Living with Your Horses

The case for building a horse barn with living quarters.

If living with your horses brings to mind Mary, Joseph and a manger, it’s time to stretch your imagination. Today, a horse barn with living quarters can be a comfortable and economical solution for housing horses and their humans.

Building is Best
Begin by considering your three options. Find an existing property for sale (scarce in most places), convert an existing barn (face strict residential building codes and cost overruns) or build your own structure, often the most economical choice. Here’s the case for pursuing the latter, from Todd Fisher, a Lester Buildings dealer based in Iowa.

“Building a new structure offers the most customization. Not only is every horse owner different, but horse breeds can have different needs, too.” Todd and his employer, K-Van Construction Company, have built several combo buildings, including those with stables, arenas and living quarters.

Getting a structure that suits your lifestyle is essential, adds Bob Johnson, an experienced Lester dealer in Illinois, who operates Bob Johnson Construction. “In 2011, we built a customized barn with living quarters for a veterinarian who wanted to keep a watchful eye on foaling mares via a huge picture window in the living room.” Recently, Bob has been fulfilling a more common request:  horse barns with an 800-1,000 sq. ft. apartment for housing a hired hand.

An Insider’s Advice on Design
Todd and Bob offer this advice to people on the fence about building:

Don’t skimp on design/build –  A professional, collaborative design process will ensure you stay in your budget; a correctly built structure will reduce maintenance costs down the road. In other words, don’t skimp when choosing a design-build company.

Build out, rather than up – Todd advocates building longer and wider to avoid stairs in the living quarters, especially if you plan on living the horse lifestyle into your golden years.

Never compromise ventilation – Avoid building a second story on top of horse stalls. Roof ridge vents over stalls are essential for moving air, odor, dust and dirt up and outside. If you live in a part of the country where it’s customary to have hay storage over the stalls, make sure you have proper roof heights and venting. Also, carefully consider placement of windows, doors and other ventilation options.

Fire prevention – In most cases – and if feasible -- play it safe by housing feed, hay, bedding and power equipment in a separate building not attached to the main structure. Also incorporate fire walls between the barn and living quarters. These design elements will likely reduce your insurance premiums.

Distinct spaces – No matter how much you love your horses (and vice versa), maintain distinct separation between horse and human living spaces. This is especially true if you have a riding arena (more dust, dirt, noise, etc.).

Know your local codes -- Local building codes, zoning laws and permit requirements vary by county. Working closely with your Lester dealer upfront can go a long way to prevent unwanted costs and delays down the road.

To see a complete library of horse barns with living quarters in your area, visit lesterbuildings.com.

Considering a New Horse Barn? Chew on This.

Building a new horse barn is an exciting opportunity to get the type of stable you want and the type of shelter your horses need and deserve. But like any new construction, it’s no small task. It requires forethought, decision making and financial planning. It begins with choosing an experienced builder who listens well and can guide you through the process of customization.

Al Miller and Ivan Hovden, both with Lester Buildings, have extensive experience building horse barns of all sizes (from just a few stalls to enormous riding arenas with full amenities) in Illinois. Ranking the biggest considerations is tough. “Horse people are A to Z. They really vary in what they want,” says Al. Regardless, both men agree on those issues that top the list.

Proper ventilation is the leader. “One of the biggest mistakes I see is putting ‘people comfort’ above horse comfort. Getting ventilation right is critical for keeping horses healthy,” Ivan adds. Lester dealers work with owners to discuss ventilation options, as well as other factors that can reduce moisture build-up, such as roof style, pitch and porches.

Barn size and configuration – also in relation to horse health, safety and comfort – are other list leaders. Ivan adds, “Every customer wants something a little different. Lester dealers sit down with each owner, using real-time computer design to customize the layout and track cost.” Those discussions will include reviewing framing and rafter systems, and the number, size and design/style of stalls, alleyways and gates. Lester prides itself on creating intuitive designs that combine the practical, aesthetic and emotional nuances of the equestrian lifestyle.

Al has been a horse owner for a dozen years and his father was a vet. Al insists that stall design is a particular science. “An experienced builder will ask what type of horses a customer has or plans on having, if stalls should accommodate foaling, if horse contact between stalls is desired, and if horses have any behaviors that might be a concern, like cribbing or escaping.” Lester offers its own line of safety-tested specialty stalls, stall doors, dutch doors and sliding doors.

Al also stresses the importance of a builder who has flexibility in column layout, to maximize space without compromising durability, and a builder who is conscious of keeping the building site clean and tidy. “There shouldn’t be any nails or fasteners left behind that could cause injury down the road. You want a crew who’s very careful.”

Of course, there will be many secondary, but equally important, decisions:  feed storage, watering systems, lighting, monitoring systems (cameras), etc. Lester dealers will also help owners decide on interior and exterior aesthetic details (Lester has endless options) that pull the design together and leave an owner feeling proud.

To learn more about Lester Buildings and see a library of equestrian buildings in your area, visit lesterbuildings.com.