Gimme Shelter, Part 3 of 3

Plan your horse shelter for ease, efficiency, and possible expansion

by Alayne Blickle, Horses for Clean Water, www.horsesforcleanwater.com

This month we wind up our series on setting up an at-home horse shelter by covering a few final design points as well as considering the back end of the horse: manure management. I’ll also provide some further resources on manure management, building shelters, and horse care.

Waste Space

A critical consideration for your horse shelter is manure management. If you plan for a system of managing your horse’s manure, such as composting, you can figure that into your design and chore-efficiency considerations. A 1,000 lb. horse produces about 50 lbs. of manure per day, equaling about one cubic foot daily. With bedding, that comes to two cubic feet per day.

Plan your manure storage area to accommodate the amount of stall waste you will be accumulating. You can utilize finished compost in pastures, gardens or lawns, or you can arrange to haul it away. For additional help with manure management see the Horses for Clean Water Tip Sheet “How to Compost and Use Horse Manure” at www.horsesforcleanwater.com/tipsheets/index.html. For additional help with bin designs, contact your local county conservation district or extension office. Using your favorite Internet search engine, type in the name of your county and the words “conservation district” or “extension.” Your county’s solid waste department may also offer classes on composting.

Plan for the Future

When planning your barn, lay out the interior to simplify chores. Keep tools and equipment storage in a central area. If you will be using large equipment inside your barn, consider the size of aisleways, doors, gates, interior posts, etc. Lay out your compost bins so that they are easily accessed when cleaning stalls and paddocks, as well as for using the finished compost.

Other considerations include versatility and options for future expansion. Is there a possibility of an additional horse in the future? How about more pasture areas? Or a storage location for a future tractor? Would you love to build an outdoor arena someday? Keeping your dreams in mind when you start out helps avoid costly redoes down the road.

Safety Concerns

An important consideration for any size shelter is fire safety and prevention. Always have good wiring and good electrical work done. Practice good housekeeping by keeping areas clear and regularly cleaning up cobwebs and dust. Keep the proper size and type of fire extinguisher centrally located and in good working order.

For More Information

Here are some excellent reference books on these topics. Check them out from your local library or help support Horses for Clean Water by purchasing them through the Amazon.com link on www.horsesforcleanwater.com.

Horsekeeping on a Small Acreage (2005 revised and updated edition) by Cherry Hill is an excellent reference book on horse facility design and management. It includes information on understanding horses, designing a horse facility for your land, and designs for horse barns and other facilities.

Horse Housing: How to Plan, Build and Remodel Barns and Sheds by Richard Klimesh and Cherry Hill. This beautiful book has lots of wonderful, detailed ideas and explanations – plus it’s fun to read, look at the photos, and dream.

Equipping Your Horse Farm: Tractors, Trailers, Trucks and More by Cherry Hill and Richard Klimesh. Whether you have one acre or one hundred, you probably need a tractor or ATV, some implements, a truck and a trailer. This book can help.

The Perfect Stall by Karen E. N. Hayes. Learn how to provide five-star accommodations to improve your horse's health, comfort, and safety with less work for you.

Additionally, check out the Horses for Clean Water website for upcoming events. HCW offers loads of free or low-cost educational opportunities on mud, manure and pasture management.

With these thoughts in mind you are ready to begin the design and construction phase of your horse’s shelter. Good luck and good horsekeeping to you!

~Alayne