The stable complex at Christopher Koschel’s.
© Maree Tomkinson
We all dream of one day owning the perfect equestrian property with lush fields, pristine stables, post-and-rail fencing and organised tack rooms. Why not turn your property into the ideal equestrian property? It’s never too soon to start planning.
BY LIZ SOBECKI
WHEN PLANNING THE layout of your equestrian property, there are key elements to consider. First, the driveway. It is not only the entrance for yourself and your clients, but also for delivery trucks. You want to make sure that your hay can be delivered, and also that the truck can then safely turn around and exit the property without too much hassle. You have a few options here, one of them being to create a courtyard at the entrance to your property which gives ample space for unloading of deliveries and then also space for trucks to turn around in. Another option could be to make the driveway loop right around the property, making it a smoother exit for larger vehicles, horse trucks and trailers. Combining both of these options is probably your smartest option.
The author, Liz Sobecki.
© Liz Sobecki
On top of your entrance, you have to think about where your parking area will be for cars and horse trailers and trucks. You want it to be far enough away from the entrance to avoid congestion, but close enough to the tack-up areas for yourself and your clients.
One thing to consider before even planning where to place your barn and arena is a hacking track. This is something to contemplate if your property does not have access to trails or roads to ride along. The idea is to make roughly a 10-15-metre wide track right around the perimeter of your property, which allows you to ride along at walk, trot and even canter. This design not only gives you the opportunity to take your horses for a ride off the arena, but it can be used for the ideal warm-up and cool-down routine.
Onto your barn. If you are going to have outdoor tie-up rails, ideally you want your barn close to them so you aren’t limited to only tacking your horse up inside the stable or in the aisle of the barn. It is also a smart idea to have your barn near the parking area for the horse trailers, as there is nothing worse than having to walk a distance in the dark or rain to get to the barn after you unload your horses from the trailer! As for the barn design itself, that’s completely up to you. Many say that the barn is the personal touch to your property – don’t forget to give it a little character!
The beautiful outdoor arena at Koschel’s.
© Maree Tomkinson
We all hope to have the space for both an outdoor arena and indoor arena. For the sake of this article, let’s go with just having an outdoor. You might want to place your arena a little away from the barn and parking area, as you preferably want to be away from direct noises from the stables, cars and people having conversations. You want to ensure you are able to hear your coach over the loud discussions fellow riders are having over by the barn! The arena is your workplace; you want it away from distractions. If you want to place a round yard on your property, I would contemplate positioning it near the arena for practicality.
Time to decide where to place your paddocks. Generally you want them well away from your barn. You might want to consider having them away from your arena also – you can go inside and put your feet up away from your workplace; so, too, should your horses. It is also a wise idea to design your paddocks with runways in between each of the fields. This does not only stop the horses in separate fields from being able to reach each other, it allows you to have access between the paddocks with a vehicle, which is handy at feed time.
A typical Australian property layout.
Touch-up Tips
So now you’ve built your amazing equestrian property, it’s time to tidy a few things up. Add character by installing some fancy gates to your entrance. After all, first impressions count! You could even add little hedges to line the driveway if you are feeling really decorative. Remember those post-and-rail fences you didn’t get around to painting? Paint them white to give them a professional and polished look. What about those boring arena letters you have? Give them a smart look by adding flowerpots beneath them. The little things can make a huge difference in a barn also. How about placing nameplates for your horses on their stables? You could also spoil your horses by adding a hot water system to your wash bay, which you will both be thankful for, especially in winter. If you really want to treat your horses, you could install heat lamps for them to dry under.
The main thing to remember is to always pay attention to the overall state of your property. Make an effort to keep the garden looking tidy, keep the paths and aisles swept, don’t leave rugs lying around everywhere etc. You made your perfect property, try and keep it that way. Most importantly, don’t forget to give your new equestrian property a name!
How German properties differ from Australian
I am frequently asked about the differences between German equestrian properties and those in Australia. I always say that we are lucky in many ways in Australia; in winter our outdoor arenas and paddocks don’t turn into ice-skating rinks and we can go for a hack along the roads without nearly becoming hypothermic. While Europe is very convenient by having everything in the same building, there is just something so beautiful about being outdoors and being able to take in the Australian countryside.
Overall, the main difference is how compact German properties are. Most features are indoors… apart from the paddocks. And heating, everything in Europe is heated! There are heated wash bays, solariums, insulated indoors and even heaters in your tack rooms! Australian properties are usually quite spread out as mostly, if not everything, is outdoors and Australians view it a luxury to have an indoor arena or even indoor stables.
The indoor arena at Christopher Koschel’s.
© Maree Tomkinson
The one structure you see at nearly every European property is a walker; a feature that is unusual in Australian stables. This is probably because we have the luxury of being able to turn our horses out into the fields nearly 24 hours a day, seven days a week, even in winter. Another feature to be noted about German properties is that everything is spotless. All the time. Something for us Aussies to start practising! The real benefit of Australian properties though, is the space we can build on. We are not restricted to making nearly everything essential fit in one building – we can spread it across our land.
While both sides of the world have their pros and cons, clearly each hemisphere has developed their own individual structures to ensure the best fit for their unique environment. So, who’s got that equestrian property plan ready to go?!
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