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Message |
    
Emily West, Gracie Due 04/11/08
Breeding Stock
Username: Paintlover
Post Number: 417
Registered: 06-2006
| | Posted on Sunday, March 16, 2008 - 08:14 pm: | 
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I posted this elsewhere but as I am unsure where it would best be posted I thought I would post it here too. 
I have some questions for all you mare owners. We are looking into moving so I will either be building or setting up my own barn for our horses. So I am interested in the following:
What you have in your barn that you can't live without,( foaling or non foaling related)?
What you would do differently if you could do it over or had the money?
Size foaling stalls you have?
Size foaling stalls you wish you had?
Smallest you would go for a foaling stall?
At what size would you think a foaling stall would be to big and just be a waste of space in your barn?
What style of stalls do you have?
What style do you wish you could have?
What materials should the stalls be made out of so they are safe for horses and foals?
What do you have in your barn that makes the foaling season less stressful?
What size tack room do you have and is it big enough?
Can I put foaling cams in a pole building?
I am looking at a small breeding operation where we would foal out 2-5 mares yearly. At this point I wouldn't be standing my own stallion.
If you have any advice that I didn't cover in my questions please feel free to share.
Thanks |
Jane Olney
Breeding Stock
Username: Shotsnurse1
Post Number: 569
Registered: 11-2006
| | Posted on Monday, March 17, 2008 - 06:53 am: |
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I have found that I could really use a large covered arena and more hay storage. I would have used the arena for turn out when baby was young...because of ice,snow,rain,mud. Up here in Michigan, my horses have had about 5 months off. Just this weekend I was able to load up and take my yearling for round pen kindergarten...and my daughter was able to go for a lesson on Mom. If I had an arena..... I'd say their lives would be more exciting. |
Beth Valen
Nursing Foal
Username: Divaranch
Post Number: 19
Registered: 02-2008
| | Posted on Monday, March 17, 2008 - 09:29 am: |
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My foaling stalls are 12x18, with a full view front door, and dutch doors that open into a small grassy paddock. If money were no object, they would be 16 or 18x 20-24, and they would still open into a small paddock.
I have stocks, and would not want to be without them. My tack room is 10x12 and is sufficient, since I am not really riding much, just a place to store their supplies, a frig, etc.
I have wireless cameras with night vision, so I can watch them from the couch.
My barn is framed in metal, and the stalls are wood for the bottom 4' then metal grid above. I have high output fluorescent lights over the stalls, and another set over the aisle. I have big fans for each stall, but wish I had ceiling fans as well. Country plastics corner hay feeders, and a rounded grain feeder in an opposite corner. Salt block holders above the grain feeder, high enough babies can't reach for a couple weeks. (good idea but I end up removing the blocks anyway.)
I have two smallish turnout areas, that are more suitable to new foal turnout than larger pastures. My fence is wood posts, wood toprail, with no climb. I run one strand of hot wire at the top-- but NOT on the side of the fence for the turnouts I use for foals at first-- on the other side.
If you do a concrete aisle, brush it for a rough surface. Harder to sweep, but more importantly, harder for them to fall and hurt themselves.
I have a hay barn/storage building that I thought I'd never fill up. Trust me, you'll need more space than you can imagine. I can put 400 bales in mine, and still have room for grain bins, bagged shavings, and some equipment.
You will need more electrical outlets than you think too. Fans, cameras, lights, water bucket heaters, clippers, radio, refrigerator, etc etc etc. Put at least two outlets above each stall, plus some you can get to for clipping etc. |
Gina McMahon
Weanling
Username: Moonlitpaints
Post Number: 40
Registered: 12-2007
| | Posted on Monday, March 17, 2008 - 10:16 am: |
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Wow, I should have talked to BEth before I did my barn lol! Sounds very nice! I have 12x24 foaling stall and that size has worked out pretty good for me. I also have a night vision foaling cam and that has saved alot of cold walks out to the barn. I would think that the smallest you should really go on a foaling stall with a full size horse would be 12x16, anything less would be very cramped! |
Beth Valen
Nursing Foal
Username: Divaranch
Post Number: 20
Registered: 02-2008
| | Posted on Monday, March 17, 2008 - 10:37 am: |
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LOL Gina! This is not the first barn I built or worked out of, so I have "lived and learned" over the years. I have very little acreage, and only 3 stalls-- but everyone comments on how well laid out it is, and that I have everything I need. I really don't, since I don't have a roundpen, and I still have one area that holds water after heavy rains-- so I'm doing a buried drain pipe and will have to bring in fill sand. But, for the most part, I'm very functional and safe, which is the most important to me. |
Emily West, Gracie Due 04/11/08
Breeding Stock
Username: Paintlover
Post Number: 420
Registered: 06-2006
| | Posted on Monday, March 17, 2008 - 09:29 pm: |
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Thanks for your imput, guys. I'll be sure to make a list of all the suggestions. |
Catherine Owen
Yearling
Username: Cateowen
Post Number: 77
Registered: 12-2007
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 18, 2008 - 09:30 am: |
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In my opinion, there is nothing that beats a good ole pole barn --- built STRONG! Pole barns are excellent at absorbing shocks and almost totally resistant to racking and other problems that you can encounter with platform framing methods.
We are currently building a new show barn that is 34' x 72'; the regular stalls are 12'x12' then there is a 10' wide aisleway. I have a metal partitions between the stalls so that you can open them up to 12'x24' or even 12'x36' or longer if you needed to, i.e., for hunter/jumpers (i.e. big horses); lay-ups, etc.
I have a seperate tack room from the feed room as I find mice, etc. are attracted to the feed and I don't want them in my tack room. We put D-Con out in the tack room but since the barn kitty goes back and forth out of the feed room, can't put it out there, he is an absolutely worthless mouser (could have something to do with the bag of cat food he goes thru every week
The frame of this structure is 6"x6"s on a 2' footing then buried in an additional 2' of concrete. (This thing isn't going anywhere!) The 6"x6" are spaced 6' apart on center.
A horse can snap a 4"x4" and I've seen it done where someone tied their horse to a pole in the barn and the horse set back, snapped the 4"x4" and part of the barn came down!
Just keep in mind that you can't build horse facilities TOO strong. If you think it may be enough go one step up (i.e., with your lumber sizes, etc.)
Ventilation is a huge issue in barns as well. I have roll-up doors on both ends that can be open or shut depending on weather conditions, also 4 cupolas at the top of the barn for ventilation.
I have a concrete aisle, tack room, feed room, and wash rack floors. It costs a bit but is a really great investment in the long run for controlling dust, mud, etc.
Mats in stalls can also be a big investment at the outset but in the long run can save you have to re-floor stall floors, bedding costs, etc.
There are a couple of really good books that I recommend:
Barns, Sheds & Outbuildings: Complete How-To Information Design Concepts for Ten Buildings by John D. Wagner and Clayton DeKorne
Complete Plans for Building Horse Barns Big and Small(3rd Edition) by Nancy W. Ambrosiano and Mary F. Harcourt |
Emily West, Gracie Due 04/11/08
Breeding Stock
Username: Paintlover
Post Number: 422
Registered: 06-2006
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 18, 2008 - 02:42 pm: |
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Thanks, Catherine. |
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