Frequently asked questions

If the barn is a nonresidential farm building on a farm, s. 604.50, F.S. exempts it from the Florida Building Code. A barn with living quarters, a boarding or lesson business open to the public, or a property the county doesn't treat as a farm may be handled differently, and floodplain rules apply either way. Ask the county before you design around the exemption.

Turn the aisle to catch the prevailing breeze if the site allows, open both ends wide, and give the roof a ridge vent or cupolas so hot air rises out. Insulation under the roof panels cuts the heat radiating down on the horses. Plan outlets for stall fans, because still, humid summer afternoons are when horses need them most.

A common starting point for an average-size horse is a 12 by 12 foot stall, with larger stalls for big breeds, mares with foals or horses kept in for long stretches. Ponies can do with less. Settle stall size first, because it sets the column bay spacing and the length of the barn.

It should let you lead one horse past another tied in the aisle, and let through whatever drives in, such as a tractor, a manure spreader or a feed cart. Owners who plan to drive the aisle usually build it wider than those who only walk horses. Size the end doors to the aisle so it can be opened fully for air.

Moving air does most of the work: tall eaves, a ridge vent or cupolas, big doors at both ends of the aisle, and stall fronts that let air through. Insulation under the roof panels cuts radiant heat on the horses and stops condensation from dripping into the stalls. Fans over the stalls help on still days.

Horses can't chew a steel frame, it won't rot where it meets damp bedding, and it spans a wide aisle without posts in the way. Most steel stables still line the stall walls with wood or a kick-resistant board, because horses kick and lean and bare panels dent. Ask how the liners attach to the frame.

Usually near the main entry, so saddles and feed are close to where horses are tacked up and fed. The feed room needs a door a loose horse can't open, and both rooms do better enclosed and insulated against humidity, which molds leather and spoils grain.