After reading the most recent guild newsletter, I realized that our entire ranch, over time and as the need arose, has become a series of antecedent arrangements like the locks at the Panama Canal! Yes I get tired of opening and closing gates to go from one area to the next when we move animals around the pastures and 'goody' areas, but my gosh it does save time and my knees. And have a system of variable sized connected or not in the barns turns out to be a great idea. One of our barns, built from recycled materials can be partitioned into 4 pens of various sizes. One are is even separated from the rest by a sliding door. This is an invaluable area for training, it is about 12x12 (larger than Marty recommends, but ...) as the animal I am working with is not distracted by the rest of the animals. But the pen is open (chain link fence for walls) on two sides so we are not in the 'dark'. The smallest area is about 3 x 5 and is perfect for 1 or 2 animals and a human. We give shots in this area. My word of the day: partition, partition, partition. Animals are easily moved from one area to the next through one of the doors at either end.
