Stable Management - Part I                                  October/06   Stable management is among the important activities of a good horseman, and the buildings and facilities, and their arrangement, very much affect this activity.  Carefully planned. Well-designed facilities make horse care easier and add to personal satisfaction and riding enjoyment.   In planning or acquiring a facility for horses, the essentials are knowing what is needed,  how to get it, and keeping within the budget.   Two of the foremost considerations in planning a facility for horses are health and safety – not only of the animals, but also of the people who either come in contact with the animals and facilities or who live nearby.  Other important considerations include sound construction, labor-saving conveniences, a building style in harmony with the surroundings, and a planning procedure that lists needs and wants in order of importance and that places necessities above mere desires.   The same kind of sound basic planning is required when selecting and equipping a barn to stable only one or two animals as for a larger number.  Many styles and sizes of barns and other facilities are used to house and care for horses and to provide space for associated activities.   Whether you plan to build new, or to use an existing facility, go through the planning procedures for your entire layout.  These include general management and financial decisions, site selection, site development, and building selection.  Provide room for expansion and allow for specific details, such as water supply, manure disposal, feed storage, exercise space, loading and unloading access, and legal or other restrictions that may apply.   The size of your spread will substantially affect needs and costs and will modify the importance of different aspects suggested for planning consideration.  But, with future expansion as a possibility, it’s well to keep in mind all aspects, even though your immediate plans may be limited.   SITE SELECTION   The building site should be well drained, accessible, and have a slope of about 5’/100’away from the building in all directions to assure good surface drainage.  Consider the grading and filling that will be needed for a well-drained site;  plan on using only clean soil, sand, gravel, or crushed rock for fill.   Topography of the site, particularly, affects the cost of site development, and site preparation should be completed before building construction is started.  A nearly level site usually involves the least cost.  Sites on steep slopes or rocky terrain, or sites requiring considerable fill, are costly to develop and may make compromises necessary.   Among factors influencing selection of a building site are: Size of operation—In addition to room for the planned buildings, the site should provide space for other planned facilities and areas.  It should also provide for future building and paddock expansion, and for good traffic patterns for safe and convenient handling of animals, vehicles, equipment, materials, and snow removal. Restrictions—The zoning regulations, building codes, sanitary regulations, deed restrictions, easements, and covenants may affect or limit the development and use of property at a specific location. Topography—Surface characteristics of the land(such as direction and steepness of slope, gulleys, ravines, streams, swamps, knolls, hills, and rocks) affect site selection, development, convenience, and use.  Boulders and rock outcrops or formations near the surface indicate that costly rock excavation may be required to develop the site and to install foundations and water and drainage lines.      Avoid sites that have serious drainage problems(such as steep slopes that    concentrate surface runoff in the building area and wet areas caused by critical ground-water conditions) unless the problems can be completely eliminated.  Avoid sites near streams that flood, and stay well above the highest flooding. ·        Water supply—An adequate all-year water supply of the quality needed must be available at the site, either from a public water system or from convenient ground-water and surface water developments. ·        Nuisances—Distracting noise, offensive odors, and heavy traffic may affect site selection.  Consider existing nuisances that may affect you and your use and enjoyment of the site and also ones that you may create that might affect neighbors. ·        Windbreaks—The natural protection from the elements provided by wooded areas, knolls, hills, and ravines is a consideration in site selection. ·        Existing buildings—Existing buildings may be a determining factor in site selection, but only if their size, location, physical condition, and inside arrangement fit into the over-all plan for housing facilities. ·        Services—The availability of electric service is essential. ·        Economy and aesthetics—Appearance, personal taste, pride of ownership, and available funds may affect decisions in site selection. ·        Building layout—Chances are that building lay-out will be a deciding factor in selecting the site, but the site chosen may affect both building layout and building style.     Next – Part 2 - HOUSING