Owning horses is an incredibly rewarding experience. Whether you’re breeding them, using them for farm work, or you just enjoy raising them, being around these majestic animals on a daily basis is simply good for the soul.
Depending on how many horses you have, the weather in your location, and the layout of your property, you might have different needs when it comes to your horse barn. All horses need a barn to house them, protect them from the elements, and keep them in one place for grooming and medical care.
4 Types of Horse Barns
There are multiple different types of horse barns you can use, all with their own pros and cons. In case you have one or more horses on your property and are looking to build a barn for them, let’s go over a few of the best horse barn design ideas:
1. Run-In Shed
This is one of the simplest and cheapest types of horse barn ideas. It’s primarily used to protect horses from the elements during outdoor work and only features 3 walls. The open side of the barn allows the horses to walk in and out as they please and caters to their nature as prey animals, giving them the sense that they can watch out for predators.
Run-in sheds are perfect if you only have a few horses as they don’t take up much space. They don’t come equipped with a tack room or a second story for hay storage, so they don’t have quite as many requirements when it comes to the overall design.
2. Shed Row
Shed row barns are very similar to run-in sheds except that they have an additional 4th wall where the run-in shed does not. This wall features stall doors that can be closed or left open depending on your preference. Best suitable for warm weather climates, the shed row barn provides excellent protection against the elements, great ventilation, natural light, and a view of the outdoors that horses love.
3. Racetrack
Racetrack barns are built by putting two shed row barns right across from each other with a center aisle in the middle. They open out to opposite sides from each other, preventing the horses from a view of each other.
This is great for horses who are territorial and may experience distress at the introduction of new horses into the barn. These types of barns are not considered to be ideal for cold-weather climates because the ventilation is so good that it can be hard to maintain an indoor temperature suitable for the animals.
4. Center Aisle
Center aisle barns are built with a row of stalls on each side and a center aisle in the middle. Unlike other interior horse barn ideas, these barns open out into the middle of the barn, giving your horses a view of each other. For mild-mannered horses, this is ideal because it allows them to see their fellow companions and derive comfort from that.
Center aisle barns are the most common type of horse barn and can be scaled up into very impressive, two-story barns with tons of space for hay storage, tack rooms, breeding stalls, and other horse barn luxuries. They are considered to be an all-weather style of horse barn.
Horse Barn Considerations
Tack Rooms
Tack rooms are a place to store all your grooming equipment. They should feature moisture and temperature control to prevent mold growth on items like leather saddles. A door can help debris from getting on the valuable equipment inside, and a mini fridge is perfect for storing medications.
Wash Stalls
Wash stalls will allow you to clean your horses no matter what the weather is like outside. They need non-slip flooring, proper drainage, a hot water tank, frost-free fixtures, and a cabinet for storage. Overhead hose systems are a plus, for easier cleaning.
Flooring
Flooring is one of the most important aspects of any horse barn. Many horse barn ideas use concrete flooring, but permeable flooring is a much better option for both the interior and exterior of horse barns.
Permeable pavers like the kind made by TRUEGRID, for example, are the best choice for maximizing permeability, durability, ease of maintenance, and resistance to insects and mold. They also make a great paving option for any landscaping around your horse barns for these reasons.
TRUEGRID PRO LITE and TRUEGRID PRO PLUS pavers are both perfect for locking gravel into place over a 4” – 8” subsurface of gravel to create a durable, level surface that is 100%-permeable and better for the health of your horses’ feet. Permeable pavement flooring is easy to clean, and needs only to be sprayed down and swept.
It’s also non-slip and great at deflecting the odors commonly found within horse barns. You won’t find any horse barn design ideas for flooring that stay dryer and cleaner with less effort on your part than permeable pavers like the kind made by TRUEGRID.
Build Your Horse Barn with the Best Flooring for Horses with TrueGrid
When it comes to flooring that meets all the needs of a horse barn and then some, TRUEGRID permeable pavers are the best in class. If you want horse barn floors that are eco-friendly, 100%-permeable, durable enough to last 60 years with only minimal maintenance, and incredibly easy to install, call TRUEGRID today and get in touch with a pavement professional for a free quote.
