OK... we are going to be purchasing our property very soon! YAY!

One of the first projects will be building our barn. We plan on building a barn with several stalls (in hopes of more horses in years to come) Any recommendations on stall size and general size of barn? Any "must-haves" as far as tackle area, office, etc?

We are going to put this out to bid, but want to have a good idea what we want when it is time to draw up the plans.

Thank you!!!

The larger the stalls the better, also if you can include runs with each stall that would be a plus. Mmm, you need plently of ventalation, hot and cold water, if you do automatic watering systems, maybe sure you have something to where the pipe wont freeze during winter. I'll add more if I think of more!

I love open air barns, mostly cause it is hot here in the summer. 16x16ft stalls minimum. I perfer 20-25 gallon water buckets. That way I know how much they are drinking. I perfer sand stalls less maintenance, good drainage, and great for horses who have feet problems. Water hot and cold, electric, nice take area with a little fridge (for medications or drinks or carrots and apples) .

It's fun building a barn.

Oohhhh... these are fantastic ideas! Keep 'em coming!

It gets really hot here in the summer, too. So, when you say "open-air barn", could you elaborate? Meaning, very open and not many walls that reach the ceiling? Should we have a high pitched roof so (hopefully) the hot air rises and escapes?

Also, I never thought about sand stalls. So, you scoop them out just like you would other stalls and then just replace the sand? How much sand do you end up needing.. say... for a month? Is it more costly than using straw bedding?

Open air could be as simple as a pipe stall mare motel. Our Barn that we are currently designing and building is 44x48 feet (covered area). We have 6 16x16 stalls with a 12 foot breeze way. Two of the stalls we will enclose and make a tack and hay/feed storage. The solid portion of the stall walls are about 4-5 ft high then it will be open to the roof line. For the west side stalls mostly we will put up shade screens to block hot afternoon sun (110-120 degrees) but allow air flow.

As far as the sand each stall will have about 8 inches of sand. The great thing is when you pick up the poop the sand falls back to the ground and the urine such soaks down through. Shavings there is a lot of waste and they tend to spread to the outside edges of the stall and your horse is back down on hard ground. You are also constantly replacing and striping stalls. Straw just attracts tooo many flies and is a pain in the hinny to clean. Your initial cost of the sand may be a little more but you should only have to add sand maybe once a year a most, if that even. We have one horse that drinks and urinates a lot and we have to clean his pea spot out real good about once a year and add more sand. The sand we get is called "reject sand" it is not super fine but a little coarse. Kind of like the stuff they use in playgrounds. It was pretty cheap here, we buy it directly from the gravel yard.

Also, you can wet it down in the hot summer and being in the shade it provides a nice cool place for the horses to stand and lay, especially if you have a fan on, mine love that. It is great also for older horses who lay down alot, horses with navicular or laminitis issues. The sand moves to where the horse needs the most support.

Some people worry about sand colic, but here in AZ being desert we feed Psyillium every day since there is not a lot of grass pastures and most horses are out on dry lots. So if you are a little worried just feed Psyillium. I have never had a problem with ours.

Hope this helps.

You can also consider stall mats for those really messy horses and also misters in the barn asile for the hot summer!

Okay since we are spending others people money, why not put tv's also and run re-runs of Mr. Ed and Black Beauty?

Serious though I got a question. How spoiled would you make your horse if you had the funds?

I could build a mansion for my mare but that doesn't mean she'd let me spoil her. She's as independant as they come and except for bug season she stays outside. We get some pretty bitter cold times in winter and she prefers to work her way around a hill to stay out of the wind rather then come into her free stall area in a cozy warm barn. The only time she comes in is to hang out with me when I'm cleaning or if the bugs are bad. When the bugs are bad she stays in from sun up til sun down. Skeeters are OK but the horse flies, deer flies, and lake flies she can't handle. She likes peace and quiet and likes her time alone. If I want to spoil her, as with any female, food talks! I make her home made cookies! That or the occasional paper thin flake of alfalfa with her grass hay. I know in her mind that is being spoiled.

I love you all wanting to spend my money!!! (well, *our* money... my husband might take up issue with that) I like the sand idea. I always thought that hay seemed SO very messy, indeed. I never heard of putting sand into stalls, but it certainly makes sense. I have taken notes on everything that was suggested.

This might sound odd, but... do you all leave on lights at night? Also, do you have a way lock up your barn? My husband talked about it, but I said I wouldn't want it locked, in case of emergency. If he wants to put the tack and such behind a locked door, fine. But, he won't lock the barn.

I would not lock the barn either, you just never know. A tack room located in the barn with a lock is a good idea. If you are worried about theft of your horses, maybe a dog to stay in the barn area? Also, do shut off the lights when you leave or at least have them on a timmer. Horses need to sleep too! One thing I do not like about sand, is that it makes the horse sooooooooo dusty and sand dust does not come off very well with a brush! I know form expierence!

Thanks for the input! Would a light outside the barn (near the barn door) disturb the horses? I guess since I leave a light on during the night on my front porch, I just feel the need to have a light on somewhere outside the barn. That is a good idea about the dog. I hadn't planned on having a dog sleep out there (we like our dogs inside) But, that is a good idea.

Thanks for the input on the sand. I hadn't thought about the dust!

I think a light outside the barn should be fine. As far a dogs, I know how you feel, I like my dogs inside too, but they perfer outdoors! He will be just fine going in and sleeping in the barn if he chooses, or get one with lots of hair!