High in the desert of southeastern Oregon, at 4,600 feet, this barn project in Oregon started with a simple idea. After more than twenty years on the ranch, the owner wanted to build something on the land that would last. A house felt too personal, tied to one family's taste. A barn, done well, could serve horses and people for generations.
"I decided that instead of a home I would build a timberframe barn with Douglas fir beams, something like you would find in an old English estate," the owner said. "I thought that the barn would be an enduring structure for future generations."
That idea shaped everything that followed: the tall cathedral timber framing, where the stalls sit, the materials the horses would touch every day, and the fittings that would hold up for decades.
A ceiling that reaches for the sky
The first thing you notice about the horse barn is the ceiling. It rises to 25 feet, supported by Douglas fir beams that were cut and shaped off-site and then assembled on the ranch. The look goes back three decades, to a photograph the owner had seen of a small chapel with a soaring wooden ceiling.
"The grandeur of the soaring vaulted ceiling remained in my mind," the owner said. "I also looked at a lot of images of European architecture, at historical barns that are still standing 400 to 500 years after being built."
Our American Stalls team came onto the project as soon as the architectural plans were finalized. That timing mattered. It meant the Horse Stall Systems, Barn Doors, and other components could be designed to fit the building from the start, rather than being squeezed in after the fact. That is always our recommendation to our clients, so we can be fully integrated with their architecture team and construction teams. This allows us to work harmoniously in alignment with their architect and general contractor to ensure every detail is custom and considered
Every Stall Front, exterior Dutch Door, and Stall Partition was custom-built to the owner's dimensions, so each piece would sit correctly inside the timber frame.
Sliding Stall Fronts, built for daily life
The owner chose our Sliding Stall Fronts, one of the most common Stall Front styles that we see in North American barns.There is a good reason for that. A Sliding Stall Front does not swing out into the aisle, which keeps the walkway clear and predictable for horses and people. The sliding stall door sits flat against the stall opening.
A few details about each Sliding Stall Front are worth noting. The top half is a 43-inch grilled section that lets in ample light and air in and out of the horse stall. The bottom half is lumber, with a shavings guard along the base to keep bedding inside the stall. A center lumber nameplate sits in the middle of the door.
The owner also chose our Hinged, Fold-Down Yoke system. This Stall Yoke gives the owners the option to open the top of the Stall Front so a horse can stretch out into the aisle and socialize, or to close it for a horse that does better with a little more privacy. A Grilled Feed Door on each Stall Front, built with 2-inch square steel tubing and continuous stainless hinges, makes it easy to feed from the aisle without opening the stall. Both stall options allow the client, for ultimate convenience and functionality, to meet their daily needs.
Each Sliding Stall Front also features our Flip Latch, machined from solid 304 stainless steel, so it withstands constant daily use and resists corrosion in a working barn environment. It operates with one hand, which matters for everyday turn-in and turn-out, and for the moments when things need to happen quickly. This is a core part of our American Stalls philosophy: to ensure that we use the finest materials that will stand up to the rigors of a working horse barn. We also ensure that all components are easy to handle at all times
Dutch Doors, Partitions, and Waterers
Between the stalls, the owner chose our Stall Partition Grillwork that sits atop the existing stall walls. It opens up the barn from the inside, letting light and air move between stalls and giving the horses a clear view of one another.
Every stall has a rear Dutch Door for turnout, built on a heavy-duty 9-gauge cold-rolled steel frame with 304 stainless steel hinges. Inside the barn, the Stall Fronts are filled with traditional lumber that matches the timber-frame feel. On the outside, the owner, however, wanted a Dutch Door that would require minimal upkeep, so the doors were built with a dark brown recycled HDPE infill. This was especially important in a wet Oregon environment where heavy rain and moisture are a daily reality. Our HDPE lumber holds up to weather much better than lumber over the years, which suited the remote location and the owner's long view of the project.
Our Nelson Automatic Waterers were installed in every stall and paddock, giving the horses steady access to clean water without the daily chore of filling buckets.
Materials that suit a working barn
All Sliding Stall Fronts, Grillwork, and Dutch Doors on the project are made of pre-galvanized steel. The steel has a zinc flow coating that protects it against rust before it even reaches the finishing stage. Our pre-galvanized steel has 30% more zinc content than the competition, which allows for optimal protection against the elements. Our team then finishes each piece in-house with a TGIC polyester powder coat that withstands sunlight and moisture. Together, the materials hold their color and their finish for the long haul, with far less maintenance than untreated steel.
The high desert only sees ten to twelve inches of rain a year, so moisture drove fewer choices here than it might in wetter parts of the country. Summers do get warm, though, and that is one reason the owner chose mesh on the bottoms of the Stall Fronts. The HDPE on the exterior Dutch Doors was the clearest choice for the region, since it holds up outdoors with almost no maintenance.
Working around the timber frame
Building stall components into a timber-frame barn takes early planning. The stall manufacturer, the general contractor, and the timber-frame team all need to be on the same page from the start. For this project, our team worked closely with the construction crew to confirm the exact openings and measurements for every Stall Front, Stall Partition, and Dutch Door, so each piece would arrive ready to fit.
The owner acted as the general contractor for much of the build and brought in a construction manager to keep the details organized. That took a lot of time on site.
"I was on the job site at all times for a little over two years," the owner said. "The project took a lot of attention to detail and a lot of skill."
A design that grew on site
As the structure went up, the design kept growing with it. The barn was extended by another twenty feet in length. Dormers were added on both sides. A 100-foot porch was added along the back to open the barn to the meadow and creek behind it. The original plan called for nine stalls, but three were removed to make room for living quarters inside the barn, a practical response to the distance to the nearest town.
What still stands out
Now that the barn is in daily use, the owner keeps coming back to the fundamentals.
"It was especially important to begin with the proper foundation and the construction and design of the timberframe," the owner said. "There is nothing I would change with regard to the structure."
The favorite detail is the one that meets you at the door.
"I love walking into the barn and seeing the cathedral-like look of the space."
For the horses inside, the barn does the quieter work: steady airflow through the mesh and Grillwork, safe flush-sliding doors, fresh water always in reach, and turnout just a Dutch Door away. That is what a barn built for generations looks like.
Work with American Stalls
To ensure we custom-build components that fit perfectly within your dream Horse Barn, we encourage you and your team, including your barn builder, to contact us as early in the process as possible. Starting that collaboration early can help us ensure your products are ready when you need them.
Check that your barn builder is willing to work with us throughout the project. Then, contact us today at (855) 957-8255, email us at sales@americanstalls.com to schedule a sales and design consultation, or complete our inquiry form.
