PREPARING FOR HORSES

[inveresk]

Here's another response to the call for projects . . . .

This past year we've been engaged in two projects - renovating a cottage on our property which was the original farmhouse built in 1928, and preparing the property for my wife's horses. To get the place horse, ready I had to finish the stables (the envelope of which I built in 2007 when I built the barn/office/workshop), clear woodland and level for a riding ring, paddock and corral and build the necessary fences. Here are some shots of the completed projects. I don't have much work in progress shots.

First shot shows the stables and corral in front. I used cedar snake fencing here because we're into rock and driving posts is hard, and also because the kitchen window looks onto this area so something that satisfied aesthetics as well as being functional was preferred.

Second shot is Lucy looking into the corral from the paddock.

Third shot is Lucy in part of the paddock. We are on the water so Trincomali channel and Galliano island beyond are in the distance.

Last shot is the wife, the farrier and a family friend outside the stables.

 

[inveresk]

These shots are of the trail up to the ring and a shot of the riding ring itself which is about 70' x 110'. We used material called spaghetti hog to top the road, the riding ring, the corral and the paddock. This is long, stringy wood shavings that knits together nicely and forms a soft carpet for the horses. It's a pig to spread and has to be teased out with a pitch fork but it lasts well and the horses love it.

The riding ring has about 6" of spaghetti hog over 4" of sand over 4" of rock base over geotextile. I had a tracked machine into clear the woodland for the ring but the tractor and I did the rest. There's one rock drain down the centre of the ring and a swale round two sides.

I also used geotextile on the trail but not in the corral or the paddock where it's not needed.

 

[inveresk]

I made the corral gates from cedar off our property, all mortice, tenon and dowels - no screws or nails. The gate latch is temporary. I have to get something more robust made.

The other shots are of Ladybanks, a Canadian, and Lucy, a Belgian/paint.

 

[inveresk]

Here are some shots of the cottage before and after. It was semi derelict and we put new foundations under it, reroofed, shingled about half the walls in cedar before repainting, demolished and rebuilt the porch, rebuilt the leaded light windows and renewed the remainder and carried out a gut and stuff on the interior where just about everything had to be renewed.

 

[brin]

Looks first class to me...job well done ! We used to have horses and had a similar configuration...nicely done...looking forward to see pics of your cottage renovation..we did the same thing ..

 

[inveresk]

A few additional shots of the cottage.

The porch deck we finished in sandstone slabs, the doorknocker I was given by a friend, the stove I bought used and refurbished. The last shot shows the attic bedroom utilizing some flooring I had left over from building my office.

 

[inveresk]

A last couple of cottage shots . . . .

Next projects are to put trails through our woodland and landscape around the cottage. Those will take care of any spare time I have over the next couple of seasons. In addition, I'had to vacate the stables (which I'd requisitioned for storage until the horses came). So I need to built some covered storage for the tractor implements.

 

[jayste]

Great job on the remodel, barn and all. Great looking place.:thumbsup:

 

[inveresk]

Thanks for the generous comments, gents.

Although the wife has worked with horses for long enough, this is the first time for me. I've been on a horse a few times in my life but it's not a hobby that ever really grabbed me.

I'm gob smacked at how much work is involved. The wife is up at 6am mucking out stalls and doesn't finish until after 8pm, and unless we can find good helpers to baby sit the horses this winter, we're going to be stuck here without a break until spring. By the end of February and after three months of usually cold and very wet weather, I'm about ready to top myself unless I can get a couple of weeks of rays so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it all pans out.

 

[MrChris]

I was curious what type of riding you do in your arena? I've never seen a wood material used before. It's usually sand or m10(rock dust) in the States.