November 15, 2024
Seeley Lake, Montana, is set within the striking wilderness of the Rocky Mountains. The landscape is surrounded by dense forests full of pines, firs, and larches, giving the area a rugged, untamed beauty. As is in the name, a charming lake sits within the Swan Valley. The Swan and Mission mountain ranges flank the lake on both sides. These mountain ranges are characterized by dramatic, jagged peaks often dusted with snow.
In Montana, all four seasons grace this beautiful landscape. Throughout the seasons, Seeley Lake transforms completely. It becomes vibrant and lush in summer, home to amazing wildlife from deer to bald eagles. Autumn then brings a burst of color as the trees turn golden, creating a warm contrast against the evergreens. All while winter blankets the region in snow, adding a peaceful stillness.
Nestled in the scenic landscape of Seeley Lake, Montana, our team finished a stunning private barn. A serene retreat designed for horse and human comfort. With craftsmanship and thoughtful details, this horse barn offers a modern space that prioritizes horsemanship, equine safety, and functionality.
To begin, this barn features eight custom 12’ European Stall Fronts. These horse stalls feature our “low” European swooping design, featuring our hallmark Bent Swoop Design. This low-profile design allows for our client’s horses to socialize with the barn, but be safely housed in their horse stalls. Each Stall Front is then personalized with our HMH design on the doors. HMH stands for “horizontal lumber, mesh, horizontal lumber.” This means that a nameplate sits proudly at the center of each stall door, adding a touch of individuality to each space.
Next up is a heavy-duty mesh bottom and a shavings guard. Our mesh design – built using heavy-duty steel rods welded at every joint – allows for visibility and improved ventilation. It also provides a beautiful, modern aesthetic as light strikes the mesh to provide a nice visual contrast. The shavings guard proves to be an aesthetic upgrade to add additional lumber while serving a functional need to keep bedding inside the horse stall. These stalls are designed to keep bedding in place while allowing excellent airflow for a healthy barn environment.
You notice the functional horse stall dividers as you walk into a stall. Privacy was a priority for our client and their horses. For this reason, they chose to incorporate four 16’ Partial Privacy Stall Partitions to offer horses a blend of connection and seclusion as they rest. The front third of each partition includes a lumber section for privacy during feed. The back two-thirds feature our 1” round bar design, allowing for ample socialization, air movement, and other necessary benefits year-round.
While Montana has a connotation of being cold and snowy, this landscape goes through multiple seasons - transitioning from hot and cold to mild weather. As a result, this barn is designed to keep horses cool, dry, and comfortable, even during the warmer months. Equipped with nine PureCool Stall Fans, the barn is a breezy sanctuary that maintains optimal airflow. Our PureCool Fans feature an incredible design that allows for ample airflow to be circulated while being quiet.
As a staple in so many of our projects, each horse stall also includes a luxurious 12’ x 16’ stall mattress system. Each Stall Mattress system provides ample retreat and comfort for horses who deserve it. It also reduces fatigue in joints and muscles and promotes deeper sleep and recovery. These Stall Mattresses are especially important in a colder climate like Montana, where stall rest is necessary during the harsh winters. Our Stall Mattresses ensure that each stall is comfortable and supportive as it mimics the footing of more natural environments outdoors.
As you walk through the barn, you stumble upon the barn’s entrance between the barn and the indoor arena. This transition is marked by an impressive set of sliding Barn Entry Doors measuring 8’ W x 10’ H. These Barn Doors are custom-built to order, featuring single-pane glass at the top. This allows some natural light to flow in and out of both spaces. It also features a unique lumber pattern design positioned in all four quadrants at the bottom. This provides a visual that is as dramatic as Seeley Lake’s natural contrasts. These Barn Entry Doors create a welcoming first impression and ensure both natural light and strength.
To complement the barn’s design, four custom 4’ x 4’ window shutters were installed, each with a quad-fill glass design and a fixed grill guard for added security. Glass designs are so important in colder climates where windows may not be open at all times. Glass allows the barn to naturally warm up as natural sunlight floods the inside of a barn. This allows for additional warmth and regulation of bacterial conditions inside the stalls. It also provides much-needed visibility in all seasons. Our Barn Window Shutters also allow flexibility to allow beautiful, crisp air to enter the barn in the various seasons. These windows provide so many various benefits for the barn and its residents.
Lastly, it’s tough not to notice the barn floor, which covers a total area of 1,665 square feet and is lined with black 1-3/4” Rubber Pavers. Our Interlocking Rubber Pavers enhance the barn's aesthetics as they contrast the beautiful, rich lumber used in all of the horse stall and barn door components. These rubber pavers also provide a durable, slip-resistant surface, which is important in Montana’s rainy and snowy environments.
While barn time increases in colder months, our Rubber Pavers provide ample cushion to tired hooves and feet instead of standing on bare concrete. All in all, these rubber pavers ensure a safe and stable footing for both horses and caretakers.
Every detail of this Montana barn reflects a deep understanding of equine needs and a commitment to high-quality, sustainable materials. It’s a haven where horses can thrive comfortably, with ventilation, space, and safety at the forefront. This private barn exemplifies American Stalls’ mission to provide functionality, elegance, and a sense of home for equestrians and their beloved companions.
This beautiful retreat in Seeley Lake, MT, is a testament to what can be achieved when we prioritize the needs of our horses in every aspect of barn design. Thank you to our client for trusting us to create a space that truly feels like a home.
At American Stalls, we’re proud to have been part of this incredible journey, and we look forward to helping you build your dream barn, too. Please contact us for your upcoming new barn build or renovation. We encourage you to fill out our Consultation Form , and one of our expert Project Managers would love to assist you. You can also reach us at (855) 957-8255 or sales@americanstalls.com. We look forward to assisting you soon!
November 11, 2024