Customer Reviews

Horse Housing: How to Plan, Build, and Remodel Barns and Sheds

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

If you are going to build or remodel a horse barn the right way, so it functions correctly and lasts, this is the book to buy. good construction and functionality are key to making anything work, and it is obvious that this author builder isn't just a weekend trailrider. his co author's books occupy an entire shelf of my library. this book is written by equine professionals, and contain solid wisdom from a lifetime of experience. the layouts are designed for the horses AND the owners, and to withstand the rigors of country lifestyle. i recently saw one of the authors barns with over 3 feet of heavy snow on its roof and know them to have withstood incredible windloads.

this knowledge of construction and layout could save any potential barn builder or remodeler hundreds of times the cost of this book. it will protect your investment, your horses, and will help you enjoy your equine experience from more than just in the saddle. this book is not only about method and layout, it is about the phiosophy of enjoying the fruits of doing something right.

As a State Certified Texas General Real Estate Appraiser, I have had the opportunity to view improvements such as barns and stables on numerous rural properties. "Horse Housing" is an excellent resource for rural appraisers. I'm not just "horsing around" when I say that if owners of some of the properties I've viewed had utilized tips in this book during their construction project they could have built a superior instead of poor or average structure . Texas is home to more than 1 million horses, about 15% of the total U.S. horse population. However, while people tend to picture horses in rural settings, the counties with the largest numbers of horses are in metropolitan Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth and San Antonio. So this book's guidance on zoning, building codes, and ideas for building an attractive/functional structure that is homogenous to an urban neighborhood is vital to a property owner/investor. It sounds like the reviewer from Michigan should have contacted her local Home Depot or lumberyard for advice on building stalls rather than expect detailed instructions in "Horse Housing."

We loved this book because it so thoroughly covered all aspects of horse housing.

What we particularly liked is the author's acknowledgement that available building materials may vary in different geographical areas.

Planning, Design, and Building - it took us through each step with gentle guidance helping us make our own decisions on what we could afford with time, materials and money available.

It began as our 'wish' book for a new home for our 8 horses and helped us design the right facility for them.

This is the best book on the subject that I've seen. The topic is presented in a professional way so that an amature builder can understand. It's accompanied by color photos and simple professionally drafted diagrams. I would recommend this reference to anyone.

Horse Housing provides pragmatic advice on building and remodeling barns and sheds. This is a first rate publication offering the reader wonderful photographs and easy-to-understand illustrations combined with top notch writing by wordsmiths, Richard Klimesh and Cherry Hill. As a Texas State Certified General Appraiser of real estate since 1977, including rural properties, I need to be up-to-date regarding the details of what constitutes well-constructed horse facilities. This excellent book is a professional resource that facilitates a more precise completion of my assignments. Positively, this book belongs on your shelf when you start your next stable, barn or shed project!

All I wanted was some simple instruction on how to build good, strong stalls. Not only did the (very) small section on stalls provide no plans or construction techniques (a pretty important component in any horse-housing structure), this book didn't even tell me what kind of wood I should use. Sure, it's pretty and slick, but unless you're willing to re-mortgage your house to build anything in this book, then don't bother with it. It's OK for a general overview of things, but doesn't get very specific at all. I returned it immediately.

I actually received this book as a gift and found it to be WONDERFUL and also very helpful! It answered all of the questions that I had running through my mind and also answered some that I had not even thought of! I would definitely recommend this book no matter what!