According to Nikki Alvin Smith, "Here are the top five things you never hear a horse person say!"
My barn is too big
While as a busy barn owner the thought of mucking out 40 plus stalls might be daunting, especially when the help doesn’t show up, the prospect of all those boarders bringing in horses and the accompanying lessons that will be required, are a great route to set your business up on a happy ‘green’ footing.
Horse looking out from stall
When you plan a new horse barn build, always think about the possibility of adding to the structure in the future as your needs grow.
© 2011 by Carine 06
If you’ve ever had to say no to a prospective boarder because you don’t have the room, then you know how much saying no to more revenue hurts.
Of course you don’t have to go as far as 40 stalls. A 10 or 12 stall barn can provide a decent income from boarding especially if you limit your operation to full service board and require boarders to take some lessons.
When you plan a new barn build, always think about the possibility of adding to the structure in the future as your needs grow. With modular builds, it is straightforward to add additional space later and it keeps your build flexible in design and on budget. As modular buildings can be quickly installed onsite, with no messy construction site or noise and disturbance, a modular add on can be completed with no fuss and little inconvenience to your existing business.
When you contemplate a new barn build always think about not just your immediate needs but also those of the future. For example, perhaps you have a couple of horses and ride for pleasure, but down the road you might have a family and with that may come the need for ponies or perhaps your spouse might take up riding too. If you add a few extra stalls into your original build you will always use them for storage or perhaps develop them into a tack room or bathroom later. Don’t forget to ask about electrical packages in your barn building pricing. A modular barn company can include the rough wiring so when your electrician is ready to hook up the lights, fans and outlets you are ready to go. This can save you money on an electrician’s expensive hourly rate.
My stalls are too big
Historically horses may have stood in straight stalls when they were at rest, but for much of the day those horses were hard at work, so the time spent inside was limited. Today, horses may spend many more hours in a stall. Even if they enjoy plenty of time turned out, and I hope they do, the likelihood is they’ll still spend hot summer days and cold winter nights in a stall.
Larger stalls make sense. If you come to sell your property down the road, standard 10’ x 12’ or 12’ x 12’ stalls will definitely have more curb appeal than 8’ x 8’ stalls. A larger stall space should help alleviate the possibility of a horse becoming cast in his stall, especially if you put down rubber mats so if he needs to push himself off a wall he has a fighting chance of moving himself away from the wall on the smooth mats.
Larger stalls can also be safer, as they give you more room to work around your horse and more space to exit.
Plan for the future, you might start off trail riding on a trusty 15.1 h.h. Quarter Horse but you might later decide to take up dressage and when you splurge on a big moving 16.3 h.h. warmblood, he will need more room, higher walls and wider doorways.
My indoor is too big
Sure a bigger indoor means more footing and possibly a higher electric bill (unless you add solar panels to the roof), but think about what you can do with the bigger space. For a start, a larger indoor will accommodate jumping as there will be room for turns and an increased height will make it safer for jumping.
A 60 ft. clearspan span by 120 feet is generally considered a minimum for useful riding space, but anything extra is an added bonus. Height-wise the standard interior height to the trusses should be 16 to 18 ft.
The larger indoor will also allow the opportunity to host shows as there will be room for spectators to be safely seated out of harm’s way and room for the judges to do their job. You can also use the additional space to run multiple lessons at one time, longe a horse at one end while a lesson goes on at the other end, and even use one end of the building for hay or bedding storage.
At our farm we produce our own organically grown horse hay. We bale enough hay to fill five hay wagons at a time and pull them into the indoor for safe keeping overnight. This alleviates any worries about the evening and morning dew making the hay damp and we can recover from the busy baling day and unload them at our leisure the next day. Perfect!
My pastureland is too big
As a horse person any pastureland that you don’t need for grazing horses can be utilized for making your own hay. You might have to buy some used hay equipment or have a neighboring farmer come and cut and bale it, but it should save you money. Farm equipment can be depreciated and amortized on your tax return if you have a horse business, and you can sell any overage of hay you produce to offset the expense of the capital purchase. Farm equipment retains its value well, so when it comes time to retire you’ll probably be surprised at how much retained value you have in the equipment.
Fencing is expensive but you don’t have to add it all at once. Start with a few one-acre paddocks and add as you go. You can do what Patrick Swayze recounts he did for his first horse farm in his book, Time of My Life, and have all your friends come over to help fence paddocks and reward them with a party afterward. Get creative!
My budget is too big
I’ve certainly never heard a horse person say this! A busy barn owner that relies solely on their income from a horse business rarely makes millions of dollars. The wealth they build comes in the form of the enjoyment from their passion for working with horses.
Whatever your budget, be aware that there are fund-raising opportunities to help defray the cost of a new building. For example, aside from financing that larger barn building companies will offer for barns and indoor arenas, and the tax advantages of depreciation and interest deduction, you can rent out the indoor for other events e.g. dog agility trials, tack swaps, community fundraisers, weddings or other gatherings.
The amount of money in your budget may not be millions, but the principles of making a smart business decision when making a capital investment for your property are the same. Always be certain you are comparing apples to apples when pricing your build. Different features, quality of material and timeline for use of the building all affect the bottom line.
Find a company that is staffed with folks pleasurable to work with and that know their stuff. Choose a company that has sincere experience and trusted testimonials that credit them with great follow through on service and product delivery. Get it in writing! Not just the price for the build but also warranties on the building. Things can and do go wrong. Work with an experienced company that knows what they are doing, whether it is a fencing project, barn or indoor building, excavation or outdoor arena building.
This article is brought to you courtesy of Horizon Structures Inc., Atglen PA – Modular horse barn and indoor riding arena specialists. Horizon Structures also offers both residential and commercial kennels, coops, multi-use structures and playsets. Please visit https://www.HorizonStructures.com to learn more.
By Nikki Alvin-Smith
About Horizon Structures: One horse or twenty, there's one thing all horse owners have in common...the need to provide safe and secure shelter for their equine partners. At Horizon Structures, we combine expert craftsmanship, top-of-the-line materials and smart "horse-friendly" design to create a full line of sheds and barns that any horse owner can feel confident is the right choice for their horses' stabling needs.
All wood. Amish Made. Most of our buildings are shipped 100% pre-built and ready for same-day use. Larger barns are a modular construction and can be ready for your horses in less than a week. All our barn packages include everything you need -
Horizon Structures also sells indoor riding arenas, chicken coops, dog kennels, 1 and 2 car garages, storage sheds and outdoor living structures.
Headquartered in South-Central Pennsylvania, Horizon Structures, LLC is owned by Dave Zook. Dave was raised in the Amish tradition and grew up working in the family-owned shed business. He started Horizon Structures in 2001 in response to an ever-increasing customer demand for high quality, affordable horse barns.
For additional information about the company or their product line, please visit their website at https://www.horizonstructures.com
About Nikki Alvin-Smith: International and national published freelance writer and photographer in such world renowned publications such as The Chronicle of the Horse, Horse and Hound, Dressage and CT, Warmbloods Today, The Horseman’s Yankee Pedlar, Reiter, The Equine Journal, Spur, Hoofprints, Horsin’ Around, Horses All, Field & Stream, Western Horse and Gun, Pony Quarterly, Catskill Horse to name a few. Ghostwriting, blog services, PR/Marketing copy either direct with manufacturer or for agencies, copy editing and editor services also available. Nikki also produces catalog copy, white papers, e-books, corporate brochures and advertising copy for international corporations and PR/Marketing for celebrities.