Our time provides a lot of conditions and opportunities for the construction of horse stables. You can buy a ready-made structure, order it on a turnkey basis, hire a team for construction or carry out all the work yourself. The most budgetary way is to build it yourself.
Preparing to build a stable
In each of these cases, it is worth relying on the goal of horse breeding and its volumes. A small structure is quite enough to keep several animals involved in economic activities, but you can keep horses in a barn with the rest of the cattle and small cattle. For sports horses, breeding or for mass production for slaughter, spacious comfortable stables are needed.
Before construction, make an estimate based on the design plan of the stable and prices for materials and work. This will save you from alterations in the construction process and unnecessary expenses, will clearly show the entire amount of necessary funds and work. Consultations with experts and study of the mass of additional literature will not be superfluous.
Site selection
It is worth considering carefully when choosing a site for the construction of a home for horses. It is desirable that it be a plain or a small hill. In the lowlands, animals will be protected from the wind, but dampness will settle in the stable. Excessive moisture will have a negative effect on horses' hooves.
If the site is located on a hill, then the water quickly leaves it, but accessibility to the winds will become a weak point. Constant drafts are detrimental to animals. This is inevitable, therefore, it is worthwhile to provide for natural barriers of trees that form the so-called forest belts.
The choice of material for construction
Be responsible for the choice of material for the construction of a home for horses. For the construction of a durable warm and dry stables, brick and wood are especially often used, as an alternative they use adobe, bulk mixes and insulation with a frame structure.
Do not use stone and concrete blocks. Such a structure will not be able to provide and maintain the necessary microclimate for animals. Adobe constructions are warm, but short-lived.
Brick
The most popular material for construction, which has a lot of positive reasons:
- buildings are erected for centuries, independent of the impact of environmental factors;
- minimal heat loss, moisture does not accumulate;
- the thickness of the walls in the climate of Central Russia should be at least 2 bricks.
A significant drawback of such a building material is the cost of construction and the low speed of work on the construction of the structure.
Wood
Wooden buildings have a more respectable look. It is not difficult to work with such material, and the speed of work is at a constantly high level. Wooden rooms keep heat well and conduct air. The animals will be comfortable in such stables. When building a wooden dwelling, you should use logs or beams no thinner than 20 cm, sheathing them with clapboard.
The use of wood in construction has its drawbacks:
- Short operational life of the stable. Wood tends to deteriorate under physical impact.
- The building has a high level of fire hazard.
- Fungus, carpenter beetles, etc. can spoil the structure and make it life-threatening in a short time. The problem is partially solved by the use of impregnations and wood treatments. These are additional operating expenses.
Frame-backfill construction
Buildings of this kind are distinguished by the lowest cost price. The frame is erected from wood or metal. Double walls are being erected, and the voids are filled with a mixture of sawdust and expanded clay, mineral wool and other insulation.
If there are gaps on the walls between the joint material, then the internal free-flowing filling will wake up through them. This forms air pockets inside where rodents and pests can settle. In addition, due to the voids, the thermal insulation of the stable will decrease. Heat loss, condensation, and dampness are inevitable in this situation.
Stables arrangement
The size of the stable and the rooms inside it depends on the number of horses and the purpose of their breeding. So, in the case of sports stallions, large corrals are needed, and when breeding a breed, one cannot do without a maternity box for females and fences for foals. But still, the main set of premises has a constant composition.
Dennik
A separate room for a horse with loose habitation is called a stall. Some conditions apply to its arrangement:
- The size of the stall is at least 9 sq. m. Ceiling height 2.5 m.
- Lighting in every stall. The lamp must be out of reach of the animal.
- Partitions between stalls. It is possible to leave a small gap in them so that the horse does not push a hoof into it.
- The thickness of the partition made of wood should not be less than 3 cm. Otherwise, the animal will break it with an imprudent movement.
Stables
Each individual should have its own stall, where the animal is located with its head against the wall. The horse is tied in it with a medium-length rein. To restrict the movement of animals, in the stall, a plastic or belt brace is put on the back of the body, including the legs.
The stables are used for educational purposes, teaching animals to discipline, during the domestication and training of horses. While in the stall, attention and observation develops.
Passages
The width of the passage in the stable depends on the size of the room itself and the number of horses it contains. Most often, 3 m of free space is left so that it is convenient to transfer the animals to sanitary boxes, stalls, or simply to take them out into the open air. In addition, you should consider the passage of carts during feeding and harvesting, or mini tractors.
Auxiliary premises
In addition to the main premises where horses are kept, the stable should be equipped with the following premises:
- Aft compartment.The room is used to compose and complete the daily ration of animals, so it should be dry, light and clean. The location of the room is as close as possible to the stalls.
- Hay storage... It is planned to be adjacent to the stern room. General stocks of hay are stored here, so fire prevention measures must be taken.
- Storage room for working tools.All equipment for caring for animals should be in one room.
- Harness room.All the ammunition for animals is stored here, there are refrigerators with medicines, washing machines, etc.
- Sanitary box. Includes a veterinarian examination room, horse shower and solarium.
- Storage for bedding material.The size of the room is at least 4 sq. Dry, clean room with low humidity levels.
- Horse corral. The size depends on the number of animals in the stable. The floor in the pen is made of special rubber or covered with sawdust.
- Location of the fire shield.
Design and measurements
If there is a project, the construction goes smoothly and without problems. Therefore, it takes a lot of time to prepare, calculate, measure and select materials. But it's better to fix something in the project than to reshape the construction during the process.
Foundation
Before erecting the foundation, the preparation of the site will be a necessary measure. It is cleared of any type of vegetation, and the trees are uprooted as much as possible, and the topsoil is removed.
If the plans include a brick stable, then the foundation will have to be poured with a concrete strip type. A waterproofing material is laid on top of the concrete to protect the walls from dampness. For other types of structures, a gravel pad is poured and a foundation of pillars is mounted. For this, corner supports are installed and from them, with the help of a chopping cord or level, even rows of a columnar base are built. The number of pillars depends on the area of the proposed structure.
A protective layer is laid on the foundation. Pressed wood paneling will prevent rodents and other unwanted guests from entering the stable.
Erection of the frame
When building a brick building, you do not need to build a wooden frame. In other cases, you cannot do without it. It makes no sense to save on materials used in such works. The tree should be of the best quality, because the life of the entire stable depends on this.
The frame with a height of 3-3.5 m is assembled from a bar, with fastening of diagonal beams for greater stability and strength. It is imperative to study the design diagram before assembling so that there are no unnecessary questions and moments that drag out time in the work. When assembling, consider the location of the window and door openings.
Walls
The first step in the construction of walls is to decide on their thickness. This parameter is directly dependent on the climate of the region of location. The lower the winter temperature, the thicker the walls of the stable. The 25 cm wall maintains a microclimate in the most severe frosts. The minimum wall thickness is 10 cm.
When assembling wooden walls, it is recommended to use several types of fasteners, and keep the distance between them the same. This will increase the structural strength. Consider waterproofing between the foundation and the wall.
Divide the area of the stable into stalls using wooden partitions. They can be mounted under the ceiling by making window openings on both sides, and inserting grilles into them. Another option is to construct wooden dividers from 1.3m to 15m high.
Keep in mind that for each animal, a stall of a minimum size of 3 × 4 m is required.A space of 4 × 5 m is considered optimal.
Roof
To protect animals from bad weather, precipitation and keep warm in the room, a reliable roof is required. The most popular are pitched and gable roofs with a water drainage system. The first option is the cheapest, because it takes the minimum amount of materials. A layer of vapor barrier is laid on wooden beams, and then a slate, metal-profile or other roof is assembled.
During the construction of a gable, more building materials will be required, but the advantage will be the ability to use the attic space for household needs. You can store hay, straw, accessories, or any other material there.
Sew up the ceiling with a board no thinner than 5 cm, and insulate with expanded clay or mineral wool. This will additionally keep the room warm.
Floor laying
In the construction of stables, 2 floor compounds are used:
- Adobe. Comfortable for horse hooves, as it is quite soft in composition. Its cost is inexpensive, you can fix and correct the shortcomings yourself, while not spending a lot of time and effort. Slurry grooves are easily formed. But, such a floor tends to absorb moisture well. To kill germs from horse feces, floor sanitation is required. In this case, this is not possible.
- Concrete. Washes well, does not absorb liquid animal waste. In stalls, the floor is poured at a slight angle so that the liquid drains into the sanitary holes behind the compartment and is removed from the stable. The main disadvantages of a concrete floor are considered to be hardness and low thermal conductivity. Therefore, it is recommended to lay a layer of boards on such a floor. This will protect the horses' hooves and prevent them from freezing on cold surfaces.
- Wooden.Often used in the construction of frame stables. For its installation, a pit is pulled out, which is later covered with coarse gravel. Do not leave an air cushion under the floor. It will make the building unstable. Around the perimeter for drainage, a ditch is provided, the depth of which is at least half a meter. Such a floor requires periodic replacement due to wear and tear of the material.
Windows and doors
The optimal width for the door is considered to be 1.5 m. If the size of the stable allows, then it is better to use hinged swing door types. They are more reliable in terms of resistance to animal attacks. Otherwise, you will have to be content with sliding ones. They save space, but are less reliable in operation. Among all the options for locks and latches, the regular constipation is the favorite.
The area allotted for window openings is calculated as 1/8 of the total area of frame walls or 1/15 of the floor area. The standard size of the windows is 50 cm by 70 cm. They are installed at a height from the floor not lower than 1.5 m, but not higher than 2 m. Be sure to cover the opening window openings with a mosquito net so that insects do not interfere with the horses.
Communications design
An important component at the planning stage is the presentation of various kinds of communications. Do not rush, consult with specialists, because the conditions for the comfort of finding animals depend on such work.
Electricity
For horses, daylight hours should be at least 8 hours, so in winter and in inclement weather, additional lighting will be required, powered by electricity. In addition, the artificial ventilation system and other automated systems, refrigerators operate from the network.
All bulbs should be in closed shades so that if one of them bursts, the horses will not be injured by shrapnel. In addition, it is advisable to shield all lighting and other electrical devices with metal grates in order to avoid the physical impact of animals on them.
The wiring must be hidden under the cable channels, and the switches must be placed out of the reach of horses.
Ventilation
Ventilation is a system designed to optimize the gas exchange in the stable and to maintain moisture levels and sufficient oxygen.
The natural flow of air comes from the ventilation shaft holes left under the ceiling and open windows. But with a large area of the stable, it is recommended to install mechanical artificial ventilation. There should be 1 ventilation pipe for 12 horses.
Do not leave gaps in the ceiling for ventilation. This will lead to constant drafts and animal diseases.
In mechanical ventilation, the air flow is driven by fans. Their work should be with the lowest possible noise level so as not to concentrate the attention of animals on themselves and to be calmly in the stable.
Water supply and heating
Bringing water to the stable is desirable, but not necessary. You can bring water from the street, which will take much more time and effort. If the water supply is connected to the horses' dwelling, then it is possible to organize automatic drinkers, and the cleaning process will be facilitated. You can use a hose and flush out any impurities.
On the coldest winter days, the air temperature in the stable should not drop below 6-8 ° C. Horses usually maintain the room temperature with their breath and body heat. If it is located in harsh climatic zones, a heating system is indispensable. For a large stable, the optimal solution would be to install a boiler, and for a small dwelling, an electric or other heater is enough.
Arrangement inside the stable
It is worth equipping the interior decoration of the stable so that it is comfortable for the horses to be there, and it is convenient for a person to carry out cleaning and other work.
Feeders and drinkers
Feeders can be purchased ready-made or made by hand. The main thing is that it is convenient for the animals to eat from them, and the owner does not inconvenience their filling. Feeders are often hung on the wall at a height of no more than 1 m from the floor, and a hatch is made above them so that you can put food without going into the stall.
Never spill horse food onto the floor. There is a good chance that the animal will become infected with tetanus or worms.
Automatic drinkers will facilitate the work of caring for horses, otherwise it is recommended to install special containers, given that the animal needs up to 50 liters of water per day.
Drinking bowls and feeders must be periodically cleaned and washed with disinfectant solutions.
Stall and bedding
The stall should be comfortable and safe. Size varies depending on the breed of the horse. The height from the floor is at least 2.5 m. It is advisable to make the walls of wood or metal bars, so that the animals can see each other.
Sawdust, straw or peat can be used as bedding. They should be changed every few days, carefully cleaning from the corners. Litter 50 cm thick is changed at intervals of once a month or two.
Watch in the video the arrangement of the stables using the example of one stud farm:
Construction of a summer stables and insulation
The summer room for horses does not require registration, since it is not a permanent structure. It is easier to build it, there are no special requirements.
The most common option for building a summer stable is the frame collection method. Using a bar, boards, fasteners and a level, the skeleton and frame of the room are assembled.
The walls are assembled from lumber using insulation. A wooden floor is installed. Windows and doors are inserted into the openings.
When installing roof beams, consider the slope in order to organize the gutters. The beams are hemmed with a board, an insulating layer is laid on top, and a special film is nailed with a stapler. Plywood with moisture-repellent impregnation is nailed on top. Next, a slate roof is mounted.
Finishing and insulation
Any boards and lumber are used to decorate the summer stables. It can be both OSB-panels, chipboard, fiberboard, and multi-layer plywood or board of the highest quality. Everything depends on the price component and operational plans.
It is possible to insulate the room using mineral wool, polystyrene foam, foam plastic, ecowool, etc. The building materials market is rich in its offers.
Levada
Levada is designed for daily outdoor walks, exercises and training with horses. When arranging it, only safe materials are used. Wood is preferred.
It is not allowed to use barbed wire or electric current to fence the levada.
A fence around the corral is erected at least 1.5 m high, with pole bases every 1.5-2 m. The locks on the gates should be reliable, but easy to use. The territory of the levada is ideally lined with rubber tiles or a special coating.
The construction of a stable is a necessary event for a horse breeder. The choice of building materials and the construction project are discussed at the initial stage. Planning in this process is the key to success. In a well-built room, the animals will be comfortable and safe.