Our indoor arena and show barn is in progress now.
The dimensions are 82' Wide x 134' Long x 12' High. Down one side is an office, bathroom, tack room, equipment room with stocks and treadmill, wash rack and then six stalls (one double stall and five regular stalls).
It has been insulated to stay cool in the summertime and warm in the wintertime. All four sides have big sliding doors to open and to enable a constant breeze in hot weather and to close and stay warm in the winter. Hopefully we will be able to fit some Big Ass fans inside as well although we have been told that we may not need them. A video of the work from start to finish will be posted at completion.
Update! The roof is up and we are dried in. It won't be long. Today on December 2nd, 2016, they are pouring the concrete for the office, bathroom, tack room, farrier stall, and wash room. It will take approximately three days to dry and then the rooms will be insulated and enclosed.
Update! February 2017 - Electrical work is almost complete except for the outside lights. The water lines for the automatic heated waterers for each stall are now installed. Insulation and paneling has been completed in all rooms and now they are installing the ceilings in the office, bathroom and tack room.
Update! March 2017 - The ceilings are now completed.
The observation window has been installed and Joe will soon build a bar under the observation window. We will be adding our furniture and appliances (shower, commode, bathroom sink, hot water heater, washer, dryer, refrigerator and microwave) after we have sealed and painted the floors. All of our paneling needs to be sanded and coated with several layers of polyurethane. We have to wait until all other work is completed before we can start so that the dust level will be minimal.
The bottom board around the entire barn to keep the footing inside has now been installed. Now we need to have the footing delivered and spread and then add more footing to our outside arena and spread and level again. All the trucks and digging underground to add water and electrical lines have really done a number on our existing outside arena and it is going to take a lot of work to get it back in working condition. Fencing and new gates need to be redone as well.
Joe and I will finish the six stalls and install the Nelson heated automatic waterers for each stall ourselves and then we will be ready for our Open House where we are planning on holding a donkey show. We have no idea of a finish date but we are hoping it will be in the fall of 2021. We are making a video of all the work from start to finish that will be posted at completion.
We are still in the process of sanding and polyurethaning all of our paneling. It is a slow and tedious job and we had to stop temporarily while we work on taxes. Update! Completed!
Update 4/09/17: Our builder is now installing our shower in the office bathroom. The sanding and polyurethaning has been completed. Our builder had to stop working on the arena to plant his garden for the next two months.
Update 7/12/17:
The rest of our bathroom items will be delivered on August 20th: sink, commode, washing machine, clothes dryer, etc. They will also deliver the refrigerator for our office at the same time. Our builder is now adding concrete to the entire left wall to prevent water from leaking inside during severe rainstorms. If this works we will soon be adding the footing to the arena and completing the stall work....and then the fun will begin!!! No more working out in the hot sun...yippee!!!
Update 11/02/17: We are now building the six stalls. It looks like it may be next year before this barn is completed as we are paying as we build and not borrowing any money.
Update 3/31/18: The stalls are finished except for installing the automatic waterers and adding the flooring. We have to stop to work on taxes...again!
After our taxes are completed we will begin adding concrete to the remaining three walls to keep water out during heavy storms. Update! Completed! Then we will be able to add the footing that will finish the arena!
Update 6/26/18: The concrete footer has been added around the remaining three walls to keep out any rain water. One short wall is remaining and then we will begin adding the footing inside the arena, add the automatic waterers to the stalls, add the stall skins in each stall, add the railing and isleway in front of the stalls...and then we will be ready for business except for adding the bar under the observation window in the office and the septic for the bathroom!
Update December 2018. The rail down the left side of the arena has been completed along with the seven gates we have placed all around the arena with storage in two corners.
Update! 2021. The arena footing has been added and the plumbing for the bathroom is almost complete. We need to finish adding the stall skins to each of the six stalls.
We are hoping to add one or two Big Ass Fans to make our arena complete!
We have had to sell a lot of donkeys to finance this arena as Joe would not allow me to borrow the money....smart man! Pretty soon we will have a finished arena and no donkeys! It is a slow process when you pay as you go. We are hoping to have all of this finally finished in 2021.
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