Charles and Linda Love built their horse barn in spring 2000 with
convenience for themselves and the safety and health of their horses in
mind.
Charles is a veterinarian specializing in equine reproduction at Texas
A&M. Linda spends a lot of time transporting their kids, Lauren and Ian,
to Quarter Horse events in several states.
Charles and Linda designed their four-stall barn and had Morton Buildings construct it of steel on their 20-acre homesite. Having worked
in great facilities for much of his career, Charles knew what he wanted
when it came time to build his own. He points out that, in many cases,
horses don't need to be kept inside.
"If you want to keep a horse in show shape, which we do, or if you don't
have pastures where you can turn them out, they need to be in stalls all
of the time," he says. "It's probably healthier for horses to stay
outside in most climates, though. Horses can tolerate a lot of cold
weather."
Here are the main things the Loves kept in mind when building:
LOCATION. They placed their barn on high ground so water flows away from
it. They also surrounded the barn with a concrete skirt 8 feet wide on
the sides and 12 feet to the front and back to keep out the mud.
VENTILATION. Much of the design is for thorough air movement, since
stale air causes respiratory ailments.
First, the barn was placed roughly north and south so big double doors
in the front and back can be opened to take advantage of prevailing
winds.
Second, a high roof with a vent along its top crown creates air
movement. An insulated roof is essential to keep steel buildings cool.
Third, stalls have Dutch doors that open to the outside. This allows air
to move out the sides of the barn when the top halves are open.
STORAGE. Three stalls lie along one wall. One more stall, a wash stall
with hot and cold running water, and the tack room are opposite them
across the center aisle. The tack room is insulated, heated and
air-conditioned to prevent mold.
The barn's center aisle is 16 feet wide and paved with concrete. It
serves as working space or a temporary storage area. Overhead is a
decked loft for hay and feed storage. The Loves even had the roof
extended to one side, making a bay for parking their horse trailer.
STALL CONVENIENCE. Each stall has its own automatic waterer. A hinged
feeder that swivels out into the center aisle can easily be cleaned or
loaded with hay.
Stalls are lined with pine planks so that horses can't damage the metal
walls. The stalls are separated from each other and from the aisle by
walls made of 2- x 8-inch wood planks and steel bars. This allows proper
air movement.
Stall floors are made of a combination of clay and gravel for firmness
and drainage. They are covered with rubber mats that are easy on the
horses' feet. Sawdust covers the top of the mats to trap urine. The
sawdust is replaced daily.
PEN LOCATION. Turn-out paddocks were built away from the barn so horses
wouldn't have outside contact with the building. This keeps the
structure looking nicer for a long time and minimizes mud inside.
Concrete walkways join pens and barn.
BIRDS. The underside of the roof, even the front overhang, was finished
out to keep birds from nesting in roof supports. No barn is birdproof,
but this keeps the place cleaner and healthier for humans and horses.
The Love family took such care in building their barn the first time. If
given the chance, they say, there is little they would do differently.
"I'd probably make it bigger if we were doing it over," says Charles,
but Linda sees the day when Lauren graduates from high school and may be
less interested in horses.
"We're happy with the barn the way it is," she says. "I don't want to
add on to my barn. I want to add on to my house!"
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| An outside door to individual stalls provides convenience for both horse
and owner. |
An extra-wide central
hallway for working horses, below, has a bath stall to one side and
storage above. |
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