Horse Barn Tips

Everyone strives to build the perfect barn, though everyone has a different idea of what that is. Amenities can vary depending on your needs, but barns should always be well-lit and well-ventilated, have good flooring and have plenty of storage that makes life easier for everyone working there. Above all, a barn should be safe and up to code because of the possibilities of horses and people getting hurt, as well as fire risks.

  1. Lighting and Ventilation

    • No matter your climate, installing windows or vents into the eaves and ridgeline of the barn can help maximize ventilation and lighting. Consider four doors, with one at either end of the barn and two at the center. Every horse's stall should have a window. A back door is preferable, in case the aisle door is blocked for any reason, such as emergencies or when vehicles are in the aisleway.

      No matter how much natural lighting you utilize, install lights in every horse's stall to make working at night easier. Any lights installed in the stalls or aisles should be at least 10 feet high, and bare bulbs should be protected with a cage. Long fluorescent lights that are flush to the ceiling work best in horse stalls. Install switches and outlets at each horse's stall for independent operation, and make sure all electrical wires are enclosed in metal or hard plastic tubing so horses and rodents can't chew on them. Painting the interior of your barn a light color, such as pale yellow or gray, can help it seem lighter if you can't use that much natural or artificial lighting.

    Flooring

    • No matter what flooring you choose, it should be non-skid, easy to clean and give a little under the horses' hooves to make walking easier. It also should not be something that will hold in the smell of ammonia from horses' urine. If you choose concrete, cover it with rubber mats or pavers--bare concrete can be very slippery when wet. Avoid concrete in the horses' stalls; even with mats, concrete-floored stalls need a lot of bedding to cushion the horses' legs.

      Also consider installing a drain with a cover in the center of the aisle to collect any water that runs over or is dumped into the aisle. A drain is a necessity in a wash stall. Any drain should be easy to clean and de-clog.

    Storage

    • With a large barn, keep all supplies and feed in the center of the barn to minimize walking. Store only a day's worth of hay; hay stored long-term in the barn (even in loft) is a fire hazard and will raise your insurance rates. Recesses in the walls for storing fire extinguishers, muck buckets and grooming implements can reduce aisle clutter and ascertain a place for everything. Don't forget a place for the manure pile: A suitable spot is downwind from the barn and easy to dump into. You may need two: a short-term one near the barn for daily mucking and a long-term pile further away for composting if you don't plan to have your pile hauled off.