Written by Charlie Mills – Managing Director
In my youth, show jumping was my great passion and many hours were spent designing future yards and layouts of paddocks, walkers, training arenas, indoor schooling, lorry areas, foaling wings, shower blocks, grooming units, solariums, tack cleaning areas, tack rooms, hay barns: you name it, it was in there. Unfortunately, reality hit when my family informed me I was going to have to have to get a job… heartbroken. Fortunately though, working at Oakwrights, stable complexes and equestrian buildings comes under our remit and I always enjoy seeing the designs come in from clients and especially enjoy going to see them when they are built. Here is a quick guide to get you started.
What size oak frame stable should I consider?
When designing or building oak stables, The British Horse Society recommends a stable size of 12ft x 12ft (3.65m x 3.65m) for horses and for larger horses 12ft x 14ft (3.65m x 4.26m). Ponies require slightly less at 10ft x 10ft (3m x 3m) or for larger ponies 10ft x 12ft (3m x 3.65m). Stable heights should be between 9ft – 11ft (2.74m – 3.35m), with about 3ft (0.91m) clearance of the roof. Our standard oak frame building templates can accommodate the recommended sizes of the stabling but as 80% of our designs are bespoke you can design and create your dream stable complex, a simple 3 stables or the complex of my dreams, we can accommodate anything.
A couple of different style ideas could be a covered barn allowing you to walk into the dry and have cover all times of the year. Stables either side of the walkway with feed house, tack room and any other needs all under one roof. A traditional outside stable option, to work with any plot, might utilise the overhang of the roof to extend out over a walk way – allowing to muck out or groom in the dry but still giving the horses a view.
How to store farm machinery and horseboxes?
After touring on the road with your horse box trailer or lorry, you’ll need to store it away close to the stables for ease of access and safe keeping. A few options for storing your vehicles could be; to create an open-sided area with a roof above to keep the rain off or a tall barn with space above to manoeuvre your lorry or trailer inside for peace of mind.
The primary reason to store farm machinery in a building is to protect it from the weather. Sunlight and moisture have adverse effects on belts, bearings, tires, paint, and many other components. As a result, machinery that has been stored in a barn usually has lower repair costs and less down time than machinery left in the field.
Building a tack room
Incorporating a tack room into your stables will help you store and prepare your horses before events and activities. Some items to think about when designing this area: running hot and cold water for an easy wash down of tack after riding, keeping the valuable saddles and bridles secured when not in use by installing alarms and strong locks on the doors and making consideration for adequate drainage with a mud trap to stop it blocking up the drain outlet.
Whatever your needs, from hobby horses to ‘Horsiculture’, we can design and create you a beautiful stable perfect for you and your four-legged friends. To find out more contact us by calling 01432 353 353 or emailing enquiries@configurator-oakwrights.nzi.me
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