THE SKOOG FARM BARN TOUR (VIA ASPEN MEADOWS)

Annette, out at Aspen Meadows took us on a tour of her barn, and asked that others join in.  

So here I am.

 

 Welcome!  I made this banner that hangs in our indoor.

We have two gambrel roofed barns that are over 100 years old.  I refer to this one as Gary's as he has a shop inside that window.

He hangs his garlic on the front porch when it is harvested in July.

This is the North side of his barn...there is a run-in where the red doors are and we store lawn tractors and wood in the shed to the right.

This is the south side.  As you can see the horses have a backboard.

In the winter, the horses can go through this run-in to one of the side pastures.

It provides shade and a breeze during the warm weather.

There are gates on both ends so I can contain a horse there if necessary, and a door that leads into the grooming room.

This space was used as a shop for repairing cars before we moved here.  We put up two stalls and storage areas.

It is insulated, so cooler in summer and warmer in winter.  The farrier and vet appreciate it.

This is the front of the horse barn.

There is a stairway to the second floor where we store a years worth of hay.  It also has an old fashioned grainery and a couple of other spaces where we can keep carts or whatever.

You have to go through the back pasture and up that little hill to get there.

Handy for unloading hay.

We have way too many gardens all over the place.

This is the northeast side of the horse barn...

It used to be a cow barn (basement version) and has very simple stalls.

The horses come in and out this way.  It can be used as stalls or another run-in.

In the summertime there is a fan going in this section and they spend the hottest part of the day there.

For most of the years we have lived here, there were 6-8 horses.  As they have passed away, I have knocked down walls and now this section has three gigantic studio apartments.
This is Belle's stall....about 11x30.

Abbe's is 16x16.

Berlin has a two in one stall....11x40 something.  Here I could easily turn the back area into another stall.

Many years ago we put up this shed roof and it was one of the best things we have ever done.  I can feed hay under here when it is raining, snowing or too hot.  It also keeps water away from the barn.

In 1992 we built this indoor.  It was my mid-life crisis and having boarders helped me pay for it.

I can't even count the number of clinics that have been held here.  Jean-Claude Racinet, Sally O'Conner, Susan Harris, Linda LeGrand, Andrea Macdonald and many more.  We even had Linda Tellington-Jones stay here.  That was in the old days....when I was into lessons, dressage and on the board of the Western New York Dressage Association.  I loved learning (but not showing).  My friend Andrea got me going on saddle fitting clinics and we must have done that annually for 10 years.

Poor Gary has painted it twice now.

When we filled in our pool, we put the stockade fencing from there against the front of the paddock.  It really blocks the wind.

This is not a large arena (60x104) but it is perfect for a backyard set up.

Last spring it was so wet, grass filled in most of the front paddock and I mowed it to make it thicker.
Odd, as there is cement under there from when this used to be a cow farm over 60 years ago.

The footing in the indoor is blow sand, and every few years I add a few bags of calcium chloride so it has never been dusty.  Can't remember when I did it last....

There is a 90x200 outdoor riding area behind the indoor.  You can go in and out.  Right now, it is still full of ice from all the rain we have had (instead of snow).

There are 4 pastures.  Not all that big, but I keep them mown and rotate.

Plenty for our three ponies.

We also have a couple of other buildings....Gary's tool/garden shed....

and my studio.  One thing is certain...way too many roofs to keep up.  A couple of years ago we replaced this one and the indoor with metal.  There is no comparison and that is all I would recommend.

 This is a view from the back 40 before Gary finished repainting the indoor.  It was taken by Barb's daughter....Diana.  A fun shot.

And last but not least, here are the girls.

Hope you enjoyed the tour.  Nothing fancy, but very comfy for a farm that was started in 1823.