So you’re setting up your own home barn – or maybe have plans to do so soon. You’re thinking through all the things you will need and desire to have in your dream barn. In your mind, it’s all quite simple and falls into place so neatly, like it’s a jigsaw puzzle. And of course everything costs a fraction of what it does in the real world. Been there! And reality continues to catch up with me on a daily basis. Before diving in headfirst, you’ll want to separate items into two categories: barn necessities and luxuries. For today, we are just going to address barn necessities because the list of possible luxuries could go on forever.
What Are Necessity Expenses?
Sadly, the list of necessary expenses is pretty formidable. Expenses such as hay, grain, bedding, and manure management are absolutely required for the basic daily care of your animals. You should always plan to spend on these sorts of expenses but we can set up systems to minimize their cost. Often, these systems for streamlining your barn lead to secondary necessities. We will touch on along with some affordable fixes later on. Veterinary and farrier care are also definite barn necessities but they are separate subjects from barn set-up and management.
Hay And Grain
The average horse needs to eat approximately 15-20 pounds of forage per day. The majority of a horse’s daily calories come from forage such as hay and grass. Good pasture management will allow grass to remain healthy for natural forage and may allow you to feed less hay. Regardless of how your horses are getting forage, having good quality forage will lessen the need to feed a lot of grain. That does not mean you won’t need to feed hay or grain if you have good grass. Just that good grass will reduce the amount of hay and grain needed to keep your horse healthy and happy.
It is very important to know how much feed your horse needs based on his body type and the amount of work he is in. Dietary needs can differ vastly between horses. For example, a 15 hand Quarter Horse may do just fine on half a scoop of grain per day with good forage (about 1 bag of grain per month). Meanwhile, a 16 hand Thoroughbred may need 4 scoops of grain in total each day (about two bags of grain per week). That is a huge difference in your budget! Definitely worth taking into consideration when you are horse shopping. For more information on things to consider when purchasing a horse see my post “Know The Whole Cost…“
Bedding Options
Different kinds of bedding come at different purchase and disposal costs. The most common types of bedding are pine shavings, compressed wood pellets, and straw. Straw typically runs $4-$5 per bale. Shavings and compressed pellet bedding commercially run similar costs ranging from $6-$8 per bag. Of course, prices will depend on your area. If you are lucky, you may have a sawmill near you that will let you load up sawdust for free (or nearly free). On the downside, sawdust is quite dusty and may not be suitable for animals with respiratory sensitivities.
All of the pine shavings, sawdust, and pellet options are lightweight and more tidy for daily cleanup. Straw is much heavier to deal with when cleaning your stalls. It binds together to make daily selective cleaning of a stall nearly impossible. You must pull all of the dirty material into a pile and remove all of it at each cleaning, so it is a good option for cleaning only once or twice per week. How you want to handle stall cleaning may influence your bedding decision.
Regardless of what type of bedding you choose, you will have to plan to either have it delivered or pick it up yourself and then store it until use. These are things that will need consideration. You could end up with some secondary necessities here in terms of vehicles and equipment to move bedding and possible structures to store it. Bedding must be kept dry until use to prevent molding and waste. You will likely find that usability and the ability to transport and store your bedding are every bit as important as how you dispose of it.
Manure Management/Disposal
You may be able to compost and/or spread manure on your property. In this case, you will need to purchase a manure spreader and some sort of equipment to pull it. There are large versions for use behind tractors and smaller ones to be pulled by four-wheelers, UTV’s, or riding mowers. The other option is to pay a company to come and take your manure pile away periodically. There’s no upfront cost here but there is the ongoing expense of disposal which is typically hundreds of dollars per pickup. In some areas where straw bedding is heavily used to grow mushrooms you can actually get paid a small amount at manure pickups.
Less commonly, you may be able to find mutually beneficial arrangements with neighbors. For example, a nearby farmer might like the free fertilizer and be able to help you out. My husband and I have a tractor and spreader. We use a good amount of manure in our extensive garden in the spring and fall. The rest of the year, we rotate our turnout fields for the horses and spread our manure (with pasture seed added) on whatever pasture is being rested. For our six-stall operation, the manure is not overwhelming but it is well beyond an ongoing compost pile and must be spread about once per month.
Stall Mats – Are They Necessary?
Part of manure management is also the flooring in your stalls and sheds. A plain dirt floor doesn’t cost a dime and allows for nice drainage. At least until it rains and the ground moisture comes up into your bedding. Suddenly, all your bedding is wet and wasted. Dirt also allows for the forever mucky spot if your horse likes to pee in one place in the stall. (You guessed it, I have one like this). Though this is not an immediate issue to work on in most cases, there are some long-term benefits to upgrading to matted stalls. Let the dollar signs start flying! $$$$!
Budget Options
If buying brand new mats is too costly, there are a few more economical alternatives. First, you can order seconds mats with small defects for up to 40% less than retail price. Your horses aren’t likely to care if there’s a small corner missing or a split in the edge when they are just going to poop and stomp all over it anyway. There are also large, durable industrial conveyor belts that get sold off to be repurposed. They can even be cut to custom sizes. On the downside, they don’t always lay very flat and can leave lips that horses can trip on. I like this option for wash stalls, run-in sheds, and tie areas as opposed to actual stalls. With both seconds mats and repurposed conveyors, you may run into high shipping costs, so these are more likely to save you money if you buy in bulk rather than just a few pieces.
One final option is to pack your stalls with stone dust, which you would usually do prior to laying your mats anyway. By raising the level of your flooring above ground level, you may decrease the amount of wasted bedding while keeping some of the natural drainage. You will eventually need to replace some of the stone dust, but nothing lasts forever. Overall, I consider upgrading the flooring in your stalls or other shelters as a secondary necessity because it saves on bedding in the long run. Keeping your stalls dry can also spare your horses from hoof issues caused by standing in muck.
Let’s Address Tack
Tack is a secondary necessity because your horse can survive without much tack. But in most cases, there isn’t much point in having a horse you don’t work with and some basic tack is needed to work with a horse safely. Consider a quality halter, saddle, pad, and fully set up bridle your first priorities for working tack. Choosing a saddle, bit, and bridle are subjects of their very own and there really aren’t any short cuts for saddle pads.
So, how about utility rope? Now, bear with me a moment. I’m not suggesting using utility rope for riding tack. But how about learning to tie rope halters for day-to-day use? You can purchase enough soft poly utility rope to make several rope halters for the same cost as one standard nylon halter. There are dozens of videos online, such as this one, showing you step-by-step how to get started. There are even fun ways to customize the nosebands with paracord knotting.
Making your own lead ropes is a logical extension by simply tying or clamping heavier utility rope to a sturdy snap. Lunge lines and draw reins and side reins can also be made this way. For some riders, the idea of creating custom riding reins with paracord might appeal as well. If you are really crafty, you can find information on how to make other tack items from paracord or even get involved in some leatherworking.
Other Barn Set-up
While on the subject of utility rope, how about cross ties? It’s easy to spend $10 or even $20 on each cross tie bringing your possible expense to $80+ for two tie spots in your barn, no extra hardware included. Using a poly utility rope gives you the choice of customizing how long your ties are. Even with good hardware snaps at the ends and eye hooks to anchor the ties to posts, your total expense for two tie spaces could be as low as $20 for the whole project.
On a side note, baling twine makes great safety releases, and you will always have tons of it laying around. I like to use a loop of baling twine at each end of my cross ties. Twine is strong enough to withstand some normal bumping and tugging on it for months of use. But a panicked horse jerking with force will snap it and allow him to get into a less panicked mindset with minimal injury to himself or damage to your structure. To avoid spending extra on breakaway halters, incorporating ample breakaways in your ties is a nice safety measure. Additionally, a halter that breaks away would leave your horse half-panicked and running amok with no handles! If something else breaks before the halter, your half-panicked horse will still be wearing something to grab ahold of.
Buying Up
There are any number of corners to be cut that don’t sacrifice the quality of your horses’ care. Your horses likely won’t notice if something isn’t a name brand or was repurposed. And keeping a tight hold on your wallet doesn’t have to mean having crappy stuff, either. For bigger expenses, my husband and I like to purchase used equipment at bargain prices so we might be able to sell it for more later on when it has been repaired and cared for. That way, I am always buying my way up to nicer equipment.
I have used this concept to upgrade the lesson tack at two separate barns as well as my own saddles and tractors/farm equipment. For riders with serious riding ambitions, this concept can be applied to training up and reselling project horses. However there are many risks involved in flipping horses that make it a greater gamble.
Overall, when setting up your barn, I suggest organizing your thoughts, starting with necessities. Set priorities based on what can save money – or even make money – and work your way down your list as resources are available. Setting up your barn is an ongoing process. Getting creative with it can be a fun challenge if you’re up for it!
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