What type of facilities would you expect from a top H/J barn?

[hntrjmprpro45]

Background info: We have been fortunate enough to buy a second farm (yippee!) and are in the planning phase of construction. We are keeping our current farm as the "lesson barn" and plan on the second farm being the main "show barn". Right now our current facility is very basic and functional- typical pole barn with painted metal siding, painted wood stalls with mats on a dirt base, fans for each stall, indoor grooming/wash stalls, 100'x200' outdoor arena w/sand footing, and nice poly vinyl rail fencing for all paddocks/pasture. The only major standout at our schooling farm is our tack room (quite large for the size of the barn, couches, tv, nice wooden saddle racks, lockers, etc). We plan on our second farm having all the higher end ammenities that our schooling farm doesn't have.

So a few questions for our new place....

1. What are some other ammenities that you would expect from a top facility? Some upgrades we are including are: hot/cold water for the indoor wash stalls, rubber pavers for the aisle, European style stalls with the "stall mattress" system rather than the mats, and a viewing area/lounge for the indoor arena.

2. As far as arenas go, we plan on having a full sized indoor (100'x200'), a 150'x250'ish outdoor, plus a grass jumping field with some "natural jumps" like a bank. We would have a synthetic footing additive in the indoor and either sand or synthetic footing in the outdoor as well (maybe a much later upgrade). Is that outdoor arena a good size or would you prefer a larger outdoor with no grass field (keep in mind we plan on hosting some local shows but nothing big)? Are their any particular permenant jumps you would want to see in the grass ring? We will also have a hacking trail around the perimeter of the property- any special ideas about that?

3. As far as fencing goes, we are going to do steel pipe fencing. We have enjoyed the poly vinyl type fencing but frankly it just doesn't have that long of a life expectancy, especially when you have a bunch of giant babies running around! Any thoughts or concerns there?

Feel free to mention anything that has been overlooked or things that you feel are particularly necessary in a top barn. They don't have to be all practical ideas as aesthetics are important too. Right now we are still in the planning phase but we want to make sure we cover all of our bases before building (which will take quite a while). This is most likely going to be our "forever" barn so want to make sure we do it right!

[AliO]

Depending where you live, i would add large fans in the indoor arena,and definitely have a rubber footing added to the sand to keep down dust. You can also have a sprinkled system installed. On site washer and dryer. Horse vacuums. Grooming and wash stalls with hot and cold water are a necessity. I would also definitely have the outdoor and the jumper field. If you are planning on hosting shows, some kind of covered seating area, and a judges box.

I love a good sized tack room, climate controlled. If you do your research, and have great quality materials, you will be happy and so will your clients.

[wcporter]

...Exterior dutch stall doors, lounge, outdoor (and maybe indoor?) PA system for shows and clinics and lessons, on-site apartment

[Horseymama]

Lucky you! I have built two facilities in my life so here is my opinion/experience/advice:

1. Every stall must have a direct exit to the outside. BARN FIRES HAPPEN. Even in nice, top barns. That means Dutch doors to the outside, even if you have an inside aisle. You cannot run into a burning barn to rescue horses from a fire. And no runs off the stalls unless they are huge. The horses must be able to get far enough away from the burning barn that they are safe. I cannot stress this enough. This is truly the only fire safe type of barn.

2. Really good ventilation. Don't store the hay above the barn!

3. Ample turn-out. I don't know what part of the country you are in, and if it is rainy or not, but if it is, having some all-weather turn-out will be important. I do not like runs off the stalls. (For the reason stated above as well as the following.) In a top barn, I like the horses to have to be handled every day multiple times/day. When they are turned-out, they get their boots put on, their blankets changed, etc, which allows employees to check them over and can help prevent injuries or catch a lameness early. Horses need to be turned out every day at least half the day.

4. Really good footing. Not too deep. Water it and till it every day!

5. Euro-cizer. The best one is a Belebro (Although I don't have one of those, but my neighbor does. I had mine made.) NOT a treadmill, which I heard has been proven to cause tendon damage.) Great way to keep horses fit, build bone density, and they really love it!

6. Grooming area, heated if you are in a cold part of the country. Don't put cross-ties in the aisle, which is dangerous and cumbersome. Heating the grooming area allows the horses to be prepared and cooled down in a heated area, which is better for their health during the cold months. Just section it off with doors and heat it. It is comfy for humans, too! Don't put solid walls between the cross-ties. (Just in case you have to get away quickly from a kicking horse.)

7. Heated tack room and nice, clean, heated bathrooms.

8. I think many different places to ride is great! Indoor, outdoor, grass field, pathways, I like variety, and it is good for the horses, too. I would rather have a smaller outdoor and a grass field.

8. I personally don't like the mattress system for the stalls. I think it is a waste of money. Horses don't need such padded stalls, plus they won't get that when they are on the road. Rubber mats and a decent amount of bedding are perfectly fine. Same with the aisleway, rubber mats work the same (insulation, safety) and are sooooo much cheaper than those rubber pavers. The pavers do look fancy, though!

9. I think the steel pipe fencing is too hard. If a horse kicks it (and they will), it doesn't break or give. I have vinyl, which works great in my climate (dry) although it can get mossy in wet climates. If a horse kicks it, it breaks easily and we just replace the rail. I put hot wire around the inside top rail so horses stay off of it as much as possible, but they do inevitable kick it now and then. I also have some fencing that is no-climb wire with a top vinyl rail. Other than that I would go with the Centaur fence or wood, which has more give. I am more concerned with safety than looks.

Ok, hope that helps!

[hntrjmprpro45]

Depending where you live, i would add large fans in the indoor arena,and definitely have a rubber footing added to the sand to keep down dust. You can also have a sprinkled system installed. On site washer and dryer. Horse vacuums. Grooming and wash stalls with hot and cold water are a necessity. I would also definitely have the outdoor and the jumper field. If you are planning on hosting shows, some kind of covered seating area, and a judges box.

I love a good sized tack room, climate controlled. If you do your research, and have great quality materials, you will be happy and so will your clients.

Yes, I forgot to mention appliances! At out current facility we just have a refrigerator in our tack room. So the question would be, if you had two tack rooms (one for trainer and one for clients) would you put the washer/dryer out in the clients tack room for self service or in the trainer's and have the staff do the laundry for the clients? Besides refrigerator, would you also need anything else? We would also definitely have a large utility sink for tack cleaning.

[Carol Ames]

coffin?

The grass ring with a bank sounds wonderful; could you make a "grab/ grob" also?

[SnicklefritzG]

I think the washer and dryer should be in a separate location. These things create a lot of humidity and I don't think it would be good to have in a tack room. They should be in a place where you don't care if the washer springs a leak.


Another nice feature would be a place to hang things that might need to drip dry.

I second the notion of LOTS of turnout. At almost every barn I've been at, turnout has always been an issue. When I was in California, you were lucky if you found a place that would turn the horses out for 4 hours per day. Even then it was only in a pen where they could walk and maybe trot, but not run around and play and actually be a horse.

I would carefully consider the size of the property and the number of horses you will have on it. Where I currently live, I think about 50% of the facilities have more horses on them then they really should from the perspective of turnout options. For me personally, the barns that rose to the top of my short list were ones that offered the amenities I was looking for PLUS could do at least 8-10 hours of turnout.

[Showbizz]

Put the washer/dryer in a restroom next to the wash stall. Also - I'm with you. Can't stand the "longevity" of vinyl and would go with pipe. I love my pipe fencing!

[MyGiantPony]

Shower facilities. It was always a PITA to ride early morning to beat the heat, then have to go back home to get ready for work. Would have been great to shower at the barn.

[yellowbritches]

I just want to stop you on one of your ideas for a second....

While it isn't a top h/j barn, I do manage a high end boarding facility (we have a lot of things you mention). The one thing I would STRONGLY encourage you to reconsider is the rubber pavers! They are a BITCH to keep clean. Really, unless you buy the fancy vacuum for them, the only way to clean them well is with a blower. You CAN NOT easily sweep them up (like when a horse tracks out shavings or someone drops hay or pulls a mane). Everything sticks to them or wedges in the joints. And, if like my barn, you run them into the grooming and wash stall areas, they will buckle. This time of year we are constantly having to reglue them. I strongly encourage you to look into other aisle ideas....the pavers are nice to look at, but that's about it! (FWIW, we have the matresses. They ARE nice. Not REALLY necessary, but a nice touch when trying to impress potential clients).

For amenities, I agree with everyone, really. Premium footing is a must, and there are lots of choices. Make sure you have nice people amenities a- nice lounge area with nice bathrooms, including a shower. At least a fridge, sink, microwave, coffee maker (Keurig!), if not a small but full kitchen. PLENTY of room in tack rooms (try to avoid trunks in the aisle by having big enough tack rooms for trunks or lockers). A good spot for tack cleaning with easy access to hot water.

As for laundry facilities, I would build a seperate wash/laundry room with a big tub sink as well as a big washer/dryer. Lots of racks and shelves for drying and stowing things (the last farm I managed, we had a nice laundry/utility room with GREAT shelving for rugs).

I love lots of cabinets, counters (that are easy to clean), shelves, a sink, and fridge in the feed room.

Don't forget to lay the property and barn out so it is easy for your staff to work in on a daily basis. Gates to pastures close to the barn (try and lay them out like a wagon wheel, if possible, with the barn as the hub). Lay the barn out so it is easy to work in. Make sure things like wheelbarrows and rakes have a safe, practical place to live and the shavings shed isn't miles away. Decide how you'll deal with manure and make plans for that so it isn't miles away, but also not upclose and personal.

All that being said and taking in to consideration the other suggestions and thoughts, really, to me, the thing that makes a top barn of any discipline isn't necessarily the ammenities, but the CARE. Use high quality hay and grain (I PROMISE it is cheaper in the long run). Use plenty of bedding. Bed your stalls so they are PLUSH! (Again, it's cheaper this way!). Keep things neat and tidy. Fix things quickly. Hire knowledgeable, friendly, caring staff. THIS type of stuff is what sets great barns above ok barns.

[hntrjmprpro45]

Thanks everyone! These are great suggestions so far. We will make sure to have a separate laundry room with utility sink and hangers for cleaning tack. That is great to know about the pavers. We were told by a rep that they weren't terribly difficult to clean but I was skeptical.

Some of the main reasons why we were looking at at the mattress system vs mats was because we hate how the mats shift and get bedding caught under the edges. The other main reason is that my husband wants the barn to be made of concrete with a stucco finish and we would want the rubber liner to go up the stall walls to cushion from kicking/pawing. As a side note- he likes that concrete buildings are far more fire resistant, have a much higher wind rating, and have a longer life.

[ako]

Drool!!

Yes, indoor wash rack with hot and cold water is a must. Nice tack room and lounge. Good footing.

IMO, too many places store hay and shavings in the barn. That's scary, both for the risk of fire and breathing issues it creates.

A nice touch... Minis as turnout buddies! Not a necessity, but I was impressed when I first saw it!

I'm always impressed by turnout, good hay & grain, and good care.

[bits619]

I think it depends on what you want to price and market as, as far as the laundry is concerned. I would prefer being able to do it myself with machines provided by the barn (it's not the doing of horse laundry that i dislike, it's having to lug it home and use my machine or laundromat). But then again, i don't mind doing most things for myself at the barn.

The last facility I was at had an apartment attached, which was usually vacant. It was nice to be able to duck inside during the middle of summer and winter. It had everything except an oven in the kitchen. I used the microwave quite a bit for reheating my coffee! It also had a bathroom with shower, which was a godsend since I lived a good distance from the barn and wouldn't have to remain sweaty all day (I especially liked that i could ride on holidays, clean up at the barn and head straight to MrB's parents' house without giving away that I'd been riding all morning! Ha!).

The bathroom to the apartment could be accessed from both the living area and the tack room. Made it nice that the rest of the living area didn't necessarily have to get muddied.

I would love a grass jumping area! Bank, coffin, log jumps, you name it. It would be nice if, like for the log or bank types, you have small, medium, large options so there's some flexibility with schooling outside.

how about designated trailer parking spaces for boarders/tow-ins?

I don't love pavement areas around barns for car parking, but like a pea gravel is fine.

This may be totally obvious, but a drop box for the trainer with pens and pad of paper nearby? Great for payments and notes that don't need to be broadcast over a larger blackboard.

There's something so nice about a gate/stall door that glides open smoothly... aah.

That's all I can randomly think of for now!

[norcalammie]

Nothing has been mentioned about a feed room/grain room area. At the top barns I have been at each horse was on a different supplement program so there was a need to have lots of trash cans or whatever. At my current barn it is housed in an old container and it gets HOT inside so watch where you put the grain area.

Also think about boards/stall signs for feeding/emergency contact numbers. Fire extinguishers and clearly located in several areas. I love that my current barn has picnic tables in several locations by the arenas so parents/guests/others can watch lessons.

Think about where trailers will be parked in a neat and tidy manner. Also where will customers park - again a designated area. Have room for trailers/large rigs to enter/turn around/etc. My current barn has gates that are only so wide and it has been an issue with some hay deliveries, etc. so make gates extra wide and access off the main road easy so if gates are locked trailers/cars/etc. can pull off the road and stop to open the locked gate.

A nice area to store winter blankets/etc. would be nice on site so everyone does not have to take then home but make sure area is rodent proof. I know one barn that had a separate room for show trunks/show halters/etc. so show stuff stayed nice and clean and ready to go.

[AliO]

Yes, I forgot to mention appliances! At out current facility we just have a refrigerator in our tack room. So the question would be, if you had two tack rooms (one for trainer and one for clients) would you put the washer/dryer out in the clients tack room for self service or in the trainer's and have the staff do the laundry for the clients? Besides refrigerator, would you also need anything else? We would also definitely have a large utility sink for tack cleaning.

I would actually have it in a separate laundry area. This way the boarders style out of the trainers tack room, and a groom.would handle ll the laundry. I would have a coffee pots fridge, and at least a microwave, if not a small full kitchen.

[AliO]

Lucky you! I have built two facilities in my life so here is my opinion/experience/advice:

1. Every stall must have a direct exit to the outside. BARN FIRES HAPPEN. Even in nice, top barns. That means Dutch doors to the outside, even if you have an inside aisle. You cannot run into a burning barn to rescue horses from a fire. And no runs off the stalls unless they are huge. The horses must be able to get far enough away from the burning barn that they are safe. I cannot stress this enough. This is truly the only fire safe type of barn.

2. Really good ventilation. Don't store the hay above the barn!

3. Ample turn-out. I don't know what part of the country you are in, and if it is rainy or not, but if it is, having some all-weather turn-out will be important. I do not like runs off the stalls. (For the reason stated above as well as the following.) In a top barn, I like the horses to have to be handled every day multiple times/day. When they are turned-out, they get their boots put on, their blankets changed, etc, which allows employees to check them over and can help prevent injuries or catch a lameness early. Horses need to be turned out every day at least half the day.

4. Really good footing. Not too deep. Water it and till it every day!

5. Euro-cizer. The best one is a Belebro (Although I don't have one of those, but my neighbor does. I had mine made.) NOT a treadmill, which I heard has been proven to cause tendon damage.) Great way to keep horses fit, build bone density, and they really love it!

6. Grooming area, heated if you are in a cold part of the country. Don't put cross-ties in the aisle, which is dangerous and cumbersome. Heating the grooming area allows the horses to be prepared and cooled down in a heated area, which is better for their health during the cold months. Just section it off with doors and heat it. It is comfy for humans, too! Don't put solid walls between the cross-ties. (Just in case you have to get away quickly from a kicking horse.)

7. Heated tack room and nice, clean, heated bathrooms.

8. I think many different places to ride is great! Indoor, outdoor, grass field, pathways, I like variety, and it is good for the horses, too. I would rather have a smaller outdoor and a grass field.

8. I personally don't like the mattress system for the stalls. I think it is a waste of money. Horses don't need such padded stalls, plus they won't get that when they are on the road. Rubber mats and a decent amount of bedding are perfectly fine. Same with the aisleway, rubber mats work the same (insulation, safety) and are sooooo much cheaper than those rubber pavers. The pavers do look fancy, though!

9. I think the steel pipe fencing is too hard. If a horse kicks it (and they will), it doesn't break or give. I have vinyl, which works great in my climate (dry) although it can get mossy in wet climates. If a horse kicks it, it breaks easily and we just replace the rail. I put hot wire around the inside top rail so horses stay off of it as much as possible, but they do inevitable kick it now and then. I also have some fencing that is no-climb wire with a top vinyl rail. Other than that I would go with the Centaur fence or wood, which has more give. I am more concerned with safety than looks.

Ok, hope that helps!

A++++++++++++

[joiedevie99]

It obviously varies by level, but most show barns I've ever been in have grooms handle all laundry and tack cleaning.

I'd put up those wood grooming boxes in each of the grooming stalls to hold a set of brushes and clippers for each grooming stall.

I'd also want heat in the wash stall, or heat lamps at a minimum. Hot water alone isn't quite enough for winter baths.

[hntrjmprpro45]

Yes I should have mentioned about the feed/hay storage. We plan on having a separate storage building so we can unload pallets easily and so we can store hay separately (which is what we have always done aside from keeping a couple bales in the barn during ice storms).

[yellowbritches]

It obviously varies by level, but most show barns I've ever been in have grooms handle all laundry and tack cleaning.

While this may be true, I think it is still vital to think about how it will be laid out and how to make it practical and efficient for those who will be doing the work. I have worked on many properties and in many barns that were not planned with any thought as to how easy it is to get what needs to be done, done. As much as I love the farm I manage now- and it is a breathtakingly beautiful spot of land- the original owners who built the facilities (not my employers) obviously did not think at all about how inconvenient a long, narrow piece of property is when turning in and out! And they also must have LOVED the idea of the pavers....probably because they never had to clean up after themselves.

It's all well and good to have lots of fancy amenities for your customers, but if your staff is spending more time than really necessary getting things done because of impractical design, then you are wasting money on man hours (not to mention probably frustrating your staff!!).

Another thought for feed rooms (and I have re-purposed a lot of feed rooms with this idea). If you plan on having clients use Smartpaks, build your shelving so it is deep enough for the drawers and easy enough to access quickly (there's that efficiency thing again...this is a pet peeve of mine!). If you DON'T plan on everyone using Smartpaks, make sure you have a practical system with enough room to get everyone's supplements where they need to be without log jamming the feed room (we actually have a great little crawl space in the feed room where the buckets live, and great cubbies for people to stack their daily containers of sups).

[M. Owen]

There is one barn in my area that was completely re-built a couple of years ago and they did a beautiful job IMO. Here is a link to some pictures of the facility: http://www.kingswayfarm.com/id51.html


Here are some things I've seen at farms that have impressed me (some are in the place I showed above, some at other farms):

1. Created a completely separate area for vet and farrier work with its own horse size access door. From what I recall, the floor is completely covered in rubber mats, it is off to one side with its own door so the farrier/ vet can park their trucks right there to work. Because it is separate, no one will have to walk by and interrupt the work being done.
2. I love the very open feel to the stalls (you can see in the pictures)- open stall fronts, big windows, etc. I agree that dutch doors to the outside are great if practical for your layout, but if you can't have dutch doors have big windows and open feel.
3. I like tack lockers for boarders with a separate space to store tack trunks. The lockers keep your tack room looking tidy and uniform.
4. Kitchen area as part of the tack room- not a full kitchen but fridge and microwave are nice to have, and a small eating area. I boarded at one barn that had a separate ice maker chest in the kitchen, and I thought that was really nice- great if you needed to ice a horse or human injury.
5. If you are in a cold area, radiant heat floors are nice.
6. Again with cold area, heated area to dry blankets that get wet in turnout.
7. Have a nice viewing area- appreciated by parents/ guests watching lessons, great for clinics, and nice for people just socializing and hanging out. If possible, have the option of having a sound system so if you host clinics people watching can hear the clinician. Other things to include in the viewing area- television, wi-fi access, comfortable seating- I don't recommend cloth couches unless you keep it really clean because they can get musty/ dusty. Have a tile or concrete floor, carpeting can get musty similar to the couch.
8. Back to horse amenities, indoor and outdoor wash stall with hot water. For indoor, have heat lamps or some other heat source. Put those on the timer switch type on/ off so no one can forget to turn them off. Have space in the wash area for people to store wash buckets/ supplies. One place I boarded had a rail/ shelf with hooks that ran around the top that made a great place to store wash equipment.
9. Great turnout with lots of options (this one is really important IMO).
10. I love the idea of a separate grass field for riding with some natural jumps. Derbies are becoming more and more popular, so if your clients can school some of the obstacles at home, that is a real draw.
11. Automatic fly system- I used to board at a barn with that and LOVED it. Probably not good for the environment, but such a luxury.
12. For your rings, get the best footing you can and take care of it- water and drag regularly. Have nice jumps available that are show quality.

I am sure I could think of more, but I think all those things would be really luxurious.