As far as I am concerned, it just doesn't get any better than this.

What wonderful fall horse weather ! And its not just here in Colorado. We just returned from a visit to my 91 years young Mom in Columbus, Texas and the weather there was pleasant and in the 70s too!

As I just came in to put this newsletter together, Dickens and Sherlock were moseying in the lower 40, Seeker was laying sternal recumbent in the middle of her fall pasture and Aria was basking in the late afternoon rays of the sun. Ahhhhhhhhh.

That's why this newsletter will be short and sweet. It is my favorite time to be outside !

Block Barns?

Dear Cherry,

Our school here in the Midwest is building a new equestrian facility and they are thinking of using cinder blocks for walls. The staff at the school doesn't want block walls but the financial backer of the project is pushing for them. I have one opinion from a vet but I need to get some more. Any thoughts on pros and cons for cinder block walls in stalls?

Thanks! SX

Hello SX,

Here is a reply from my husband Richard Klimesh who has authored both a best-selling a book, Horse Housing, and a new DVD, Your Horse Barn, on designing and building horse barns.

A barn made of concrete block will be very durable but will have a distinct industrial look. The outside can be covered with just about any material to give it a more appealing appearance. Other masonry materials like brick, stone and stucco are commonly used, but siding of wood and other materials can be used as well.

Block buildings are popular in hot climates because they tend to stay cool for most of the day. That's because masonry walls have a large thermal mass and it takes heat from the sun many hours to warm the walls all the way through. Once the walls get warm, they acts as a heat sink, slowly releasing stored heat from the sun until well after sunset.

In very cold climates however, the heat from sunlight isn't strong enough to warm the walls all the way through they simply stay cold.

A big advantage to concrete block walls is that they are very sturdy and impervious to chewing or kicking. This means they are low maintenance and will last a long time. But because concrete is so hard with no give whatsoever, a rambunctious horse that kicks a wall or runs into it could suffer broken bones or other serious injuries. A liner of wood or rubber mats can be attached to stalls made of concrete blocks to lessen the chance of injury.

Learn about barn design and materials in the DVD, Your Horse Barn.