How To Take Horse Farm Design A Stride Further
By Nikki Alvin-Smith
Building and developing a horse facility is a design task like no other. Aside from the needs for horse and human habitation, there are a myriad of extras that need to be considered to ensure that the final result offers an efficient, safe and highly functional environment. And then of course, the capital outlay to achieve the necessary features needs to be addressed. And finally, how long will it take to be fully operational?
There are ways to navigate the high costs and leverage the financial outlay to maximum benefit, and throughout this article you will find a wealth of resources to help you find your best route.
Savvy style and deliberate designs can take you a long way toward keeping expenses manageable. But at the same time, you don’t want to compromise on the quality of the build, and perhaps you want to take your horse farm design a stride further to add a special heritage value to the property.
Housing Needs Come First
The least expensive way to build stabling for horses and have a residence for the human contingent is the Barndominium. Yes, there is a horse in the house! And you don’t have to compromise on style just because there is an eco-friendly single footprint to the structure.
If you have a creative home décor flair and want to design your own human residential space then opt for the latest in Barndo offerings, the Skyline. This build comes with a huge deck option and lots of glass and green view opportunity. While the Skyline Barndominium that is offered by leading modular barn company Horizon Structures provides a finished downstairs horse barn area, the upstairs is left open and awaits the creative genius of the purchaser.
Alongside the open plan option for the Skyline, you can also explore other Barndo designs that do come all set and ready to move in. These include a variety of sizes, and you can choose from the small studio Barnette, The Country Charm, a Paddock Retreat or The Farmhouse. Interior décor can encompass chic modern condo finishes or the tried and trusted rustic interior finishing in natural pine, that evokes lifestyles in mountain cabins in forest living.
Whether you prefer the modern, cool white paint finish to walls or the warmth and cozy feel of pine boards, the layouts in the human living spaces come with many alternative designs.
If your property is located in a warmer climate, then the light and bright interior might sit better in its environment. While the quintessential Vermont mountain on wide Montana Plains retreat may be better experienced within walls framed with natural wood.
Bespoke additions and creations in both siding and roofing colors and materials, deck finishes, sizes and interior finishes are always on the planning board and customization can truly make any space feel your own. Horizon Structures handily assigns a single Project Manager for each individual purchaser, which means a great follow-through on all communications and many buyers develop sincerely warm relationships with their collaborative Horizon Structures partner on their horse farm project.
Consider the use of a Barndo as a short term and temporary solution for housing needs so you can get that blank empty land working as soon as possible and be on site without living in a camper or trailer or opt for the horsey lifestyle full-on as a permanent condo arrangement living in harmony with your horses below.
Optimize your use of views from 2nd floor space over areas you a) need to supervise and see b) simply enjoy. Placement of an outdoor arena or turnout paddocks, driveway access points and entryways within view of the primary windows upstairs, makes perfect sense for keeping your hand on the reins of your horse facility operation even when you are enjoying a few hours off.
Alternatives for horse housing without human accommodation above is obviously commonplace, and if you do want to take a barn build a stride further, don’t miss the mortise and tenon timber frame hybrid structure. The art and heart in a timber frame build is something to behold.
These modular timber frames offer the best of both worlds, with a jigsaw approach of modular integrated alongside the highest aesthetic appeal of peg and beam and the sturdiest of joinery techniques. Their giant and rather beautiful elegance is the epitome of high-end traditional craftsmanship in wood.
Aside from legacy builds like timber frame, the choice for storage needs and a home for horses can be quickly foraged across a myriad of center-aisle styles, like Monitor barns and High-Profile structures, Low-Profile barns, mixed purpose barns to house both sorts of horsepower, horse and mechanical and shedrows and run-in sheds.
Rather handily, Horizon Structures sister company Stoltzfus Structures also offers garages and a range of sheds that can provide adjunct buildings for every conceivable need.
It is essential for ease of use to site the components of a horse farm such as supply areas and storage buildings for hay and bedding carefully to allow clear access and enough turning space for large equipment. The farm layout should protect the areas horses live and are handled from interference by vehicular equipment if possible.
Fencing Out
Much time mucking out, costs for bedding supplies, labor to handle horses back and forth to paddocks and pastures can all be saved with a horse-friendly barn design. And that begins with the exterior stall Dutch door that opens to a designated turnout area.
Splitting the stable and turnout area offers freedom of movement for the horse which is a beneficial mental and physical health care choice for your equids, whether horse, pony, donkey, miniature or mule.
There is going to be manure and it’s disposal is going to need managing. Horsey housework is a necessity and there are many ways to manage it successfully. Keep manure areas away from living areas, look at recycling options such as manure spreading on site and orchestrate a sensible system for its pick up from paddocks and pastures as well as horse arenas and stabling.
Use Technology
Whether you are adding security systems or managing your veterinary needs and supply schedules consider good software and hardware as helpful options to keep you on track. Accounting software can help you control the daily income/expenses – timely knowledge of where you are spending money is as important as knowing what the income graph looks like.
Busy performance and breeding barns can save a lot of errors and costly mistakes and misses by utilizing software to record and manage the breeding schedule, vaccination record-keeping, show entries and records etc.
Save money by using auto-ships that work for you but keep a good eye on what you are actually utilizing, and factor in at least a quarterly review of what supplements and feedstuffs etc. you are buying in regard to what is really working and what is not. It is easy to slip into a routine of adding bucket after bucket of supplements to supplies without keeping track of real time use and benefit.
Security is important on a horse farm, and consideration for how to light up your horse barn for best use and safety is important. Part of the security question will also be the design and location of the farm’s access points.
The Art Of The Deal
Driving home your best deal on all aspects of your horse farm development is critical no matter how big or small your budget. Here are some tips to help you achieve success in making a deal that works best for you.
