Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #224404 in Books
• Published on: 1999-09-16
• Binding: Hardcover
• 112 pages

Synopsis
In this most comprehensive book on the design and construction of stables published to date, architect Keith Warth advises on basic stable construction, DIY stables and the use of old buildings as well as large scale equestrian establishments. He examines how the purpose of the stable building is to provide conditions that maintain or improve the physical and mental wellbeing of the horse and highlights the effect of poor ventilation, particularly in respect of respiratory problems. A detailed explanation is given on how to ensure that, through good stable design, fresh air can be available for the animal at all times. There are also examples of how the buildings can affect aspects of hygiene including alternative solutions for drainage and other services. "Stables and other Equestrian Buildings" is essential reading for the professional horseman, the keen amateur, the student or anyone contemplating building, refurbishing or converting stables.

Customer Reviews

Nice on a coffee table table but don't expect to build a stable.
At 102 pages, this book would look OK on a coffee table. The photographs are beautiful and at the same time demoralising. Most of the book concerns the larger estate type establishments or racing yards where you feel that very large sums of money can be lavished on a project. It reads more like a specification list than a guide to design and construction and I suppose that as the author is a chartered architect this is perhaps not unsurprising. Within the text there is a fair amount of information, but the space does not allow much detail.

I think that with only one chapter devoted to the Basic/DIY stable, it leaves most of us feeling inadequate at the sheer scale of a professional enterprise. Even the Basic Stable is well appointed. For example the "essential" need for twin skin roof sheeting materials with an insulation layer between is almost certainly in excess of what 99% of DIY stable users would boast in their stable. I also feel that despite the publication date of 1997, there are certain areas that seem either out of date with, or ignorant of, the current trends. Again, using the roofing of the Basic Stable as an example, to indicate that the roof is "best constructed from corrugated metal or fibre sheeting" appears to ignore the fact that almost all Basic Stables are currently roofed with bituminous Onduline sheeting.

Despite being subtitled "A Guide to Design and Construction" there are no actual designs in this book to enable you to actually construct a stable. In fact you might be better informed if you explored the specification lists of actual stable manufacturers.

In summary, if you dream of owning a racing yard, have a look at what you might have to aim for. For everybody else, look to other publications.