Horse Stall latches

Horse Stalls Guide- a look at latches

Horse stall latches are as varied as the animals they contain. A simple latch can include a slide bolt, chain with a snap, gravity close, no latches, a horse shoe clip, or a simple slide peg or pen.

Latches are very important as of course our horse treasures could escape and get hurt. A simple slide bolt is very common. The draw backs to it is that the bolts many time become hard to operate. With a vast majority of women working around barns, the latches need to be such that they can operate them. If a door begins to drag some, the bolt will not slide as it should. If using them, careful attention has to be paid that the bolts stay in working order.

Some barns simply mount a round ring on the horse stalls, put a snap on the end of a short chain, and that is the latch. An economical solution, it also does not stop working even if the door drags. The main down fall is if the snap itself breaks. When bolted to the end of the chain, replacement of it might not be the simplest.

A gravity close system is the newest idea. It is very clever and does keep the horse from escaping since it latches as soon as the door is closed. The down fall is if a small child goes into the stall and closes the door. They can become trapped because they cannot reach the gravity latch. Another draw back is that if someone leads a horse into the stall, the door closes, and the horse panics, the handler cannot just yank on the door and have it open. They would have to make it to the gravity latch to let themselves out.

A slide pin is a good option. The slide pin is simple, but can be the easiest for the horses to open with their mouths. If you have an escape artist, be sure their is no way for them to wrap their lips around the slide pin.

Horse are a dream, desire, and passion of people all over the world. Custom designing a horse barn and horse stalls to match your passion is fun, enjoyable, and also a journey. We will never totally out think the horse. Over time we learn from them and develop better and improved designs for all of our man made horse equipment.

Thanks for reading! Sue

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Sue, August 13th 2009 | Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in horse barn layouts, horse stall design, horse stalls

Horse Stall Mats

Horse stall guides- looking to MATS-

Horse stall mats are another angle to making our horses comfortable. We all know standing on concrete is very hard on the body. The same is true for our equine friends. Even when a horse stall is lined with dirt or clay, the mats reduce the amount of shavings or bedding required.

There are three main types of horse stall mats: flat edged, interlocking, and pass through.

The pass through design is perfect for wash racks. The hole format provide traction as well as water flow away from the horses feet. In areas with water, the pass through mats allow for the water to escape and flow down the drain. Another good use for this style of mat is when a horse in injured. Some injuries are very susceptible to sawdust and shaving invasion. In this case the mat keeps the horse off of the ground while still giving some support.

Interlocking mats move less than their flat edged cousins. Constructed like a large puzzle, they stay put, provide a tighter fit, and also keep more moisture from penetrating down below the mat. On a cement surface, this can be a big advantage. Urine that is trapped under the mats can really make for a bad odor and a mess to clean.

Flat edged mats typically have ribbing or grooves on the back. This helps to keep the mat in place. Over time the mat will shift some. It is not a good idea to just lay a single mat in the middle of the stall. It is much better to cut mats to fit the entire area.

Some horse stalls may not need matting. One must carefully look at the ground surface. If rocks are everywhere, then a mat may still be necessary. Sometimes it is possible to simply top dress the stall area with topsoil. But more bedding is required if no horse stall mats are used.

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Sue, August 12th 2009 | Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in horse barn layouts, horse stall design, horse stalls

Horse stalls, horse feeders and automatic water

From general barn layouts, to removable stall walls, hay storage, to horse stall mats,horse stall details seem to be endless. But for this post let’s take a look at horse feeders and automatic water systems.

Horse feeders for use in the horse stalls can range from just a simple bucket hung from a screw eye, to a corner feeder, and also a swing out feeder. Each of course has it advantages. For a small barn, just hanging a bucket is a simple solution. The draw back comes when you are accommodating an animal that thinks it is actually a toy. My one youngest broke his way through eight feed buckets. He literally destroyed them. The other two horses never bothered them, but Sundance thought they were just for him. I remember laying in bed one very cold night. Out of pity for the four horses (who quite frankly served more as lawn mowers and yard ornaments at that time in my life) I had left the group tucked safely into their stalls and went off to bed. Sure enough, 1:00 AM I hear the symphony start. Bang, BANG, BANGG!!! the bucket went. It echoed across the frozen ground and right through my window pain. Sure enough, the bucket was not longer part of the part equipment by morning.

So the next stage we tried a corner feeder. That worked the best. Mounted on 2×4’s screwed to the wall, he had a much harder time doing that one in. He eventually cracked the bottom, so a feed pan on the floor was that horses fate.

Swing out feeders are also nice. More expensive and needing extensive installation, they do give a place for the hay and the grain. Putting hay into them usually rains more down on the barn help that into the feeder, but the horses do seem to like them.

Another option for the hay is a built in corner feeder that sits on the ground. These are nice, but careful attention must be paid that old hay is not left to rot in the bottom. Heaves and wore can develop if this is not regularly cleaned.

Automatic waterers are the dream of everyone who lives where it is cold. Winter months are made much longer when frozen buckets must be dragged to the house and lined up in the basement to thaw. Waterers can be positioned so that one waters two stalls. Most horses drink readily from them, but if a new horse arrives be sure to monitor his water in take. Hanging a bucket in the stall for a few days until you see him drink a few times from the automatic one is a good idea. Colic and dehydration can set in before you realize it. One old mare I had did not want anything to do with the automatic water. It scared her when it would turn on. So be a student of your horse and know if a bucket it the only choice.

Under swing out feeders there can actually be room for a small tack closet. Triangle in shape, the area can accommodate a saddle and some bridle hooks. This is a great option for a commercial stable that needs more tack room. Easy to lock and simple for people to keep their tack straight, customers tend to really like them.

 Whatever your choice, automatic heated water and horse feeder do make life a lot easier when caring for our horse thier horse stalls.

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Sue, August 11th 2009 | Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in horse barn layouts, horse stall design, horse stalls

Horse Stalls, Hay storage planning

Horse Stalls Guide- Everyone knows that horses need hay. But sometimes it seems that few realize how important hay quality is. Hay for horses must be non dusty, non moldy. It is much better if it is not rained on while it is being baled. Rain on hay reduces the vitamin content and washed the food value right out of it. If you do end up with some hay getting wet before it is baled, be sure it is totally dry before making it into bales. Sometimes the field has to be raked an extra time to achieve proper drying.

When storing the hay, in needs to be up off of the ground, even if it is stacked inside. This can be achieved by simply laying pallets on the ground and stacking on top of the. The air needs to be able to circulate to prevent molding of the bottom bales. When stacking hay in an extra horse stall, pallets can be a good temporary avenue.

Many horse stables are designed with a hay loft above the stalls or above the entire first floor of the barn. This is very common with bank barns. Though seemingly a wise use of space, today we are seeing a trend away from this traditional storage method. Studies have revealed that hay above horse stalls increases the likely hood of allergies from the hay. Also the hay above the stalls also increase the dust down below. On another note, horses can also get very scared when they hear noises and movement in the loft above them. This can result in an accident.

The best means for hay storage is to add a shed row to your barn or construct one free standing away from the barn. Fire hazard of course is limited to an extent when the majority of the hay is stored away from the main structure. But on the other hand, lugging all the hay back the horse stalls to be fed is not much fun. Four wheelers and tractors can be very helpful in this situation.

When building a shed row onto the barn, a stall can be constructed with a double door. Then someone can easily walk between the main barn and the shed row. If a horse is in the double doored stall, this can make for a headache. A good alternative is to leave space for a small breezeway of sorts between the hay area and the main aisle. Leaving enough room for a hay cart to be pushed through is also a time saving enhancement. It is not much fun to trek around the outside of the building when the snow is flying to just get a flake of hay.

When stacking hay in a shed row, the very best is to pour a cement floor in the barn. Then construct a platform out of 2×4’s and plywood. This little ‘hay deck’ keeps the moisture from gathering on the underside of the bales. Also this type of surface is extremely easy to sweep clean before the next load of hay arrives.

Hay and hay burners go together, but so does love and horses. Horse stalls, hay storage, and horse barn designs can all work together to give you your own little peace of horsey paradise.

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Sue, August 10th 2009 | Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in horse barn layouts, horse stall design, horse stalls

Horse Stalls, horse stable construction

When building a horse barn, there are some very important options that should be considered. From stall wall height, to barn ceiling clearance, horse feeders, to automatic waters, much planning goes into horse stall design.

Success beings with a good foundation. An excellent excavator should be able to get your horse stable location within plus or minus just  few inches.

There are a few different layouts that both work well for a barn. Primarily there are the shed row barns, the middle aisle design, and the stalls along the side of the indoor arena. Shed row barns many times have fully enclosed stalls with dutch doors. One draw back is that is no sheltered place to groom and tack the horse outside of the stall itself. Extending the roof out over the stall doors some does help to give a sheltered area.

An aisled barn has an open aisle down the center and a row of stalls off of each side. When building this type of barn the aisle should be ideally an minimum of 16 side. A ten foot wide aisle is seen in many horse barns, but it has a higher chance of accidents. Additionally, it makes driving through with a tractor and spreader much more difficult. A wider aisle is more inviting to all horses and is allows for easy passage one horse to another. Any time a hay wagon is going to be used, the wider aisle allows for it to be backed closer to the hay storage area.

Another advantage for a wide aisle, is it gives a safe place for young children to ride before moving outside. With no grass and no hope of escape, a feisty pony can be much easier to handle inside than in the outdoor arena. Many professionals also use a wide aisle for beginning stages of riding for a young horse. A green horse should already be accustomed to the inside of the barn and give them a feeling of security, so riding them inside can make the transition easier.

Another area of design is the stalls themselves. We have already established the need for 12′ in width. The next area is the length of the stalls. 12′x12′ feet is very good. For foaling or stallion needs the 12′x18′ is many professionals choice. For more ideas on this read my post horse stall partitions.

Horse stalls should be a height of five feet of solid wood, then wire or bars should be used. This allows for air flow in the building. It also allows for the horses to see each other. Nervous horses get much calmer when others are visible to them. The bars or screening prevent the horses from biting or attacking one another from one stall to the next.

Building a 36″ window into the stall door also helps nervous horses. Also it allows for people to pet and interact with the horses as they walk from one horse to the next. Horses are very social animals and enjoy human attention. There is always the chance of a biter, but the vast majority of our equine friends thrive on attention.

Barn heights and stall over head heights should range in the ten to twelve foot high area. The higher the overhead the better the air flow and the less risk of a rearing or bounding horse making contact with the roof. A 17 hand horse doesn’t have to go very far to reach the ceiling in many barns. Higher ceilings are always safer.

Read on for more information on horse feeders, waters, and horse stall mats.

Thanks for reading! Sue

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Sue, August 7th 2009 | Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in horse barn layouts, horse stall design, horse stalls

Horse stalls, removable partitions

When laying out a horse stall design for your horse stable, it is wise to plan ahead. Sometimes there will be a need for a larger stall than normal. The 12′ width of a stall is fine for needs, but when foaling season comes, stallions are being stabled, or a horse gets injured, sometimes a larger area is needed. Many times referred to as a “foaling stall”, this larger area can be achieved a few different ways. A smart way is to simply add six feet to a stall, resulting in a 12′x18′ area. To achieve this a slip board construction can be used between stalls. The boards are simply slid into a channel on the opposite wall. Many times made from 2×4’s, the vertical channels hold the boards, then they are each screwed to the wall. This flat construction of the channel is not harmful for the horses and as each stall is built, a channel can be installed every six feet. Then the boards can be moved as needed. This is ideal for a foaling situation. The mare and foal pair need the extra room, but once Jr. is weaned, the stall wall can be moved back to the 12′x12′ setting. Then each horse can have their own area.

For stallions, the additonal six feet design to a stall gives them more freedom of movement. Saddly, stallions are many times stabled the vast amout of time. Fencing and paddock issues force the confinment. But giving the big boys some more room can also help to relieve some stress, help with circulation, and also give the handlers more room to work around them.

Foaling stalls can also be used when weaning the foals. If two foals are being weaned at the same time, the foaling stall is a great place to keep them. The extra room allows for the two to be stabled together. This also helps the babies form a new friendship while they are breaking away from mom.

Sometimes a barn gets crowded. In almost every stable there is a small pony. If the stalls are arranged with the six foot option, it can be useful to place a small pony in. A Shetland has no problem with a 6′x12′ stall. But care should be paid that a larger horse does not get into that particular stall. If a large horse has to be put into it, be sure they are tied and then backed out. Turning around in that narrow of an area result in a horse getting stuck.

Foaling horse stalls are a great use of space and by utilizing the slip board idea, the horse stable owner has more flexibility. Meeting the needs of these gentle giants is a pleasure to those who really love them.  

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Sue, August 6th 2009 | Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in horse stall design, horse stalls