Tips for Unique Stables and Barns for Your Horses

A lot of the time your stables are going to be built according to a particular style or pattern. This definitely has advantages. It means several people can use your stables and already have an idea of how everything is laid out and arrayed. However building a unique stables for your horse not only allows you to invest yourself more into the building, but also add new features and facilities that standard designs may not allow for. So here are a handful of tips you can use to help make your stables more unique to you and your horses.

Storage

Keep your storage in the middle of the barn for objects such as feed, blankets, hay and riding equipment. Doing this allows you to reduce the amount of time it takes for people to go from individual stalls to storage, which in general makes things a lot more convenient and efficient. If you’re lucky to have a particularly large set of stables, you may even want to establish a storage area in the dead centre of the stables itself, with the stables arrayed around it.

For increased efficiency, and to truly give yourself unique stables, you can also have the storage that is accessibly from all sides. Doing so also has the advantage of reducing the temptation to leave supplies to fester at the back, using only what can be immediately accessed from the front. This not only makes your storage more time and space efficient, but also increases cost efficiency.

Another feature that can help improve your unique stables is to install a means of storing jumping poles, namely by nailing gutter brackets to the side of the wall. You can store your poles on those, keeping them in one place and off the floor.

Finally you can also store feed in plastic industrial barrels. Usually feed comes in large sacks that, while convenient to transport, do little to protect the feed from vermin or the elements. Storing it within plastic barrels will not only keep the feed in one place, but also help preserve them for longer than can be attained by feed sacks. Just make sure the barrels are cleaned out first, so as to keep them hygienic.

Stalls

Remember that your stalls are where your horses will be any time they’re not in the field, as such they should be designed for their comfort. Make sure they’re bright, airy and open, with good visibility of the surrounding stable. Horses are herd animals, and being to see horses in other stalls can help keep them contented.

There may be a temptation to make your stalls larger than usual. Try to keep control of this urge, as the larger the stall is, the more bedding you will need and the more cleaning it will need too. In general your horse only really needs enough room to move around and lay down comfortably. Anymore is simply inefficient.

For added safety, you may wish to round down the corners of any out jutting wooden frames or struts. This will stop your horses injuring themselves as they brush against them during work.

Flooring

There’s no real advantage to any particular flooring material, and each one has its own advantages and disadvantages to recommend it. In general, though, you should avoid concrete as these will injure your horses’ legs as they walk across it. Good choices are popcorn asphalt, or interlocking rubber bricks.

For more information on unique stables, or for a range of wooden stables, garages and other wooden structures, visit the website of Jon William Stables. Alternatively, call them directly by calling 01380 850 965.

Things to consider when buying a Timber Stable

The use of timber as a building material in construction has been momentous. Timber is an easy material to work with as it can be shaped specifically into its desired use and offers strength and longevity. Unfortunately, timber is also extremely attractive to various insects and also fungal infestation which can weaken its structure – making for a less than solid build.

Wood boring insects can seriously damage wood structures as they eat their way through, literally tunnelling through the very core structure of the timber. Once inside adults will lay their eggs which, once hatched, continue to eat through the material as they develop. Once fully mature, these beetles then repeat the process; making for easily infested wood. Most timber boring insects prefer damp wood conditions and so any external timber structures are more prone to an ‘attack’.

The other major destroyer of timber is fungal decay; or more specifically dry rot and wet rot. This decay is, again, able to grow better in damp conditions. These fungal infestations can cause the timber to split and often shrink making any structure extremely weak. If undetected, fungal rot can causes masses of structural damage that, at worst, could result in a collapsed structure.

If opting for timber as a building material it is important to take every precaution to prevent such destructive infestations occurring – particularly if using it externally where it is more prone to damp conditions. If you are looking at a timber stable structure, you should opt for a product that uses pre-treated timber. Timber stables, such as those sold by Jon Williams Stables, are usually protected against both insect and fungal decay with a high pressure treatment called tantalising. This treatment preserved the timber making it less likely to be attacked by such intrusive destroyers.

If you are looking for a new timber stable and want to be assured that it will withstand against possible decay and insect infestation, please speak to a member of the Jon Williams Stable team by calling 01380 850 965 to find out more about their timber treatments. Alternatively, please visit the company’s website to view a wide range of timber stables that use tantalised timber as standard to add to the longevity of your structure.

Timber Stable Construction and Maintenance

Getting a suitable timber stable built to shelter your horse or pony is something you want to do quickly and efficiently. Fortunately this is what this guide hopes to give you a hand with with a series of basic steps for you to follow.

Step 1) Survey the Ground

The first step is to survey the ground that the stable is to be built on. Ideally the ground should be soft enough that preparing foundations does not take longer than it needs to. At the same time, it should also not be so soft that it could sink or list after construction. The grounds immediately outside and within the timber stable should also be relatively flat and even, to make movement easier for your horses.

Take a look at surrounding plants too. Scour the ground of any weeds that may be harmful to your horses and remove them thoroughly with weed killer. This will help ensure that the stable and the surrounding area are safe places for your horses and won't cause them any unnecessary harm.

Step 2) Plan Your Timber Stable’s Layout

The function and capacity of your stables are two important things to consider. A simple shelter to keep your horses out of the wind and rain while out in the paddock to graze and stretch their legs will not be the same as a stables intended for them to sleep overnight in.

The former can literally just be a small shed tucked away in the corner of the paddock, while the latter will be a fairly large structure with numerous rooms, storage areas and amenities.

Timber stables intended for bedding down in will also need to take into consideration other factors, such as....

• The stable should be designed to make evacuation of horses fast and painless in case of emergencies, like a fire or a bad storm. 

• Ensure that you have factored in high ceilings and broad throughways, with at least two large exit doors that swing open from the inside. 

• Another important detail to work into your timber stable are more general elements relating to the horses’ health and sanity -- they should be bright, airy and have good access to clean water. 

• Electronic lighting for the evenings would also be a good investment. 

• Storage rooms should be large, dry and air-tight, while easily accessible by the stables at large.

Step 3) Materials and Construction

Construction materials should, of course, be durable and strong. A horse, when bored or frustrated, may lash out with its hooves at the stalls. While no wood can last forever against iron-shod hooves and strong hind legs, stronger woods will allow the stables to last longer. Oak is a traditional building material for English-style timber stables. However stronger, heavier woods tend towards the expensive and not everyone can afford thick oak beams or panelling.

An important thing to consider is the possibilities of the wood splintering, try to line any wooden areas with ply, to further protect the horses. Concrete is a good all-purpose base for your foundation, although you should cover the floor with hay or wooden floor beams to help soften the ground for your horse’s hooves and legs. Hard floors may cause them injury.

For further information about timber stables, or for a selection of affordable flat-pack stable sets, you can always visit the website of Jon Williams Stables, a provider of professional timber stables and equine supplies. You can also contact them directly by phoning 01380 850965.

Timber Stables Fire Safety

If you have stables, chances are they’re timber stables, unfortunately wood sets on fire easily. As such, if you want to avoid fires that could very easily have been avoided, it’s important to ensure that you and anyone else using your stables follow fire safety procedures very closely.

For reference, it takes about two minutes for a horse to die in a fire. You have about thirty seconds tops to get the horse out of the stables before the smoke starts searing its lungs.

So what can you do to prevent this sort of occurrence? The most basic thing you can do is just enforce some basic fire safety measures around your timber stables. No smoking. No open flames. Make sure hay is properly dry before storing it. Don’t leave hot objects lying around where it could ignite dry hay. Make sure wiring and other electronics are well maintained. Install fire alarms. The basics. Also make sure that everyone is familiar with the layout of your stables, and drill out a basic plan of action should your stables ever catch fire so that people know what to do and how to do it.

Another more integral thing can be undertaken to ensure that horses sheltering within your timber stables are more protected in the event of fire, and that’s to carefully plan out the overall lay out of the stables. For example, make sure that the spaces inside the stable are fairly spacious and airy, so that smoke doesn’t build up inside too quickly. That can buy you precious minutes to get the horses out of their stalls and out of the stables before they start suffering from smoke inhalation. A high ceiling also helps with this.

You should also design your stable doors so that they swing outwards, so as to make opening them easier during an emergency. Exists should also be placed on as many of the walls as possible to provide your horses (and any hands) plenty of avenues for escape. It also helps to space buildings a fair distance away from each other, say about 10ft-20ft apart, so that flames have a harder time spreading from building to building.

 Every little helps, and there are dozens of other strategies and techniques you can use to protect your horses and property from fire. Doing all this can make your timber stables safer, and also protect your horses more effectively in the event of a fire.

Timber Stables on the Move -- The Pros and Cons

A good functioning stable is essential for the care and health of your horse. It is where your horse is sheltered, its food is kept, and the equipment needed for its care is stored away and put to use. However sometimes a permanent stable is not always possible, whether it’s because you do not actually own the field in which it’s kept or planning permission for a permanent structure is hard to acquire. Temporary timber stables, thus, can be a practical and cheap solution to the problem of providing adequate housing for your horse.

What are the main advantages of a temporary timber stable, then? One of the largest ones is the cost. Because a timber stable is made out of cheap and lightweight materials, for the simple reason that the stables is not intended to be a permanent structure, it can be bought and assembled at a much lower cost than a stable stable (excuse the pun). For example you can acquire a relatively simple timber stable for only a few thousand pounds, whereas a more established stable with fixed foundations and more heavy materials could well cost you tens of thousands of pounds. The fact that it’s so lightweight means that it’s very easy to assemble and disassemble, usually requiring no more than five people, some power tools and a day.

The second advantage behind a mobile stable is just that -- its mobile. This makes it ideal for horse owners who do not own their own field and may have to move around their horse frequently as they search for one they’d like to rent long term, or until they can afford one of their own. A mobile timber stables can easily be disassembled and placed onto a trailer for transportation to a new field, or else given wheels if the distance is not so great.

There are of course disadvantages to owning a temporary stable, the largest being that they are not suitable for prolonged inhabitation by your horses. Eventually the materials will start to wear and break down, especially if your horse has the habit of kicking at your stable walls or door when bored, frightened or frustrated. This will mean replacing, which in the long run will be more expensive than actually building a permanent structure. They are also not suitable for your horses -- consider staying for prolonged periods in a timber stables the equivalent of spending several months living in a camping tent. A temporary structure is only intended to be used until a more suitable structure can be found or erected.

For more information regarding temporary and timber stables, why not visit the website of Jon Williams Stables, which specialises in the production, sale and assembly of temporary structures for horses and ponies. Alternatively why not contact them directly by phoning their hotline, which is 01380 850 965? Their staff are always on hand to help and give advice.