Diane Shields & Kerry Hilgendorf – Owners & Operators

LUCKY HORSE EQUESTRIAN CENTER
71487 Kline Road
Niles, MI 49120
269-663-LHEC (5432)

http://www.luckyhorseec.com

Lucky Horse is an upscale well designed and fully functional equestrian center which provides a unique boarding and training facility to the local area. Lucky Horse prides itself in offering the highest equine care to the Michiana area.

Lucky Horse Equestrian Center was established in 2007 and is a premier boarding and training facility in the Michiana area. This center is the result of many years of planning toward a single goal: to create a healthy, comfortable, first-class environment for horses and their owners. This custom designed facility houses the following: 24 stall custom designed stall barn, a 72’ x 144’ indoor riding arena, a 72’ x 36’ attached storage area, two large outdoor riding arenas, individual turnouts in private paddock areas, climate controlled tack room, observation room, restroom, shower, laundry room, and indoor and outdoor wash areas.

Lucky Horse Equestrian Center was in the conceptual design phase and had been working with several other builders when Pacemaker became involved. Lucky Horse identified that they were not receiving appropriate design options for their main objectives which included an open concept, well ventilated and functional facility. They asked Pacemaker for help in designing what they had originally envisioned while maintaining their allocated budget for the project.

Pacemaker starts by understanding the client’s goals and vision. At our initial meeting we began by asking questions to understand what Diane & Kerry were looking for in their new endeavor…

What we discovered: They wanted an experienced contractor that could design, manufacture, and construct a beautiful high quality equestrian stable and training facility. It was important to stay within budget, develop an open concept design, acquire a comprehensive team that would handle all aspects of the project from design, engineering, site preparation, to finished facility, while controlling the timing of the project to begin in the late fall and be ready to open on April 1st.

To create a more cost effective, state-of-the-art equestrian facility, within budget by providing thoughtful and suggestive changes in design. We were able to use an engineered, modified, open truss system design to provide an open feel which allowed them the option to add a second story finished space at their discretion. Pacemaker was able to provide a welcoming aesthetically pleasing climate controlled observation room with kitchenette, showers, restroom facility and office. We provided custom built powder coated stalls, sliding and Dutch doors, and a beautiful porch entryway, while adding elegant design touches in their tack room and observation room including handcrafted saddle racks and lockers, respectively. We provided final grading to outdoor training arenas, wash bays, and paddocks to allow for an attractive fit within the surroundings.

We were able to handle all aspects of design, manufacturing and building construction which reduced markups, time restraints and provided $ 53,000.00 in savings to Lucky Horse over other building companies. Pacemaker Buildings provided them with a turnkey project alleviating the stress of managing a venture of this magnitude.

“Our experience with Pacemaker went beyond our expectations. The salesman and the crew were always professional, flexible, and caring. Pacemaker helped us with the designs, implementation, and even the smallest details while staying within our budget. A project of this size also requires creativity and innovation during the building process. The Pacemaker team was always on top of whatever came up. We were happily surprised at the quality of not only the building itself, but the mechanics and the finishing details that were included in our cost. We liked some of the sub-contractors so much that we hired them to do additional side work along the way and after the project’s completion. The building was completed ahead of schedule and exactly on budget. This barn was our dream. We are very thankful to Pacemaker and its employees and would definitely recommend them to anyone building their dream. Diane Shields & Kerry Hilgendorf - Owners & Operators ”