A Barn Safety Design Guide

Generalization does not lend itself well to barn building because of the tremendous number of variables in any project: purpose, budget, image, climate, available materials and labor, personal preferences, future plans and so on. These variables make good planning critical to the overall success of the project.
By Todd Gralla

Planning is critical to safe horse barn design.

Planning is as important to the person who owns one or two horses as it is to the big breeder. It's about thinking through what you want in your facility and then figuring out the best way to get it. The idea is to build what is cost-effective, what gives you the best quality for your money, and what avoids doing something that will cost you a lot more later on.
All of the barn problems that plague horse owners can be resolved. Some of the solutions are inexpensive. Many are not. But remember, all of them are much more cost-efficient if they are solved before the barn is built.

Site Considerations

A horse barn's site position should be given careful consideration. For example, the barn's orientation to wind and sun should be considered. The ideal is to capture summer breezes for their cooling effect while avoiding the winter wind.
Roofs can be designed to take advantage of the sun's heat in the winter, with overhangs planned to provide shade, to serve as windbreaks, and to screen private areas. Good water drainage is also essential for maintaining a healthy stable, as standing water and marshy areas are breeding grounds for insects and disease.

Health And Safety

Given the fact that a horse can injure himself in ways his owner never dreamed of, it is basic safe practice to eliminate sharp edges, fire hazards, and the potential for sickness or disease with attention to detail

Barns with inadequate natural ventilation are a major cause of respiratory problems in horses as dust, odors, and germs cause air to stagnate and become unhealthy. The principle of natural ventilation is not a complex one. Hot air naturally rises (think of a chimney). The problem occurs in making sure that air has a place to escape and that fresh air is continually pulled into the structure.

Fire safety is also important, although it is often overlooked when barns are built. Masonry and steel are not combustible; however, there are many other things within a barn that are, such as paint, equipment, electrical wiring, and more….


Todd Gralla is with Stan Gralla Architects, Lexington, Okla. Stan Gralla Architects has been in the business of planning and designing equestrian dreams since 1973. The firm has completed more than 300 equestrian facilities across North America and Mexico.

How to Fireproof Your Barn

How to Fireproof Your Horse Barn
Here are 17 tips you can use to fireproof your horse barn, protect your horses and make sure you're ready for the worst.

Reduce your risk of barn fire--and keep your horses safe--with careful maintenance, planning and attention to barn fire prevention.

1. Start outside. If you live in an area where wildfires are a possibility, make sure you clear a 50-foot firebreak around your barn. Remove brush, trees, tall grass and debris.
2. Protect against lightning. Intall a grounded lightning rod system to protect your barn in electrical storms.
3. Try to have both a water supply and a power supply installed outside your barn. Keep a hose attached to your external water supply.
4. Install smoke detectors. Detectors and alarms that sense heat and smoke can save critical time if a fire does start. Make sure you check them regularly (at least twice a year). You may also wish to connect the smoke alarms with a loud, external siren or an alarm that will sound somewhere it can be heard if no one is in the barn.
5. Store hay and combustibles like shavings in a separate building. Some insurance companies require hay to be stored in a separate building, so check with your agent.
6. Make sure that the hay you store is cured properly and that it's kept dry. Wet hay can start fires through spontaneous combustion.
7. Don't use extension cords. If you really need to, use an industrial-grade cord and don't overload it.
8. Check electrical cords for damage, and replace any that may have been chewed by mice or squirrels.
9. Consider installing a sprinkler system. While the initial investment may seem high, check with your insurance agent to see if he or she offers discounts for barns with sprinklers. Some may cut your annual premium by as much as 50 percent.
10. Place fire extinguishers within reach. Place them every 40 feet or consider keeping one at each entrance, in the tack room and near feed storage. Make sure they're charged and protected from freezing.
11. Keep your barn clean. Dust and cobwebs are fire hazards, as are oily rags and paper towels.
12. Cage all electric light fixtures.
13. Keep a halter and leadrope on every stall door. Consider marking each with glow-in-the-dark paint or reflectors.
14. Ban smoking in your barn (and within 20-30 feet, at least). Post "No Smoking" signs and enforce the ban.
15. Post directions to your barn next to the phone.
16. Keep important numbers where you can find them quickly and have an emergency plan in place -- along with a plan for how emergency equipment could access your barn most quickly.
17. If Possible build one on the many zero flame spread Barns on the Market

Ask your local fire department to do a walk-through of your barn to point out other fire-prevention steps you can take. If fire does break out, keep your cool -- and your priorities:

Get people of out of your barn.
Call the fire department.
Get your horses out if you can do so without risking human lives.
Use fire extinguishers and/or hoses -- but only if you can do so safely.
Step aside when the fire crew arrives and let the pros handle it

Thanks in part to Equisearch.com