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.
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.
