I stumbled across Thomas L. Croce Architects not too long ago and was absolutely blown away by the gorgeous designs of stables and other equestrian facilities. Tom kindly took the time to answer some questions about this line of work and for those interested, how you may go about getting into designing such facilities.
Have you always been interested in horses and when starting out in architectural design, was this horse related or something that developed later?
I got started in horses as an Adult. I had graduated from architectural school and was practicing when I started to ride, as I became more involved in riding dressage, and jumping I decided to try and combine the two.
How much of your day/week is related to horses?
My work day is spent on the design of equestrian facilities, I have two horses that I care for and ride, so the majority of my time is spent on horse related items.
In the architecture field – focusing on horse related designs, is it possible for someone to be a full time professional, earning a livable income?
Yes. For the past couple of years the majority of my work has been in the equestrian design field, and as the number of horses in this country continues to increase, and as horse owners continue to become more educated about the care of the animals, I believe the demand for facilities that meet the needs of the animals will continue to increase.
What are the general steps taken to be an architect of these sorts of projects?
There are no specific programs in equestrian design. The best advise I can give to someone interested in working in the field of equestrian facility design would be to focus on getting a strong background in design and construction, then try to work with someone who is already working in the field to obtain the specific experience.
Any advice for those interested in pursuing a similar career?
Be patient, but persistent.
Is there anything else with horses you’d love to learn about or try?
I have always wanted to ride a cutting horse.
Favourite horse memory?
My first dressage show, I was riding my horse a hunt horse, we got to the corner where we were supposed to canter, but rather than canter he saw those white rails and thought “JUMP†and we exited over the arena.
Future goals?
Stay in the ring.
Continue to inform the horse owning public about the need and benefits of meeting both the physical and the physiological need of the animals
Best thing about your sport/profession?
Getting to spend time with such majestic animals and the feeling I can give something back to these animals who give so much to us.
“A horse in the barn is worth two in the pasture.”
tag: horse stalls, architecture, stable design, property design
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Soon we will be having space shuttle flights for those who love to travel. The vacations will be perfect with more time saved on flying. The hotels culture will be given up in favor of temporary apartments.
Have you always been interested in horses and when did you start designing clothes for those who are often on or around a horse?
Is there anything else with horses you’d love to learn about or try?
If on a budget, it had been pointed out to us that the class of horse should be considered. For example, for paddocks or yards that are inclined to house mares and foals, then perhaps a post and rail fence is the best choice (and if you want to go all out, why not 
Even if wire is your only possibility, you can improve the safety of this class of fencing by introducing a strand of sighter wire. It’s the white strand in the picture shown. This improves the visibility of the fence as wire fences are hard to see from a distance.
There are fencing companies out there that specifically cater for horses, providing an equine related job for those who are interested in producing this kind of product or designing one that is focused on safely restricting horses to a particular area. Many are moving away from wooden posts and wire, moving to synthetic products like polyethylene that are recognised as aesthetically pleasing as well as safer for horses.