If you want your horse to be truly safe in his stall, whether you are using premium woods and fittings or not, there are a few rules to remember when building a new barn, or retrofitting an old one.
Sturdy Wood Is Best
Above all else, materials used in horse stalls must be substantial. A horse is a big, powerful animal, and one kick could take out a wall…and a hoof or damage a knee as well, leading to months of healing and no riding. So, if a material looks thin, it probably is. Avoid it, and spend a little more for more safety for your powerful animals.
Doors For Human Easy, Equine Safety
The door, too, is a prime concern. Most horse stalls have doors on sliders and most of these are too short or too flimsy, allowing space between the door and stall wall. A horse can kick or knock the door aside, allowing his leg or hoof to be caught in the space. The horse could pull off a shoe, or even damage the bulb of the foot. He could even break a bone in his lower leg trying to pull free if he got a foot wedged there.
Another problem is that the sliders are often installed with nails that are too short and work loose, making it difficult to get the door closed - or worse, open. Because of the risk of fires in barns, it should be easy for a human to get doors open fast to shoo horses outside, and difficult for the horse to move the door once a human has closed and latched it. Weekly checks of door slider hardware is not too much to do to keep horses safe and sound, unless you can weld the hardware in.
Large Rooms for Happy Horses
The size of the stall itself is also important for horse health. Some people, trying to save money on materials, or squeeze an extra horse or two into the barn, will build stalls as small as 8x8 feet. While that might do for ponies, a horse needs a stall of at least 10x10, and 12-x- 12 is better still. While 14-x-14 is palatial for such breeds as Quarter Horses and Arabians, it may be none too big for huge Warmbloods or energetic Thoroughbreds.
If this sounds enormous to you, think of this: A horse 16-hands tall will be at least six feet long, nose to tail, meaning even a 12-by-12 foot stall is only twice the horse’s body length. Since a horse cannot decide to go out for a stroll if he’s feeling cramped, it pays to avoid making him spend boring hours in a cramped space. A bored horse will look for trouble, chewing on stall walls, kicking and making a fuss. That’s tough on the walls, tough on the horse handlers, and extra tough on the horse.
Open Range Is Gone: Construct a Room With a View
As riding has become more and more popular, open land for horses to roam has become less abundant. Many horses get little time outdoors, making a roomy stall essential. Giving the horse a view of the aisle or the great outdoors, with stall gates or even horse-friendly windows, is also helpful in keeping horses healthy and happy, and avoiding behavioral “issues” or vet bills for the horse
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