What Sets Our Horse Barn Designs Apart?​​

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Design Guided by Research  

Decades of equine-behavior research show that horses housed in more natural social and sensory environments—those that allow safe interaction with herd mates and clear visibility of their surroundings—are healthier, happier, and better behaved. Our barns thoughtfully combine traditional stalls with larger, open run-in areas, creating flexible spaces that promote natural herd behavior while still allowing individual stalling when needed. 

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Seamless Integration with Turnout

Barn design shouldn’t stop at the exterior wall. How the barn connects with turnout is equally important. Each of our designs considers that relationship from the start—not as an afterthought—so horses enjoy greater freedom of movement while your property layout supports better land stewardship. The result is a healthier environment for both horses and land.

 

Barns That Breathe, Naturally

A horse barn should never be designed like a house. While a modern home typically exchanges its air once every three hours, a horse barn requires four to eight air exchanges per hour—twelve to sixteen times more—to maintain healthy air quality. Poor ventilation, not cold temperatures, is the primary indoor health risk for horses. People are comfortable between 68–78 °F, but horses thrive in a much broader 40–77 °F range—their "thermoneutral zone", where no extra energy is needed to stay warm. Our barns respect that difference, providing comfortable conditioned spaces for people (like tack rooms and lounges) while keeping horse areas naturally ventilated and healthier year-round.

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Adaptive Design for Evolving Needs

From your choice of materials—wood, metal, masonry, or hybrid systems—to layouts that can reconfigure over time, our designs evolve as your needs change. Group areas can be converted into individual stalls, or stalls can open into shared spaces, ensuring your barn remains as functional years from now as it is on day one.

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Smart Design, Smarter Budget

Thoughtful design doesn’t have to cost more—it can actually cost less. By combining open, shared spaces and natural ventilation with traditional stall options, our concepts reduce cost per horse housed. Those savings can go toward higher-quality materials and upgraded finishes, or simply mean building a better barn for less. The choice is yours!

 

"A Sustainable Stables–designed barn is one that thoughtfully supports horses, humans, and the land equally."​​

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