Barn

A well-built horse barn is a pleasure for both owner and occupants. Typically, a horse barn consists of an appropriate number of stalls, a tack room, a feed storage room, and a work area or center aisle. The barn should offer sufficient ventilation and lighting; secure, non-slippery flooring and good drainage.

Drainage: A barn should be situated on relatively high ground, so it won't become inundated with water after every storm or snowmelt. When constructing a new barn, the site can be built up so it provides adequate drainage.

Flooring: Dirt is usually considered the best barn floor. Packed dirt provides sure footing and, in most cases, adequate drainage. Floors made of concrete become slippery when wet and are poor for drainage. They are also hard on the horse's legs. Wooden floors are softer, but they are high maintenance and can also become slippery. Rubber stall mats are recommended where you want better traction or an easier-to-clean surface, or if your horse may be lying down frequently, (such as a mare about to foal).

Lighting: Well-lit barns are safe and comfortable. Ideally, a light should be placed in each stall. Lights are also useful when placed at intervals above the center aisle and above tack and feed areas. They should be at least 8 feet off the ground so the horses cannot reach and break them. Housing lights in a wire cage provides additional protection. Skylights, windows, large sliding doors, and roof panels and vents can be excellent sources of natural light. Because they reflect light rather than absorbing it, light-colored walls and ceilings also help barn owners take advantage of available light.

Stalls: Ideally, each stall should accommodate the horse for which it is intended. Ponies are comfortable in a 10-foot-by-10-foot space, but full-sized horses generally require a stall that is 12 feet square. For foaling or nursing mares, a double stall is recommended. Stallions also benefit from a large stall.

Stall walls must be durable to withstand the kicking, rubbing, and general abuse that horses inflict upon them. Walls are commonly made of cement block, wood, or metal (but a horse can inure himself by kicking cement or by putting a hoof through metal). They should be smooth to prevent possible injury to the animal. Protruding splinters, nails, bolts, or sharp edges of any kind should be removed or covered. Experts recommend stalls at least eight feet high, with doors about four feet wide. Stall floors should be durable but relatively soft and comfortable. Among the preferred flooring materials are well-tamped dirt, clay, limestone, or a bluestone base.

If bars are used at the front or sides of the stalls, the spaces between the bars should be no wider than four inches, so the horse cannot get caught in the bars.

Ventilation: Ventilation is the movement of air through a barn. An average horse may produce 50 pounds of manure and 10 gallons of urine in a single day. Without ventilation, the barn air will become saturated with ammonia and other products that are released when waste materials decompose. These odors, as well as dust and humidity, pose respiratory threats to confined horses, but so can cold drafts. The trick is to build or adapt a barn that is well ventilated, but does not expose the horses to excessive drafts.

A window in each stall can simultaneously provide ventilation and light. Large, sliding doors at each end of a barn can do much the same. Roof vents and exhaust fans are additional ways of enhancing the exchange of air.