Looking to build a horse barn? 

Bring Your Horses Home today.

No matter what breed of horses you own, certainly you want to provide them with the best home possible – and there is no better place for them than home with you and your family.  If you have sufficient property to accommodate your horses, the convenience of having them home is unimaginable.  Boarding your horses on your own property allows you to spend more time and enjoy them so much more.  By eliminating the large monthly rent you are paying to board your horses elsewhere you could be the sole owner of your own barn.  In addition you will be adding value to your property and potentially earning additional income by renting out stall space to those horse owners without the luxury of adequate property to bring their horses home.

The planning and preparation for building a horse barn takes a great deal of time.  You want to provide a sound structure that endures the harsh New England weather and keeps your most prized possessions safe out of the elements.  Many local residents are realizing that they want to bring their horse’s home, however don’t know where to start.  Selecting a builder and knowing what goes into building a custom horse barn is actually more involved than most think.

If you are planning to build a horse barn on your property this year, you need to start the process as early on as possible.  Here are a few tips to help you along the process:

Decide on your budget
Not sure on how much it will cost to shelter your animals?  If you need something quick and economical choose a run-in shed or a shed row horse barn.  The run-in structures and the shed row horse barns are the most affordable. These units come pre-built and delivered fully assembled to be placed on a level stone pad. The shed row horse barns are available in two, three, or four stall configurations. The cost of building a horse barn can range from $5,000 for a run-in shed to $7,000 for a 3-stall shed row.  However, when more stalls are needed or perhaps a center aisle and upstairs loft storage are what you have in mind, you could plan on spending over $30,000 for a large, fully customized barn. Having a maximum budget will keep you from overspending and sticking to what you actually need.

Decide on placement
You’ll need to decide where it makes the most sense to place the barn on your property.  You’ll probably need to consult with you local building/zoning and health departments to be sure the location and size of the barn you have in mind is in fact available for your new building.  Every town has governing codes that limit distances from property lines, existing structures and the road.  Existing ground conditions are also important to consider, for instance a flat, level site will be easier to build on than a steeply sloped site requiring a great deal of fill.

Decide what size.
Not sure what size barn you need?  This is a key question. The pre-built shed-rows are available in up to four stalls/tack rooms.  The major advantage to a pre-built shed-row horse barn is it comes delivered fully assembled and is an instant, long lasting and affordable solution for having your very own horse barn.  These horse barns are available with many options and updates, including adding an attached tack/feed room complete with its own floor and comes painted in your choice of colors.  A shed row barn is commonly configured with up to four stalls, with either sliding or Dutch doors and grilled windows in each stall. 

You may be looking for a traditional full sized horse barn or a custom barn to compliment existing home on the property.  A barn can be as big and elaborate as your space and budget allow.  Knowing how many horses you plan on boarding is a good start as to what size barn you need.  The typical horse stall is 10’ x 12’ or can be 12’ x 12’ to accommodate large horses.  This will give you the square footage you need and the configurations can vary.  Perhaps you want a center aisle or additional tack space.  It is important to consider the extra space you may need for the horse’s accessories and additional hay storage. The most economical way to double your space is to add a second floor to your horse barn.  This will provide you with plenty of storage for hay and grain.   

Decide on a reputable builder
There’s no question about it – you must decide on a contractor who has extensive horse experience.  Often, when contractors are not personally experienced with horses the completed barns may be built or laid out without basic stable management in mind. 

First and foremost the builder must listen to your unique needs to be able to provide adequate shelter for your specific horses. Together, you and the builder should review the overall functionality of your custom barn to ensure an efficient, functional and convenient layout.  Be sure the contractor only uses the highest quality building materials.  It is extremely important that the materials used (e.g., lumber, doors and windows) are all quality to ensure a structure that will last many generations.  Avoid contractors that insist on using particle board and low grade lumber.  This will not provide you with a quality structure – it only saves on construction costs for the substandard builder. 

As the official builder of Equine Affaire, the owners of The Barn Yard & Great Country Garages are genuine horse enthusiasts who have extensive horse knowledge and background – this means their buildings are designed specifically to meet the unique needs of you and your horses.  Starting with an initial consultation, The Barn Yard & Great Country Garages will walk you through each necessary step with exceptional quality and service.  Unlike many builders, The Barn Yard & Great Country Garages takes the extra steps to ensure successful completion of your building, like listening to your needs, recommending sufficient safety measures (e.g., proper ventilation, stall size and use of premium materials) as well as providing full sets of engineered plans to speed the process of obtaining the proper permits needed from your town.  You can be confident that the professionals at The Barn Yard & Great Country Garages will look at the overall functionality of your custom barn and provide you with a wide spectrum of options and services to make your horse barn or riding arena exceptionally safe, attractive, and efficient. Only when you are completely satisfied, our skilled construction team will put together the custom building that you dreamed of and planned.  

Decide Today.

Many people know they need a horse barn for their animals, however do not realize that since each property and homeowner is unique the planning and permit process takes time.  If you have a general barn design in mind or simply know that you need a building, The Barn Yard & Great Country Garages will be glad to present a variety of plans to find the fit for your specific needs.  The Barn Yard & Great Country Garages also provides financing to make purchasing a custom barn a little easier on their customers.  So, call The Barn Yard & Great Country Garages at 1-800-628-BARN or visit www.greatcountrygarages.com.  You may also visit one of their 3 convenient Connecticut locations in Ellington, Windsor Locks and Brookfield visit for a complimentary consultation or to view our extraordinary horse barns on display.  

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