The Saddle-up 'Home'
Renovations - Part
2
The second
part of the renovation work is not quite so extensive, but just as
necessary. The existing stables are in the small barn. 15
years ago, when we first moved here, ready-made partitions were not as
easily available as they are now, they were expensive, and they came
in 'standard' sizes - 10 feet wide or 12 feet wide. They also
tended to have rather narrow doors.
Wanting to
make best use of the available space - and liking wide doors, I built
my own, with 4' wide doors. It's not quite as dark and dingy as
it looks in the photos, which were taken on a dull evening. In
addition to the 10' open entrance there are roof lights and two small
windows in the far end wall and the pony box has a 4' wide open
'window' as well, and there is limited - but adequate - ridge
ventilation. there are fluorescent light fittings and power
points near the tie-up area and in the tack room (just no electricity
at present!)
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The end box on the right
is 11' 6" x 12' 6" (and still has the grid on the door which
stopped Bramble savaging visitors!), the corner box is 11' 6" x
15'
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This centre box is 11'
6" x 15' - unfortunately we didn't 'anchor' the front wall
securely enough and it's taken a hiding. There is a smaller
'pony-size' box (10' 6" x 9' 6"to the left, which has a door
to the corridor and an open 'top door' to the front.
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There is a small tack room
on the right hand wall plus a larger area which is part feed storage
and part a tie-up area. The electrics are situated to the right
of the front wall and the last season that we used the stables, Ruby
dumped the girl groom in the woods opposite and galloped home to the
stable, knocking down part of the front wall (it got in her
way!) As the front wall does not face into prevailing
winds, we decided the extra two feet of 'entrance' she created would
be useful - but that means the light switches have to be moved away
from risk of penetrating rain! A barn owl has taken up residence
(which means the place is COVERED in owl droppings) and the whole
place needs a good clean and running repairs to concrete and
timbers. I'm also giving serious consideration to rubber
matting!
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This is the big barn - altogether
more sound. It's 60' x 35' on two levels. The top section
(18' x 60') would have been rather easier to convert into stabling -
but I can't FACE moving all that hay! And I have nowhere
sensible to put it at present as the lean-to below this barn floods
badly in part (and the rest has last year's hay, which we will need.)
The lower section of the barn
60' x 17' will provide two big pens.
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The
plan is to create, out of these buildings, facilities to accommodate
7-8 horses in as comfortable and labour-saving manner as possible, so
they can be properly cared for by 1 person part-time - with a bit of
extra part-time help (if she's lucky!)
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[ Up ] [ Outdoor Manege ] [ Pasture Management ] [ Drainage ] [ Fencing ] [ Renovations ] [ Renovations-1 ] [ Renovations-2 ] [ Renovations-3 ] [ Renovations-4 ]
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HELP-MAIL: If you
can't find the answer and need help urgently, please e-mail:
help@saddle-up.org.uk
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