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Read this before you start!
Building horse stalls is exciting because it means you must be either getting horses or maybe you are doing some renovations on your farm.
Before you start let me share my TIPS with you! I will walk you through some things I like about our stalls and some things I would definitely do differently next time. It is always easier to see how you would change something after you have utilized the space!
CLICK the video below for some helpful TIPS!
Our stalls were built as an afterthought in a building that was already on our property. If you were building a barn from scratch you have a lot more flexibility. We needed to work with what we had.
What Size of Stall Does Your Horse Need?
What size of stalls do you need to build? The size of a horse stall is dependent on the size of your horse and the amount of time your horse is going to spend in their stall. A standard stall size is approximately 12 feet x 12 feet. If you have larger horses, such as draft horses, you will definitely need larger stalls. For my two horses this standard size works well.
The size of the stall is important for safety reasons. You want to be certain the horse is able to lie down in their stall comfortably. You would not want to put a large horse in a stall that is too small for fear they might lie down, roll over and get stuck against a stall wall.
People often focus on the square footage of the stall and forget about the height. Older barns tend to have low ceilings and that can cause some challenges. The ceiling should be at least 10 feet high.
Mocha was boarded at a barn years ago. This was an older barn and the ceilings were quite low. She reared one day while I was removing her bridle and hit her head on a light fixture. Thankfully she was not injured. Horses can spook and rear while indoors, so allowing ample head space is important.
To build your actual stalls you can purchase materials on your own or order pre-made stalls. We ordered the hardware (tracks/latches/grills) from a company that specializes in stalls. This was convenient because everything we needed was delivered all at once. The company was also helpful to provide advice when we were ordering because we had not built stalls before.
Certain types of wood are poisonous for horses! Make sure to do your research!
We then purchased the wood for the stall walls and doors from a local lumber company. Make sure you do your research to be certain the type of wood you chose for your stall walls and doors is safe for horses just in case they chew on the boards.
In our stalls we did utilize pressure treated boards for the lower two boards only. The boards along the floor are most at risk of rotting so that is why we used pressure treated wood. The location of our pressure treated boards are pretty safe because it is very unlikely the horses would attempt to chew on those lower boards.
When we built our stalls we decided to build a solid wall between the two stalls. The type of wall we installed can be easily removed. That is a great option in case you need a larger stall at some point as well. A solid wall is helpful if you have feeding issues or issues with an aggressive horse. The horses can hear each other but they cannot see each other. This also gives the less dominant horse more sense of security when they have their own space.
Window are essential in your barn!
In the space where we were renovating we had windows that were already in place. I was not replacing these windows so we needed to come up with a plan. Windows are important to have in barns to provide natural sunlight and promote ventilation. Barns are generally dusty due to hay, bedding and general dirt. The more air flow the better!
Windows should be ideally installed at least 5 feet from the ground. We could not do this. We needed to work with the windows we had. Our issue was our windows were so large we would have to have ordered custom window inserts with grills. We ordered standard sized window inserts and put our wall boards higher to fit. Some sort of window insert or covering is required to protect each window in case your horse kicks the glass.
Next time I would not order these stationary window inserts. You can order inserts that open to make cleaning the windows easy. I have to squeeze my hand through the grills to clean the windows. It is even difficult to get the vacuum nozzle through to get the dirt, dust and cobwebs. I would definitely spend the extra money on inserts that open if you have windows with grills in place.
If you have a solution for me to clean these windows, please leave a comment below. You can take the screws out of the bottom to remove the grills but that is not something I do not want to do regularly. Cleaning these windows is another thing to add to my ‘to do list’ when I’m doing chores.
Next is the stall doors. We chose sliding stall doors. Our space was limited so this was the best option for us. We installed open grills across the entire fronts of the stalls. We did install small doors that open on each stall as well. At the time my rationale was so my son could feed without going into the stall on his own. Honestly, I barely use these doors except to give the odd treat. I typically just open the sliding door and ask each horse to come to the door. For the amount of extra work it was to install these doors I would not bother the next time.
Stall floors are important for many reasons. We were lucky because in our building the floor was concrete. We did not have to make any changes. The challenge is that concrete is hard on horses legs and feet, so we installed rubber mats specifically designed for horse stalls. We also have these mats in the entrance coming into the barn. Over time the mats do wear out especially along the seams but their overall durability has been great.
Having stalls has been a huge benefit for our horses. It gives our horses a chance to lay down in a safe place and let her guard down especially during stormy winter nights.
Stalls are definitely not mandatory for horses. As a horse owner you become an expert on your individual horse’s needs. Make sure you do your research before you start building your stalls so you build stalls suitable for your horse and they are practical to meet your needs.
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