Horse Stalls Guide

Hello and WELCOME to Horse Stalls Guide. From Kings to our little princesses that we buy ponies for (our children), the love of horses knows no bounds. All horses, small and great, need a place to rest. And so through this website here are some insights and tips for designing and building horse stalls for our noble creatures. As builders and a horse professional myself, we have a unique opportunity to show you a slightly different side of horse barn design coupled with experience.

No matter what type of horse you have, there are certain things which are universal. Older style barns many times have tie stalls or low overheads. So let’s start from square one and out line some stall ideas.

When building a barn, or remodeling one, the stalls should be 12 feet wide. This width allows for even the big warm bloods to have plenty of room without wasting space. Yes, large areas are nice, but keep in mind when you build a stall that you are not trying to build an indoor paddock. The purpose of a stall is to have a more confined area to work in and keep a horse.

A 12′x12′ stall is ideal for the vast majority of horses. For foaling stalls or stallions stalls, adding an additional six feet to the stall, to make a 12′x18′ area, is a great idea. This allows more room for the mare and foal. When handling and halter breaking a foal, that extra 6 feet of length is valuable. For stallions a larger stall is good. Many times a stallion has to be stabled more than other horses, so having a little extra space is helpful.

A nice design for horse stables is to have a 16 to 20 foot wide aisle running down the middle of the barn and a row of stalls on each side. The the stall rows should each be 12 feet wide, yielding a building that is a minimum of 40 feet. A wide aisle has many benefits ranging from backing a hay wagon in, to riding young horses, and just grooming on cross ties.

To provide good ventilation and also for safety, a 12 foot high clearance over the stalls and the aisle is wise. Many professional “stall ride” young horses in the very beginning. The higher overhead allows for this. Also if a horse rears or jumps sideways, the high overhead prevents them from hitting their head on the barn ceiling.

Horse stall walls should be about five feet high on the sides and front. Then 2″x4″ wire, chain link, or bars should be installed above the top board of the stall wall. This allows for more ventilation between stalls but still keeps the horses from touching or biting each other over the wall. When building stalls, either stall kits or from scratch, it is imperative that the stall wall comes completely to the floor. There should never be a gap wider than four inches at the bottom of a wall. If there is a gap, the floor level should be raised, or an additional board added to the bottom of the wall. This prevents horses from getting their legs trapped under the wall.

Stall doors can be either hung on hinges or mounted on rollers and tacking. Both have advantages. When using rolls and track, the track should be mounted a minimum of 8 feet above the door. In prefab stall kits this is not usually an option, but when building them on site it is a wise choice. The higher overhead allows for a horse to rear in a door way and not hit their pole. Also a taller door way can be used to ride through. Sometimes riding through a door happens when it is not supposed to. My first pony took me on several such tours when I was a child.

Horse feeders can be either simply a bucket hung from a screw eye, a corner feeder, or a swing out feeder/ manger combo. A corner feeder can be built into the stall. The swing out mangers are hung on the aisle side of the stall on hinges.

For under foot, horse stall mats are a good choice. Ranging from flat edged, to interlocking, and drain through. Mats do provide pressure relief to the horses, limits the amount of shaving required, and also makes a clean surface in the case of an injury.

Whatever your choice, horse stalls are above all to be safe, roomy, and comfortable for our equine treasures. Read on for more ideas and design elements for horse barns and horse stalls.

Horse Stalls Guide

No Comments

Michael, May 12th 2009 | Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in horse barn layouts, horse stall design, horse stalls

Horse Boarding

Horse Boarding

Horse boarding is something that many people have to consider before purchasing a horse. Boarding a horse can be expensive, but there are many with a great passion for horses and they would never be able to care for them at home. Boarding a horse also has many advantages such as other horse people to ride with, better facilities than many owners can afford to have at home, and also someone else to do the bulk of the care. So let’s look at some guidelines for choosing a horse boarding facility.

How many parents have heard the words, “Mommy, I need a pony!” or “Daddy, can I have a horse?” More than one suburbanite parent who has never even touch a horses nose has had a girl or boy who has been in love with horses since they were three years old. So once buying them pony wallpaper, model barns with horse stalls, and Breyer horses doesn’t satisfy the aspiring equestrian athlete any longer, many parents opt for riding lessons. This is a good way to introduce them to horses without taking on the responsibility of owning one.

Horse inside stall, Photo from Flickr.com vw4ross

A year or two goes by and the interest grows. Then the words once again surface, “Mommy, I need my own pony!” Taking the trainer or instructor’s advice about size of horse to purchase, age of horse, and experience of horse based on the child’s ability, age, and interest level can avoid a lot of problems in the future. Some of the most satisfied horse owners I know are the ones who listened to the teacher and bought a horse that the teacher helped them choose. Purchasing a horse or pony that the child had already ridden is a good idea. Taking lessons on a horse before buying it gives a very good low-pressure introduction and try out time.

Boarding a horse at the same horse barn that gives the lessons is usually fine. But by and by circumstances in the owner’s lives can change. This may mean the family has to relocate or downsize their monthly expenses. Allowing a child to take a horse or pony with them can really make the transition easier for them. So now let’s look at ways to choose where to move the horse to.

The best first step is to ask the current barn owner if they could recommend another equestrian center in the new town. Also ask if there are any barns that they would warn against going to. The next step is to get on the internet or look in the phone book and begin calling stables. Usually they are listed under a header such as “Horse Boarding and Training”. It is usually wise to avoid listings such as “Horse Rentals”. These places are more geared for hiring horses instead of caring for horse owner teams.

Top Questions To Ask About Horse Boarding

Here are some very important and insightful questions to ask when calling a horse barn or facility.

1. How many horses do you have at the barn?
2. How many acres do you have?
3. Are the horses turned out regularly?
4. What type of fencing do you have?
5. What size pastures do you have?
6. Do you offer riding lessons and boarding?
7. What type horse stalls do you have and what are the dimensions?
8. Do you have a fenced in riding arena?
9. Are most of the riders Western or English?
10. Does your barn go to horse shows?
11. Are there any riding trails near by?
12. How long have you been in business?
13. How much is the horse board?

These answers give you an idea of what kind of horse boarding facility it is. It is best to avoid any places that have barb wire fencing. For a young or inexperienced horse owner it is best to choose a facility that offers both horse boarding and lessons. Horses are very different if they are kept inside all the time. A lazy pony can become very hard to handle if it is not turned out regularly. So choose a place that has pastures that are at least five acres and leave the horses out for several hours each day. Having an indoor arena is nice, but in many cases just an outdoor riding ring with sand footing and wood fencing around it is sufficient. It is also wise to be informed as to which type of riding most of the people do. If your child likes to jump then a barn that has all driving horses might not be a good choice.

Amenities that can increase the price of horse boarding would include an indoor arena, proximity to the city, and how nice the barn is. Just like people view homes before they decide which one to buy or rent it is also a good idea to include horse boarding barn viewing with scouting out the new area. Take the list of the top four or five barns, give them a call and ask if you can stop out.

Commercial barns are usually very active all during the days, especially after school, so it is even a good idea to just get directions and then drop in unannounced. Then you see what a normal day at each barn looks like. Take a look at the horse stalls and see if they are unreasonably dirty or if they have fresh horse bedding and stall mats. Look at the resident horses and notice if they are fat or thin. Walk along next to the paddocks and pastures and see if the fencing looks in good repair and if there is grass in the fields. All stables fight mud and dirt, depending on the season, but it is not hard to see that horses are standing in nice size corrals and paddocks or if they are all crammed in together with mud up covering their hooves. Mud is not unusual by any means, but look to see if each pasture or paddock has a dry place for the horses to stand- somewhere that they can get away from the mud.

Also take a minute and watch a riding lesson. Compare the instructor to the one that the child is used to riding under. Watch the rider and see if the teacher upsets them or if there is a good working relationship between the two.

Moving to a new area is hard enough, but taking the time and patients to research a horse boarding barn is really worth it. Changing schools and relocating is very hard on kids, so getting to take their treasured horse friend along with them is very important to them. Choosing a place with large horse stalls, nice size fields, fenced in riding arenas, and a resident teacher can make the transition much smoother. Boarding is also something to seriously consider when you purchase a young horse.

Horse Stalls Guide

 

No Comments

Michael, July 30th 2010 | Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Horse Boarding, horse stalls

Horse Stall Ideas

When someone owns a great majestic animal, simply referred to as a “horse” they soon come to realize how special they are. Simultaneously, it seems, the new owner also becomes aware of the special needs of the animal. Buying a horse can be a dream fulfilled, and looking into horse stall ideas is also important. So let’s look at some horse stall ideas.

Horses are many times thought of as a play thing for the rich. Yes, it is true that some very wealthy people own horses, but one visit to a horse barn will also reveal that a wide variety of people are present. In rural communities horses can be very economical to take care of. Many families purchase a pony or horse to teach a child responsibility, to give them a good thing to invest their time and interest into, and also so that they can participate in 4H. Horse stalls and horse barns don’t have to be elaborate or costly. They just have to be designed to do the job and to do it safely.

The most economical but safe way to build a horse stall is by simply buying some 2×12 inch rough cut lumber and some treated 4×4 posts. In a shed, out building, or unused garage a 12 foot by 12 foot area can be measured out. The posts need to be buried a few feet into the ground and to be set on four foot center around the outside perimeter of the stalls. The the boards are cut to length and screwed to the upright posts. The boards should be mounted no more than three or four inches between each horizontal row. Rough cut lumber shrinks and leaves gaps between the rows. To prevent horse hooves from becoming trapped between the rows, minimal space should be used between each. Stall wall boards should be installed to a final wall height of about 5 feet.

The least expensive option for a horse stall door is to simply mount three screws eyes on each side of the door and then purchase a stall guard to go across the entrance. A search on Amazon or horse tack sites for the term “stall guard” will give you some selection. Typically stall guards are made from heavy duty nylon stripes stitched together in a checker board sort of pattern. Many horses will respect the stall guard and not try to escape.

Ponies are another story when is comes to stall guards. If you find that the pony or horse will not stay in the stall and is crawling out or pushing too hard on the guard, then a wooden door may have to be built.

The simplest construction for a horse stall that I can think of is to make a door from 2×4′s and plywood. A frame about 4 1/2 feet tall can be made with a few supports in the middle. Then heavy 3/4 inch plywood can be screwed to it. Then the door can be hung from heavy duty hinges. Young horses are another consideration. They are very good at being very hard on a horse stall.

The main idea of horse stalls is to keep the horse safe and provide them a place to get out of the weather. Shelter not only helps to keep them from getting cold, but extended exposure to moisture also can cause skin problems like scratches (mud fever) and rain rot to their coats. Horse Stalls Guide is written by horse owners for horse owners.

No Comments

Michael, July 27th 2010 | Tags: , , , ,
Posted in horse stall design, horse stalls
« Older Posts