[kbrat929]

My life long dream is finally coming true! I am building my own barn. It won't be super fancy, but it will be mine.

We have ordered a 30'Wx36'Lx12'H enclosed building. To which we will have to build in stalls, etc. It will have (3) 10x12 stalls each with a framed out 4'x7' opening for access to the pasture/sacrifice lot (these will get dutch doors). 10x36 aisle, with (2) 10x10 openings.

Info about the horses:
I have 1 family packer, a coming 2 yr old, and will be housing a retired stud (18yr). So safety and secure containment is high up on the list. All stock horses, everyone minds their p's and q's and they are used to living indoors together, but still, solid doors/walls are a must.

That said, I'm here to see what the DIYers have done?
We have looked into stall kits, but the cost is outrageous. My husband is a contractor and I myself have done some renovating so the projects don't scare us.

My hang ups are:
What to use for grills, as open/low walls are not an option. We will be doing 8ft walls filled 2x6 lumber between stalls, and at least 50" in height on the front, wanting to top with about 30" of grill then finish with 2x6 for 8ft height.

We have ample access to rebar and conduit anyone have any experience with either in this purpose?

Doors:
A half/dutch door may work for horse 1 & 2. We could always hang a gate higher for the stud. In a perfect world I would build my own sliding stall doors, but again, what to use for the "window" portion?
Pros/cons to both types of doors?

Size for feed/tack room?
We have 3 different types of grain/hay pellet that we store in metal trash cans, I have several saddles, because if you're not collecting saddles do you even have horses? some training equipment, and a large tack trunk.

Any other words of wisdom?

Some photos for fun

 

[classybarrels]

My life long dream is finally coming true! I am building my own barn. It won't be super fancy, but it will be mine.

We have ordered a 30'Wx36'Lx12'H enclosed building. To which we will have to build in stalls, etc. It will have (3) 10x12 stalls each with a framed out 4'x7' opening for access to the pasture/sacrifice lot (these will get dutch doors). 10x36 aisle, with (2) 10x10 openings.

Info about the horses:
I have 1 family packer, a coming 2 yr old, and will be housing a retired stud (18yr). So safety and secure containment is high up on the list. All stock horses, everyone minds their p's and q's and they are used to living indoors together, but still, solid doors/walls are a must.

That said, I'm here to see what the DIYers have done?
We have looked into stall kits, but the cost is outrageous. My husband is a contractor and I myself have done some renovating so the projects don't scare us.

My hang ups are:
What to use for grills, as open/low walls are not an option. We will be doing 8ft walls filled 2x6 lumber between stalls, and at least 50" in height on the front, wanting to top with about 30" of grill then finish with 2x6 for 8ft height.

We have ample access to rebar and conduit anyone have any experience with either in this purpose?

Doors:
A half/dutch door may work for horse 1 & 2. We could always hang a gate higher for the stud. In a perfect world I would build my own sliding stall doors, but again, what to use for the "window" portion?
Pros/cons to both types of doors?

Size for feed/tack room?
We have 3 different types of grain/hay pellet that we store in metal trash cans, I have several saddles, because if you're not collecting saddles do you even have horses? some training equipment, and a large tack trunk.

Any other words of wisdom?

Some photos for fun

WOW!!! Im so happy for you!! I am currently working on a stall and gosh what a struggle lol:smile::gallop:

here isn one of my ideas

 

[horselovinguy]

Some ideas, some things we did in our own barn when we built it...good and bad, wish I had...
First one is if this is a metal sided barn and metal roof...insulate that roof to reduce noise from rain and dripping from condensation buildup. Today they can do blown-on and adhere to the roof itself or add rigid panels easily.
Our barn has a metal roof and no insulation nor sheathing under the roof and deafening it is when it rains hard and my horses get dripped on if they spent the night in stalls and morning sun warms the accumulated condensation moisture...drip, drip, drip on them and everything else.
My barn is a pole barn with openness not closed up side walls either.
Second you refer to feed/tack room...put a roof in it, enclose it and concrete a floor in it to keep down filth or pay for that every time you reach for anything. A fine layer of dirt, dust gets on and in everything...feed, hay stores...tack.
Stalls, use pressure treated lumber only. Horses urine and feces are caustic. Termites are attracted to untreated lumber and are in every area of the North American continent...that be you.
Barns are a huge investment...protect it.
So, my stalls are 52" high solid plank walls.
A combination of 2x6 and 2x8 to make this height used.
Our stalls are 12x12 boxes so we placed wall support every 4' in every wall for strengthening...my barn has temporarily housed a Percheron who had a kicking fit and did not move a wall nor stall wall boards...
We then have livestock panels like you find at Tractor Supply for the top stall section. Combined wood & panel stall walls are just over 8' tall.
My husband made a wood frame to support the panels so they fit tight and not move. He drilled holes where each wire end touched the frame, inserted wire in and then used a small metal bar he fabricated and screwed over the top, bottom and interval sides to double secure the panel wire from being able to be moved.
Panels allow air circulation, cooling breeze to happen but the horses can make ugly, ugly faces at each other but not touch.
My stall fronts are also made this way so my horses if restricted to their stall so they eat their meal in peace and the other horses are loose...no one touches them and steals or bullies them.
My stall doors are gates, wire filled so no hoof is getting trapped unless you have a mini.
We intentionally chose wire-filled gates again for the air circulation since we are in a hot & humid awful location. My horses can all hang their head over their gate/door and see but not touch their neighbor because we designed our barn as such.
Our doors open into the stall and flush to the wall so when pinned open they take up no room.
Plus is you have to have a very savvy horse to figure out to open and get out if inside, downside is if you are in and need out in a hurry you must get around that gate...however over the top is also easily accomplished!
Make your design so you can hang 2 buckets for water and still have space between them and where the feed tub will be if you have hung feed tub/buckets. I use large floor pan feeders myself.

If your barn is metal sided, please cover the walls at least 4' high, make a kick-wall to protect your horses from severe injury if they should kick a wall or roll and a hoof fly getting up...de-gloving a leg is a terrible injury.
Encase all electrical wire in solid conduit so no vermin of mice/squirrel chew and create a fire danger.
Plenty of outlets as extension cords are not the safest in a horse barn atmosphere.
If you plan on stall fans wire during construction for outlets/plugs high in the walls and only use enclosed motor fans to reduce fire risk from dust/dirt accumulations.
Water spigots that self drain are a must in cold climate and frost-free hydrants deeply placed so they indeed not freeze.

Some things we found doing our research and build...some I wish we had done, some I worked in barns and learned firsthand pro and con of....
Enjoy your fantastic project, and please share pictures along the way of reaching that dream.

...

 

[walkinthewalk]

Ditto HLG regarding insulating the roof to stop perspiration and reduce the sound of heavy rain. If you build an overhang, which I LOVE mine, I su,ate the roof of that too.

My barn is 24 x 40 x 13 H. My stalls are 12 x 14 and I wish they were a tad bigger but my tallest horse is 16.1H and he’s fine.

My stalls are pipe panel which means the horses can reach over at each other. When I had all four horses (RIP Duke & Streeter), they were all geldings and had all been together for many many years, thus no fighting.

You want a good sized 220 electric box in the barn. I only have three electric sockets in the barn and wish I had a couple more. I have two sockets outside on the framework of the overhang for electric water tubs in the winter. The boxes have lids to keep the weather out.

Run ALL of your electric wiring in non-chewable conduit to keep squirrels, chipmunks and other rodents from chewing it.

Install frost-free fire hydrant style water spigots. IF they aren’t properly installed below the ground they will freeze anyway, even in a temperate climate, so be sure that person truly knows what they are doing.

I bought heavy duty plastic storage cabinets from Lowe’s and installed an “L” shaped kitchen counter over top of them for my prep area. The electric box is above the counter and so is one window, so no wasted space regarding hay storage or horses. The counter top pieces were on sale half price at Lowe’s 16 years ago and they are still in pretty decent co diction.

I don’t store feed or my tack in the barn. I have not stored tack in a barn in the 60+ years I’ve had horses for two reasons: mold and thieves

I can manage to store 330 bales of hay in my barn if I have to. That means the bagged shavings used to stay outside with a canvas over them but at least I had a season’s worth of hay for four horses — who had 24 acres that wasn’t always as productive as it should be.

Hope this helps some and welcome to the forum

 

[kbrat929]

Thank you this is great info!