# Share Your Barn Photos



## MountainWoman (Feb 10, 2012)

We're in the process of building another barn geared strictly to the minis. I was wondering if any of you could post your photos if you've built a barn specifically for your minis. I'm especially interested in seeing your stall set ups. I've also heard about mini barns that have their own individual paddock/run areas for each stall and if you've done something like that, I'd appreciate seeing the pictures. Any special features a mini barn should have. I'm trying to figure out the best way to go for this new barn. Thanks!


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## Jill (Feb 10, 2012)

This isn't fancy and chances are good, you're aiming for something fancer, but this is what my barns are like. We have six of them in the paddocks. Some 3-stall, some 2-stall. We have split a 2-stall one and made two paddock areas, one for each stall. Those paddocks are about 50x60. Stalls are all 8x12. Doors are simply pipe gates. I do not stall our minis unless it's near foaling / with a new foal, or if we're going to a show the next day. The horses go in and out as they please. Myt husband, H, built these barns, the first one almost 15 years ago!


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## Jill (Feb 10, 2012)

Also, we have this, what I call "small pen" with an 8x8 stall. The pen area is maybe 25x15. Lots of times we put a new mom and her baby here, or watch a horse if we have a sick one, etc. Also, the stalls have wireless cameras for foaling, etc.


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## MountainWoman (Feb 10, 2012)

Thanks so much! Love the photos and just what I'm looking for as we move ahead with this project.


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## MindyLee (Feb 10, 2012)

6x8 run in's

Each pasture has one.

cost about $100-$150 each to build.


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## Earthology (Feb 10, 2012)

I love the ideas posted here! It leads me to a question I have been meaning to ask myself...

I have a VERY large shed. Before I brought my first miniature horse, we converted it to a chicken coop.

This shed was originally an ugly piece of junk! METAL SHEDS SHOULD BE AGAINST THE LAW!

Once it nearly blew away in a wind storm (THAT WAS NOT FUN!)

Because of that, we moved it, cemented posts in the ground, put the metal shed up and over the posts, built a wood frame inside the metal shed, and anchored this metal frame to the wood posts that were set in the ground. IT WON'T BLOW AWAY ANYMORE!

In addition to that, we took old rustic barn siding from a barn that had been knocked down. We cut these pieces to fit the shed.

We took off the ugly metal sliding doors and added our own wood doors that we built as well. Again, we attached these doors to the wooden frame we built inside.

Originially this was a chicken coop for my small frizzle serama chickens (who still live in there, by the way... & please don't worry: when my mini horse is out in the pasture, the chickens get their food then and only then. My mini never has access to chicken feed. We are hoping to build the little mini chickens their own new smaller home this spring). ALSO, keep in mind that while we did our work, we didn't want mini chickens running all over the place. Therefore, in the photos below, that is why there is a small kennel-type fencing around the front. It was to contain the chickens. (This will now lead out to a paddock for my mniature horse, which gets attached to the pasture).

Anyways, although it is not apparent by the photo, this "barn" is on high ground.

The problem I am running into follows. This is what my question is:

For those who posted above who have the smaller barns,

******WHAT DO YOU USE AS FLOORING?******

Currently my floor is dirt. I *had* been using the "deep layer" bedding method for my chickens (which is a beautiful and sustainable method that I love).

This winter has been nothing but mild, that said, the floor bedding kept getting TERRIBLY wet because when the ground would thaw, the dirt floor underneath became soggy and the bedding would soak up all the water.

IT HAS BEEN AWFUL! In past years, this was NEVER an issue. Everything stayed DRY.

So, for a temporary solution I had to lay down a large tarp inside. I put the bedding on top if this. It works well. Pixie, the mini horse, doesn't mind at all. It isn't slippery in there.

It is only a temporary solution though, because I KNOW that deep cleanings will be hard with a tarp as a surface! ***FURTHERMORE it is a temporary solution because know the inside of my barn looks "tacky" (pun intended)! because it has blue tarp going up the walls (the horse has not attempted to eat it).

It is also a temporary solution because ***The pitch fork LOVES poking little holes in the surface of the tarp.*** Overall, it is working though, since I LOVE to spend time out there & clean the barn everyday. There are no smells, and it has been set up this way for three weeks.

My fist thought was to mix a bunch of cement this spring and lay that down, creating dry ground. Someone said, however, that I would also have to put re-bar braces in so the cement doesn't crack under the miniature horse's weight.

******Is this true?******

Also, If I do put cement in, I would be sure to coat with a thick bedding. Perhaps even floor mats to help protect her hooves and legs.

I also thought about just lining the floor with recycled bricks (leveled out of course for a smooth surface), and again with floor mats.

***ANY suggestions will be appreciated!


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## SampleMM (Feb 10, 2012)

Here's mine. I don't think I have any indoor photos though. Hmm, I'll have to work on that.


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## Earthology (Feb 10, 2012)

I am DROOLING all over myself SampleMM..... DROOL. Like a St. Bernards drool...


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## mydaddysjag (Feb 10, 2012)

Put a 6" layer of 2B gravel down inside, tamp it very well, and cover it with rubber mats. Perfect draigage for an area that gets swamps, the rubber mats keep the horses off of the gravel and save bedding, and provide a nice comfortable surfact to stand on. Over my mats, I use wood pellets for bedding. I can clean a stall in 5 minutes now that I have mats. The only thing I would want to see different in your little barn is more ventilation. In the front doors, can you make it so she can stick her head out the doors for fresh air? Small buildings with metal roofs get stuffy, and really reek in the summer if they dont have fresh air.


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## SampleMM (Feb 10, 2012)

Aw, thanks Earthology. I'm not sure how close you are but you are welcome to come visit anytime.


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## Earthology (Feb 11, 2012)

mydaddysjag said:


> Put a 6" layer of 2B gravel down inside, tamp it very well, and cover it with rubber mats. Perfect draigage for an area that gets swamps, the rubber mats keep the horses off of the gravel and save bedding, and provide a nice comfortable surfact to stand on. Over my mats, I use wood pellets for bedding. I can clean a stall in 5 minutes now that I have mats. The only thing I would want to see different in your little barn is more ventilation. In the front doors, can you make it so she can stick her head out the doors for fresh air? Small buildings with metal roofs get stuffy, and really reek in the summer if they dont have fresh air.


There is a large window we braced up and place on the back. It is... how to say... Small square wires... Sort of like chicken wire, but better... The old rustic wood windows open from side to side on a hinge. It keeps raccoons out. My chicken miniatures are NOT food, LOL.

Also on those front doors, it is the same thing, except in winter, we cover the wire mesh windows with plexi glass that we just screw in, There is also a ventilation "circle" on the south side for air flow that can be covered as needed.

Lastly, for the windows on the back side, they open low enough that she can get her head out. Until the newer and smaller chicken coop is brought in, the wire mesh has to stay (rascally raccoons trying to eat my expensive serama chickens!). We are hoping the ground has a hard freeze SOON! It it would just stay frozen, their new home (another large wooden shed I bought from my father) could be brought in. If it doesn't freeze, well then, we have to wait for the ground to dry up once spring is over...

******That said, thanks for the stone idea! Sounds brilliant! I now have a solution and I thank you VERY much for that!******


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## fancyshadow (Feb 11, 2012)

Don't have many pictures of the inside of my barn, but here is a barn layout. We have 37 horse stalls (3 are 8 x 12 and the rest are either 6 x 8 or 7 x 8) one tack stall and one hay/storage stall. We have wire gates ate the ends of each aisleway and multiple wire gates at the one intersection part. Makes it nice when trying to seperate horses or making them go where we want them to. We enter the barn from the cleanup area. Don't have the door marked there. The round pen is 27 ft in diameter. Nice size to work one or two minis or small shetlands. There are lots/play areas on three sides and a 6 acre pasture in the back beyond and around the driving lot. The one thing I would do different is have 5 ft aisles throughout. We now have 4ft aisle everywhere but the short center aisle. The doors to stalls are approx 3 ft. and doors to outside are all 4 ft. We don't have enclosed outside walls. Have one photo to post to show what we have.











This shows one of our outside walls.






This is north side in winter. In summer, we open the tin on top.






This is inside our round pen.


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## MountainWoman (Feb 11, 2012)

Oh, thanks everyone!!! I'm loving the pictures and layouts and suggestions. Have my DH at the computer looking with me. Thanks again.


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## Mareish Mom (Feb 11, 2012)

To Earhology: Second the gravel (or rockdust) covered with mats. works great. I don't even use shavings anymore. My horses have full access to the stalls but aren't ever locked in so they rarely pee in there and the chickens instantly mulch the poo so it dries right away. I just go in once a MONTH with a snow shovel! Of course if you are locking them in at night you will need shavings or pellets to absorb the pee.

To Sample: I'm loading up my horses and driving up, we are moving into your barn!


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## Maple Hollow Farm (Feb 11, 2012)

Here are my barns. The little stallion barn is the only one done so far, we are still in rebuild mode and sadly winter finally caught up and put everything on hold.

My stallion barn has 4 permanent stalls on one side with exterior doors that will eventually have individual runs but right now just share a roundpen for turnout. On the other side of that little barn there is room for 4 gate stalls and hopefully 5 once I rearrange. It has a rollup door as well and once everything is finished that part of the barn will be divided off to be a run in shed for the pasture that will be over there.





















My main barn is up but not finished on the inside yet. It will have at least 8 stalls, hay loft, tack area, and eventually a wash rack. I will have to try and get a more current picture of it sometime but here is before the driveway and garage door were put in.






This is my run in shed for my mares with a lime base.


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## wildoak (Feb 11, 2012)

We built this barn about 6 years ago, after being in a older barn for 20 years I had some idea of what I needed lol.

http://www.wildoakfarm.com/barn4.jpg

Interior.

We initially used Priefert panels for stall dividers, they are great for airflow & light but we had to reinforce with wood top & bottom as the horses leaned & rubbed on them. Still can be removed fairly easily if I need to double a stall for foaling.

http://www.wildoakfarm.com/barn5.jpg

Overhang at rear of the barn - rear dutch doors on every other stall, opens up to 4 large runs behind.

I do have stall mats, wouldn't trade them for the world.

Jan

Don't know why photos are not showing up but the links do work...


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## MountainWoman (Feb 11, 2012)

Jan,

I'm going to borrow your stall set up. Loved your kitty sitting there in one of the photos , Maple Hollow, I love your barn too and the idea of having a stallion barn.

I'm getting fabulous ideas from all of you and I love seeing everyone's photos. These are some lucky miniature horses who are obviously well loved.


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## jyuukai (Feb 11, 2012)

Earthology said:


> I love the ideas posted here! It leads me to a question I have been meaning to ask myself...
> 
> I have a VERY large shed. Before I brought my first miniature horse, we converted it to a chicken coop.
> 
> ...


I had to laugh when I read your post, because it is so familiar! When my mare was about a year old we suddenly found that she was going to be homeless!



My parents however had a nice large fenced in back yard with a wooden 'too shed' that they kept random things in. They agreed to let us keep her there until we could find a better solution and we put a tarp down in the shed ontop of that wooden floor in place of a rubber mat, and we put shavings over that..

Now it was the biggest pain in the rear and I will never do it again but it worked because it had to! In order to deep clean we stripped the stall (which should be done sometimes anyhow) put the tarp over the fence and hosed it off. We did this every couple of months, depending on how much she was kept inside.

I do second the tamping down and gravel and rubber mats though. I cannot stand a dirt floored stall, I have worked at many barns over the years and those floors are such a pain! Rubber mats make life so much easier and seriously reduce the waste you go through with bedding! Not only do you throw out less but you can use less because the mats are a nice cushion for your horse!

Anyhow I love this thread! When we move up to be with the in-laws the wife and I plan to gut the old full-sized horse barn and re-do it for a small number of minis instead! I love seeing how people make barns and run ins for cheap, I get the best ideas from this forum


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## Equuisize (Feb 11, 2012)

This is our barn on the outside. It was a big open cavern, used as a workshop

when we bought the place 4 years ago.






Michael had to build stalls before we could move in and move the horses,

down to live here. They are 10x12.






Everything is screwed together, no nails, so configuration can be changed easily and

also should we ever move from here, if someone wanted it to be a shop again, it can

easily be turned back into that.






It's still a work in progress, inside. The exterior of the stall walls are cedar,

interior walls are tongue and groove, sit in a channel for easy height change or

removal, the doors are scooped on top so they can put their little faces out, floors are 3/4"

mats over concrete floors, the chew rails on the top of the divider walls are stainless steel.

There was already plumbing for a bathroom/which hasn't materialized yet and I'm waiting

with bated breath for my warm water wash rack.

The interior will look, eventually, like an old western town, with Graffe, our last big

horse's bedroom being the sheriff's office, the girl's will be the dance hall girls 

Even though unfinished, at this point, it's a dream come true after boarding my horses out

for 30+ years.


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## SampleMM (Feb 11, 2012)

Mareish Mom said:


> To Earhology: Second the gravel (or rockdust) covered with mats. works great. I don't even use shavings anymore. My horses have full access to the stalls but aren't ever locked in so they rarely pee in there and the chickens instantly mulch the poo so it dries right away. I just go in once a MONTH with a snow shovel! Of course if you are locking them in at night you will need shavings or pellets to absorb the pee.
> 
> To Sample: I'm loading up my horses and driving up, we are moving into your barn!


Load 'em up and head on up but we will have to put in an elevator and build stalls in the hay mow.


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## sdust (Feb 11, 2012)

I LOVE Love looking at barns! My barn, on 37 acres in Colorado, is everything that I ever wanted. I have one 10x10 stall for my mini and one 10x10 stall for my goat and about 20 bales of hay. I have a 5x10 tack/feed room. The top exterior of the barn is board and batton and the bottom exterior is stacked stone. My husband and I built it. I hope you enjoy the pictures.


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## Earthology (Feb 12, 2012)

@Equuisize:

DROOLING over your barn as well! WOW!

@Sdust:

OYE! Beautiful set up! I want your barn too!

@FancyShadow: What a brilliant idea: a round pen that is IN the barn so that you can work your horses even in bad weather.... Brilliant! Love it!


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## Miniequine (Feb 12, 2012)

Beautiful barns you all. Debbie.... I LOVE your barn!!!!!!!!!!!

this is my little barn. It works.. I love having runs off each stall in the back. Great for mares and babies for me


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## sdust (Feb 12, 2012)

Thanks for the comments on my barn. Miniequine, your BARN is Beautiful!!!! I would have love to do something like that but with only one mini it is hard to spend all that money that a barn like yours must of cost. Debbie


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## Miniequine (Feb 12, 2012)

sdust said:


> Thanks for the comments on my barn. Miniequine, your BARN is Beautiful!!!! I would have love to do something like that but with only one mini it is hard to spend all that money that a barn like yours must of cost. Debbie



Thank you... The way to justify it..? Get more minis !!



)


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## ~Dan (Feb 12, 2012)

Everyones barns and stables are so nice!!

Sdust; I really like your little stable, although I'm sure you won't stay with one mini for very long 

Miniequine; I love your barn, I would love to build one like yours eventually!

SampleMM; I love your barn too, and would love to see the inside if possible.

Fancy Shadow; I like the idea of indoor roundpen, it has certainly given me some ideas for our place in Illinois

I'll need to post some pictures of our little stable once I get some better pictures.

Dan.


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## MindyLee (Feb 12, 2012)

Im surprized some of you here can use round pens for stalls, my horses are too smart and know they can move them around by pushing them.


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## fancyshadow (Feb 12, 2012)

We decided to put a round pen in the barn so that we could actually be ready for the first may show. Seems to rain every other day here till mid may or later every year.



It also works to get horses to learn to jump over jumps. Just set them up where they are used to trotting around and they start to jump. Then we put them on a lead and jump them. Kids can handle them that way without so much help from Dave and Me.

After we work them in the pen for their alloted time, we open the gate and they can be enclosed in the pen along with the space between it and the stalls. There is a water tank there so they socialize a bit and get a drink while they cool down. Usually we leave them socialize about twice as long as they worked. We like to think it gives them something to look forward to after a workout.





The round pen is also the place our vet likes to do our gelding. We also use it for a place if we need to keep an eye on any horse and we want them to have plenty of room to move around. It is permanent and cannot be moved. It gets used for lots of things. I don't know how we got along without it.


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## sdust (Feb 12, 2012)

I have had the one mini (Trey) since 2005 and do not have any plans to add another. We are very active and go lots of places to drive, so Trey gets to see other equines. He has a goat, Maxwell, for a friend after losing our Dobby to cancer last year. Trey loved his Dobby goat and it was hard on both of us when we lost him. I travel back and forth from Colorado and Oklahoma and I have one more year that I will need to do that and having another mini is out of the question. Trey does fine with the way things are, at least he seems happy. When I am finally able to live full time on our property in Colorado, where my beautiful barn is, then maybe, but then who knows? Debbie


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## JMS Miniatures (Feb 12, 2012)

Miniequine I love your barn. I can't wait to be able to share my new barn hopefully this year. Already designed how I want it but still trying to work on how I want the stalls.


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## Marty (Feb 13, 2012)

_My fist thought was to mix a bunch of cement this spring and lay that down, creating dry ground. Someone said, however, that I would also have to put re-bar braces in so the cement doesn't crack under the miniature horse's weight._

First I think you have a good little building to start with. Seems solid enough and easy to add onto eventually also.

Ok I'll address your damp floor problem and the cement. Yes to make a concrete floor properly you will need to build your forms (we usually use scrap 2x4's) and rebar and pieces of left over field fencing. You'd need to pour it about 3 to 4" thick I'd imagine if that is the route you want to take.

If not, I would get a truckload of 1" gravel and pour it super thick. When we did our barn floors, we put in a lot more than needed because then we ran it over continuously with 4 wheelers and the tractors to pound it down......then added more. On top we were very generous with sand. Part of my stalls are matted and part of them are not. The ones that do not have mats, are the biggest pain in the rear and are the cause of many of my grey hairs and my loss of jovial lollipops and rainbow sense of humor. Seems like when you dig out your pee holes, they get deeper and deeper each day and it never stops because most of my horses have that certain designated pee place. Watch for mats to go on sale at Tractor Supply.

Also I'm looking at your tin roof. Be sure when the ground starts to thaw, that the roof is not "raining" from condensation. I'll bet it is causing a lot of the dampness inside. I had that happen in another barn and it was the death of me. Soaked my horses and stalls all the time and ruined my bedding constantly until my barn became totally combustible so watch out for that one. Its a biggie. That's when we went to tar and shingles on our new barn.

Best wishes to this very exciting endeavor.











This shows the inside of the stalls. I placed a board where they eat because they love to paw during dinner time. Drives me batty.






This is the back view of the stairs up to the loft and porch deck where I like to sit.


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## bluebird (Feb 13, 2012)

I love looking at everyone's barns and stalls! This is great as we have been trying to figure out a mini barn plan that will work for us. Great barns! 





 

Sdust, your barn setup is so close to what we have in mind! May I ask what your final cost was? We may have to have someone frame it out for us but hubby could easily finish it. As many have recommended, we are planning on gravel floor with rubber mats. I really like the L-shape idea!


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## Wings (Feb 13, 2012)

miniequine if your barn is gone when you go outside I didn't take it



:rofl

It really is beautiful though, and rather similar to what I hope to build in another year!


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## Furlow (Feb 14, 2012)

Pictures not too good, but taken from long distance away. Let mares run in the pasture with the lake in the day. At night I stall the mares and let the stallion run. Barn is 18 X 40. Sliding doors on end is for hay and feed. There are six stalls in the rest of the barn. I have two stallion pens, one small and one large. Lake sure helps with the water situation.


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## sdust (Feb 14, 2012)

Bluebird "Sdust, your barn setup is so close to what we have in mind! May I ask what your final cost was?"

It was more than it should have been because we used exterior products that will mirror the house. But our total cost including permit fees was $8300. However, my insurance company valued it at $14,500. It has a metal roof and the board and batten was from a local lumber mill and that was $3000 and the rock was $500. So if you get a better deal on the exterior products you can built it for a little less. Hope that this helps. I do have the plans back in Colorado and would love to share them with you if you would like. I will not be back in Colorado until May. Let me know. Debbie


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## bluebird (Feb 15, 2012)

Debbie, Yes, thank you, I would love to see your barn plans. I think it would help me with our layout, where to have the stall, hay storage and future cart storage. We are looking at 10' x 24' with 7' overhang in front. 

 

I love the board and batten look...that's my favorite.


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