The 10 hardworking horses at Trikk Pony Stables in Freeport, Grand Bahamas Island provide joy to hundreds of vacationers each year who hoof it up to experience life on the beautiful island oasis. But after business hours, life was less than desirable for the horses, which were housed in a steel railing barn with no walls.

“When it rained, the horses would all get wet,” says Leo Munnings who owns Trikk Pony Stables, which offers the island’s only all-beach horseback riding adventures. “During Hurricanes Frances and Jeanne my property became flooded with four feet of ocean water. The steel rusted and the barn fell apart. It really wasn’t good, but it got me started looking into what we have now.”

In August 2006, Munnings saddled up and began an online search for an affordable, weather-resistant building that would protect the horses and the business, which the website TripAdvisor voted, “the #1 activity on the island.” She found what she was looking for in another steel barn building manufactured by a company in Virginia Beach, VA.

“I chose a steel barn made by SteelMaster Buildings because of its shape, since we have to worry about hurricanes and also because of what it’s made of, as we have to worry about very salty air that causes metal to rust fast!” Another factor that played into her decision was that the building boasts a flexible clear span construction, which helps keep the horses cool in the hot climate. The barn is mill coated with Galvalume Plus steel coating that provides a dry-coated, maintenance-free finish that also keeps the building cool. The company offers optional building accessories which include:

• Steel Endwalls
• Service Frames and Doors
• Base Connector
• Skylights
• Steel Door and Window Frames
• Louver and Turbine Vents

Once Munnings received the prefabricated steel building, it took one month to complete construction. “My feed room and tack room were not even started, but I was too excited and too ready to see my horses housed properly to wait on getting them in there,” says Munnings.

The final outcome has served to be just what Munnings and the horses needed. “I love it!” says Munnings. “It’s beautiful, presentable, efficient, low-maintenance, and everything I was hoping for. I would definitely recommend the product, and I talk about it to my clients.”

By Brend H. Welch, freelance writer and editor living in Hampton Roads, VA.

For more information about SteelMaster Buildings, click below.

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