Climate is, of course, as much of a factor of comfort for your horse as it is for you. The desire to take shelter from intense heat, biting wind, or a downpour is as natural for equines as for humans.

Not everyone can afford a full barn for their horses and there is a range of options that can fill the need. One is a pasture run-in. The run-in is an open structure that may or many not have storage or a feed bin. This allows your horse to get out of the weather at will without you having to bring them inside to a stable. 

A popular design, especially when space is limited, is a building with stalls attached to a small covered area called a run. The set-up can be further configured by adding stall gates to limit or expand a horse’s options. 

We recommend building a run off the stall with an extended roof over it. Your horse has the ability to go outside under the roof or further outside under the sky. It's a progression of confinement: the stall, the run, a paddock, and the pasture. Ultimate equine flexibility.

Keep climate in mind. A run-in shed that converts to stalls with only a gate will not be nearly as cozy as a structure with walls and would not be a good option if warmth is a concern.

Some companies manufacture moveable sheds that might be ideal in some climates but would not work in areas of constant windy conditions. These types of structures can be dismantled or moved with a tractor to give pastures a rest.

The first consideration is your goal. What is the most important and economical thing you can do with your budget?

You can phase a project as well. You can grow your equine facility by planning for that from the beginning. Perhaps you can only afford the posts and the roof for a run-in but your desire is to eventually have a concrete aisle and tack room.

You can later add walls, concrete, electricity, and lighting. Design for that from day one and keep your dream in sight. 

A sometimes overlooked item in barn building is door hardware. Not just what the door is assembled with, which is a concern for horse health and should be factored in. But also how the door is moved.

Sliding doors in barns are optimal for a variety of reasons, space being one of the more important. Stall doors can be large and heavy and that means have secure rails and guides. But remember that your horse is going to be stepping through that space frequently. Innovative Equine Systems has come up with a great solution that you can see in this video.

You probably already know that bamboo now comes in many gorgeous forms that you can use in flooring, paneling, and other applications. You might also know that this versatile wood is a sustainable, renewable resource.

Did you know that it's good for your horses? Not for food—for finish material in the barn.

Although panda's eat bamboo, it would be hard for your horses to digest because it's so woody. But we're talking about surrounding your horses with finished bamboo in the stall. Take a look:

We loved this idea so much we started a company around it: Equigreen. This non-toxic material not only looks great but is safer for your horses than many treated woods. For more information on how to be good to your horses while being good to the environment, give us a jingle.

“If a farmer fills his barn with grain, he gets mice. If he leaves it empty, he gets actors.”
-Sir Walter Scott

“The stable wears out a horse more than the road.”
-French Proverb

Aside from amusing us, the quotes above actually tell us something about the difference between a barn and a stable. The essential difference revealed is that stables are for horses (and other domestic animals) and barns are for actors.

Ok, not really for actors. But clearly the idea is that barns are considered multi-purpose structures and stables are for horses. You might keep a horse in a barn but you could also keep supplies, farm implements, tractors, and actors in them.

You've never seen a Western in which John Wayne, in some small town, said, "Jimmy, take the horses down to the barn." No. He tells Jimmy to take them to the livery (short for livery yard or livery stable in the UK) or to the stable (short for boarding stable in N. America, Australia). On the ranch he might tell Jimmy to take them to the barn.

Stable can also be used as a verb. To stable a horse is to put them in the stable.

In general, farms produce crops and ranches produce animals, although there are horse farms. The USDA states a farm is "any place from which $1,000 or more of agricultural products were produced and sold, or normally would have been sold, during the year." The USDA's definition of a horse farm is one where the facilities are used for producing horses (breeding) rather than a facility used to board horses and ride them, which the government considers as being for recreation.

All horse people know that the bottom line is that you can call it a barn or a stable and we'll know what you mean. Just don't forget where it is.