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8 steps to designing your ideal stable

How to Design a Stable – 8 Ways to Build a Great Space for Your Horse

How to Design a Stable – 8 Ways to Build a Great Space for Your Horse

This article touches on some suggestions for building a safe and comfortable stable for your horse. Generally, horses don’t like to be contained, but a well-built stable makes caring for your horse easier, and it is essential to consider some aspects of the space.

#1 Box Stalls If you can build a larger stall, you should as larger horses appreciate the extra room. The minimum recommended size for a box stall is 10’ x 10’ to 12’ x 12’. This stall size fits an average-sized horse.

#2 Standing Stalls This space should be ample enough for your horse to lie down comfortably and should measure at least 4 ft to 5 ft wide and 8 ft long. You also want a stable structure to tie to, and it should be high enough that your horse can’t get its legs jumbled up in the rope, but can still reach its food and water.

#3 Stall Doors You can design your stall doors to either swing or slide. The most crucial factor to consider is having latches that your horse can’t tamper with, as this could pose a safety and health hazard to your horse.

#4 Flooring The best type of flooring to use is concrete, as it is non-slip, easy to disinfect and hose down. You have to install drains, however, or take the time to clean the stall thoroughly as you want to avoid ammonia build-up. Another downside is that concrete is hard on horses’ legs. Consider adding rubber mats under the bedding or leave the earth as it is warmer and quieter than a concrete floor. Of course, earth floors may be more challenging to maintain as you should replace the dirt if it becomes too saturated with urine or water.

#5 Ceilings Ceilings should be high enough to allow your horse to raise its head comfortably. Make sure there are no protruding nails, low hanging light fixtures or other obstructions that could create an accident for your horse in the space.

#6 Lighting Your top priority with lighting is safety. Use GFIC receptacles for your plugins and ensure your wiring is moisture and rodent proof. You also need safety cages around the light bulbs and place them well out of your horse’s reach.

#7 Windows You always want to integrate as many windows in your stall as possible, as they provide natural lighting and ventilation. You also want to cover the window with a grill to prevent your horses from breaking the glass. Swinging windows are better than sliding windows as well.

#8 Feeding and Watering Equipment Don’t place buckets on the floor as water may spill, causing a mess for you to clean up. You can hang your bucket on the wall; this is the most economical option. Heated buckets are available for the winter. Feed can be provided in buckets or a wall-mounted feeding tube. It’s a good idea to build a manger for hay so that it doesn’t make a mess on the floor and mixes in with soil.

We hope that these tips provide you with some necessary guidance on how to build a stall for your horse. We would love to hear about your successful projects! If you have pictures to share or a great story about your experience building a stall, contact us today!

8 Steps to designing your ideal stable