Housing - Part 2
                                November/06

Housing

The horse barn, large or small, should be well planned, durable, and attractive.  Its basic purpose is to provide an environment that protects the horses from temperature extremes, keeps them dry and out of the wind, eliminates drafts through the stables, provides fresh air in both winter and summer, and protects them from injury.

In cold uninsulated or insulated barns, fresh air usually is provided by natural air movement through wall openings and ridge ventilators.  Wall openings may be small windows, wall panels, or slots under the eves.  In tight, warm barns, insulation, fans, and spaced air inlets are necessary.  In cold climates, supplemental heat may be needed.

Provide ample space in the barn, based on established space requirements, for the well-being of the animals, the convenience and safety of the people caring for them, and the enjoyment of the rider.

Stables and other facilities have features peculiar to their functions.  These features are incorporated in two basic building shells:  open-front buildings for minimal shelter, and completely enclosed buildings for optimum shelter.  The usable space in open-front or enclosed basic shells may be confined only to the ground-floor level.  Depending on wall height and roof design, however, additional space overhead for hay, bedding, and feed storage may be provided in both open-front and enclosed buildings in a mow or partial loft.

BARN STYLES

            Barn styles are determined by the distinctive shape of the roof.  The three shapes most widely used are shed, gable, and offset gable.  The once popular gambrel, gothic, and monitor roofs, while very much in evidence on old barns, are used only occasionally on new ones.

            The trend is toward the use of one-floor structures with clear-span or post and beam supported roofs.  With one-floor structures, costly overhead storage is eliminated or held to a minimum.  The use of one floor also permits lighter, less costly, construction.  Clear-span roofs also add flexibility to buildings by making them more adaptable to other uses.

OPEN –FRONT BUILDINGS

When horses are kept outside, provide free-choice shelter.  An open-front shed will usually provide adequate protection. 

            Face the open side of the building, like the open side of any other livestock shelter, away from prevailing winds.  The desirable clearance on the open side is 10’.  Although hay and bedding storage may be in the shelter, feed hay outside the building in racks to conserve bedding.  Provide an adequate supply of fresh clean water.  This may require a heated stock waterer for winter use.  A single heated water bowl will serve 8 to 10 horses.

            When selecting a site for the shelter, consider its location in relation to headquarters buildings and traffic lanes for the convenience of handling animals and servicing the facilities.  Some artificial light is desirable.  Provide 100 watts of light per 500 q. ft. of floor area.  Install ridge devices and adjustable panels in the back wall, for summer and winter ventilation.

Shed Roof

            The shed roof is widely used on both open-front and enclosed permanent freestanding facilities, attached lean-to structures, and small movable buildings.

            The shed is a single slope roof, a basic form for all sloped roofs.  It is relatively low in cost, provides good headroom, and is simple to build and insulate.  It is adaptable to natural lighting with spaced translucent roof panels.

            Most shed roofs employ a low pitch (slope) to keep the high side of the roof as low as possible unless room for overhead storage is desired.  The minimum roof pitch (slope) is determined by the manufacturers’ recommendations for the kind of roofing selected.

BARN LAYOUTS

            Barn layouts are associated with both function and engineering design.  Barns classified by function or use are:  breeding, riding, loose houseing, hay, and utility.  Common reference features are:  barn width and length; construction materials; wall construction; roof framing; ceiling height; wall and roof bracing; anchorage of superstructure to the foundation; floor materials; stall types and sizes; and service facilities for animal care.

Barn Width

            Determine the proper barn width during the planning stages.  Match the functional requirements of the building with the attainable wants of the owner to determine the width (and length) of a structure.

Ceiling Height

            The minimum distance from the floor to the under side of floor joists in a two-story barn, or to the under side of the lower chord of trusses of rafters in a one-story barn, should be 8’ for horse only, and 12’ for the horse and rider.  Low ceilings interfere with ventilation, make the barn dark, and are a safety hazard for man and horse.

Alleys

            For convenience, safety, and animal traffic, provide 10’ of wider litter and work alleys between stalls.  This allows room for moving horses, a small truck, or a tractor pulling a wagon or a manure spreader.

            Provide at least a 6’ litter alley when it is back of a single row of stalls.  More hand labor is required to clen narrow alleys; also , moving horses through them is more difficult.