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NEW PROJECTS

NEW STABLES

When I visited a friend who had just moved into a new house, he showed me a timber stable block in the garden and mentioned that he intended burning it! I quickly said, "Oh no you won't. I'll have it!"  Easier said than done. The stable block was at the bottom of a steep bank with no vehicular access. The problem was finally solved by taking it to pieces and dragging each section up the bank with a long rope on the quad. It is now being re-erected (when I have time) on concrete foundations. It will have an earth floor with 150mm of pea gravel on top. I've taken the precaution of laying a perforated drain pipe under the length of the stables leading into a large soakaway. I've used pea gravel in the field shelter and it works well.

Picture left: The old timber stables on the original site looking rather sad -- down the bottom of a steep bank. It was fun moving the disassembled sections. The only way was to drag them up with a long rope with the ATV!

The roof, which was full of holes, was re-used for the walls of the field shelter. The re-erected stables will have a new box section roof. The timber is actually in good condition.

Picture left: Erecting the panels on strip foundations. Both ends of the block and the front of the tack room have been dropped into place and are temporarily propped up with lengths of timber.

Picture left: The back wall sections are dropped into place using the tractor loader.

Picture left:  The doorway for the first stable is put into position. All panels are screwed down into the concrete block foundations.

Almost complete!

Roof sheeted and now just waiting for the edge flashing and ventilators above the door. The stables have  been power washed ready for spraying with timber preservative. I think it looks quite smart, don't you?

NEW FIELD SHELTER

Putting in the posts. Each post was too heavy to lift, but were sunk into four foot holes by myself working alone using a cunning arrangement of "A" frames and the quad. If I'd thought about it, I could have slid them into the holes from the tipping trailer! Ah well, I'll do that next time!

All the posts have been secured with rammed hard core in the holes and the roof timbers are being nailed in place.

Completed at last. The shelter measures 30ft long by 12ft wide and has since be strengthened on the advice of my architect with bracing on all posts. I made a mistake with the placing of the nearest post which is a few inches out. But the ponies don't seem to mind!

Since finishing the shed, I've install gates and a divider so a section can be partitioned off. Kyla, the foal, will be put in there for gradual weaning and handling. There are also hay racks to be fitted along the back wall and possibly a self-fill water bowl.

NEW ROUND PEN

The round pen has proved to be the most useful piece of kit on the farm. We use it at least a couple of times a week.