Give a horse person some extra cash and chances are they’re going to spend it on their horse. If only that imaginary extra cash was lying around when it came time to build horse housing! It can be surprisingly expensive to erect a spacious barn full of luxurious amenities. To keep costs down, horse owners compromise and cut out the decorative touches, the user-friendly automated features and the posh creature comforts that are now available in contemporary barn designs. Nonetheless, whether you keep your horse at home or board at a nearby stable, you probably have an idealized vision of how you’d like your horse to live.
Which barn features or amenities would you love to have? Would an automated fly control system make your horse’s life much more pleasant? What about overhead misters or a large fan to keep him cool during the heat of summer? Or are your desires more along the lines of aesthetic accoutrements?
“The first time I visited Spruce Meadows in Canada I thought I was at a horsey Disneyland,” recalls Evie Smith. She was reflecting on her initial visit to the international show jumping festival in Calgary, Alberta. “Outside the main barn there was a life-sized sculpture of a mare and foal. Then I walked into the indoor training barn. The temperature was climate controlled. The stalls were made of polished wood and black wrought iron. Besides everything being immaculate, there was beautiful overhead lighting and a real sense of incredible attention to detail.”
Regardless if you long for chandeliers above your breeze way aisle, an indoor wash rack complete with hot and cold running water or simply a roof above your pipe corral, we’d like to know. What are one or two items you’d love to have if you were able to design your own dream barn? Click on Submit a Comment below and share your ideas. Some of your wishes will be included in an upcoming issue of Horse Illustrated.
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