Wanting to build a barn. ideas, thoughts,advice???

[clovergamecock]

I want to build a 3 stall barn with tack room this summer. It will have a dirt floor in the middle and in the stalls and I will use a wodden floor in the tack room. I don't want anything fancy or extravagant just functional. Any of you guys done this? Ideas, pics, advice, plans, COST??? Include run in sheds if that's what you have as I am still cosidering these.

Thanks
Wade

 

[dtd24]

Black,
If you are looking to do it yourself, I would suggest you head over to your local building supply. Not Home Depot!!! Is there a Stock Lumber near you?Alot of times they will lay the whole thing out for you.

I would go with a pole design to keep the cost of a foundation out of the picture. Plus gives you a great reason to buy a PHD!!! Not sure what kind of horses you have which may affect the design, but you will have to figure at least 10'x10' stalls w/ 10' walk way. So width would be 30'. 30x20 looks weird!! I would go for 6 stall. 3 horses, tack room, hay storage, wash rack???? 30x30. Hmmmmm. Glad my wife doesn't know about this forum!!!

Form follows function!!! Lay out your stalls on paper, then build building around it.

 

[Renob]

From my experience, I would determine what size barn you think you need, then double it.

 

[SPIKER]

with horses you have a lot to think about, inside hay storage, outside rain shelter, horse cleaning area, storage for equipment (saddles ect) storage for tractor/ equipment.

then you need to think what style of barn 1 story rectangle 2 story with a gambrele roof line open loft yes or no ect.
then you have to decide material steel, wood pole ect lots to think about

cheapest is a pole barn 2 story so hay storage on loft with part open to below for tossing down hay. lean too off one side for rain shelter when horses are out to pasture, at least one tack room with lockable door and GOOD flooring, (probably nice with a stall type sower & wash sink in there)
water frost proof hose bibs for drinking water & washing down. part of floor where the tack room shower wash down should be concrete preferably. rest can be wood stalls & dirt floors.

ok any how, k=make a lot of plans and then budget to what you can afford...

mark.m

 

[tallyho8]

I have photos of one of my barns in another thread. See the one "Fronthalffinished.jpg. This might be what you are interested in.
https://beta.tractorbynet.net/forums/index.php?posts/1073344/

 

[40Kchicks]

Build it tractor friendly which means big enough that you can use a tractor to help clean the stalls and spread bedding.

Eric

 

[mjarrels]

Triple it!

mark

 

[gotrocks]

I agree with others, plan for what you think you will need 5 years from now... and double it.
Here is a rough idea I did for a friend, maybe it will give you some ideas to consider.

 

[EddieWalker]

I don't know anything about horses, but enough about building to get myself in trouble. hahaha

From what I've read and been told, you really want the inside demensions of your stalls to be 12x12. It's not that much diffenerence in price for materials to do this, so you might as well.

Pole construction is the cheapest and easiest way to build. Just drill the holes, put the poles in the ground so they are straight up and down and ligned up with each other. It takes a little time, but overall, it's pretty straightforward.

A rectangle is always the cheapest building to create. Do you need a covered breezeway? Or will three stalls side by side and a tack/storage room work for you? You can have the roof extend over the stall openings to create cover and a dry area in front of the stalls. Sort of like a long porch in front of the building.

Eddie

 

[weedsportpete]

If you will use the 4 x 6 rubber stall mats, the a 12 x 12 stall will be much easier to setup.. as long as the interior dimensions are really 12x12.

You may want to add one or two more stalls than you need for your horses, to be used by someone who agrees to clean your stalls in exchange for a stall. Have you had horses at your own property before? Its a little harder to take vacations when you take care of your own horses.

Actually, there are several previous discussions on TBN that discuss horse barns, with many great ideas proposed.. I'd take an hour or two to read over them, and a week or two to really think about them. Guaranteed to save you time and money.

Pete