Cover-All Buildings - anybody have any experience?

I've been in Pat Parelli's up in Colorado, but that's it... Just got through watching a CD on 'em, and the more I see them, the better I like them as far as light, etc.

So if you've been in one, let me hear about it...

You mean the "Hoop" barns, right?

personally I hate them ahah ... using them as barns the horses constantly get dripped on from the moitsure ... and when the snow falls off its actually worse then just falling off the roof of a steel arena because you hear it sliding down and the noise is longer and a little more scarier for some horses ... plus I didnt like all the dripping ...

there was however good lighting ... however not enough me sway me over to them ahah .. at night its still dark ... so you still need lights

I don't think we'd have to worry about too much snow... HA!

Yep, Kell, looks like plastic sheating (which I think it literally is) on the top and part of the sides... Watched a video, where they had the dairy-type, where you push a button and the sides roll up... so cool!

I'm trying to talk Rick in to one of 'em, but I don't know if it's going to happen...

I really like them we have one similar to them for an indoor at the farm where I haul to to ride in and I really like it. They are reasonably warm and it wasn't real dusty this summer in their I really like it. The one i use has the cement bottom 6-7 feet. Don't care for that as much had a friend hit it with her back and shoulder after going off her mare (She's fine) but that part i didn't like as well.

Have also done a similar type set up for a barn and loved it my horses were so much healthier.

Quote :

you push a button and the sides roll up... so cool!

I just lately learned of this feature too...very cool.

I guess I'm on the fence with this one... Like Kim, I wouldn't want one up here in the North... I want more than plastic between me and dirty ole man winter

BUT, if I were down there in Texas, I think I'd go for it...Heck, half the "indoors" I see down there are what we call "pole barns" or "hay sheds" up here... ie, no sides, so I think one of these would be great

Rode in a cover all arena, it didn't hold the snow, it just slid right off, and made a heck of a lot of noise like Kim said, I wouldn't want one as a barn up here, it did drip on us a lot. By the time the clinic was over, we all had to change into dry clothes.

ya I'm sure they work in warm areas, they aren't entirely Canadian practical ... some people like them ... but they would work way better in warm and drier areas

Before my parents put up their current indoor, they really weighed the differences (we are in Wisconsin).

As far as a coverall- you get warm in the winter, cool in the summer and lots of light. You have to pay a lot more to add doors (sliding or overhead) and if you ever plan to ride in one you have to add extra on for extra height on the side, as most come with sides that aren't high enough, thus because it starts coming in too early, you will ride and hit your head. haha. When we priced it out to our current steel barn with the same kind of amentities (doors and such) it was over $12,000 more to build a coverall, wayyyy too much for our pocket books.

Now our current building, to add extra light and heat/cooling we put insulation on the roof (keeps the noise down as well) and added LARGE light panels on the whole back side (upper triangle part) and one whole wall. We also added an overhang with air holes to let air in, without anything else, it keeps it pretty cool in the summer and its warmer than our barn in the winter.

If you look at these two pictures you can kind of see what I mean by the large light panels, they take up half the side, vs most people who barely put a foot on the top.

http://www.vickydaul.com/indoor%20outside.jpg

http://www.vickydaul.com/indoor%20inside.jpg

The second picture was on a cloudy overcast day, you can see it lets in quite a bit of light. Also, if you look through the rafters, you can kind of see light shining through the back where it is also a large light panel. It really warms it up because the morning sun shines through there all morning.

Hope this was a little helpful. By the way, this is daulface from the AQHA forums.

7cedars, the company I work for actually is a dealer for Cover-All. We cover parts of Iowa and Illinois, so you are not in our territory. But I could answer any questions you may have, or at least try. They do have their advantages and disadvantages. Email me at austintedoll@hotmail.com if you would like.
Melynda