If you own horses or planning to buy some, one of the first questions you need to address is where to stable your horses. Wood horse barns have been around for generations, but there are actually many advantages to choosing a more modern metal barn building for your equine friends. Steel barns are more sturdy, more versatile, require less maintenance, and are really a more cost-effective option over the long run. There’s really no better protection available for your horses, livestock, or valuable farm equipment!
Where Should Your Barn Go?
Once you’ve chosen your new horse barn, one of the next most important decisions is figuring out where to place it on your property. Should you keep it closer to your house, or set it back further in the field? What other things do you need to you consider when choosing an ideal location? Here are five helpful things to keep in mind when making your barn site plans:
- Permitting Considerations
Do you need to get a building permit to be able to install your barn? That will depend upon your local building codes and on how you intend to use your barn. There may be some zoning regulations you’ll need to follow, and some areas have restrictions on how close a barn can be to homes, roads, property lines, etc. Still not sure where to start? The team at Metal Barn Central has extensive experience working with horse barns and farm buildings around the country; they can help steer you in the right direction!
- Survey the Lay of the Land
When making plans to install any metal barn or structure, you’ll want to choose a piece of land that’s fairly level with some pretty solid soil. In thinking about how to configure your horse barn, you’ll also want to be mindful of how the prevailing winds blow in. Where does the rain or snow tend to fall? Knowing that will also help to determine where you should place your points of access and any openings for ventilation.
- You Want a Barn with a View
This doesn’t mean that your barn needs to offer some breathtaking vistas for your horses; they won’t much care either way! But it is a good idea to place your barn where you have a clear view of it from your home. A plain line of sight from your house to the barn can help deter thieves. Plus, it just offers more peace of mind for you as a horse owner to be able to just peek out your kitchen window and see that your horses are doing OK.
- That’s a Load of Manure!
Defecation may not be the most pleasant of topics, but it’s something you have to bear in mind when working with large animals. The average adult horse can easily produce 50 pounds of raw waste (urine and feces combined) per day! For this reason you definitely want to place your barn somewhere that drains well, and you’ll want to plan for a nearby manure compost location, too.
- Customize Your Horse Barn for Comfort & Functionality
Since you’re working out your perfect barn scenario, now is the perfect time to make a list of the conveniences and comforts you’d like to include in your barn plan. You can really design your horse barn any way you want, but it’s worth factoring in things like adding enough insulation, planning for proper ventilation, running power and water lines, etc.
Get the Best Horse Barns from Metal Barn Central!
Congratulations on being a horse owner! Whether you plan to use your horses for work, competition, pleasure, or all of the above, horses are really great to have around. They aren’t just pets, farmhands, or luxury items; horses really do become life-long companions. And because that’s true, we know that you want to take the best care of your horses as possible!
And if it’s a quality metal barn or metal farm building you need, Metal Barn Central has you covered! We offer everything from simple stables to barns with extended lean-tos, and from smaller hay barns to full-sized indoor riding arenas. In fact, we make it easy for you to design your own custom metal barn or other steel building with us, and nobody makes it happen for you better than Metal Barn Central! And here’s another perk – we include delivery and installation of your horse barn or any other agricultural building you purchase from us, for no extra charge!
Ready to get started? You can reach out to us online, or just pick up the phone and give one of our friendly building specialists a call at (980) 321-9898. We’d be honored to have you experience the Metal Barn Central difference for yourself!