


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## WhattaTroublemaker (Aug 13, 2013)

Acadianartist said:


> Right outside Fredericton! You?


My lord!!!! Twenty minutes maybe from Fredericton!


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

30 minutes over here  In Burtts Corner to be precise.


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## NBEventer (Sep 15, 2012)

Its a Fredericton get together haha... whattatroublemaker and I have the same farrier lol. Way too small of a world.


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## WhattaTroublemaker (Aug 13, 2013)

NBEventer said:


> Its a Fredericton get together haha... whattatroublemaker and I have the same farrier lol. Way too small of a world.


It really is! I'm from Tracy! Whatta great neck of the woods eh! :lol::lol:


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

WhattaTroublemaker said:


> It really is! I'm from Tracy! Whatta great neck of the woods eh! :lol::lol:


Nice horse on your avatar Whatta! 

Yes, F'ton is a fine city, but if you're gonna have animals like us, you gotta live in the sticks! My coworkers look at me funny when I tell them where I live, but when I say we're getting horses it's like "Ohhhhhhh". And then, the inevitable question "So you're gonna shovel manure?" :lol:

They look at me even funnier when I tell them shoveling manure is often the best part of my day!

Luckily there's some beautiful land just a few minutes outside the city.


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## WhattaTroublemaker (Aug 13, 2013)

Acadianartist said:


> Nice horse on your avatar Whatta!
> 
> Yes, F'ton is a fine city, but if you're gonna have animals like us, you gotta live in the sticks! My coworkers look at me funny when I tell them where I live, but when I say we're getting horses it's like "Ohhhhhhh". And then, the inevitable question "So you're gonna shovel manure?" :lol:
> 
> ...


I love shovelling! It's a great work out away from any stressors. And thank you!! He's my baby :lol: I'm a bit biased but I think he's the nicest horse on our block. Bought him in July as my first baby after my tb mare went lame.


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## clwhizy (Aug 20, 2014)

I feel like I'm left out of the F'ton party...I'm near Moncton :wave:


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

clwhizy said:


> I feel like I'm left out of the F'ton party...I'm near Moncton :wave:


Close enough clwhizy! I'm in Moncton all the time for work and family. Grew up in Kent county. NB is really a very small place


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## NBEventer (Sep 15, 2012)

Don't feel too left out... I'm just as close to your house whizy as I am to the Freddy gang lol. I'm kinda stuck in the middle of everyone lol
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

Acadian, all the horses need is a solidly built run-in with two exits, so one can't trap another in there. 16'x16 is big enough for two horses, room for one to lie down. An extended roof will protect your hay which can later be enclosed. To protect the hay I used 1x4" boards with a two inch spacer. This allows plenty of air to move through but not rain. My hay shed is 12x16" with a sloping roof. 200 bales fit in there.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

Saddlebag said:


> Acadian, all the horses need is a solidly built run-in with two exits, so one can't trap another in there. 16'x16 is big enough for two horses, room for one to lie down. An extended roof will protect your hay which can later be enclosed. To protect the hay I used 1x4" boards with a two inch spacer. This allows plenty of air to move through but not rain. My hay shed is 12x16" with a sloping roof. 200 bales fit in there.


 Thanks, that's really helpful! Especially the hay shed dimensions and number of bales. The horse section of our barn will be about 24 x 36 to make room for 3 stalls and a tack room. Some hay will probably be stored in stall # 3 and some in a 16 x 12 area at the back with the farm equipment. It sounds Like I might be able to store enough for the year since we do plan on having a good sized overhang on one side of the building. That area will serve as a washing area in summer and maybe a shelter for the horses in bad weather. Lots to think about!


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