A White Barn is Perfect for its Miniature Residents

This custom barn was designed with style and function in mind.

Pauline and Gary Hartogh are the owners of Freedom Oaks Farm, a country club style retirement farm, home to over 40 former show horses. Most of the horses are Warmblood hunters and jumpers living their golden years out on pasture. The horses enjoy their luxe life in the horse capital of the world, Northwest Ocala, Florida in Marion County.

Along with the retired crew, Pauline also has two miniature horses – Ava and Coco. They live in their own shed/barn in close proximity to her house, while the main barn is further down the property.

Ava and Coco in the barn.

Pauline is a retired interior designer. The task of sketching a barn design was a simple project for her. She wanted it to look similar to her house since it’s so close. The barn has a gray roof, white walls and gray shutters just like the home.

The miniatures love their spacious barn and thoughtful setup. Pauline is thrilled to be able to keep a close eye on them. Just beyond their paddock, the retired pasture horses are out grazing lazily in their pastures. It’s a beautiful sight to see the horses from the house.

Construction

The original barn was built to be 8’x12′. But later an addition was built on that was 8’x8′, making the overall barn dimensions total to 8’x20′. The addition was built shortly after Ava was born on the property.

Bella, Ava’s mom was the original resident of the barn. Bella was sent to Pauline by her breeder when she was confirmed pregnant. This way Pauline would be able to imprint train her baby from day one. She wanted the foal to be born at their farm and was planning on having it become a therapy horse. Coco was brought to the farm to keep Bella company while she was pregnant. Unfortunately once Ava was born, Bella wouldn’t allow Coco in the barn anymore. The solution was to add on to the barn and give Coco her own barn area.

The barn is made out of pine. It took just a week in total for delivery of materials and construction to be done by their favorite local handyman.

The shutters are home shutters from Home Depot to coordinate with the house shutters. Hanging baskets with flowers add a thoughtful touch.

Thank you Pauline for sharing your adorable barn with us. You can follow @avatheminiaturehorse on Instagram to keep up with all of their latest adventures.

If you are looking for more miniature cuteness, be sure to read about these portable stalls for miniature horses and the Making of Miniville.