Seven Steps to Help You Bring Your Dream Barn to Life

Building a horse barn is a fulfilling and exciting process, but it can also be overwhelming, especially if you’ve never built a barn before. Breaking the process down into steps can make it more manageable, and will guide you through brainstorming to designing to building. We’ve created these seven steps to help you get started bringing your dream barn to life.

Start by Brainstorming

Begin the planning process for a horse barn by brainstorming ideas. Talk about barns with other friends who own them and discuss what they love about their barns. Look through books about barn design; there are plenty of books that focus on luxury horse barns, and these books may include some design ideas you want to incorporate.

You can also find inspiration on social media. Browse photos of other barn setups to get a sense of what you like and what types of features you may want in your own barn. Think about things like Horse Stall Design, barn layout, style, and more.

You can find even more inspiration on our Instagram and Pinterest, where we share real barn projects, stall designs, layouts, and styling ideas.

Consider Your Current and Future Horse Barn Use

It’s also important to spend some time thinking about how you’ll use the barn currently, as well as how you may want to use it 10 or 20 years from now. For example, showing might be a priority right now, but if you hope to one day start a small breeding operation, you’ll want to design a barn that can work for both purposes.

When thinking about your barn use, consider not only the riding that you’re doing, but also how the number of horses you own may change. If you may want to buy more horses in the coming years, then it’s a good idea to invest in a larger barn, or to carefully design your barn so that you can easily expand it in the future.

Visit Other Barns

As you start to determine the type and style of barn that you want to build, try to visit as many other barns as possible. You may find barn owners in your community who are willing to let you see their barns, which gives you a chance to understand the barn layout and how it functions.

Seeing barns in person, or exploring our Barn Tour  blog series, can help you discover what works, what to avoid, and gather helpful advice from real barn owners.

Even better, having a conversation with the barn owner can be helpful.

• Ask the owner what they like about their barn, as well as what they would like to change.
• Ask about how they approached the process of designing and building their barn, and see if they’ll share any advice to help you during your barn-building journey.

Establish a Budget Early

Take the time to sit down and create a budget early on in the process. Having a budget can guide you as you start to focus on the details of your barn, and it’s essential to have your budget ready before you begin receiving price quotes from architects and builders.

Remember that there will almost certainly be unexpected expenses when building your barn, and account for this increased cost in your budget. Leave yourself a comfortable cushion between your projected costs and the maximum amount of money you can spend on your barn, so you can more easily absorb those unexpected expenses when they occur.

Make a List of Must-Have Features

As you start to define your barn, make a list of the features that you absolutely want it to include. For example, European Stall Fronts are a must-have for many barn owners because of their elegance and the way they allow horses to socialize and be part of the action. The StableComfort Horse Stall Mattress is another popular option, since it can help maximize your horse’s comfort while also saving you time on cleaning stalls.

This is also a good time to start defining stylistic elements and special touches you want to add. Details like custom Barn Lighting can add character and functionality to your barn. The same is true of details like your Horse Barn Doors; they make an impression on visitors. At American Stalls, we can custom-design and build barn doors, and we can even incorporate your logo for a truly unique design.

Don’t forget to factor in safety as you define your barn’s layout. Our guide on Essential Horse Stall Safety Features covers everything from secure latches to non-slip flooring, must-know details that protect your horse and give you peace of mind.

Create Sketches

Once you’ve started to develop a rough idea of what you want your barn to look like, start sketching out the layout and dimensions. The process of sketching your barn will help you focus more on essential details that you need to determine, like the size of the Tack Room you’ll need or where to locate your wash stall and grooming stalls, and even the style of your Horse Stalls.

Your sketches don’t need to be top-quality, but they can help you convey your ideas to your architect. Sketching is a great way to start organizing your thoughts and ideas and pulling them together into a more concrete plan.

Consult Professionals

You’ll need some trusted professionals on your team, including a skilled architect and builder. Begin looking for those professionals early on. Your local equestrian network can be a great source of recommendations for architects and builders with relevant experience. Be sure to interview each candidate you’re considering thoroughly, and then ask for and contact their references.

For more insight on working with design professionals, check out our article “Partnering with Architects and Builders.” Whether you're an architect, builder, or barn owner, we share how American Stalls can help bring your custom stall vision to life.

Contact American Stalls Early On

At American Stalls, we’re happy to work with you, your architect, and your builder throughout the entire process of planning your barn, and we encourage you to contact us as soon as possible. We work in harmony with you and your building professionals to create custom products that are the perfect fit for your barn and that can help bring your vision for your dream barn to life. Contact us today at (855) 957-8255 or email us at sales@americanstalls.com to schedule a sales and design consultation.