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At some point, most horse lovers dream of designing and building their own farm. That dream can be possible with smart planning, proper research and a lot of patience. However, the process in its entirety can be pretty overwhelming.
A logical first step for anyone who wishes to build a farm is to find knowledgeable, professional help.
“A professional can give you advice on how to plan your facility,” said Lachlan Oldaker of GH2 Gralla Equestrian Architects, Norman, Okla. “So many people I know tend to build on the fly, and things don’t work out.”
Picking Your Property
If you haven’t already purchased land for your eventual home and barn, Debra Corr from Exclusively Equine Properties, LLC, Goshen, N.Y., encourages her clients to consider all types of properties. If starting from scratch is your goal, there are several factors to consider.
“All properties have a low and high area, but ideally you want something rolling and kind of flat,” said Corr. “You need to be aware of wetlands and low spots, and sometimes 50 acres is really only 20 acres of usable land.”
Corr also stressed the importance of making sure that your farm is in a horse friendly community.
“For resale value and peace of mind, don’t buy a horse farm in a non-horsey neighborhood,” she said. “If you’re looking at communities, check the statistics for the area. If the location is horse friendly, there are going to be more opportunities. It’s also important to be involved with the local horse community to ensure you keep your right to own horses.”
Once you have your property selected, Corr and Oldaker agreed that selecting the right location on the property to put your facility is just as important as the property itself.
“You want some place high where the water drains away from everything,” said Oldaker. “We really try to work with the natural topography of the site, but sometimes it’s difficult to find or create the spot. You have to take that into consideration as well as the overall function of the facility.”
Oldaker said that her company requires a geotechnical report and soil analysis of the site in order to design the foundation of any building. A geotechnical report provides specific information on subsurface soil, rock, and water conditions and is necessary to construct a safe, cost-effective project.
While many farm owners will consider wind direction and the sun as indicators of where a barn should be built, Lorri Hayward, who runs her own barn design company, Hayward Designs, said that oftentimes the lay of the land doesn’t allow you to work with the elements.
“I can turn a barn in about any direction and make it work nicely,” said Hayward, Lafayette, Ga. “It comes down to eye appeal and physical placement. You don’t want the ‘back of the house’ activities of your barn to be seen when you first drive in.”
Making A Master Plan
“The key to having a successful project is a good master plan,” said Oldaker. “We like to do planning of the whole facility so 10 years down the line they have a road map of where to go and so the property really functions properly.”
