Modest Horse Barn Suggestions???

[IndianaPaul]

Mike, Steve, Cowboydoc, et al.: I appreciate the comments/suggestions. Have spent last day chatting with 3-4 contractors re: 'ballpark' estimates on various size barns. Looking more and more like I may go towards 36x48, but final decision will wait until all the cost data is in. After all, like tractors, I seldom hear someone say they wished they had gone smaller.

This weekend, owner of the stable my daughter has taken lessons at (and mucked stalls, groomed etc., is coming over to look at area where I want to put the barn. I had asked him if he could as I want to make sure I am not overlooking something re: lay of the land.

Also decided we'll be going w/12x12 stalls, sliding front......still pondering center aisle, loft, etc... Have spoken to water and electric company and am going to have separate lines/meters run to the barn. Tack room, wash area (one for horse and another one in my workroom for me), etc.. all in the plans.

Also, think I finally found an electrician that works primarily on livestock barns...versus home applications.

As I get info the next 2-3 weeks I'll keep everyone informed. In the mean time, keep the suggestions coming!

Paul

[IndianaPaul]

Steve:

one question: in your first post you mentioned 1' gravel base, 4" stone dust and rubber mats.....did you truly mean 1 foot gravel base? If so, why so thick. Just curious.

Thanks again!

Paul

[SteveB]

In my neck of the woods that's about how thick the top soil is. You definately want to remove all top soil from the building site as it is not a stable material. We stripped our site of top soil, graded the sub soil, and then used about a foot of bank run gravel to get us back up to the finish grade. We then put up our pole barn and stalls, compacted the floor w/ one of those push around vibrating compactors. In the isles we poured about 5" of concrete and in the stalls we put about 4" of stone dust (which we leveled and compacted) and the 1" mat to keep every thing level.

When you build your stalls you should allow one run of the skirt boards to cross the stall door way. That is, allow one board (4" or 5") to cross the bottom of the door (the horses will step over it just fine). This keeps the shavings in the stall and makes it much easier to pour the concrete isle way. It also means you don't have to be so fussy when trying to get the floors inside and outside the stall at the same level.

[gws]

You need to rethink your size. a 24x36 is only two stalls and a tack area with a 12x36 are to run your tractor and manure trailer down. 36x36 would give you 4-5 stalls, tack area and middle common area.

As for cost, you might look at the Klein system http://www.klenepipe.com/default.htm Depending on where you live it might save some cost since it is considered a portable building.

[edt]

Well paul good luck send some pictures if you can.

[RichZ]

Mike, nice barn! [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img] Ours is an old (over 200 years old!) dairy barn, and is much more primitive, but it serves the purpose!

That's a beautiful Appaloosa you're grooming in that picture, and he sure seems to be enjoying being groomed!

[MikePA]

Thanks, Rich, on both the barn and the Appaloosa. The Appaloosa is my favorite of the three horses we have. He's the second horse we bought and I guess our personalities mesh. He's kind of laid back, but he let's you know what he wants and he doesn't let the mares push him around...too much! [img]/forums/images/icons/tongue.gif[/img]

[kconner]

I really do not want to remove the top soil....it has a alot of moisture in it...clay..etc....Do oyu think I could get aaway with a 4-8 inch gravel and QP pad followed by a few inches of stone dust to build it up and keep it nice and dry ?

[MSamson]

Mike that is a nice looking barn. Would you hapen to have a picture of the outside? I was also wondering, how do the outside walls come to the ground? Do you have a cement slab contouring the building in order to make a meeting point between the wall panels and the crush stone. I personnaly was thinking of running a perimeter of pressure treated 6x6' laid on the crush stone.

[MikePA]

<font color="blue"> Mike that is a nice looking barn. </font color>
Thanks! [img]/forums/images/icons/laugh.gif[/img]

<font color="blue"> Would you hapen to have a picture of the outside? </font color>
Attached is a picture of the front and side. The pile of stone dust was awaiting distribution in our ring.

The area was cleared of topsoil, leveled and covered with crushed stone. The tack room floor is concrete and the center isle is paved. The holes were dug and the posts placed. Anything that is in the ground or within 3 feet of the ground is PT. The metal siding comes right down to the ground.

The stalls are lined with horizontal T and G 2 x 8 boards, up to 4 feet on 3 sides. The divider between stalls goes up 8 feet.