Everybody has their ideal barn and even their dream barn, however, for those of us who have to go with what we can get, here are a few good characteristics that the basic barn should have.  These are just the basics of a good and useful barn.

Lighting

There really is nothing worse than trying to feed horses in the dark, especially if you don't know what is lurking in your feed can!  There are also many horses who will refuse to walk into a dark stall or barn.  Good lighting for feeding, duties on dark winter days and moving around horses at night is ideal.  Lights over individual stalls and in tack rooms are also handy.  Ensure that your switches are weather proof as well as any plug-ins you install.  It is also handy if the switch glows when turned off so they are easy to find when you're fumbling through the dark.

Ventilation

There have been many foals become very ill because they did not have proper ventilation in their stall.  This is especially important if you stall a bunch of horses during the night or winter and if they are fed high protein diets.  Horses that have excess nitrogen will urinate more frequently.  This is not hard on their kidneys (contrary to popular belief), but because of the excess urination there is also excess ammonia.  This ammonia tends to hover right around the heads of short little foals and many of them become ill if there is not proper ventilation in the barn.

Also, barns that do not have proper ventilation also tend to have horses that get sick more frequently.  In barns that are completely closed off during the winter and especially those that are heated, horses that are coughing and sneezing will spread germs more quickly than if the barn was ventilated and a little chilly. 

Ceiling vents are essential in large barns.  They should be free of bird's nests and not allow any rain to enter.  A celing fan may also aid in movement of the air.  Horses that are kept in colder barns tend to be more disease resistant, hardier and better fitted for hard work.  Those that are kept in warm barns with heaters will tend to catch more disease.  They will also not grow warm winter coats to protect them when they must go outside in the winter.  It is better to blanket a horse and allow him to be in a chilly barn rather than a warm barn.

Insulation

Stables and barns should be damp proof.  The walls should be insulated so that they provide a cool shelter in the summer and a warm on in the cold. 

Flooring

All flooring should be non-slip, long lasting and waterproof.  Barns in damp environments will benefit from having a drains in the floors.  Clay floors are firm, warm and natural. Concrete floors may be okay for barn aisles, but should not be used in stalls.  If they are, you will need to provide extra bedding and possibly even stall mats.  Concrete should also be roughened to prevent slipping.  Floors should also drop slightly from front to back to allow for drainage.  Many people get along well with dirt floors and they may only need to fill in holes on occassion.  The same is true with clay flooring.

These are just a few important characteristics that every barn should have.  Every barn is different, but if you have the opportunity to build your own barn or renovate and existing barn these characteristics are important.