Cnverting stables

[Henrietta1]

I was looking for the General board for this but it seems to be defunct.

Has anyone any experience of converting a suitable out-building for use as a stable? I am finding it increasingly difficult to afford to keep my two on a very expensive livery yard. My mother's detached, brick-built garage was originally built in the 1920s as a stable although it was never used as such and, with adaptations,would be ideal for one of the horses, thus reducing the cost.

I have spoken to the council who say there are no planning probs, I can rent grazing on a very favourable terms within 5 minutes walk and I've weighed up the muck issue. The building is not currently used as a garage. It has drains, a water supply and a raised storage area for hay, feed etc.

Does anyone have any advice on the practicalities of the actual alterations? Doors, dividing off the space, etc? Would you let a competant and careful D-I-Y-er do it or or get in the (expensive) specialists?

All comments gratefully received. (Incidentally, selling either of the horses is not an option.)

 

[Clava]

Make sure you have planning permission before starting work, there may be complaints from neighbours which foul things up. If it is brick built then the rest in striaghtforward - you need a suitable door and safe electrics and lighting as in any other stable.

 

[Wally]

If it was originally a stable, I don't see there's many grounds for complaint.

What dimensions is it?

 

[NoviceNic]

Have you considered the issue of keeping one horse at home and the other still at livery?? Would 1 horse be happy on its own?? You would still have the costs of going to the livery yard on top? And keeping your horses at home is hard work. Is there no way you can keep them both at home??

It would be easy enough to put in internal dividers. Or Breeze blocks to split off the area into two if the garage was large enough.

 

[Wally]

I would always divinde with wood, I remember a friend having their internal block wall pushed over by a Highland with an itchy backside.

 

[Fabio's Filly!]

My OH converted our outbuilding into stables, used breezeblocks and bricks. He's not a professional but is really handy with stuff like that and has done a good job. If you've got someone who can do it for you it would save a lot of money!

 

[Stormin]

Well I converted part of the cow-shed into 2 stables for my horses.
Everything was done 100% DIY (myself, OH, OH's dad).

Before (please ignore all the stuff lying about, photo was taken just before buying property)

During

After

As you can see from 2nd piccie, we took big blocks as to make sure they would resist and only build up maximum of 2 rows per day to allow cement to dry and harden without moving.
Kept top part with visible separation : horses can see each other without bickering and gives stables impression of being even bigger than they are (light and roomy).
Feed mangers are in opposite corners of the stables as to avoid grumpy faces at feeding times.
Doors are about 1m50 wide (and sliding) as horses have to turn into corridor - wide door gives them the room to swing without catching/hitting themselves.
Have automatic water bowls but with a heated water circulation system to avoid having to cut water and fill buckets in winter (no freezing water). AVOID heating wires on pipes - my friend had fire in her straw stable after horse damaged wire which produced sparks and set bedding alight !
If you look carefully, stable doors aren't next to each other but separated by about 50cms from corner of stable (from memory). This to ensure that horses can just about touch each other over stable door but a bit too far away to bicker.

For dividing off space, wanted to make stables as big as possible.
The window looking outside had been enlargened (for better aeration) and added glass brick window in other stable for light.

Does this help a bit ?

 

[Clava]

If it was originally a stable, I don't see there's many grounds for complaint.

What dimensions is it?

Even if it was originally built as a stable, if it's use is now a garage then it will most likely need planning and sadly neighbours (if there are any) can be a funny bunch (worries about muck heaps etc) and it only takes a few complaints for the planners to view it as not so straightforward.

 

[Henrietta1]

Have you considered the issue of keeping one horse at home and the other still at livery?? Would 1 horse be happy on its own?? You would still have the costs of going to the livery yard on top? And keeping your horses at home is hard work. Is there no way you can keep them both at home??

It would be easy enough to put in internal dividers. Or Breeze blocks to split off the area into two if the garage was large enough.

Yes, the one who'd live at home is a bit of a loner. Before I had him he lived in a stable with his own paddock and had little to do with other horses. He often goes off to be on his own in the field and prefers human company to horse company. The Old Girl would stay at the yard where she has been for about 20 years - she was formerly on the riding school and continues to be "top mare".

Unfortunately the building would be probably big enough for two ponies but not for a 16.1hh hunter and a 15.2 heavy cob.

 

[Henrietta1]

Yes, the one who'd live at home is a bit of a loner. Before I had him he lived in a stable with his own paddock and had little to do with other horses. He often goes off to be on his own in the field and prefers human company to horse company. The Old Girl would stay at the yard where she has been for about 20 years - she was formerly on the riding school and continues to be "top mare".

Unfortunately the building would be probably big enough for two ponies but not for a 16.1hh hunter and a 15.2 heavy cob.

Drat! Not sure what I did then. The former message sent itself!

The expense of getting to the yard has resolved itself. I got my free bus pass a month ago and if I got my act together it's perfectly feasible to ride there, thus killing two birds with one stone.

 

[Henrietta1]

Well I converted part of the cow-shed into 2 stables for my horses.
Everything was done 100% DIY (myself, OH, OH's dad).

Before (please ignore all the stuff lying about, photo was taken just before buying property)

During

After

As you can see from 2nd piccie, we took big blocks as to make sure they would resist and only build up maximum of 2 rows per day to allow cement to dry and harden without moving.
Kept top part with visible separation : horses can see each other without bickering and gives stables impression of being even bigger than they are (light and roomy).
Feed mangers are in opposite corners of the stables as to avoid grumpy faces at feeding times.
Doors are about 1m50 wide (and sliding) as horses have to turn into corridor - wide door gives them the room to swing without catching/hitting themselves.
Have automatic water bowls but with a heated water circulation system to avoid having to cut water and fill buckets in winter (no freezing water). AVOID heating wires on pipes - my friend had fire in her straw stable after horse damaged wire which produced sparks and set bedding alight !
If you look carefully, stable doors aren't next to each other but separated by about 50cms from corner of stable (from memory). This to ensure that horses can just about touch each other over stable door but a bit too far away to bicker.

For dividing off space, wanted to make stables as big as possible.
The window looking outside had been enlargened (for better aeration) and added glass brick window in other stable for light.

Does this help a bit ?

Thanks, that's very helpful

 

[old_woman]

Depending on the size of the building, if there is any possibility of an attached walk-out yard if the building is a little small, and most importantly on the compatibility of your two horses, might it not prove possible to use the one (open-plan) area as a 'shared' stable for the two of them? That would minimise conversion costs, maximise savings on livery costs and give the horses a very pleasant quality of life.

In nature horses do not guard their lair - or even HAVE a lair! - and given a choice prefer to be in company than alone. I have almost always been able to have horses very contentedly sharing 'stable' space with each other or with other species.

Whoops! Just seen your post about your one horse being a bit of a loner. Well, there's always the exception that proves the rule, of course ... I wouid still say that the stable should be as large as possible; you might only want to divide off a small area for tools and other equipment.

Wally, if the stable is within the curtilage of the house, less than a certain percentage of the area covered by house-and-garden and more than a certain minimum distance from the public highway, I don't think that planning permission is needed for either a new build or a change of use. Some ancient law which has never been rescinded, I believe, involving horses being classed as domestic animals as opposed to purely agricultural.

 

[Clava]

Wally, if the stable is within the curtilage of the house, less than a certain percentage of the area covered by house-and-garden and more than a certain minimum distance from the public highway, I don't think that planning permission is needed for either a new build or a change of use. Some ancient law which has never been rescinded, I believe, involving horses being classed as domestic animals as opposed to purely agricultural.

Yes there are permitted development rights within a garden (dog runs, sheds and even stables), but if this was considered a Change of Use (from garage to stable) then that does not fall under permitted development rights.

 

[Henrietta1]

Yes there are permitted development rights within a garden (dog runs, sheds and even stables), but if this was considered a Change of Use (from garage to stable) then that does not fall under permitted development rights.

The guy from the planning department at the council was adamant that
pp would not be needed.

In reply to Wally's comment on the Highland with the itchy bottom - Yes, I've seen what a determined horse can do to a breeze block dividing wall! And in reply to your question about dimensions, I'm looking at a sectioned off area of about 12' x 12' for the loose box, which will leave an area at the side for storing the wheel barrow, hanging tack,etc. The main, raised storage area has space for feed, a week's supply of hay and bedding and all the usual clutter. It has fitted cupboards, hot and cold running water and a sink and interior and exterior access. The building currently has an "up and over" door which would need to be replaced and, although the windows already have safety mesh over them, I'm thinking about replacing the glass with wooden louvres in the "stable" area. The electrics are ok, having been replaced about 5 years ago and special waterproof switches installed. There are even "sockets for clipping, etc., which are out of reach for even the most determined equine thug

As far as muck is concerned, the horse would be on Hemcore which produces the minimum of waste - around 3/4 of a barrow when he's turned out in the daytime - and I have disposal accounted for. After the initial bed goes down Hemcore will work out much cheaper than extortionate amount I'm paying for straw on the yard. This is a flat rate charged to everyone so no chance of economising on it.

As I said before I have a standing option to rent a couple of acres of good grazing about 5 mins walk away and the area is better served for bridle paths than where he lives at the moment.

 

[Clava]

The guy from the planning department at the council was adamant that
pp would not be needed.

I would still get it in writing from the Council that you have permitted development rights, then you are safe It is amazing how further down the line things that were said don't always get documented and then proving the point is tricky. If you have a letter of confirmation then there can be no problems.