subject: Designing Horse Barns from Pole Barns [print this page] Designing Horse Barns from Pole Barns Designing Horse Barns from Pole Barns
As the start of many horse barns, pole building kits consist of high-quality lumber, metal roofing and siding, and code-compliant trusses. A high-quality pole building kit also includes installation supplies and blueprints. The construction of a horse barn does not end once a pole building is up, however. As you plan out the location and features for your horse barn, keep the following points in mind.
Before you set up a horse barn, choose a well-drained area that is accessible to utilities and roads. The direction of the wind also needs to be taken into consideration. While wind cools horse barns, the central aisle, once all stalls are installed, should not become a wind tunnel.
After you find the right spot for a horse barn on your property, install the pole building kit. The wood and metal shelter now serves as the outside of your horse barn, but additions need to be made to the interior. Before you begin any interior construction, start creating a layout that includes stalls, a tack room, and a feed room.
As you create a layout, make sure all stalls are in one location this makes cleaning easier and that each is at least 12 feet by 12 feet. Ideally, a stall should be 14 feet by 14 feet and 10 feet high. Separate tack and feed rooms and a 14 foot-wide aisle must also be included in your plans.
Horse barns also need light and ventilation, and to save on utility bills, both should be natural. Plan to give your pole building high vent-style windows on the outside. Windows close to the top of the barn remove warm, stale air. For interior air circulation, add a roof exhaust fan or vents on top. Light, similarly, should come through the windows, and the natural light should be enough for you to work inside. For better viewing, however, each stall may need its own light.
Flooring is the last factor you need to consider for your horse barn. Wood, dirt, concrete, and asphalt are all options, and each has advantages and disadvantages. Dirt and wood are the easiest on a horse's legs, but the animal may end up digging holes and both are difficult to clean. Concrete, although harder on the animal's legs, is easier to clean and prevents horses from digging holes. Asphalt is easier on a horse's legs and has the same qualities as concrete.
