Building a Horse Stable: Learn from the Experts | Design A Horse Stable! (2024)

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Whether you’re a hobby farmer or starting an equine business, a stable will be the cornerstone of your horse operation. This will be your all-in-one structure to board horses, keep supplies, work with your herd, and everything else. If this is your first time building a horse stable, the planning process can be somewhat of a challenge – but that’s why we’re here to help.

At J&N Structures, we build a wide range of modular structures, yet we are best known for our custom barns that serve as great horse stables. In today’s blog, we’re featuring the options that almost every serious stable needs – as well as featuring some of the barn styles that are perfect for the job. Keep reading to learn more about building a horse stable – or reach out right now to get prices from J&N dealers in your area.

Horse Stable Design Must-Haves

When looking for horse stable designs you like, there are some key essentials that we almost always recommend to our customers. These options, extras, and accessories make owning a barn more convenient and more satisfying.

These are the 6 must-haves for building a horse stable:

The Right Number of Stalls

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First and foremost, your horse stable design must have room to securely house all of your horses. We almost always recommend having more stalls than you anticipate needing. As a business, you always want to have room for overflow capacity. As an enthusiast, you never know when you’ll find another horse you need to have – plus, boarding horses for friends is a great way to make a little extra money.

Ability to Work in Bad Weather

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We can almost guarantee that the time will come where you need to do work in the rain or snow. That’s why you always want to have a provision for working in bad weather. While choosing the center aisle barn style is a primary way to accomplish that, you can also add lean-tos as well.

Feed Storage Options

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For your convenience, you always want to have your feed storage close at hand. The best horse stable designs always have a solution for feed storage. If you’re keeping the costs low, dedicating a stall or a room for feed is a fine solution. However, if you’re building a two-story barn, we recommend using the upper level for storage and the ability to drop the feed where it needs to.

Wash Stall/Wash Room

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While washing horses outside is always an option, having a place to do it indoors is an easier and better year-round option. That’s why setting space aside for this is an essential part of building a horse stable. These wash rooms are set-up with running water and a simple drain in the floor.

Tack Room

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If you’re running a business, then a tack room is essential for meeting clients and doing all of the tasks that are key to keeping it going. Hobbyists use their tack rooms as places to display trophies and to relax with friends. While it might not be an essential part of a horse stable design, chances are you’re going to want one if you don’t have it.

The Style You Like

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This structure is going to be on your property for a long time, so it’s important you appreciate its style. There are countless rustic accessories like cupolas and weathervanes that you can incorporate in horse stable designs to truly make it your own. In addition, you have ample options for selecting the barn color scheme.

Horse Barn Styles Perfect for Your Stable

The barn style you choose will make a large impact on how your stable looks and functions. Some of our favorite styles for stables are the one-story center aisle barn, the high-country barn, the gambrel barn, and the two-story monitor barn.

Get Your Quote to Build a Horse Stable with J&N

If you’re planning on building a horse stable and looking for a partner to help, you’re in the right place. At J&N Structures, we build extremely high-quality barns that can be seen throughout a large part of the country. While we manufacture all of our structures in our Lancaster County workshops, our dedicated dealer network makes them available throughout much of the country.

The first step is to reach out right here – and get connected with your nearest J&N approved experts!

Building a Horse Stable: Learn from the Experts | Design A Horse Stable! (2024)

FAQs

How to design a horse stable? ›

As a rule of thumb, experts advise a horse stall should be at least 3m x 3.5m for a standard horse 15-17hh. A roof of at least 2.5m will leave space for them to move their head around. If you have larger horses, then you should choose a larger stall size so that you can more easily work in the stalls with your horses.

How much would it cost to build a horse stable? ›

The average installed cost to build a horse barn can range from $50 to $120 per square foot.

What are the specifications for a horse stable? ›

Stable size
  • Large horses (17hh+): 3.65m x 4.25m (12ft x 14ft)
  • Horses: 3.65m x 3.65m (12ft x 12ft)
  • Large ponies (13.2hh+): 3.05m x 3.65m (10ft x 12ft)
  • Ponies: 3.05m x 3.05m (10ft x 10ft)
  • Foaling box (horse): 4.25m x 4.25m (14ft x 14ft)

What is the ideal size for a horse stable? ›

Building Size

Thirty-six feet is a common building width (12' wide alley, flanked by 12' wide stalls on each side) and 10' for height. Length will depend on number of stalls, stall length, and additional rooms: tack room, wash bay, bathroom, lounge/office, and storage for feed, hay and equipment.

Is a 10x10 stall big enough for a horse? ›

An average (15h) horse can be comfortable in a 10×12 or even a 10×10 stall. For a mare and foal, consider two normal horse stall height and size with a removable partition. If you need an odd size stall, like a 10×14 or 12×16, we can do it and it won't cost you anything extra.

Is a 10x12 stall big enough for a horse? ›

A horse should be able to comfortably enter the stall, move, turn around and lie down in his/her stall. An average-sized horse (about 14-16 hands) can fit comfortably in a 12' x 12' stall. That being said, one can consider a smaller stall such as 10'x12′ – depending on personal preferences and stall usage.

What is the cheapest way to build a horse stable? ›

While both center-aisle and shed row barns are popular single-story barn designs, shed row barns will be your most cost-effective option. Since they are built in a simple, stripped-down barn style, they cost less and are easy to work with.

Is owning a horse stable profitable? ›

Developing and starting a financially sound horse boarding business takes a lot of time, effort, and dedication. And as most horse boarding barn business owners know it can be difficult to make money even with the best of intentions.

Is a horse stable a good investment? ›

Those horse farms for sale that are well maintained are a good investment because there is less chance of huge maintenance costs in the immediate future.

How high should a horse stable wall be? ›

An 8-foot-high stall partition is standard. Partition height needs to be at least 7 1/2 feet to prevent horses from getting legs over the wall. Most horses can kick as high as 7 feet.

What is the difference between a horse barn and stable? ›

Generally speaking, a stable is a timber building that is used to house horses. A barn is also usually made of timber, but it is most often used to keep livestock, or to store machinery or equipment. There are instances where the two terms may be used interchangeably, so it is always worth specifying your design.

What is the ideal housing for horses? ›

Box stalls allow the animal more freedom of movement than tie stalls. Stalls should be at least 10 feet x 10 feet for a standard riding horse. If the stall is going to house broodmares and foals, the stalls should be a minimum of 10 feet x 14 feet.

What is the best floor for horse stalls? ›

Clay should be placed over a well-drained subfloor of crushed rock or gravel. An alternative flooring is a mixture of clay and sand. Combining two-thirds clay and one-third sand is a relatively economical, easily obtained stall flooring. This combination allows for good drainage and minimal odor problems.

How high should stable doors be? ›

The lower half of the door should have a height of 0.8 times the height of the horse to its withers, on average 1300mm. The complete door should have a height of 1.5 times the height of the horse to its withers, on average 2500mm. The doors should have a width of about 1200mm.

How much room does a horse need in a stable? ›

Ideally, a horse stall should be spacious enough to allow the horse to comfortably stand, lie down, and turn around. A standard recommendation for the dimensions of a horse stall is about 12 feet by 12 feet (3.6 meters by 3.6 meters), providing ample room for the horse to move freely and avoid feeling confined.

How to build a horse stable on a budget? ›

Select a Stable Style

Traditional stables are typically expensive to set up, so opt for simple designs such as a run-in shed. With only three sides and an open front, a run-in shed is easy and affordable to set up, especially for those with few horses.

What is the best material for horse stall walls? ›

Southern Yellow Pine (SYP):

The strongest of the soft wood species, very durable wood for horse stalls. A structurally stable lumber that can easily be stained and have other protective finishes applied to it.

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