Jackie Clay - Building or Renovating a Small Barn for Your Horse

by Jackie Clay

When it comes to providing adequate shelter for domestic animals, horses are among the easiest youll deal with. Contrary to what you might think, horses are sturdy, adaptable creatures, and their housing requirements are very basic: shade, ventilation, protection from the elements, and comfortable, dry footing. Now, this may sound simple, and it can be, but remember that horses are also large, strong, active, and playful. Ive seen a horse happily and safely housed in a three-sided shed that cost less than $200 to buildand Ive seen horses sick with respiratory diseases, thrush, navicular disease, lameness, and severe injuries, all of which occurred in shelters that were very expensive and looked picture perfect.

Building a horse barn is quite a projectand there is a vast and varied array of plans and books available to help you. But renovating a shelter to make it fit for just one or two horses, or building a sturdy three-sided shelter, can be quite simple, even if you have only basic carpentry skills. And thats what Ill talk about here.

The fundamentals of proper construction for horse housing are:

Stay on high ground. Make sure that the shelter is located on a slight rise or hill, which will ensure adequate drainage away from the structure. Horses need dry footing; otherwise, such foot diseases as thrush and grease heel will result. You wouldnt want to stand in constant mud during a rainy spell, right? Well, neither does your horse.

Overbuild rather than underbuild. A lot of horses are injured kicking through light plywood or sheet-metal walls while playing, knocking 2 4s loose, tearing their hides on exposed nails, andbelieve it or notpushing apart walls while scratching their tails. Unlike the case of a garden shed or even a garage, 2 4s arent adequate for horse housing. Youll need to use 4 4s or 2 6s or greater. Ive found that using rough-cut sawmill lumber adds a greater dimension of strength and safetyand costs a lot less.

Build a sturdy understructure. The timber-frame and pole-barn types of construction are the sturdiest, and thus the best choices for horse barns. If the structure youre renovating uses conventional framing with 2 4 posts, youll need to add extra structural support to make the building strong enough to survive years of use by playful, rambunctious horses.

Use heavy-duty hardwarehinges, latches, and so on. Even if youre working with a tight budget, this is no place to scrimp. Its better to employ a set of used, auction-bought hinges than a cheap new store-bought set! Always think heavy, strong, and safe when youre planning, buying material, and building. Its much cheaper to build a safe, long-lasting building or stall than it is to construct a low-priced structure that requires constant repair and remodeling due to horse damage. And it wont take 10 minutes longer to build!

Often the best and most obvious choice for horse housing is simply to modify an existing structure. Unused older cow barns, chicken coops, wooden sheds, and garages can often easily and economically be remodeled to suit a horse. And you dont have to be a professional contractor to build good, solid housing for your horse. Remember, horses can live well in structures as simple as lean-tos and three-sided run-in sheds.

Almost any small structure thats still in good condition can be transformed into a shelter for your horse.

Whats a Run-in Shed?

A run-in shed is a three-sided shelter that allows horses to come and go as they please, taking advantage of the sheds shade in the heat of the day and the suns warmth during cold winters. The three sides offer shelter from the wind, no matter which direction its blowing from; the sloping roof protects against rain, sleet, and snow.

A three-sided run-in shelter

If youre considering modifying an existing structure, here are a few things to keep in mind:

Is the structure in the right place? Is the building set on an elevation so that water will drain away from it? Is it near or in the pasture you intend to use? Does it open to the south? I like a barn to run eastwest, facing north, with paddock or pasture access on its southern side. This gives the horses additional protection from sharp, cruel north winds as well as a sunny spot to relax in the afternoon.

Is there enough headroom for the horse? A building with less than 7 feet (2.1 m) of headroom is not a good choice for horse housing. (When calculating headroom, measure the distance from floor to the rafters or support beams that tie the walls together.) Most horses will at some time or another get playful and throw up their heads. You wouldnt want an animal to get injured by hitting rafters or beams.

Is the structure strong enough? Usually an old cow barn is well built, with strong, durable timbers and heavy construction. But the smaller buildings you might be considering, such as chicken coops and small sheds, are often built with 2 4s, which arent strong enough to house a horse without extra beefing up.

Is the structure big enough? You should provide an ample stallabout 10 12 (3 m 3.7 m)for your horse. Anything larger allows for more exercise inside but takes longer to clean and bedbesides being more costly to keep in bedding. If two horses share the same paddock or pasture, remember that horses buddy. Often both will occupy a single stall, even when you provide two separate ones, so the stall should be large enough to accommodate a pair (about 10 14, or 3 4.3 m). Housing for ponies can, of course, be proportionately smaller.

Is the structure safe? Dont, for example, use a corner of a tractor shed or garage for horse housing. Many more fires occur in structures used for equipment and vehicles than occur in livestock shelters. Gasoline and other combustible materials are never a safe mix with horses. Ive seen garages burn from a ruptured fuel line dripping gas onto a hot manifold, a backfiring carburetor, and a welder sending sparks into flammable material. For the safety of your animals and your own peace of mind, you dont want to house your horses where youll have that sort of activity occurring.