# Stall vs. Run-in



## White Foot (Jun 4, 2009)

I would love to see everyones views on which they prefer stalls or run-ins?


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## barefoot (Jun 11, 2009)

I have both, I guess you could say. A stall with a run. At night, I shut the door to the run. I don't think I could ever have a stall without a run again.. I love it! On rainy days when I don't put them outside, they still get out. And even after they come in from a whole day outside, they can still walk around before and after dinner.


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## LiveToJump (Jun 19, 2009)

Run-Ins.

I am a firm believer that a horse should be able to go outside, even if a small pasture, at free will.
And if it can't, if its stuck in a stall in a barn, then it should at least be turned out all day or all night. 

Its healthier and much more natural for a horse to be outdoors. We wonder why so many horses have ulcers and nervous disorders...
I would too if I was stuck in a 12x12 area all day & all night.

Just my two cents though.


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## White Foot (Jun 4, 2009)

I like that idea. 

Both my horses have 24/7 run in. They do turn into stalls but I only put lock them in if it's really horrible outside. Otherwise I let them stand in the light rain, or snow. If you couldn't tell I'm a huge fan of being as natural as possible. As long as the horse gets adequate outside time I really don't disagree with putting them in a stall. When Gunther turned three he went to 45 days of training and people gave him many complements of how muscular he was for only being 3, and that's because he's always outside and he's running around darting between the trees in the paddock.

Versus the other horses that came in for training (all 3) they were all scrawny and so nervous.


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## barefoot (Jun 11, 2009)

Yeah, my horses are outside all day. And then when it's time to come in, their rull is open. I close them at night though.


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## MacabreMikolaj (May 9, 2009)

I am a huge advocate of natural turn out and grazing. I've seen so many stalled horses with owners talking about colic like it's a natural thing, it's shocking to me. I've been around horses since I was born, so almost 24 years and my grandpa's been with horses his entire life and he's 75 now. In that entire time, neither of us has had an instance of colic in our horses. His Arabian herd ran on 80 acres of pasture, with a small barn to come into for cold winter nights.

I do like having a small barn for instances of injury, but other then that, I have little use for barns. We don't even have a barn right now, and the herd comes through bitter Canadian winters fat and sassy. Most of them don't even require blankets, they grow such thick, natural coats. We have proper blankets on hand for those that need them.

You couldn't pay me money to stall my Arab mare. She goes bat**** crazy when she's confined for extended periods of time. She's been all natural since she was born, aside from her stay at my grandpa's where she was stalled at night during winter. And personally, I don't believe that's beneficial to a horse whatsoever. In -40 temps, a horse should be able to move around to keep warm, a stall is asking for trouble. I think a good blanket and a wind break is all most horses should need, and even then, I prefer not to blanket unless neccesary because the equine coat was designed for insulation and protection in all elements. 

I just find a vast decrease in health problems the more natural a horse is permitted to live.


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## LiveToJump (Jun 19, 2009)

MacabreMikolaj said:


> I just find a vast decrease in health problems the more natural a horse is permitted to live.


I completely agree 100%.


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## barefoot (Jun 11, 2009)

I agree, the thing is, throughout all the years where horses have been domesticated, I think they've lost some of their "wild horse" abilities. Just like dogs, they were wolves once before, but now domesticated. I completely agree 100% with horse's needing natural habitats for natural instincts, but I think, sadly, due to domestication and the evolution that came with it, its beginning to drastically change.


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## White Foot (Jun 4, 2009)

Macabre, The first day Gunther was locked in a stall (for training) he tore it apart, eventually got use to it, but you could tell something in his eyes changed. He hated it! . The owner of the barn won't let him board there because of it, haha, who cares I have better places to go if needed. The trainers who rent part of the barn out will.


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## barefoot (Jun 11, 2009)

barefoot said:


> I agree, the thing is, throughout all the years where horses have been domesticated, I think they've lost some of their "wild horse" abilities. Just like dogs, they were wolves once before, but now domesticated. I completely agree 100% with horse's needing natural habitats for natural instincts, but I think, sadly, due to domestication and the evolution that came with it, its beginning to drastically change.


I don't even know if that makes sense. Forget it, haha


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## Appyt (Oct 14, 2007)

I prefer the run in with full access to pasture vs stalling. I do now keep my 30 yr old blind appy in a 12x16 stall with the door open to a ??50X50ish paddock. I simply cannot let him be out with the herd anymore. I do let him out to graze when I can be where I can keep an eye on him. Before long he wants back where he knows the area. Up until this past winter he was out with the others 95% of the time. If I only had 2-3 horses he would be still. I do like the option of stalling one if I need to for any special reason, but I don't do it often at all. In my 36x60 barn I have 2 12x16 stalls and an open 24x32' run in in the south(horse) end of my barn. North(people) end is hay, alley/storage space, and tackroom.


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## chrispy (Jul 2, 2009)

My horse has a stall plus good sized paddock. He also is turned out in a pasture during the day with a small herd -- no back shoes, of course. At our previous location, he was in a half-covered small paddock, and he was dangerous when led -- major pull backs, rears, corbettes, the works. Since moving, he has become MUCH saner with only some minor pulling back when he wants to go get _that_ yummy patch of grass or isn't in the mood for a bath! A Monty Roberts dually halter helped, but it really is the outdoor social time that he needs.


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## White Foot (Jun 4, 2009)

I love everyones opinions.


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## whitetrashwarmblood (Aug 24, 2008)

I love the idea of having my horse on 24/7 pasture, but I think it's nice to have a stall around just case of an injury etc.


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## Scoutrider (Jun 4, 2009)

I love the idea of a run in shed, but I do keep mine stalled, with daily exercise, turnout, "work", or both. I just don't currently have the facilities (yet, hopefully, lol). I would love to someday build a run-in in their treeless paddock, when my ship comes in, lol.

My family also has beef cattle, and we leave them turned out 24/7, 365. In the summer, the have a 40+ acre pasture with lots of trees and plenty of cover if they want it, and open fields if they want them. In the winter, we move them down to a 13 acre pasture with a "barn" that the cattle have at will access to. They usually stay outside, even in nightmarish cold and blizzards, but they know the barn is there, and they know better than we do where they're comfortable. Most other farmers in out area confine their beef cattle for the entire winter. With cattle, so much moisture can be produced in winter confinement that fatal cases of pneumonia are considered common, even expected. In ten years, our open barn policy has gotten us only one case of pneumonia, and that was a calf born late in the summer and weaned too early by his mother, and he survived and has since thrived. We've aslo seen a lot more farmers turning their cattle out in the winter since we've lived here, lol.

Well, that's my cow rant, but it kinda goes back to what Macabre was saying about the health benefits of a natural lifestyle for livestock.


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## BackInTheSaddleAgain (Apr 20, 2009)

If I had to choose, I would choose a run-in. A lot of people take pampering too far and forget that horses need to be horses. Confine a horse too much, and a part of his spirit will be broken. Horses are hardy animals. I was working as a stable hand not long ago. There was a boarder there that had a small stall. She always had a blanket on her gelding. REFUSED that we let him into the paddock because she didn't want to get him dirty and have to groom him. That's the extent of that horse's life.... staring at confined stall walls and a seldom, quick trail ride. That's sad ={


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## BurningAmber520 (Jan 6, 2009)

I agree with the runins, I think they're the way to go. My gelding hates stalls, always has, he lives outside in a large pasture with a run in 24/7 with about 5 other horses. My mini also lives outside in a large paddock with a run in. Amber has a stall and comes inside at night. When I got her she hated having her halter put on, she hated being caught and she got VERY herdbound living outside 24/7 so I got her a stall and now that shes haltered and taken out and in twice a day shes like a different horse. She runs to you when its time to come in, throws her head into the halter and doesnt care about leaving her pasture mates one bit. So I do think there are good points with having a stall. Shes goes out every morning around 7am and comes in around 4pm, and the pasture is HUGE! Shes happy.


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## Scoutrider (Jun 4, 2009)

My guys are on a really similar schedule to Amber's, and they act much the same way: quiet and sane from their "mustang time," but people oriented and easy to halter and catch from the stall routine.


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## RoadRider / Rios Dad (Jul 2, 2009)

My guys are out 24/7 in the nice weather, being June, July, August and September but come the cold snowy months they are out dawn till dusk but spent the nights in stalls. While out they have nice shelters, in the trees and the shelters are insulted.
I want my guys in on the cold rainy/snowy nights so they can dry out. I pick their feet, brush as much mud off as I can and tuck them in with hot grain and good alfalfa hay.
I also body clip because I ride hard in the winter and a natural winter coat is just too heavy for cool running. A warm blanket with a rain sheet over that is required. It gets down to -20 some nights. The coldest I have seen the barn is 38 so water doesn't freeze.
I will never pasture board a horse.


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## White Foot (Jun 4, 2009)

Rants= love.


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## zurmdahl (Feb 25, 2009)

My horse Ace is being leased at the moment and he is kept in a one paddock at night and then let in a pen that they move everyday so he can have grass until they get something more permanent set up. He has trees and if it's really bad he stays inside at the barn down the street. But he's older and being outside and able to move around really helps with his joints and his stiffness. 

Flower is out from for half the day and then in her stall. I really wish we had 24/7 turnout but I do get up to exercise her almost everyday and she doesn't mind. At the moment she's out in a smaller paddock with a run in that she stands in all day, it's adorable. But hopefully soon she'll be able to go were she used to. I think it's 40 acres? I'm not sure. But it's huge and they have to run up a long hill to get to the grass and it really helps with her muscles. 

If/When I get my own place, I would keep my horses out 24/7 with a run-in but also have a barn to bring them in for feeding, injuries, and bad weather. I would rather have one than not.


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## appylover31803 (Sep 18, 2007)

my horses are currently out 24/7. They have shelter with the trees that are there, but most times you'll see them still grazing in the rain (glad to know they know they won't melt if they get wet haha)

Unfortunately I board so I have to go with whatever is around me. 
What I would really like when we get our own place is to have a barn with 2-4 stalls but have the stalls open right into the paddock area. that way I can keep it open and they can come and go as they please, but if for any reason they had to be stalled, I have that option as well.


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## MN Tigerstripes (Feb 20, 2009)

I prefer run-ins. As long as they have the opportunity to get out of the nasty weather I think it is much better for them to be outside, in a herd as much as possible. I live in MN and my hores stay out all day/night in every kind of weather we have. They are never blanketed either. When it gets nasty cold (-25 before wind chill) they get as much hay as they can eat to help them keep warm. The only time I've seen the weather negatively effect their health/behavior is in the summer when its really hot/muggy and the gnats are attacking. But, I stilll wish that I had a stall for emergency use. I've had a couple of injuries where a stall would've come in handy for a couple of hours.


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## hotreddun (Jun 27, 2008)

My horses just have 3/4 acre paddocks with 3-sided shelters. My older horse has been in every type of situation. Stall night/out day, stall with run in, and out 24/7...he prefers to be out 24/7...his arthritis, his attitude everything got better when he is turned out 24/7.


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## ilovemyPhillip (Apr 4, 2009)

Run In


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## lovemyponies (Jul 26, 2008)

My old horse was in a pasture with just trees for most of her life, she hated to be in a stall. However before she died she had to be put in a stall. (the vet said because of wild animals in our area she was better off there if she happened to die while alone) She did get euthanized, but the point is sometimes a stall is necessary. We have an old partially blind appy who is kept in during the day and another horse with a bowed tendon who has to be kept in. 

Having said that having a run in is the best, just hate to clean it every darn day because my horse always goes to the bathroom in it even though she has a nice big pasture, BRAT!


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## goldilockz (Aug 1, 2008)

I guess our set up would be considered more of a run in. The barn has two stalls that open to the corral. We keep the stall doors open at all times.


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

I was ordering my run-in from PA (Amish-build). So first I wanted to go with only run-in. After careful thinking I decided to pay all these extra and add 2 stalls (mostly in case of injury that I have to stall). So now I have run-in + 2 stalls combo. 90% cases I just use the run-in (stalls are locked), but in a bad weather (storm, snow, ice) I'm VERY happy I paid those money and added the stalls. They LOVE them in bad weather - they FLY and jump right in. Because they know they are dry, food and water are always there, and they are big enough so there is lots of space just to lay down and even roll (they do it all the time).


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## riccil0ve (Mar 28, 2009)

I guess I have both. As soon as it starts being nice enough outside for my horse to stay out, she stays out 24 hours a day, with a 12X12 stall that opens up to the pastures. She gets shut in the first pasture at night, but has access to the rest of the pastures all day. When winter hits, she comes into her 12X24 stall for the night, mostly because she is trace-clipped for the winter. And believe it or not, she gets pretty upset when I start kicking her back out at night in the spring. =]


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## Walkamile (Dec 29, 2008)

Mine have a large stall that is always open into a large paddock. The pastures are on each side of the paddock. I let them out into the pasture during the day and back into the paddock/stall at night. They put themselves in or out as they wish. 

Now that T is older, she prefers to go to bed at night and is in the stall, her choice. Walka goes in and out all night. During the winter it just fries my a-- when I see him standing in a blizzard out in the paddock! :?


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## PaintHorseMares (Apr 19, 2008)

whitetrashwarmblood said:


> I love the idea of having my horse on 24/7 pasture, but I think it's nice to have a stall around just case of an injury etc.


This is what we do, too. Our mares are out 24x7 and have a run in, if they choose. We have a double stall just in case of injury or if we're trimming in bad weather. 

They all prefer to be out and about, so even the run in is mainly used only on 90+ degree days in the summer or very cold rain in the winter.


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## Brumby (Nov 5, 2008)

I believe that a run in is the best option, horses get more exercise, are able to get read of ownry energy, and are healthier. Also if they get a little soar or something they can walk it out. But if you do want to stall them just do it throught the night.


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## White Foot (Jun 4, 2009)

Before I got my gelding Gunther, Labre my older horse only had a run-in. She had terrible heaves and the vet said it was best to keep her in an open stall. It did and still does help her alot, not to mention when we got her she didn't have much muscle but now she's getting better.


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## Solon (May 11, 2008)

I wish our barn had stalls with run-ins. It seems like that would be really ideal. We have stalls and then there are turn out pastures for the horses. They are out during the day. In the winter they don't get turnout outside, but indoor turnout in the arena.

We get so much rain the pastures turn into soup and it's not safe for them to be out there.


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## HorsesHorses08 (Jul 7, 2009)

I agree with livetojump. they should be able to go outside at free will and not be forced in a stall all day...


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## 7Ponies (May 21, 2009)

Interesting thread.

I have stalls. But my horses go out at 3 p.m. and come in at 8 a.m the following morning. They are in their stalls for appx 7 hours a day and fed three times during that time. They have fans blowing on them and a radio plays in the barn all the time (country music is their favorite)

I really think they enjoy their stall time. It's too hot in summer for them to be out in the blazing sun.

In fall and winter they usually come in to eat and I turn them back outside, so they are in the barn very little.

When I move, I am thinking of doing run-in type shelters, but still want a place to be able to put them if I have to confine them for injury, etc.


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## Gillian (Aug 2, 2008)

I'd love to have a stall that opened up to the pasture, but I think the place where I board has a pretty good system. The horses get at least 6 hours of turnout a day, with night turnout as an option as well. They're all happy horses and are turned out all together, mares in one pasture, geldings in another, as two large herds. They have huge pastures and lots of lush grass. So as long as you have a good system, I believe that stalled horses can be just fine.

As an added note, my horse willingly and happily comes trotting up to me in the field and is perfectly happy to come on in after being out in the sun with his friends.


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