I’ve had big barn plans in the past, but I’ve since scaled back my more elaborate ideas. A couple of factors play into this – the time required, the cost, and considering resale value down the road. If I built something more elaborate, chances are I would never get my money back.
So, the new plan!
I’ve started by moving all the hay and things I need storing into the shed that was originally Stu’s house. It makes for nice storage, especially with all the gravel I put out. (Pic above). I think the horses got used to loafing around in the shed and were a bit disappointed to lose it. They did manage to break into the area one day, and I found them munching on the hay and leaving manure everywhere, but I’ve managed to keep them out since.
This leaves the old hay storage area open for my next project.
Looking in from the front, still lots of hay leftover.
For now, I’ve been using the space to feed Stu. He’s at the bottom of the pecking order, and the other horses pick on him as they leave their own stalls after eating.
The plan is to turn this open space into two stalls. One would be Stu’s and one would be Pony’s. I would remove part of the wall on the left to create an aisle running the length of the barn. The end result would be a shed row barn with a small aisle in the front. Simple, but effective for my purposes.
The first part of putting up the stalls will not be fun. I think that the current roof beams are not getting enough support, so I’ll be putting up more posts to support the roof. The front area has a nice thick post, but the back area has small weak posts holding it up. It feels like one of those situations where it might be fine, but I’d rather know for sure that the roof has enough support.
The roof still needs to be replaced, but that will, unfortunately, end up being pushed off. For the harmony of the herd, I really need Stu to have his own stall to be in when the weather is bad. He gets picked on a lot and ends up spending bad weather out by himself.
So, first it will be the new supports, then the stalls themselves, and then the new roof. Other projects that don’t have a definite time frame are the new siding on the barn, and having individual run outs for each stall.
I also have plans for more work outside the barn itself. I want to finish fencing in the little barnyard I’ve been working on. I also have a crazy little plan that would require much more planning – a little building across the barnyard, facing the barn with a tack room and a grooming stall. It’s really appealing to me right now. It would be perfect for the farrier and vet, and of course, perfect for tack storage. I’m really excited about the prospect of it! Of course, it would require much more planning, and who knows when that would actually go in.
This all feels like a huge undertaking, but I’m optimistic that it would work really well for me. It will definitely take a while though. I’m disappointed that it’s now getting colder and much less pleasant to be outside, but still hoping that I’ll be able to get it done!