Want to bring my horse in the house

[ken3obrien]

I live on a farm and I hate winter. I live alone and it gets real lonely during the winter. I decided that I want to bring my horse in the house this winter, for companionship. He's an average 1000lb horse. My floor is made of 2x6's spaced 24" apart, and covered with

3/4" boards with 1/2" plywood on top. I plan to cover the floor with another layer of 3/4" treated plywood in the horse's room, and then apply rubber mats, using silicone caulk in the seams of the mats to prevent liquid from getting to the wood. I also plan to cover the bottom of the walls with 1/2" treated plywood. (He is not a kicker, but sheet rock is too easy to break). My question is whether the structure is strong enough? I am thinking I should put another 2x6 between each of those existing. I am also wondering if I should add some extra posts and beams. What do you think I need?

If the floor is too weak, I was thinking that I might be better adding an extra room on the house with a poured slab, and just heat that room along with the rest of the house. It would cost more to add an addition, but this is also possible. This way I could cut a door from an existing room to the addition, and I could add a space to store hay too, so I would not have to run outside to get it.

Ken

[badgolferman]

And what exactly are you planning on doing with this horse?

[jch]

[CooperDBM]

Hi Ken,

You haven't said what the span of the 2x6's are but in general your floor is pretty weak. Even if you reinforced it, it would probably deflect too much and cause a lot of creaking as your horse moves around. The horse's weight is going to be concentrated on two hoofs as it moves around. Also, do you have the head room? Controlling the moisture from the horse and from washing the room will be difficult and could damage the house. Caulking won't do it.

Your plan B sounds like a good idea - less noise in the house, higher ceiling if needed, can be designed to be washed down with a hose to a drain, easier for the horse to get in and out.

Dave

[Ann]

And, in addition to the span, what's supporting the 2x6s? Also, you might want to check the local housing code to be sure hay can be stored in an inhabited house (fire hazard).

[AZ Nomad]

Perhaps a website lookup for extreme obesity would help. There are humans pushing 600lbs living in residences.

I think a better solution would be to use technology known as "heating" for the horse's barn. Keeping horses during winters isn't anything new.

[Boden]

I thought that sheep were used, not horses. They're also not as heavy as horses.

[sal]

your pretty convincing troll.

Sal

[aemeijers]

Although gas prices have come down in the last month, barely-used RV trailers are still available dirt cheap. Buy one of those and park it in the barn, and move in there over the winter. Make sure to extend all the vents or get an external generator or something. By doing this, you may be able to rent out the house to get some extra income.

[tin cup]

Dude: Get a woman and see a shrink. Not necessarily in that order.

[C_L_R_D]

Build a lean-to off the house with dirt floor, put a half-door insulated between, open the top and talk away. close it when it gets too cold. ...thinking about which 4 windows I could use for mine 4...

[Larry Caldwell]

How do you plan to keep the liquid from getting to the horse? It's cruelty to confine a horse in its own urine, and the ammonia will cause respiratory disease. At the very least, put in a drainage system, and knock out a window so the horse will have fresh air.

[AL]

Your trolling has snagged a lot more consideration than I would have expected from this group (misc.rural) - don't know if that is a tribute to your skill or a confirmation of the gullibility of the usual cast of characters.

AL

[tin cup]

I couldn't help myself. Of course this guy could be....real? Naaa

[aemeijers]

Please. We knew it was a troll, but sometimes it is fun to humor them, and play 'let's pretend'. Tug on the line enough to pull the troll out of the boat, etc. And the concept the OP presented was more amusing than most. (Actually, in olden days, it was not unknown. Animals downstairs, humans camping out up in the loft. Free Heat, easy access for the chores, etc. Look at some pictures of older hillside houses from northern europe. That walkout basement may well have been a barn at one point.)

-- aem sends...

[Ann]

Or, possibly, that some of us have a sense of humor?

[buffalobill]

it sounds like an interesting way to bring some extra body heat into the winter home! :) how about give the horse a wifi laptop and a two-way webcam? :) or find a horse loving companion in your neighborhood for you and both your horses! :) just see:

[Larry Caldwell]

Ah, "olden days"? Sigh. You make me feel old.

There were still a few farm houses like that in Switzerland when I was a kid, but when I went back for a visit in the late '80s, they were all gone, converted I guess.

[Terri]

Larry Caldwell wrote in news: [e-mail]:

There is a particular movie I watch over and over again just for that type of house layout. "The Mountain" with Spencer Tracy. IIRC the book "Heidi" also mentions that sort of layout as well.

[AZ Nomad]

A more serious issue is dealing with horseshit in the house. Horses are not known for being housetrained.