Horses need to be kept in well-built barns to ensure their safety. Just as much as we value the materials for constructing barns, it is equally important to consider the basics first. Identify the necessary considerations before you start with your project.

Accessible site

According to experts, choosing a strategic barn site will prove to be a wise move in the long run. The ideal barn site has to be accessible and well-drained – simply because you would not want to go through the hassles of cleaning after their manure.

Planning the area

If you have carefully thought of the layout that you want, you can save much time in cleaning and feeding them. As much as possible, picture out the possible mess that are likely to create and strategically plan on how you can handle that. Experts suggest that if you have a four-stall center-aisle barn, it would be better if you have them clustered so the mess won't occupy much of the area.

Size matters

Narrow aisles must be avoided because it keeps you from moving equipment and the horses simply would not find it comfortable. Ideally, the aisle must be at least 14 feet wide to allow enough movement and sufficient amount of light from the doorways. Contrary to what most people think, a 14-foot aisle is cheaper than a 12-foot aisle because it is easier to install. 

Horses are like small children—you should be constantly taking care of them and protecting them from things that are harmful to them. To help you protect your beloved stallion or mare from danger, take note of some hazards in your barn that should be eliminated to ensure that your horse is safe.

Skimpy Allowances

It is highly recommended that aisles and doorways in barns should be at least eight feet wide in order to prevent bumping and crowding amongst horses. Also, the ceilings should be high enough—ideally nine feet or more above the floor—so that horses will not bump their heads. In turn, stalls should measure to at least 12 square feet. It is also important to ensure that the dividers, which separate the horses, are strong.

Clutter and Garbage

The barn should be clear of clutter and garbage that can be hazardous to you and your horses. It is especially important to free the aisles, doorways, and pathways from tripping hazards. These include cans, wheelbarrows, shovels, chairs, and brooms.

Unsafe Footing

Your barn's floor should be able to give a certain kind of friction, especially if your horses are wearing shoes. Replace or repair your barn's flooring with textured concrete to ensure that your horses will not slip.

Whether you plan to keep a horse as a pet, a work steed, or a racehorse, it's important to have a nice customized barn built especially for the needs of the animal. While it may be constructed in varying sizes and designs, your barn’s elements have predetermined standards.

Your barn should not only be large enough to offer each horse ample room, but it should have individual stalls with a gate as well so as to contain them and keep them from fighting each other. Feed should be locked away in a separate area, out of reach of your steeds, since overfeeding could make them ill or even kill them.

A running water supply is essential for your barn, even if it’s just through a simple water hose mechanism. The place should also have an ample source of natural or artificial lighting. If power outages are common in your area, your barn should have an emergency lamp or, at least, a battery-powered alternative.

The typical fixtures, equipment, and implements that you should have handy in your horse barn include separate buckets for water and feed, ventilation fans, ties for securing your steeds, as well as pitchforks and wheelbarrows for cleaning. Remember to set up insect traps as well to keep the population at bay, since your barn will definitely turn out to be a favorite hangout of many types of bugs and other pests.

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Few animals can match the vigor and majesty of horses. As domesticated creatures, horses make great companions, although the main draw for owning a horse is to ride it. These steeds are often depicted running across an open plain, free as the wind.

As romantic as it is to let horses gallop around as much as they want, they'll need shelter from inclement weather. Owners will also need to keep a close watch on their equines, and installing a permanent residence for them is the best way to go. Hence, stables were made to house horses comfortably, with accommodations specific to the animal.

Unlike regular barn shelters for other animals, the stables are uniquely for horses only due to the box stalls that line the insides. Box stalls are designed to contain horses, and they're specifically narrow to prevent horses from rolling on the ground. Such a feature is useful to equine owners who participate in horse shows, as they wouldn't want their steeds to get hay stuck in their coats. For foaling mares, there's usually one large box stall that will allow just enough room for the horse to lie down and give birth. Chickens get the coop, and pigs have a pen, so it would make sense that horses need stables of their own.