In the “working” side of the barn, where the “office” is (see Barn Tour–the “Office”), there are five roomy stalls, accessed from the alleyway.
Three of them seem to have been constructed with horses in mind. (Or at least, reconstructed with horses in mind. The barn is vintage 1890s, and the stalls were obviously renovated at some later period.) Across the left side, there are three equal-sized stalls with sliding metal doors.
Outside the stalls, there are “doors” to fill feed buckets without going inside.
Inside, there are hay racks and the feed buckets.
There’s a window for ventilation in each stall, and there’s plenty of room for a horse or several sheep or goats.
All the stalls have electric lighting. With the way the doors are constructed, it’s easy to see inside if you want to know what’s going on without opening it up. One of these stalls will be for Morgan’s horse. It will be spring soon! Horse time! The horse, by the way, along with expenses and supplies/equipment for said yet imaginary horse, is a gift from Morgan’s dad. (I can’t afford a horse. And know nothing about horses. Looks like I’m going to be learning soon, though.) The last two horses housed here were named Reggie–
–and Cavalier.
I told Morgan it would be so much simpler if she named her horse Reggie or Cavalier, but she didn’t seem to think that was going to happen.
I’ve already found these stalls very handy for sheltering the sheep and goats when it snows, and for bringing in the donkeys for hoof-trimming. I’m planning to bring the sheep in here for shearing. It feels luxurious to have such a nice place to pen up animals when work needs done, and is so much easier than chasing them around pastures and trying to herd them into temporary holding spots. I’ve done enough of that to genuinely appreciate the convenience the barn and its stalls afford.
Across the alleyway from those three stalls are two more. One is the “odd” stall that I haven’t quite figured out yet. There’s a bit of a step up to it and it’s quite rough in comparison to the three stalls across from it. The door is wooden, and you can’t see in if it’s shut.
I’m not sure what may have been kept in here in the past, or what I’ll use it for in the future. I’ve had the sheep in here a few times, but I’m not using it now.
Between the odd stall and the “office” (aka tack room), there is another roomy stall with a sliding metal door.
It’s not set up quite as nicely as the three stalls across, and whatever it was used for in the past, it was last used for storage of this white aluminum picket fencing, which was left behind by the previous owners.
Directly outside this stall is where there was another (third) barn water faucet. (There are two water faucets in the front barn yard–one right outside the barn and another one in front of the goat yard.) I say was in regard to this third faucet inside the alleyway because it was knocked down by the previous owner’s horse. I’m planning to have it repaired.
My thoughts on this stall is to turn it into my milking parlor, which is why I want to have the faucet repaired–for easy water access to the milking room. The stall will need quite a bit of work (more labor than money). The ground is uneven and could use some minor grading. While there is electric light here, it needs a bit more lighting, and of course the addition of a head lock for a cow. I’d also like to add a small goat stanchion for milking the goats when I dare. A work table and some shelves would be helpful as well.
It will be nice to have a dedicated, indoor, dry space to milk!
There is one more stall–but it’s accessed from the outside (the rear barn yard) and is where the cows and donkeys shelter and is on the other side of the barn.
The alleyway outside the stalls is interesting in and off itself. It’s lighted, of course, and has electrical outlets if you need them. There are also some interesting things hanging around here and there, such as another one of those horseshoes–at least this one is hanging up right!
Lots of giant hooks to tie animals.
I use those to hang my camera sometimes if I’ve taken it to the barn and need to put it somewhere while I do some work.
I like this sun thing.
I’ve got some buckets and stuff lined up here because there’s a space here where those naughty goats would slip into and go under the barn. I have to constantly assess the barn for goat escape routes because they’re so ornery.
There are a couple of metaphysical shop signs that belonged to the previous owner’s sister, the one who was a psychic and lived in the studio. She had a shop in Clendenin.
I might set up one of these signs and a little booth and see if Poky wants to go into business in the rear barn yard.
Maybe she could start with predicting when/if she’s going to have a baby. Donkeys are pregnant for 11 months. She’s been with Jack for a year and a half. Where’s the baby?
I love this barn. Every time I do something with the animals in the barn, I feel like I’m on a vacation. In a storybook. It’s just all so cute.
Next up–
I’ll take you through the “people” (or “storage”) side of the barn.
ibpallets says:
That horseshoe would make a cute door handle or you could clean it up and put it in a kitchen to hold a towel.
On January 31, 2012 at 8:18 am
lattelady says:
What a wonderful tour. You are finding such great gems in there. I would use the sun ‘thing’ for hoses if near water, or for tack.
What breeds of horses has Morgan been looking for, and is she experienced in horse care. A farrier class for her would help, along with helping with the other animals.
Thank you for sharing your experiences with us.
On January 31, 2012 at 9:03 am
shirley T says:
Thanks for the barn tour. I love looking inside of old barns, old houses, and old out-houses.They bring back old memories of my child-hood days. Looking back at those days,they were not so easy but we didn’t know it. I guess it’s true, you don’t miss what you never had. I was born and raised in those WVA hills , my daddy was a coal miner, a poor coal miner.I was 15 years old before we got inside plumbing. My favorite memory of those out-houses was the Sears and Robuck catolog, that we used for toilet tissue. We would tear out the pages of womens clothing and make paper dolls~~so much fun. :happybutterfly:
On January 31, 2012 at 9:17 am
SanAntonioSue says:
Ooooo, I love your barn!! Makes me want to put on a long gingham dress and take a nap on a hay bale. And I’m soooo excited for Morgan!! A horse is the perfect therapy for any teenage girl’s angst and just plain fun. Ohh, please, please don’t forget the Victorian furniture and frilly pink curtains for the “girls” in the milking parlor ;D.
On January 31, 2012 at 9:30 am
mamacarpenter says:
when I see that room with no opening to look into it, I get flashbacks from the movie “Goonies”! (Maybe a crazy uncle was kept in there? are there chains on the walls? Just wondering…)
Anyway, what a perfect barn! I am jealous. You are living the hard and difficult life that many of us yearn for and cannot achieve. Thank you for being so honest about the difficulties…it would be easy to gloss over and make it more romantic. You are a realist and that is why you will succeed. Congrats to beautiful Morgan1
On January 31, 2012 at 10:21 am
Cheryl LeMay says:
Maybe the “odd” stall could be used for a chicken coop. You could also put a couple roosts across a corner. I love old barns ( I have one)! Those looked like nice horse stalls.
On January 31, 2012 at 10:37 am
beforethedawn says:
Awesome, I am excited for Morgan and her future horsey!
Can’t wait for Poky to have her baby, mini baby donkey love! Until I found your blog, I had no idea there were mini donkeys even.
I love your tours, such a great barn and spaces inside. So happy that you finally have a barn you can use and even more awesome that you love it!
On January 31, 2012 at 10:54 am
Jersey Lady says:
Hi Suzanne-We have several “odd” stalls in our big old barn too. My husband says in the olden days they were grain rooms-for oats, shelled corn, wheat, etc.
On January 31, 2012 at 11:02 am
tmavraides says:
My dream is to someday have a big red barn like what you have. We have a mini barn for our goats and two hen houses but alas no barn. Congratulations on how far you have come all on your own. It takes courage. Well done.
On January 31, 2012 at 11:17 am
LisaAJB says:
WHat are you going to do with the picket fencing? 😉
On January 31, 2012 at 12:21 pm
ibnsgirl says:
I love working barns! Not that retired barns aren’t nice, too, but a barn that has a job (or many jobs) seems so right!
I would have loved to have stalls like yours for my horses. Of course, my horses ate wood like beavers, so I’d have had to address that, but having a dry, safe place is wonderful.
I’m so happy for Morgan (and that her dad is financing this venture, for your sake)! There are tons of books out there that can get you started on care for your horse. I had some great mentors and good vet friends, so I know I was lucky!
On January 31, 2012 at 3:50 pm
beneathhiswings says:
The cowboys always hung their horseshoe “up” that way so their luck wouldn’t run out. An old timer told me that a few summers ago. Thought that made sense. I love your old barn! Can’t wait to read more. So interesting. Thank you for your blog.
On January 31, 2012 at 8:45 pm
Patty says:
Love the barn! That odd stall looks identical to the corn crib in my Granny’s barn. That’s why it has a solid door, to keep the animals out of it. Just a thought.
On February 1, 2012 at 2:35 am
stacylee says:
I want a donkey baby! How adorable and loving their little family would be! If it’s a girl you can name her Dottie! I love it!
On February 1, 2012 at 9:13 am
stjames says:
Depending on how high that big “hook” or eye bolt is, it might also be used to hang a post from to make a saddle holder. It is a sturdy, inexpensive way to make a saddle rack. We have them in my barn, both at each stall as well as in the tack room). They are like the one in this picture (with instructions how to make i) except our posts are not square but rounded. You can also pad the post to protect the saddle from scratches. https://www.hayexchange.com/articles/images/mounted_rack.jpg. Besides being less expensive and sturdier than most saddle racks, it frees the floor up for sweeping (very important!) or storage underneath.
On February 2, 2012 at 1:40 pm
stjames says:
Here are full instructions for the saddle rack. Also, another feature is thatthe rack can be turned and hung straight down against the wall if space is needed.
On February 2, 2012 at 1:42 pm
stjames says:
Here are full instructions for the saddle rack. https://www.hayexchange.com/articles/saddle_rack.php Also, another feature is that the rack can be turned and hung straight down against the wall if space is needed.
On February 2, 2012 at 1:42 pm