# Barn questions



## countryjewel (May 29, 2012)

So we are getting ready to build our barn and bring our horses home 
I have a few questions for everyone, we are adding onto our cattle barn, so its going to be 22x30, and we have to fit 3 stalls so is a 9x11 stall large enough for an average horse? And is a 6-7 foot aisle-way for tacking up, grooming, turning around, roomy enough? 
Also, they will have a 40x50 foot dirt paddock, and about a half of an acre for grazing. I plan on maybe letting them graze only half days? Anyone have experience doing this? 
I really want to have a good functional area, with happy horses, and 3 goats LOL Any comments are appreciated, thanks!!!


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## ThatDraftGirl (Jun 5, 2012)

First off, congrats on getting your horses home.
Second, that all seems kind of small. The stalls at an absolute minimum should be 10x10 and even that is kind of cramped space. The 6-7 foot aisle is going to be a pain, it doesn't leave much room for working aorund your horse, but it is doable, again, at least 10 feet is ideal.
The pasture space is also pretty small. The dry lot may be ok, but it doesn't leave much room for 3 grown horses to stretch their legs and run if they so choose. The 1/2 acre will be eaten down in a few days of half day turn out and you'll be left with another dirt pen. 

It it possible to make the stalls 10x10 and the aisle 10 feet wide? That still only calls for a 20x30 barn... Stalls all along one wall instead of on both sides of the aisle.

Is it possible to turn the horses out with the cows? Around here, horses and cows get turned out together regularly. The horses may be a bit scared at first, but they usually calm down within a day or two.

Good luck.


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## GhostwindAppaloosa (Jun 3, 2011)

Depending on how much turn out your guys are getting and what size horses they are the stall size should be ok. most of our stalls in my boarding barn are 9ft 6" x 11. (i have no idea what they were thinking when they built it) and pretty much all the horses have plenty of room to move around in the stalls. If you are stalling the horses 24/7 thats a different story.

as for the grazing. 1/2 acre will be ruined real quick even with only one horse. Expect it to be at teh very best a "greenlot" meaning no grazing but will look greenish. We have an 8ft aisleway in our back barn. its enough to tack up and turn a horse around but not big enough to walk around another horse... so one horse in the aisle at a time. also remember with only 8ft u cannot drive a truck or large tractor thorugh it if you need to,


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## Maverick101 (Nov 8, 2009)

countryjewel said:


> So we are getting ready to build our barn and bring our horses home
> I have a few questions for everyone, we are adding onto our cattle barn, so its going to be 22x30, and we have to fit 3 stalls so is a 9x11 stall large enough for an average horse? And is a 6-7 foot aisle-way for tacking up, grooming, turning around, roomy enough?
> Also, they will have a 40x50 foot dirt paddock, and about a half of an acre for grazing. I plan on maybe letting them graze only half days? Anyone have experience doing this?
> I really want to have a good functional area, with happy horses, and 3 goats LOL Any comments are appreciated, thanks!!!


9x11 should be sufficient. 10x10 is 100 sq feet, 9x11 is 99, I don't think one sq foot will be detrmental to your horse lol...
The pasture maybe a tad small though, as the above poster mentioned it will soon turn into another dirt paddock w that amount of traffic.
As for aisle....6ft is quite narrow for turning a horse around so if could do 8, that be my minimum preference. Ours are 10 and are a ver comfortable size for moving horses about safely. 6 is tight imo. As for tacking could always just tack in the stalls etc. It also depends on your size of horse lol....he have mainly warmbloods, or large QHs, but a smaller horse will be able to maneouver in a 6ft aisle better then that of a larger one.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## eclipseranch (May 31, 2012)

concern with that small of aisle moving any type of vehicle through there. an average truck or tractor!


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

My 16x16 allows two horses to easily walk and turn around in there. The other stall is 12x 16 and it's roomy for one horse with room to lie down and stretch out.


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## possumhollow (Apr 19, 2012)

Seems like the walkway is too narrow to be safe in case you have a horse act up or go down on you. Also a wider walkway gives a vet more room to work in if the horse needs sedation. Ours is 12 feet wide and works pretty good.


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