# Do your stalls have solid doors??



## JumpingTheMoon (Nov 11, 2009)

Potentially moving to the biggest barn on the facility... if I do... (and that's a huge if) the stalls are built with solid doors with bars at the top and on the walls. Which is fine. But if the horses are in they can't hang their heads out.

Again, no big deal.

It would be nice to get stall guards, but I'm not sure what would be cost effective and safe.


----------



## My Beau (Jan 2, 2009)

I boarded at a barn with solid doors for 5 years. Never had any problems- if anything it was better since it was a large facility, as there were no horses reaching out ther stalls to sniff/bite other horses walking by.

We did use this type of stall guard when we were grooming or tacking up:
Stall Chain - Dover Saddlery.

Here's a pic (sorry for the lousy quality, it's from my phone):


----------



## JumpingTheMoon (Nov 11, 2009)

Cool I saw those! They wouldn't be too bad actually.

The barn aisle is quite wide.. at least 14ft. So horses should be safe from snap happy ponies lol.


----------



## ilovestitch (Dec 22, 2006)

The facility sounds nice! I have been at barns with both and I actually prefer the door.


----------



## eventerdrew (Mar 13, 2009)

I prefer solid doors as two of my horses do not respect stall guards. I have dutch doors with a 4 1/2 ft solid bottom door and a top door with wood framework and bars in the middle. I made my doors extra tall because of 17hh monstro Uma


----------



## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

I prefer solid doors too. Even with a wide aisle when there are horses on both sides a horse going down the aisle really can be intimidated which leads to risk to the person leading the horse.


----------



## mls (Nov 28, 2006)

Alwaysbehind said:


> I prefer solid doors too. Even with a wide aisle when there are horses on both sides a horse going down the aisle really can be intimidated which leads to risk to the person leading the horse.


 
Very true. I have heard horror stories from the barn down the road where a horse has bit humans - of course horses too. But people? I would of modified the barn long ago.

We have solid bottoms on the doors. Stalls walls are slatted to allow for air movement. Top half is bars on the stall walls and doors. Back walls have kick boards for protection of the wall and safety for the horse.

Huge compliment from a former boarder the other night. (has her own place now). Stopped in to say hi and she said I have always loved the smell in this barn - shavings and clean!


----------



## sillybunny11486 (Oct 2, 2009)

I prefer solid walls and doors. To me it just looks better. 

For stall gaurds, I dont use them. I took care of a few older horse (25-35) and they easily walked right through those double end snaps the gaurds were attached to. There were old arthritic horses, just walking right through them, not even trying to escape. I just dont trust them to keep my horses in.


----------



## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

Since I can not edit anymore - Let me add - when I say solid doors I do not mean solid solid. I mean full height. 

My stalls have wood up part way and then bars the rest of the way, doors too. Solid only in the sense that the horses can not reach out into the aisle.


----------



## JumpingTheMoon (Nov 11, 2009)

Hmm ok. Fair enough.


----------



## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

I have the solid doors you are talking about but I only keep mine in at night during winter, after that they come in to eat and go right back out.







I prefer these gaurds to the ones pictured above because I have a few that will go under or through them. 









I like stall gaurds alot for the summer. Especially when they are in for grooming or waiting for the vet. 

I like the full doors at public facilities because it keeps peoples hands off them! it also helps to keep them from cribbing, although if there is a will... there is a way...

I plan on getting them for my horses this summer. But like I said, I don't leave mine in when it's warm and during the winter everything is shut tight for warmth...


----------



## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

Solid walls all the up, but bars for the front of the stall and top of the stall door, with barred windows on the back wall.

If you go with completely solid everything, there's no ventilation. 

I can't imagine a completely solid barn. That's not very healthy for the animals.


----------



## sillybunny11486 (Oct 2, 2009)

farmpony- I was at a barn were they would not allow those kind of stall guards, after one of their lesson ponies got her foot stuck in them.


----------



## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

We have solid doors in our barn but ours are designed different than what I see here. Ours have the stall doors together and the feeders together. So essentially, if both stalls had only stall guards, then the horses in both stalls would be able to reach each other. We used to have a lot of studs come and go through here so solid doors were a must.

Ours have the basic setup like these but with solid doors and walls.


----------



## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

sillybunny11486 said:


> farmpony- I was at a barn were they would not allow those kind of stall guards, after one of their lesson ponies got her foot stuck in them.


They have solid ones also.


----------



## ponyboy (Jul 24, 2008)

My Beau said:


> I boarded at a barn with solid doors for 5 years. Never had any problems- if anything it was better since it was a large facility, as there were no horses reaching out ther stalls to sniff/bite other horses walking by.


I had my foot broken because of non-solid doors - Stalled horse reached out and bit the horse I was leading, who half-reared and landed on my foot. Not fun!


----------



## Allison Finch (Oct 21, 2009)

All the barns I've kept horses in had tall doors. I very much dislike horses hanging over stall door, hassling horses led in the aisles. If people like horses having the ability to "hang out" find a barn with openable outside windows.


----------



## eventerdrew (Mar 13, 2009)

That's why I LOVE my dutch doors. When the horse's are alone in the barn, they can hang their heads out and such. My doors are situated in a way that they cannot reach each other. All doors are on the left side of the stall so there is no chance of biting or harassing between horses. It's great!


----------



## Indyhorse (Dec 3, 2009)

When boarding I definitely preferred solid doors (and walls, had one of my horses tail chewed off by a neighbor horse once) but for my own barn, at home amongst my own animals, I like open top doors.


----------



## JumpingTheMoon (Nov 11, 2009)

The walls are not solid all the way up. 

The stall walls are approx 4ft high, then bars the rest of the way to the ceiling. Door is actually solid however. There is ample ventilation, the stalls are 14x16.


----------



## Maverick101 (Nov 8, 2009)

eventerdrew said:


> That's why I LOVE my dutch doors. When the horse's are alone in the barn, they can hang their heads out and such. My doors are situated in a way that they cannot reach each other. All doors are on the left side of the stall so there is no chance of biting or harassing between horses. It's great!


Mine are similar. I wouldnt refer to them as dutch doors, but they have the option of being closed, or half open....so guess in theory a dutch door. But they dont swing open they flip up or down.

they are solid wood on bottom, and then the top is a gate, that can be flipped down, to allow the horse to hang its head out, or flipped up and latched to allow for a solid door. However the top part is not solid, its metal w bars.
We used HiQual products when we built are barn, they are durable, relatively good priced, and very efficient products.


----------

