# Standing stalls?



## myhorsehasmentalissues (Nov 29, 2011)

What do ya'll think about them? I seem to like them but I was wondering about everyone else. I am thinking about building some...


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## iridehorses (Oct 22, 2007)

the only time I've seem them used effectively was at a rental stable where they were put waiting to be saddled and ridden.

Aside from that I don't like them because it just doesn't give the horse a chance to move around.


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## DutchFeather (May 9, 2011)

You see them a lot with draft horses, particularily with farmers who have draft horses. They teach the horse a lot of manners and a lot abou personal space. The only problem I have with them, is that the horse is just standing in manure and urine and usually end up with a never ending battle of founder, even if you clean out their hooves every day.


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## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

Not a fan. I want my horses to be comfortable when they have to be in their stalls, so the bigger the better as far as I'm concerned.

My stalls are 10' X 24'. Did I mention I want my horses to be comfortable? :wink:


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## ponyboy (Jul 24, 2008)

Hate em. They're too small even to tack up in comfortably. The only time I could see them being used is to separate horses that are normally kept on pasture at feeding time.


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## myhorsehasmentalissues (Nov 29, 2011)

DutchFeather said:


> You see them a lot with draft horses, particularily with farmers who have draft horses. They teach the horse a lot of manners and a lot abou personal space. The only problem I have with them, is that the horse is just standing in manure and urine and usually end up with a never ending battle of founder, even if you clean out their hooves every day.


do you mean thrush?


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## DutchFeather (May 9, 2011)

myhorsehasmentalissues said:


> do you mean thrush?


God yes, thank you. Where was my head at yesterday? I meant Thrush. And then if they have it long enough, you get White Line Disease and t's just a never ending battle. Thrush. Not founder! Sorry! My grandfather has standing stalls and his two horses have thrush really bad. I try to take care of their feet when I can, but, he's an old farmer who doesn't pay much attention besides making sure they have a fresh pair of shoes in every 6 weeks.


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## cakemom (Jul 4, 2010)

I have seen them used very effectively at a large farm that does pasture only but likes to seperate to feed, he has a long row of standing stalls. It's so cute, all the girls know where they belong and at around 4 start moseying over there.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

No problem with them.

They are an affective and safe way to stable a horse. 
Not uncommon at lesson barns for the lesson horses. 

There is enough room for the horses to lay down and get up and adjust position forward and backward. Hay and water are in front of them. 


I knew a lesson horse that when moved to a box stall she would get cast every time she laid down. In her straight stall she had not problem getting up and down.


They are not a good stabling situation for a horse that does not get regular use and/or turn out.


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## mls (Nov 28, 2006)

iridehorses said:


> it just doesn't give the horse a chance to move around.


Exactly. We built them at the end of our indoor arena for the special needs feed horses. Typically go back out after eating, but can stay in.

The horse eats and can lay down - not on it's side but it does get them out of the elements. No chasing manure, it's all right there when I clean.

We call them tie stalls.


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## Endiku (Dec 6, 2010)

I think that a standing stall would be fine _if_ the horse had atleast 3-5 hours of pasture time every day, as well as good 4+ workout rides every week. Otherwise, I really don't like them. It's always best for a horse to be able to move, in order to keep healthy. It helps them digest their food and keep good circulation in their bodies. If they're going to be left in their stall almost 24-7, then it's just not healthy for them. A standing stall should also be picked atleast 2 times every day and be well ventilated, IMO.

We recently brought in four OTTBs and two sucklings from the Sam Houston Racetrack. All six horses were crammed into three nearly standing sized stalls (10 by 10 I believe?), incapable of moving more than a few inches. Two have severe thrush, all of their muscles are atrophied, and one has lung problems due to the ammonia produced by all of them. It's sort of a 'worst case scenario' but it does show that bad ventilation and no chance to stretch out and do what horses do can ruin a horse. 

So, good exercise, access to pasture, and good ventilations and I'm good with a standing stall. Otherwise, I'd say just put in the extra money for a box stall.


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## Maverick101 (Nov 8, 2009)

I'm w Always and MLS...I have no problem w tie/standing stalls. 
As long as they are big enough for the horse to lay down if they want, and can move forward and backwards to shift weight and such then they are fine imo.

At the stable I worked at prior to buidling my own place we had them for the smaller horses and ponies, we also had some full sized horses in them.

And as w any stall no matter the size or shape if they need to be cleaned properlyto avoid hoof problems....
They are easier to clean when a horse is occupying it,then a box stall imo as well, as the manure n pee is easily assecible w out having to enter the stall.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Corporal (Jul 29, 2010)

Agree with above posts. The only standing stalls I use are in my slant-load trailer. =D


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## myhorsehasmentalissues (Nov 29, 2011)

DutchFeather said:


> God yes, thank you. Where was my head at yesterday? I meant Thrush. And then if they have it long enough, you get White Line Disease and t's just a never ending battle. Thrush. Not founder! Sorry! My grandfather has standing stalls and his two horses have thrush really bad. I try to take care of their feet when I can, but, he's an old farmer who doesn't pay much attention besides making sure they have a fresh pair of shoes in every 6 weeks.


yeah white line is a pain in the... uh... haunches. did he clean out the stalls often?


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## DutchFeather (May 9, 2011)

myhorsehasmentalissues said:


> yeah white line is a pain in the... uh... haunches. did he clean out the stalls often?


The stalls are cleaned everyday. He cleans in the morning when he puts the horses out, and also scrapes the stalls back a few times a night and puts fresh bedding under them. But, they are standing in their own urine and manure, so even if you clean it a few times a day, you're still running into the issue of wetness and bacteria getting into your horses' hooves. That's the only problem I have with standing stalls. I think they REALLY help to teach a horse manners and boundaries. The horse learns to tie, step over, step up, back up, give you your space, not crowd you for grain and hay, they learn to pick up their feet faster, etc. My colt was in one for the first year of his life and he's a very respectful boy. Now he has a box stall/run in, so we'll see how he does.


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## mls (Nov 28, 2006)

DutchFeather said:


> But, they are standing in their own urine and manure, so even if you clean it a few times a day, you're still running into the issue of wetness and bacteria getting into your horses' hooves. That's the only problem I have with standing stalls.


It's the same with box stalls.


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## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

mls said:


> It's the same with box stalls.


I totally agree.

Heck, it is the same outside with some horses. "Oh cool, I shall manure right in the pathway".


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## myhorsehasmentalissues (Nov 29, 2011)

Alwaysbehind said:


> I totally agree.
> 
> Heck, it is the same outside with some horses. "Oh cool, I shall manure right in the pathway".


Oh TELL ME ABOUT IT! Right in front of the gate! I cannot count how many boots have perished in the muck... never to be found. I guess that the tie-stalls would make cleaning easier though. All the uh... stuff... is right where you need it. My mare poos pees and then swirls it around in her 10X10 stall. New shavings everyday.


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## KateS (Jul 3, 2008)

I have to say that I love tie stalls, when I bring my mare to the indoor arena 20 min from my place in winter she is out from about 6am to 6pm give or take a bit and from 6pm to 6am she is in a tie stall. She gets ridden 5-6 times a week for roughly an hour each time. She never has had a problem with bad or gross feet (none of the horses have) and it is alot easier to clean and cheaper for me to board. When she is at home in summer, she is inside from 6am to 6 or 7pm because she goes insane with the bugs and heat. She is in a tie stall half the day almost year around and does fine.

If done properly, tie stalls are a wonderful thing that I would not want to live without.


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## mls (Nov 28, 2006)

Alwaysbehind said:


> I totally agree.
> 
> Heck, it is the same outside with some horses. "Oh cool, I shall manure right in the pathway".


 
Yep.

Cleaned a paddock last night. Went out this morning and tripped through frozen apples at the gate.

Sigh.


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## myhorsehasmentalissues (Nov 29, 2011)

mls said:


> Yep.
> 
> Cleaned a paddock last night. Went out this morning and tripped through frozen apples at the gate.
> 
> Sigh.


so funny! I know how you feel though. I put new shavings in my horse's stall and in 30 minutes it was trashed. At least we know he's healthy right?


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## SarahAnn (Oct 22, 2011)

mls said:


> It's the same with box stalls.



I only have ONE that will actually stand in her own manure or urine. My other 4 pee and poop up against the wall in the back so they dont have to stand/ walk/ lay in their own yucko. Of course my mostly WHITE horse is the one that will take a nap in her own piles of yucko. I always thought there was something amiss with her because of this... I guess she's normal and my other 4 have OCD :lol:


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## PaintMare (Nov 23, 2011)

Their not safe for the horse. The horse would not be comfortable.I once heard of a horse that was in a standing stall and tried to lay down but then couldn't get back up and ended up with a broken leg.


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## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

PaintMare said:


> Their not safe for the horse. The horse would not be comfortable.I once heard of a horse that was in a standing stall and tried to lay down but then couldn't get back up and ended up with a broken leg.


Getting cast is not limited to being in a straight stall.


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## mls (Nov 28, 2006)

PaintMare said:


> Their not safe for the horse. The horse would not be comfortable.I once heard of a horse that was in a standing stall and tried to lay down but then couldn't get back up and ended up with a broken leg.


When it comes to horses, there is always a story someone 'heard' about a horse getting horribly hurt or dying due to ______________. Everyone needs to decide for themselves.


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## Darrin (Jul 11, 2011)

Alwaysbehind said:


> Getting cast is not limited to being in a straight stall.


Tell me about it. One of mine decided to roll right next to the arena wall, did a fine job of casting himself. Being a 60x120 arena he had plenty of places to choose where he wouldn't of got cast.


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## 5percherons (Dec 31, 2011)

I use my tie stalls and have no issues at all , my horses come in and stand and relax before they are worked and then are allowed to cool off after , they are only in maybe 1hour before then couple hours after. These are all draft horses and they learn how to stand quietly and very good barn manner
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## verona1016 (Jul 3, 2011)

So this might be a silly question, since I've never seen a standing stall except in pictures... but isn't it a little dangerous for the handler, as you always have to approach the horse from the rear and then go along the side of the horse to get to his head in a space as narrow as 5 ft? At the very least it seems inconvenient to feeding & watering...

(I'm getting the 5 feet from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police's minimum requirements for standing stalls for their Musical Ride tour)


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## RitzieAnn (Dec 22, 2010)

I think it really boils down to: how long will the horses be in the standing stalls?

I have a foaling stall that i use, as well as an average stall. But i have 3 horses. Sometimes I bring them in to eat. In the large stall, I put up a feeder on each end (half a 55 gallon drum) and I put tie rings. They stay there for a few hours. I suppose they could lay down if they wanted, but the tie ring is high enough that they can't eat off the stall floor (I didn't want them stepping on/over it and getting stuck/rope burns).

I feel comfortable leaving them like that for a few hours, unattended. I would possibly leave them tied there all night, once I get my hangers for their water buckets (love horse.com!) but it's not likely that I'd do that (over night) often.

I think it also depends on the hrose. if your horse is impatient and doesn't tie well, then a tie stall probably isn't the best thing for him/her, is it?


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## Saranda (Apr 14, 2011)

I really, really don't like stand and tie stalls. They are too small and unsafe for a horse, not allowing him to move normally, avoid his pee, lie down... There were some in my old boarding place, but fortunately we'll have a new law soon where it will be stated that horses, if kept in stalls, can be only kept in box stalls that are at least 3x4 meters large. 

However, since I got to know 24/7 outdoors way of keeping horses, I look upon stalls completely differently... They all harm horses in some ways, though the harm can be minimized in some..


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