Updating Your Barn Working with What You’ve Got Sometimes building a new barn isn’t an option. Perhaps you purchased property with an existing barn and while the structure is sound and in good repair on the outside, the inside could use some help. Take a cue from popular HGTV design shows and renovate. One of the most common problems with older barns is that they may come with 10’x10’ stalls. Many were built before the influx of Warmbloods and drafts and most of the horses were between 15hh-15.2hh. Today, most horse owners want at least a 12’x12’ stall. There are a couple of ways to handle making stalls bigger- or at least feel bigger.
over. Take down all the 1. Start inside stall fronts and partitions
and reconfigure for the correct dimensions you want, whether 12’ x 12’ or even 12’ x 14’. You will end up losing a couple of stalls, but all the new stalls will be bigger. Take down the parti2. Combine. tion between every two stalls.
This turns a 10’x10’ stall into a 10’ x 20’ stall – plenty of room for horses to move around, though not in a perfect square. Again, you’ll lose the number of stalls and each stall with have two doors – you may want to permanently close one on each stall to avoid confusion about leaving doors open. This is also a great way to turn any stall into a foaling stall with room for both the mare and foal. 34
outside “the box.”Rather 3. Think than reconfiguring the stalls,
add paddocks to each stall – the larger the better. Even adding a 10’ x 10’ paddock can make any stall bigger with more room and more light. However, if possible, make the paddock as long as possible – while it may only be 10’ wide, make it 30’ or longer to give your horse plenty of room to walk around and socialize with his neighbors. Given a choice, most horses want to be outside, even in what we think is cold and wet weather, and will usually only come in at feeding time or at night. Adding a 10’ x 12’ overhang just outside the stall will give your horse extra protection from the elements when outside. www.EliteEquestrianMagazine.com
4.
Create an illusion. There are other ways to make a small stall at least feel bigger. Use stall fronts and partitions that let in light and air, like those made of mesh. European style stall fronts with low arc or yoke fronts allow horses to hang their head and give them more freedom and less boredom. Consider using stall partitions that are wood fill on the bottom, but have a metal grill in the upper section. When you want to keep your horse in from his paddock, consider using Dutch-door style paddock doors so he can still see outside. If paddock doors aren’t an option, adding a window can help.
