When you’re building a barn on limited acreage, planning the layout of your property is all the more important. You can keep horses on limited acreage, but you will need to be sure to make good use of the space. Working with a small piece of land? These tips will get you started.

Decide How Small Is Too Small

While you can certainly keep horses on small acreage, sometimes the space is just too limited to do so well or healthily. A general rule of thumb is that you should have one acre of land per horse. There may be some leeway in this figure, but remember to take your local zoning laws into account, too. You don’t want to plan out your dream barn only to discover that you aren’t permitted to house all of your horses because you don’t own enough land.

Evaluate How Much Land You Can Use

Just because you buy a 5-acre parcel of land doesn’t mean that all five acres can be developed for your farm. Natural limitations, like the presence of water and geographical challenges, can limit how you use your land. Make a thorough assessment of your land before you start planning the property layout so that you can avoid any surprises down the road.

Think Towards the Future

Limited space can make future expansions and alterations a challenge. You might only have two horses now, but will that be the case in a year or two? When planning your barn, think about what might happen down the road. Building a two-stall barn might suit your needs now, but if you want to increase the size of your herd in the near future, you might find that the amount of space and the layout of your land limits you. It’s best to decide on a barn and property design that can suit you for years, and then find a way to make that design work given your property size.

Decide On Necessities

When space is limited, it’s important to only include the elements that you really need to have on your property. A beautiful walkway and a circular driveway add elegance, but they also take up valuable space. Similarly, evaluate your barn plans to see if there are any areas where you can save space. If you have plans for a wash rack, evaluate just how much you would use it. Is it worth taking up the extra space? A large tack room can be a luxury, but a small, well-organized tack room can function just as well.

Be Prepared to Compensate

When building a barn on limited acreage, additional expenses and needs will come along. Horses in a small pasture will naturally lead to more mud during rainy weather, so you may need to install Stable-ity Grids to correct the issue. Manure management may be another problem you have to confront – do you have adequate space to compost manure on your property? If not, you will need to find a way to give it away, or potentially pay someone to regularly come and remove it.

Are you ready to start planning to build your barn? Give us a call; we’d be delighted to help you.

Original Source: Building a Barn on Small Acreage