Need Building Ideas

[Lil' Horse Lover]

Okay here's the scoop.....it'll be an independent stall, meaning it's not inside of a barn, it'll just be one big foaling stall for my one pregnant mare. We'll build it next to our house so it'll be close so I can check on her easily.

So does anyone have any ideas? I've got to get a list of materials, measurments and prices, I'm starting from scratch. We'd like to spend as little as we can for what I need, but I want it to look nice and work well. So not looking to make a shed out of cardboard but can't spend thousands as if we were building a new barn.

So anybody have any resonable priced building ideas or have you built something similar yourself? If so can I get measurements/dimensions (length, height, width), what materials you used, and prices? Pictures would be awesome as well.

Thanks!

 

[Bess Kelly]

"Won't believe what they can get into to"

OR -- out of! Lay down on one side of a fence and get up on the other! I actually had one get out from under a stall door once, same way -- lay down, wiggle in sleep and up on wrong side. Generally solid walls about 2' up in stall prevents "most" hoof hang ups, etc. You can buy flexible bucket hooks or use a rope hook, a ring that lays flat, etc.....all part of the "if it can happen it will" stuff.

 

[AnnaC]

You have some good suggestions so far. I would agree with Diane as 12 x 12 being enough/the minimum suitable size for a mini to foal in. I do know that many folk cannot give this amount of space for various reasons, but you are starting from scratch so make the stall as big as you can - reason being, having enough room for one flat out foaling mini plus you and an assistant, or you and a vet if needed. Also in case of bad weather a 12 x 12 will give a new foal enough space to scamper around if it needs to be contained for a day or two.

If you are worried about water getting in from outside (if you cant find the perfect position on the ground available) then dig a ditch round the outside of your new building to catch any possible rain water and channel it off down the pasture. If you can afford it, then an overhang of the roof over the front of the building is well worth it - somewhere you can stand out of any rain while watching your mare, also it helps to keep any bad weather from blowing straight into the door.

When are you expecting your mare to foal, you must be excited, and it will be lovely having her and her new baby right next to your house.

Can we have pictures of the finished building please?