The Latest
Publications
https://stallandstable.com/ep-56-designing-barns-with-john-blackburn/, Winter, 2021
https://stallandstable.com/ep-95-the-slope-of-your-barn-roof/, Spring 2022
EQluxe Envy_Lucky Jack Farm, Summer 2018
How Emotions Can Help When Designing Horse Barns, Podcast, March 2017
Inside the Rider’s Home, Dressage Today, October 2016
Building Your Green Barn – Land Management, Equine Wellness, April/May 2016
When Barn Builders Dream, 2016 Tryon Equestrian Directory
Over Three Decades of Experience in Design Excellence, Metro Architect, March 2016
His & Hers with LA Pomeroy: John Blackburn, Elite Equestrian, January 2016
Find Barn. Add Architect. Say “Whoa” Inside Hook, December 2015
6 Barns Converted into Beautiful New Homes, Inhabitat.com. July 2015
After A Million-Dollar Makeover, Behold the Party Barn, The Wall Street Journal, June 2015
Home, Reimagined, Architectural Digest, June 2015
Barn Again, UnTacked Magazine, May 2015
Dressage Barn Gone Green, Dressage Today, April 2015
Building A Green Barn, Equine Wellness Magazine, April 2015
Lucky Jack Farm, Horse and Style Magazine, December 2014
Where Do You Stand on the Great Carriage Debate, Horse and Style Magazine, September 2014
Things to Consider When Purchasing Equine Property, Field Sport Concepts, September 2014
Sheik Island Horse Training Farm in Dade City on the Market for $4.5 Million, Tampa Bay Times, May 2014
John Blackburn Basics, California Horse Magazine, April 2014
My Kingdom, Mi Casa: Pegaso Farm, Horse Sport International, Issue 1, 2014
Barn Design Masterclass: How to Get the Best Barn While Working on a Budget, Equestrian Quarterly, Fall 2013
Fire Wind Water: Thoughtful Barn Design May Reduce Disaster Risk, Polo Magazine, September 2013
Barn Envy: Oakhaven Farm, Horse & Style Magazine, August 2013
Building an Eco-Friendly Horse Barn, Equine Wellness Magazine 2013
Let There Be Light, Equestrian Quarterly, Summer 2013
Colorful Kitchen Updates, Food and Wine Magazine, November 2012
Beauty and the Barn, DCmud, November, 2012
Value Added: This Well-Compensated Architect Designs for the Horse, Of Course, Washington Post, October, 2012
Staying ‘Stableminded’, The Zweig Marketing Letter, July 2012
How to Choose the Right Remodeling Professional for Your Needs, The Washington Examiner, June 2012
Returning Sagamore to Her Rightful Glory, The Equiery, April 2012
Seeing the Light, Stable Management e-blast, April 2012
Bank Barns, Acreage Life Magazine, March 2012
A ‘Bettor’ Racecourse: NYRA Discusses Improvements to Racetracks, The Saratogian, September 2, 2011
Barn Saver, Saratoga Living, Summer 2011
From Native Dancer to Native Son: Restoring Sagamore Farm, DCmud, June 22, 2011
Barn Beauty, Cowboys & Indians, July 2011
A Modern Sports Success Story Meets a Historic Racing Farm, The New York Times, May 21, 2011
A Handsome, if not Historic, Hotel, The Washington Post, May 22, 2011
A Dreamer’s Latest Long Shot, The Washington Post, May 17, 2011
Green Barns,Clemson World Magazine,Spring 2011
Good Barnkeeping, Horsemen’s Yankee Pedlar Magazine’s 2011 Barn & Arena Guide, Spring 2011
No More the Desert Nomad (reprint), Desert Mirage Arabian Horse Virtual Magazine, April 2011
In the Spotlight: Blackburn Greenbarns, Green Business Quarterly, March/April 2011
Re-Use Architecture, Chris van Uffelen, Braun Publishing AG, 2011
Green Building Materials for your Horse Barn, Holistic Horse Magazine, October/November 2010
They Love Horses, Don’t They?, DCmud, August 9, 2010
Building a Green Horse Barn, Equestrian Professional Newsletter, June 2010
Stables: Beautiful Paddocks, Horse Barns, and Tack Rooms, Kathryn Masson, Rizzoli Publications, April 2010
Fresh Air and Lots of Light? It’s Just Good Horse Sense, Architecture DC Magazine, Spring 2010
Ask the Experts, Dressage Today, March 2010
Build-On: Converted Architecture and Transformed Buildings, edited by Robert Klanten and Lucas Feireiss, Gestalten, 2009
Greenbarns: Sustainable Homes for Your Horse, Inhabitat.com, July 13, 2009
More Escapes At Home, Web Extra, Washington Spaces Magazine, Summer 2009
NYRA Details Track Season Giveaways, Daily Gazette, June 30, 2009
Sustainable Barns for Green Horse Owners, bestgreenhometips.com, June 9, 2009
Architect Launches Eco-Friendly Barn Designs, customhomesonline.com, June 3, 2009
Selling the Outdoor Room, Remodelers’ Journal, April/May 2009
Beautiful Bank Barn Renovation, Inhabitat.com, April 3, 2009
Safe Haven, Western Horseman, March 2009
Seeing Green, Stable Management, February 2009
Good Barnkeeping, The Horse, February 2009
Green, Greener, Greenest, Horse Connection Magazine, November 2008
Lighten Up, Stable Management, October 2008
Stable Environment, Keeneland Magazine, Summer 2008
Arena Considerations, Western Horseman, June 2008
Saving Sagamore, Maryland Life, May/June 2008
Maximizing Work Flow, Western Horseman, May 2008
Potential Energy, Western Horseman, April 2008
Good Flow, Western Horseman, April 2008
Site Planning, Western Horseman, March 2008
Sagamore Farm Reborn, Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred Magazine, February 2008
Lighten Up, Western Horseman, February 2008
Fashionable Fire for the Home, The Remodelers’ Journal, December/January 2008
Hill Country Horse Barn, Western Horseman, January 2008
Equine Design, Estates West, Winter 2008
Second Chances, Green Builder Magazine—Cover Story, December 2007
A Breath of Fresh Air, Western Horseman, December 2007
Barn Rebirth, Best of Southern Living (special issue), Holiday 2007
California Dreaming, Western Horseman, November 2007
Heating Up the Backyard, Garden Compass, September/October 2007
2007 Southern Home Awards, Best Preservation, Southern Living, October 2007
Champagne Barn on a Beer Budget, Everything for Horse and Rider, Summer 2007
Creature Comforts, Stable Management, September 2007
Quiet Impact (Monticule Form), Keeneland Magazine, Summer 2007
Adding On, Stable Management, August 2007
Get Organized: A well-organized tack room is attractive to your clients and allows you to find what you need when you need it, Stable Management, July 2007
Safe Footing for Barn Aisles, Practical Horseman, June 2007
55 Tips for Better Barn Function, Dressage Today, May, 2007
Ranch Dressing: Devine Barn as High Fashion Backdrop, Genlux Magazine, April/May, 2007
Horse Heaven, The Austin American Statesman, November 30, 2006
A Barn for Every Budget, Equestrian Magazine, November 2006
An Old Red Barn Gets A New Life, Washington Spaces, Early Winter 2006
A Breed Apart, Austin Home and Living, September/October 2006
Ultimate Horse Barns, Randy Leffingwell, Voyageur Press, 2006
Run-In Shed Makeover, The Horse, May 2006
Oakhaven Farm– Texas Hill Country, Sidelines Magazine, June 2004
Turning Old Into NewWeb, Thoroughbred Times, March 2004
A Sunday Horse, Vicky Moon, Capitol Books, Inc., March 2004
Master Planner, The Washington Times, February 17, 2004
Simply Devine, Sidelines Magazine, November 1, 2003
Advantages of an Architect-Designed Barn, Riding Magazine, May 2003
Out of the Box, Home Magazine, April 2003
Design on the Hoof, Washington City Paper, November 22, 2002
Brilliant Moves, Kentucky Herald-Leader, November 8, 2002
A Face Lift, Stable Management, April 2002
Creating a Better Barn, Thoroughbred Times, December 1, 2001
Doing Your Homework Before Building A Farm, The International Equine Journal, Fall 2001
Equinomics: Stall Flooring, The Horse, September 2001
A Brilliant Idea, Keeneland, Summer 2001
So You Want A Farm, The Horse, June 2001
Building a Safe Breeding Facility, Horsecity.com, April 2001
Building Barns in Albemarle, Albemarle, April/May 2001
Barns By Blackburn, Whoanews.com, January 2001
Middleburg Mystique, Vicky Moon, Capital Books, Inc., September 2001
Putting Your Mare Under Lights, Warmblood Magazine, November/December 2000
Parade of Barns, Polo Players Edition, July 2000
To Buy or Build, Thoroughbred Times, September 25, 1999
Field of Dreams, Horse Show Magazine, July/August 1999
Taj Mahorse, Polo Players Edition, July 1999
Blackburn Architects Builds Area Barns, Keswick Life, May 1999
Home Sweet Home, The Horse, May 1999
Blackburn Architects: Stables A Specialty, In & Around Horse Country, April/May 1999
Bungalow: American Restoration Style, by Jan Cigliano, (Salt Lake City: Gibbs-Smith Publichers), 1998
Housing Your Horse, The Horse, September 1998
Riding High, Elle Decor, August/September 1998
Kingdom for a Horse, Town and Country, April 1998
The Air In There, The Horse, March 1998 (photos only)
Dream Stable, The Blood Horse, March 14, 1998
Morven Stud: Age-old Virginia Farm Builds Toward Future, Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred, February 1998
Breeding Facilities, The Horse, January 1998
Barns East and West, Wood Design & Building, Autumn 1997
Variety is the Spice of Riding Arena Design, Rural Builder, May 1997
Building Your Dream, In & Around Horse Country, Oct/Nov 1996
Rhapsodies In Blueprint, SPUR, March/April 1996
Take Stock of Design to Eliminate Common Hazards, The Maryland Horse, Oct/Nov 1995
Born Again, The Washington Post Magazine, October 1, 1995
Horse Sense: The New Breed of Barn, The Washington Post, February 18, 1995
Saints Preserve Us” A Timely Addition, Church of St. Stephen Martyr’s New Recovery, The Washington Post, August 14, 1993
Dream Schemes, Remodeling Ideas, Spring 1993
Food Retail Design and Display, Martin M. Pegler, Editor, New York: Retail Reporting Corporation, 1993
Designing Horsemen, SPUR, Sept/Oct 1991
Thoroughbred Landscape, Landscape Architecture, June 1991
Will and Sarah Farish’s Lane’s End Farm, SPUR, Nov/Dec 1990
Back Porches Make a Comeback, Washington Home, June 15, 1989
Horses and Bridges: Things to Consider When Designing An Equestrian Facility
We recently received a great question from a landscape architect teamed with us on an equestrian project. We’re glad he asked the question, and thought the answer might be interesting for others contemplating adding a bridge to their landscape.
Q: Can you ride horses across a bridge? Is it a bad idea? Do they get spooked? Working on rerouting a trail on a project and considering bringing it over a river with a bridge, but people do ride horses on the trail, so not sure if that’s a bad idea. Any thoughts? Thanks!
A: Good question. It would be best if bridges could be avoided as you just never know when a horse is going to get spooked by something and then just take off in whatever direction it chooses.
But, that said, horses can be safely ridden across solidly built bridges. If the bridge is to be used frequently, the rider should introduce the horse to the bridge calmly so it has the ability to feel comfortable about the situation and get used to it. Over time, the bridge will be no big deal.
There are several conditions that should be considered:
1. Width and length of the bridge. If it’s too narrow for two horses to keep a safe distance apart – say less than 12 ft for two way traffic – it may be dangerous.
2. The bridge surface should be slip resistant (leaves in the Fall can be very slippery, as can wet wood after a rain) and the incline not too steep. Also, horses can spook at the sound of water rushing underneath them, as well as the “hollow” sound of the bridge when they first step onto it. Again, horses will become accustomed to the bridge after continued safe passage, but they’ll need time to build trust in the structure.
3. Railings along the sides should protect the horse and rider should the horse decide to take off. About 5 ft would be a minimum height.
4. Consider all other users of the bridge or bridle path. If it could be limited to just horse and rider it would be best. Bikers and runners or vehicles can spook a horse.
5. Provide a roundabout option – a safe place to cross the stream – if a horse says absolutely “NO WAY.”
To conclude, adding a bridge to a farm’s landscape really depends on the structure and surrounding grounds and landscaping. A horse needs to have good visibility on the approach to, while on the bridge and view down the bridle path as it comes off the bridge.
Horse Barn Renovations: Revamping & Renewal for 2020
Just in time for the New Year, we thought we’d take a moment to discuss renovating an existing horse barn.
Recently, Blackburn was asked to take a look at a gorgeous property in North Carolina that has an existing barn in need of a facelift. Built more than a decade ago for Icelandic ponies, the new owners want to make safety improvements for their larger athletes. However, budget is a big concern. Because the owners plan a new barn in the next few years, they want to limit renovation costs on a barn they might ultimately tear down.
To begin the process, we visited the site and took photographs documenting existing conditions. Back in the studio, the Blackburn design team reviewed the photos and provided the following comments on potential improvements that could help make the barn safer for horses. We thought it would be helpful to share our ideas here.
- The barn is very basic and worn but isn’t too bad. The primary drawback in the design is no pull-through aisle and the swinging stall doors. There is some natural light coming in through the skylights but it’s not sufficient. Nor do they permit vertical circulation or venting of hot air. It appears the only way to vent air out of the roof area is through the roof top cupola.
Recommendation: Add more skylights and add vents in the end walls with dampered exhaust fans to pull hot air from the aisle area.
- The hinged gates to the stalls open into the stall. They should open to the aisle. If a horse is down within the stall and laying against the door, the only way to get in would be to climb over the wall. And there is no way to get the horse out.
Recommendation: Add new sliding stall fronts. Also, replace the stall mesh at the stall fronts and side walls with a stock bar grill system. These are much stronger than the steel mesh. However, they need to have the proper bar spacing (max. 2 to 2 1/2″ clear) and be sufficiently strong to not bend when kicked by a horse.
- The electrical outlets are exposed.
Recommendation: The outlets should be covered to protect horses from sharp corners and edges. Verify that all outlets are GFI protected. (A GFI, or GFCI – Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter – protects from electric shocks from faults in electrical devices.) All wiring should be run through metal conduit or replaced with BX cable.
- Existing stall door latches are not the best for horses. Exposed hold open hooks can easily injure a horse.
Recommendation: Replace the latches.
- There are a lot of rough edges in the stall area that could cause injury to horses and contribute to harmful cribbing.
Recommendation: Any damaged wood should be replaced, exposed wood edges and corners either eased or covered with metal angles to reduce risk of cribbing and splintering. Confirm all nail heads on the interior of the barn – wherever they come into contact with horses – are reset to eliminate exposed heads or replace with wood screws.
- Inadequate flooring.
Recommendation: Replace the existing grid flooring outside or in the covered stall areas. Level the floor and slope it in the direction of natural drainage away from the stalls. Lay a bed of crushed gravel, cover with stone dust, and compact as required to reduce risk of erosion. If erosion is a problem, a pressure treated 2X could be set into the ground under the fence line and level with the stone dust to prevent erosion.
- Ceiling mounted lights and fans are filthy.
Recommendation: Clean all.
- The rafters under the roof of the outside stalls do not bear on the supporting wall.
Recommendation: Inspect each rafter for structural soundness and install a flat metal nailing plate (similar to those used in wood trusses) at each rafter to insure they don’t separate.
- Wash Stall Issues.
Recommendation: Provide 3/4″ non-slip rubber mats on concrete slab. Provide for drainage around edge of slab. If there is any slope to the slab, provide a gravel swale that provides sufficient drainage for water to either drain away or, preferably, back into the soil. Water should not accumulate and pool on the ground surface and create muddy conditions. Provide cross-ties at the wash stall and a place where cleaning equipment can be stored unless a tack caddy is used. Consider a collapsible saddle rack and a place to hang your blankets or saddle pads.