# Ultimate Barns



## Lucara (Apr 5, 2008)

Theres a book out called the Ultimate Horse Barns. There is a barn in there that, to me, just seems to be completely genius and nearly 100% destroy proof.

The stalls almost look exactly like jail cells (not very flashy) there are 3 walls made of 8ft cement and the front of the stall facing the center isle is completely made of top to bottom iron/steel meshed bars. Theres absolutely zero wood, no place to crib, chew, and nothing to damage. I would have to be 100% times easier to clean that wood too.

Has anyone seen this? I'm sure it would be expensive to build but...in the long run, wouldnt it actually be cheeper? You would never have damaged wood, nothing would ever rot, and cement is easily filled.

When I finish college I eventually want to build a tiny little 3 stall boarding barn. Something with over sized stalls that are just above and beyond.

What do you guys think of the idea?

I'll try and get a pic of that page if I can.


----------



## StormyBlues (Dec 31, 2008)

*well you would be trading easy care for extrem dangour. the horse kicks wood, it gives out. horse kicks cement wall, your left with an extremly hurt horse. the barn sounds like Taylor Made, a breeding farm in KY.*


----------



## ponyboy (Jul 24, 2008)

Cement is A LOT harder to replace than wood.


----------



## StormyBlues (Dec 31, 2008)

ponyboy said:


> Cement is A LOT harder to replace than wood.


 yea that too!


----------



## My Beau (Jan 2, 2009)

Lucara said:


> When I finish college I eventually want to build a tiny little 3 stall boarding barn. Something with over sized stalls that are just above and beyond.
> 
> What do you guys think of the idea?


I think that if you want to open a boarding barn you need to have more than three stalls. The revenue from 1-2 boarders (I'm assuming a horse or two of yours would be living there) will most likely cover that horse's grain, hay, water and your labor costs. You won't make much money for thing's like electric, general upkeep costs, etc.

The only time you will make money (enough to be comfortable financially)with horses is if you are the type of upper level competitor that can get on any horse and make it look spectacular in a matter of minutes or if you're a veterinarian.


----------



## Lucara (Apr 5, 2008)

I'm not really interested in boarding anything over 5 horses, one of which will be my own. I'm still thinking things through and I've got plenty of time! I'm either going to board others horses, foster rescued horses, or rescue/re-train/re-home horses. Either way I just want a nice place for my horse and I can figure out what to do with the rest of the stall if I decide to actually go that route.

Oh Question, Is there anything wrong with having an over sized stall? If I do just decide to make the barn large enough for just one horse, I'll most likely do a much larger stall since I will be getting a draft anyway. Something around 18x18 instead of the usual 12x12. I know that the shavings would cost more since I would have to cover more but other than that, would there be anything wrong with doing that?


----------



## QtrHorse (Oct 13, 2008)

My boxes are the standard 12X12 size but I can take out the middle panel and turn 2 boxes into one large one. The only time I have ever used it that way is for foaling and mare/foal accommodations. Our horses are out as much as possible but if I could not provide that outdoor access for them I would like the idea of having oversized boxes, especially for the larger breeds.


----------



## Lucara (Apr 5, 2008)

Alright cool. I'm thinking more towards winter time. I'm not really sure how Oregon is in winter. I know it rains quite a bit all the other seasons so I don't see why it wouldn't rain instead of snow quite a bit as well.
I've never had to go through a snowy winter yet. Do you guys have heated barns or do you just lock it up tight and blanket your horse?


----------



## My Beau (Jan 2, 2009)

I'm in Maryland and we don't have a heated barn. It gets cold but not super cold; it has been in the 20s all this week. When the horses stay in the barn during the winter we just close all the doors. But, we have little vents on every stall for ventilation because if you don't the horse might develop respiratory problems from the ammonia smell from 20+ horses peeing overnight. 

We blanket some horses, but most have a sheet or go naked inside. With all the horses eating hay in there it gets warm in there. The first winter I had my guy I left his blanket on while he was in there and came in the next morning to a sweaty mess - so now he stays inside naked. It alll depends on how many horses, how warm your barn gets and the horse itself.


----------



## StormyBlues (Dec 31, 2008)

*it gets cold here and we blanket at night if it is under 40. we put their fleece's on if it is 30 and under. we close the two big doors, but we leave the two windows open and keep a nice air circulation during the day. im sorry but I hate barns up north! it is too stuffy in them! lol and two of my guys live outside 24-7 we only brought them up last Tuesday cause it was icing! their tails we full of ice!*


----------



## kershkova (Jun 25, 2008)

I don`t like the cement walls horses can get hurt on them and leve you very large vet bills. My barn is partley heated in the tackroom/offic, and bath room so it gives of heat and we close all the doors. I have a thinsalte turn out sheet from smartpakequine he has on 24/7 when its cold on outlaw.


----------



## ponyboy (Jul 24, 2008)

Slightly OT, is that Ultimate Barns book worth it? I collect books like that.


----------



## My Beau (Jan 2, 2009)

StormyBlues said:


> * im sorry but I hate barns up north! it is too stuffy in them!*


Is that the only reason you hate them? I'm sure barns up here look just like barns down where you are... We only close them up when the horses are in at night, but the vents keep air moving without getting drafty.


----------



## StormyBlues (Dec 31, 2008)

My Beau said:


> Is that the only reason you hate them? I'm sure barns up here look just like barns down where you are... We only close them up when the horses are in at night, but the vents keep air moving without getting drafty.


 *yes that is the only thing i hate about them. The amonia just smells bad(my mom grew up in MI and told me all about it) Also the amonia just sits on the dirt floors. I forgot how much i hate dirt floors.... I will also add, that if you are building a barn to not do the traditional mud dirt floor. We had new floors put in. I think it is called euistall. it is rocks that are layered into egg carton type things that are made out of hard plastic. you fill those with very fine gravel and it is the best florring out there IMO. the urine sinks down into the gravel and helps keep amonia out. it has alot of give and it is very cussiony. it also helps because you don't have to use as much bedding! I will never put anything but it in stalls ever!*


----------



## kershkova (Jun 25, 2008)

I have concrete ilsies and stall mats in the stalls.


----------



## My Beau (Jan 2, 2009)

StormyBlues said:


> *yes that is the only thing i hate about them. The amonia just smells bad(my mom grew up in MI and told me all about it) Also the amonia just sits on the dirt floors. I forgot how much i hate dirt floors.... I will also add, that if you are building a barn to not do the traditional mud dirt floor. We had new floors put in. I think it is called euistall. it is rocks that are layered into egg carton type things that are made out of hard plastic. you fill those with very fine gravel and it is the best florring out there IMO. the urine sinks down into the gravel and helps keep amonia out. it has alot of give and it is very cussiony. it also helps because you don't have to use as much bedding! I will never put anything but it in stalls ever!*


Not all barns have floors like that, in fact, I don't know of any around here. The barn I board at and the barn we're building has concrete with thick stall mats and shavings. Alot of people also you stone dust screenings that are tamped down with mats over them. I'm sure there are even more old barns from all of the plantations in the south with dirt floors, from before concrete/screenings were "the thing" to put in...
Old barns up here (i'm talking new england/mid atlantic) were often dairy barns with concrete in them, and if they still have dirt floors i doubt horse people own them:lol:


----------



## Lucara (Apr 5, 2008)

kershkova said:


> I have concrete ilsies and stall mats in the stalls.


This is what I was going to do. I'm big on bedding. I hate seeing stalls with a thin layer of bedding and half the stall bare. I sure as heck wouldn't be comfortable sleeping on it, why would my horse? :?


----------



## StormyBlues (Dec 31, 2008)

My Beau said:


> Not all barns have floors like that, in fact, I don't know of any around here. The barn I board at and the barn we're building has concrete with thick stall mats and shavings. Alot of people also you stone dust screenings that are tamped down with mats over them. I'm sure there are even more old barns from all of the plantations in the south with dirt floors, from before concrete/screenings were "the thing" to put in...
> Old barns up here (i'm talking new england/mid atlantic) were often dairy barns with concrete in them, and if they still have dirt floors i doubt horse people own them:lol:


* oh. well I LOVE our stalls now. the dirt just wears down and is horrible for the horses legs. hmmmmmm i haven't seen many dairy farms down here, lol!:lol:*


----------



## StormyBlues (Dec 31, 2008)

Lucara said:


> This is what I was going to do. I'm big on bedding. I hate seeing stalls with a thin layer of bedding and half the stall bare. I sure as heck wouldn't be comfortable sleeping on it, why would my horse? :?


 *try to find some info on the equi-stall. it is much better than the matts! and it doens't look comffy but the horses love it! It really helps their legs. we still use alot of shavings.*


----------

