HI Spy: What Would be Included in Your Dream Barn?

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?

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“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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Talia says:
June 4, 2009 at 5:34 am
I would love to have stalls with a run out pasture so that I could just open the door and let my pony chose if she would like to be outside or inside.
Emma says:
June 4, 2009 at 6:41 am
i would love to have white fences and have horses in my barn! What is a barn without any horses?
Katie says:
June 4, 2009 at 7:26 am
Automatic waterers, indoor arena, wash stall w/hot & cold H20, heated feed/tack room, and a video system at ring, stall and aisle mats and I would be ecstatic.
Kaitlynn says:
June 4, 2009 at 8:12 am
Overhead misters and a fan that would keep my horses AND ME cool during the worst part of summer. That would be really nice!
Parrish says:
June 4, 2009 at 8:40 am
A barn is no fun to have if your best friends-the horses of course!-aren't in there.
But having some bigger than normal boxstalls, automated watering, automated fly spray system, and ANY forms of air-conditioning/heating would be a major plus!
Maybel says:
June 4, 2009 at 9:11 am
My dream barn would have a large indoor arena, a washroon, big box stalls, and plenty of pretty horses and Maybel of course!!
Margaret says:
June 4, 2009 at 9:24 am
Oh, where to begin! Air conditioning and heating would be nice, along with big stalls, an immaculate and roomy tack room, automated watering, a well lit breezeway, and magohony walls with wrought iron trim. And a view of mountains or a lake would be nice.
Katie says:
June 4, 2009 at 9:27 am
I would model my barn after my trainer's just because I love him and he is the best. He has a small indoor ring with a large pile of sawdust in the middle. An asile with stalls on one side and arena on the other there are more stalls in the back as well as a wash rack two outdoor round pens and a little pasture. He also has another barn There is tack in the back of the first barn. The doors are sliding with hooks on them to hang halters, lead ropes, lunge lines, wraps, and blankets. There is a hanging compartment for grooming equipment on the arena wall there is a bin with boots and wraps and boots are stored on the arena gate. There are a few tie stalls in the front with tack and just about anything saddles also sit on the wall and in the aisle. There are two bridle racks on the sliding doors which hold tons of bridles. Something like that would be awesome.
Emily says:
June 4, 2009 at 9:30 am
Everything be self cleaning including the stalls and tack room, heating and air conditioning, indoor riding arenas with heating and air conditioning, misters, and everything else to make it easy-er and more comfortable (including 115 degree days :( ).
Karly says:
June 4, 2009 at 9:41 am
heating, automatic waterers, beautiful wood and iron 16x24 stalls filled with fluffy wood shavings, the list could go on and on. my dream barn would also include huge green pastures, white fencing, trails, and of course a mountain view.