The design of your horse barn impacts both the time and the money you spend to keep your horse happy and healthy. The horse barn should be well planned, durable and attractive. There should be enough space in a horse barn for the well-being and safety of the horses and of the people who care for and/or ride the horses. The barn should be constructed to allow flexibility for expansion or adoption of new technology. Whether you are building or redoing a small private setup or a large professional training operation, the following tips will help you create a better dynamic. Building Placement The first step in building horse barns is to select a suitable location. The following are a

When temperatures rise, a well-designed horse barn does much more than provide shelter. It creates a comfortable environment where horses can stay healthy, owners can work more efficiently, and daily routines become more enjoyable. Whether you live in a dry desert climate, an area with high humidity, or anywhere that experiences long stretches of hot weather, keeping your horse barn cool should be a priority. Fortunately, thoughtful barn design combined with proper ventilation and a few smart upgrades can make a significant difference. Here are some practical ways to keep your horse barn cooler throughout the summer months. Can Horses Cool Themselves? Unlike many animals, horses naturally cool themselves by sweating. As sweat evaporates from the skin, it carries heat

When building your horse barn, it is crucial that you remember to provide plenty of natural light for the horses that you house. Natural light is made up of various wavelengths of light, and for the creation of Vitamin D (an essential hormone trigger) in the body, you need ultraviolet light that comes from the sun. In addition to these health benefits, natural light in a barn completely transforms the look and feel of the space. Adding natural light to your barn is a great way to reduce energy consumption while giving your horses the illumination they need to stay safe and healthy. Read on to learn how to design your barn so that it focuses on letting natural light

A well-designed horse barn is the perfect mix of form and function. Designing your horse barn so that you can focus more on your horses and less on tripping over tack and searching for a lost item will help maximize your enjoyment and will help keep your animals safe. Many factors need to be considered when planning your horse barn, starting with site placement, barn size, and desired building style. Important decisions also need to be made around details like the types of rooms you would like to include. Here are 8 types of rooms you may want to consider when planning your horse barn. 1. Feed Room Some feed rooms are designed to be part of the utility room

Time is the one resource that always seems to be in short supply. It may seem like you spend more time at horsekeeping than horseplay. Between caring for your horse and riding them, the hours seem to disappear way too quickly. Unfortunately, some tasks like pushing brooms, filling buckets and cleaning stalls cannot be ignored and that often means skipping your ride or spending less “fun” time at the barn. If you are like most horse owners, you devote every minute you can spare with or around your horse. There are timesaving techniques and tools out there that can help you complete your barn chores faster without sacrificing safety and cleanliness. Try these quick tips to lighten your barn chore

Spring is on its way! When winter begins to wind down, many horse owners are excited to turn horses out on pasture. However, there are some potential problems to be aware of and precautions to take when transitioning horses to spring pasture. Throughout time, horses have evolved to plump up in times of abundance and lose weight in lean times over the winter. Modern horses receive plenty of nutrition year-round without any real opportunity to thin down. This makes for a dangerous situation in spring when the lush grass provides excessive sugars, fructan and starches. Part of your horse’s health plans should include a sound nutritional strategy. With the warmer weather, rain and increased pasture turnout, now is a good

For most equestrians, one of the most exciting parts of designing their horse barns is picking out the extras. Choosing barn accessories allows you to show your personalized style and make your horse barn even more tailored to how you will use it. At Castlebrook Barns, we build custom horse barns and offer a huge variety of barn add-ons to go with them. These extras include everything from the practical to the stylish. Keep reading to see our top horse barn accessories — or reach out to our design team today to get a quote on your project. Popular Horse Barn Add-Ons We build your horse barn completely custom and tailored to your needs. These are some of the most

Regardless of the season, hoof care should always be a priority for your horse. It is one of those things that is easy to forget about, but hoof problems are a lot harder to repair than prevent. Keeping your horse healthy is more than just giving them good feed, grooming them regularly, and letting them run. It also includes making sure their hooves are well maintained. Check hooves daily for general wear and tear, looking for any signs of injury or changes in condition. Potential hoof problems include chipping, bruising, cracking and thrush. Made from keratin, like our fingernails, healthy hooves keep your horse active. Below, we discuss hoof care tips in more detail below and offer guidance on what