Top 5 things to consider when planning a stable yard

If you’ve ever planned anything like a stable yard you’ll know how easy it is to get carried away with the excitement of it all. There are several important points to consider before anything else though, as you will see below.

1. Its end use

Its pointless planning 6 or 8 bespoke timber stables neatly arranged around a central yard if you don’t have, or don’t intend to have, 6 or 8 horses to stable. If you have a dream of opening a livery or a riding school then you’ll need to research who your clientele will be before talking to a stable manufacturer…this way you won’t agree a budget that can never be recouped.

2. Location

Your timber stables will need to be accessible to clients and also close to existing services e.g. water mains, electricity, roads etc. If you have to start plumping pipework in and Timber Buildings access roads your beautiful new timber stables are going to cost more than planned.

3. The surroundings

If at all possible you should try to design your timber stable blocks so that they match any existing buildings in the area. The best way to do this is to hire a stable manufacturer that specialises in bespoke equestrian buildings rather than one that builds the same boring, bland stables regardless of their location.

4. Planning permission

This is a huge factor to consider but again, the right stable manufacturer will be able to help by producing detailed architect plans for you to submit. It is worth mentioning that classic timber stables are a bit more likely to get planning permission than the more modern American barns, but this doesn’t mean to say that an American barn will be denied.

5. Budget

The budget you choose for your timber stables and any associated yards, paddocks, tack buildings, store rooms etc. will depend to a large extent on the end use. So for example, a small riding school will only require basic stable blocks, a tack room and a store room because a riding school will rarely bring in revenue big enough to justify top quality stables. A full livery on the other hand has the potential to make thousands of pounds a month and so bespoke timber stables can easily be justified.

For more help planning (and constructing) your stable yard, regardless of how big or small it is going to be, contact http://www.bridgetimberstables.co.uk/