How to Plan Horse Barns

Planning out your horse barn is a crucial part of building it. The planning stages need to be done prior to the beginning stages of construction. A poorly planned, poorly designed horse barn facility can be an inconvenient nuisance and even dangerous, depending on the design flaws. Good planning will take potential problems into account and eliminate as many hazards as possible. Planning should be done by an experienced horse person and a contractor with horse knowledge.

Instructions

    • 1

      Decide what your facility will need. Take into consideration the number of horses you plan on keeping, the amount of acreage you will need, one acre per horse being the general standard, whether you want to keep the horses in the pastures or in the barn and if you will need facilities such as a round pen and arena.

    • 2

      Locate problem areas on or near the property. These will be busy roads, wet or muddy areas, creeks, ponds, steep drop-offs or otherwise difficult to access or use locations. Plan ways to fence or otherwise keep horses away from potential hazards.

    • 3

      Decide where to place your barn, keeping in mind it needs to be easily accessible, centrally located and in a safe location away from potential hazards.

    • 4

      Design the barn. The barn needs to have a stall (12-by-12 feet or larger) for every horse, a tack room/feed room, hay storage, equipment storage, water access, electricity, good ventilation and provide adequate protection from weather. It may also need an area to wash and tie horses outside the main areas of travel. If you plan on building an enclosed arena, you may want to have it attached to the barn directly or through a covered walkway.

    • 5

      Map out the facility in detail. You will want to sketch out placement of the barn, arena, round pen, horse walkers, fencing, paddocks and pastures. Modify design as needed until you are satisfied the property will meet your needs and provide a safe environment for your horses.