By Jess Hallas-Kilcoyne
As horse people, we’ve all dreamed about walking out the back door of our house, across the lawn, to a beautiful stable filled with happy horses. Whether your fantasy is of a cozy two stall barn or a 25 stall show facility, functionality and safety come first…which isn’t to say that beauty and luxury can’t be a part of your dream barn too. Regardless of size or budget, a true Dream Barn is created with the well-being of the horses, convenience of the humans, and aesthetics in mind.
Kings Grant Farm
Private Hunter/Jumper Facility
Caledon, Ontario
Kings Grant Farm, a premier hunter/jumper facility in Caledon, Ontario, is truly the embodiment of a Dream Barn, offering the ultimate in luxury for horse and human.
Photo courtesy of Dutch Masters Construction Services Ltd.
Constructed by Dutch Masters Construction Services Ltd., www.dutchmasters.on.ca, the main barn features a grand, timber-frame entrance, with 12" by 12" fir beams, that is open to the two-storey tower above, topped with an eight-sided custom cupola. A pair of matching chandeliers are the finishing touch.
Photo courtesy of Dutch Masters Construction Services Ltd.
Photo courtesy of Dutch Masters Construction Services Ltd.
The 26 custom stalls with rubber floors and sound-deadening hardware open onto an aisle with Uni-lock paver flooring.
Photo courtesy of Dutch Masters Construction Services Ltd.
The viewing room allows views into the 80 by 208-foot indoor arena, which is heated, lined, and insulated for comfort during the cold winter months, and includes a fieldstone fireplace, a lounge area with kitchen, and heated slate-tile floors. There are two tack rooms, with one designated for show tack.
Photo courtesy of Dutch Masters Construction Services Ltd.
Kings Grant Farm Fireplace
Photo courtesy of Dutch Masters Construction Services Ltd.
The exterior of the barn includes fieldstone fashioned into arches around the doorways, an Exterior Insulation Finishing System (EIFS), and Cape Cod board and batten wood siding. The roof is fibreglass shingles and is finished with custom cupolas.
Photo courtesy of Dutch Masters Construction Services Ltd.
An outdoor sand ring with sprinkler system and grass ring, along with paddocks and fields, and riding trails through the woods complete the impressive facility.
Main article photo: Courtesy of Dutch Masters Construction Services Ltd.
This article originally appeared in the April 2012 issue of Canadian Horse Journal.