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Re: [RC] Barn Plans and Suggestions (long) - Adelia85

Betty,
As an architect here are some general pointers.  You failed to mention where you are located.  That would make a difference in the style of barn.  For instance, in the South wide overhangs and high ceilings help keep the heat down.  Pole barns have many positives but then pre-made can be fine if you are careful to get the features that work best for you.  Barnmaster makes a sound product as does MD, but you could also find plans in books or pay a designer or architect to do the work for you custom.  Depending on your state regulations, a designer may be able to give you good service at a lesser price.  Most architects don't do really small projects and many do not know equine architecture at all.  They have too much overhead to pay for.  I usually do complete site/farm design for complex needs.  Must admit I enjoy that much more than the standard stuff that usually crosses my computer.

Look at Hardi-board or Hard-plank for the siding.  This is a product made of cementious material which is fireproof and will hold a paint job for a good ten years.  It also is more durable to daily wear & tear and less likely to injure than metal siding etc. 

The floor issue is a dividing point among horsepeople.  There are some that will not have anything but a cement floor.  They prefer to clean it down to the last degree and many like a drain put in every stall to do just that.  There are also the opposing group which feel the concrete is bad for legs and will not have anything but a dirt or compacted crushed concrete floor.  Both types frequently use rubber mats to reduce bedding requirements. Some use egg crate type plastic which is backfilled to prevent horses from pawing out the stalls unevenly. My personal preference is crushed concrete floor (Iooks like gray dirt, drains well and does not retain odors significantly) with rubber mats but the truth is a good choice depends on your own style of management. 

The hay issue is also a dividing point.  Some people will not use a barn with a hayloft as they feel it is a fire hazard and a respiratory hazard. Others prefer the convenience of having hay in the barn.  In your position, go for the ground storage in your barn of at least a weeks worth of hay.  Should you choose to store the rest of your hay elsewhere at least you have enough to tide you over conveniently in bad weather spells. 

You can certainly have Dutch doors that will allow your horses to come and go from the barn itself.  This will require careful planning if you want individual turnout paddocks to not end up with 12' wide runs coming off the barn.  Think about how you want to run your pastures from this barn to maximize for your convenience. 

As a general rule of thumb please consider having a source of water in your barn for your cleaning purposes and to allow a hose to water an isolated animal.  I personally prefer to take the hose to bucket for fillups when cleaning is not required.  Saves some of the lifting.

If you want an isolation stall consider placing your hay or tack area between healthy and isolation stalls or make the walls solid to prevent nose to nose contact.  Also consider having 4' of solid wall between stalls (as in no grate for that corner area) if placing feed buckets on the corner walls.  This allows horses to eat without having stare into their neighbors eyeballs.  Makes for less aggressive feed times and sometimes less kick damage to the stalls. 

General items include: Drainage away from all four sides of the barn is critical as is the roof pitch over the major entrance.  Look at a ridge vent or cupola or stepped gable with operable venting to keep that all important ventilation going.  Try to place the barn to allow the wind to flow through during the hottest part of the year. 

Just a few things.  Hope they are helpful.

Adelia