Take The Reins On Your New Horse Barn Dream
By Nikki Alvin-Smith

It’s time to make ownership of your own horse barn a reality and there is a lot to consider. As with any other aspect of life, it is smart to take the reins and pay attention every step of the way to make sure everything moves forward according to plan. Don’t be overwhelmed! Here is some pertinent advice that can guide you along the right track.

The All Important Price

There are lots of options when it comes to purchasing a horse barn. You can go with a local builder and construct a pole barn on site, or you can take the instant route and work with a modular building company that can deliver the barn via truck and set up in one or two days. You have to consider all aspects of the design and think about what you want versus what you need and plan ahead for future developments of your horse ownership passion.

The array of choices can be overwhelming but price will probably decide your final selection as your dream barn purchase necessarily has to also be grounded in the reality of your budget. A shedrow or low profile barn will obviously be less expensive than a center-aisle barn with overhangs on each side. I was recently reading my latest copy of Horse and Hound magazine, a British publication and saw advertisers actually market the center-aisle barn now as “An American Style Barn.” It’s true for me that this country was the first place I saw the design and I can tell you from the experience of owning one that it is the perfect design for all sorts of weather and certainly for the professional horse business owner it offers lots of options with storage, security of the horses and my training clients love it.

When you start to compare prices, it is very easy to overlook that all structures are not created equal, either in workmanship or in materials used. The cheapest option is almost invariably not the best one to choose. Check to see if customization features cost extra money, or if the company includes many useful features in their standard price that will not require you to customize anything. In short, ensure you compare apples to apples. Be diligent and ask lots of questions. This is not the time to be shy. Always get the price in writing and read all the warranties and terms of the contract before parting with any deposit cash.

Now that you have selected the best option for your budget it’s time to look at funding. Many larger modular building companies offer financing, for some or all of the cost. This can be a great advantage if you need to stop spending money on board and would rather make a monthly payment to fund the structure rather than line a barn owner’s pocket or have a business and want to have stall available to fill now and stop turning potential lesson customers away.

Your End of The Deal

Whether you’ve elected to do an on site build or purchase an ‘instant’ barn from a reputable modular building company, you will need to do some work before the build begins.

Aside from price, another item of key importance is the site you select for your new barn and it must be properly prepped with good access for large vehicles orchestrated. We spoke with expert Jill Siragusa of leading modular building company Horizon Structures LLC, based in Atglen, PA for some insight of what you need to do for the most successful outcome when purchasing your dream barn.

“There are so many variables in site selection and every individual property has its own set of pluses and minuses. In our experience at Horizon Structures over many, many years, we’ve handled just about every situation in regard to site selection and access. All our customers have a unique property with individual needs for their horse barn. There are lots of questions that you need to ask and of course there are many questions you might not even know you should ask. Look for a company to work with that offers transparency and will spend time with you figuring things out. If you check out our blog page and website, you’ll find lots of advice on the topic of site selection plus a lot more.

Our team works together with the client to address any issues that arise and will even communicate directly with the client’s excavator if requested, to avoid any miscommunication issues. Plans for permits are always available for our structures. Our team at Horizon Structures is committed to continuing our legacy as a top quality customer service barn builder that provides a great product at a great price with an easy building process from start to finish,” explained Siragusa.

Indeed a review of their blog pages proves to yield an extensive reserve of material. Topics such as “Why Did You Put It There,” to “Top 5 Tips For Diligent Horse Barn Shopping,” cover all the bases. There’s also some excellent advice on the pole barn versus the modular build.

One of my favorite resources to visit to see what the property owner needs to do versus the builder is aptly named “What You Do What We Do,” a great flow diagram that clearly illustrates the ease with which an instant barn can appear on your property, all set up and ready to go.

As modular structures are not subject to interruption of building timelines due to inclement weather or construction crew availability, the build date can be foretold with some accuracy. This is a great advantage over a messy on site build for the professional horse trainer who is buying a dream barn to develop their business because it means advertising of stalls space becoming available can be advertised well in advance of the final build date. That’s something to consider if you are looking for immediate cash in the stable door.

If you are a prospective backyard horse owner, then ask a friend if they’d like to share board at your place to help with the financial outlay. This provides added advantages in that your horse won’t be lonely and you’ll have a riding buddy to motivate you to get out there and ride and to chat with endlessly about horses.

So take the reins on your new barn build project, educate yourself as you trot over or around the obstacles and make sure that everything you need to do has been completed and that you have everyone on course. The modular barn build will be the simplest route to take, as basically once you have selected and prepped for its arrival all you have to do is sit back with the champagne on ice and wait the big day to arrive.

Photo credit: Deborah Raven