New Farm

[arfields]

I am buying 10.43 acres to keep my small breeding business or horses. I currently have three mares in foal (due Feb, march, june). There is an existing building on the property that is 30x50 wood support metal cover. I want to put 2 broodmare stalls (10x18) and 4 normal stalls (10x12). The bad thing is the stalls can only be 10 wide at most since the barn is 30 wide total and I do not want to make the hall way any smaller. The good thing is my horses are not going to spend much time inside the barn. I want to install heaters of some kind to keep the stalls warm when the mares foal.

I am also looking into getting a smaller building to house the tractor, hay and shavings. I have looked at several options but most are too cheaply made or cost an arm and a leg.

We have 3 pastures and a smaller turn out that we want to have automatic waters installed. I have one person I know that has had several problems with Nelson waterers and I have read that alot of people think they are the best out there. I have three I am looking at

http://www.miraco.com/horsewater.htm
http://www.nelsonmfg.com/a700H_001.htm
http://www.ritchiefount.com/watermatic.html

I have been reading anything I can find on this and have even bought a few books. Any ideas or thoughts shared will be more then welcome.

Angela

[Inspector507]

Angela,
Along with this site, the ByNet Network also includes a site called HorsesByNet. You might want to check in there too. Totally devoted to horses and their care.
HorsesByNet

It's a newly opened site but seems to be gaining popularity.

Jerry

[twstanley]

You might consider using the modular stall panels that you can get at farm stores, they assemble with wood that you cut and slide in and you can then configure the barn the way you need it at different times...you could have 6 10x10 stalls and then remove partitions to have 2 10x20 and 2 10x10 stalls, etc....

Behlen stall panels

Regarding heating your barn, I would be cautious doing that.

Fire hazard and animal health would be my main concerns.

If you make the building very air tight, you keep in lots of moisture and bacteria, etc. Horses ( from my understanding ) are much more likely to get upper resipiratory illnesses in an air tight barn than one that lets some air flow thru it, or are out on pasture.

You don't have your location filled out in your profile, but you might consider arranging your foaling months for the warmer times of year in your area, kind of like folks try to do with cattle.