# Dumb stall question



## WildestDandelion (Apr 4, 2019)

ACinATX said:


> This is such a dumb question that I really hesitate to ask it, but here goes. If I set up my barn as run-in stalls, there's nothing to prevent one horse from "running into" another horse's stall, with a possibly confrontation as a result, right? I am wondering if maybe I should just combine all the stalls into one big run-in stall that would have multiple entrances and exits, so that if there is a confrontation the horses could solve it by running out.


our run in is around 24-25 long. we put up boards in the middle to act as a divider, and one side has a gate so we can use it as a stall if needed. Not sure if that is helpful to you. I have a hard time picturing things.


----------



## Aprilswissmiss (May 12, 2019)

Yes, horses will absolutely climb into whatever stall they want, including one that's already occupied, and yes, it can definitely create a problem if there's only one way out. That's why there should always be at least two entrances/exits so that if a socially "higher" horse comes barging in, the "lower" horse can escape without having to shove past the higher horse or potentially get cornered and injured.


----------



## csimkunas6 (Apr 18, 2010)

My horses have always been awesome with figuring out which stalls are theirs and which stalls are not....with that being said my one gelding would easily go into other stalls and eat the other horses's food as soon as he was done with his.

So for me, its keeping the fat tubby one's from eating the other's food that would be an issue if there wasnt a gate of some kind on his


----------



## boots (Jan 16, 2012)

I have friends with run ins and stalls. I like it when there is one large stall with multiple exits, too.


----------



## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

If you want to put a divider to give "space" to the horses but are concerned for cornering or herding and hurting one...
Do not make your side walls solid but say the shed is 12+ deep, put a wall to and opening at the 6' mark...
The horses will benefit from roof and side protection but have a escape avenue should they need to get away from the resident bully or aggressive ring-leader.
If you did this either side I would _not_ do that opening in the same location...
One side opening is at the rear the other toward the front...or leave the side walls solid and put a opening at the rear.
4' is a minimum but to be honest when my horses go faster than a walk through my 4' gate scares me how close their hip bones come to contact and hurts...
I would do a 6' opening if it was my design...
So, my thought of not aligning the openings is to _not_ make the wind tunnel or allow the weather a blow-through atmosphere stealing the protection from the horses you seek giving them shelter.
_just an idea, not sure it works though..._
:runninghorse2:...


----------



## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

Yes, they will go into each other's stalls which is why I opened up my two stalls to make one 12 x 24 run-in with two large entrances/exits. They still occasionally chase each other in and out at meal times. I have a separate stall that is for separating a horse as needed and the large double-stall stays open 24/7. I have had no major issues with three horses using the double stall. They frequently all stand in there together. But my horses are all roughly the same size. 

Also, I had my contractor keep the boards that separated the two 12 x 12 stalls and place two vertical boards on each side to form slats so that I can slide the boards in to divide the stalls back into two separate spaces if we ever needed to do that. There might be times (new horse, injured horse, etc.) when you want to separate horses. So far though, in the last year of having an open concept, I haven't put the boards back in a single time.


----------



## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

This is what my setup looks like. It's really quite roomy in there - mind you my horses aren't big at around 15hh each. 

When they get fed their beet pulp and hay cubes, I shut Harley in the spare stall, Rusty gets fed in one corner of the double stall, and Kodak in the other corner in that order. I always do things exactly the same way so they know the routine and patiently wait in their respective spots. When I hang the haynets and they're all together, there is often a bit of a runaround until Harley finds the one he wants. I put two haynets inside, and one right outside (there is a 10 ft overhang). Kodak is next, and Rusty gets whatever is left over. It only takes a minute or two before each horse is in his favorite spot and everyone is eating peacefully. But I won't lie, Rusty still gets nipped sometimes - mostly because he has the attention span of a 2 year old and is always putting his nose where he shouldn't. On nice days, I will hang a haynet in the paddock, or throw the hay out on the ground and scatter it around. If there isn't any food in the indoor space, there is no fighting, but with food, I have to be a little more careful.


----------



## ACinATX (Sep 12, 2018)

@Acadianartist that looks really nice! I will think about this. The way this barn is currently set up, there are five 8X10 areas. One is currently set up as a "shop" area (to become a tack room when we move in!). Maybe I would leave one 8X10 and then have one 24 X 10. My horses are all 15'3 and under. They would fit. I would just need to make sure Pony doesn't bully Moonshine.


----------



## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

ACinATX said:


> @Acadianartist that looks really nice! I will think about this. The way this barn is currently set up, there are five 8X10 areas. One is currently set up as a "shop" area (to become a tack room when we move in!). Maybe I would leave one 8X10 and then have one 24 X 10. My horses are all 15'3 and under. They would fit. I would just need to make sure Pony doesn't bully Moonshine.


I have to say we love it. The horses are happy, they get to socialize and live in a natural environment and it means less stall cleaning for us. I think it's a good idea to have one stall you can shut a horse in though. On really bad stormy nights, I have shut Harley in so that Rusty and Kodak can share the double stall with the doors shut (there are dutch doors that open onto the paddock). The two of them are really good buddies and will snuggle up to each other. I would never shut Harley in there with them though, or there would be trouble. So I would keep that option open. The majority of the time, it works great, and I know they can come in from bad weather, to get away from flies, or to nap in the shade in the summer. I don't have to halter and lead them in and out, they get to choose. It makes my life much easier, and they live a more natural lifestyle. No one cribs or paws, the open concept is great for Harley's respiratory issues -- really, there is very little in terms of a down side.


----------



## Cynical25 (Mar 7, 2013)

My run in shelter has a divider, giving me two sections of 15x15 and 15x18'. My 2 horses were easily conditioned to their "own" side by way of feeding them only on "their" side. Now when I arrive to feed they'll quickly swap on their own. As soon as grain is consumed, however, they do swap spots to check each others' buckets, lol. With only 2 horses I'm not too worried about crowding/blocking in, but I might be if there were more animals.

I do have to wait for my senior to finish eating her morning grain before I leave so the gelding doesn't steal it, and I've had to start closing my senior in the 15x15 side overnight with a cattle panel so she can leisurely eat alfalfa while my air-fern gelding inhales his minimal portion of grass hay.


----------



## Aprilswissmiss (May 12, 2019)

@Acadianartist, I've seen many come and go as you please barn designs before, but never quite like that! I really love the open concept. I can't quite tell from the picture, what footing do you have in the "common area"? Do you bed your stalls, and if so, with what?


----------



## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

Aprilswissmiss said:


> @Acadianartist, I've seen many come and go as you please barn designs before, but never quite like that! I really love the open concept. I can't quite tell from the picture, what footing do you have in the "common area"? Do you bed your stalls, and if so, with what?


Yes, the stalls all have thick rubber mats (the ones made especially for that purpose) and I use wood pellets for bedding. It works great for us. I like how they clump together so I can scoop up urine or manure easily, and the small pellets fall through. I know people wet them, but we only do that in summer heat to reduce dust. While I fill water buckets daily, I'll just spray the whole stall down a bit. The rest of the time, because the horses come in and out a lot, there is enough moisture to keep a nice consistency. I like to just add a little at a time so there is some finer, more broken down particles and I put in fresh wood pellets and sort of mix them in. They gradually also fall apart. If I have to strip a whole stall and start over (which I almost never do), I will wet it down too so it starts to break down. 

Some of the wood pellets do fall out as the horses come in and out, but I don't worry about it because it's not that much. I go through about 6 bags a week in the winter, but only about 2 bags a week in the summer since they're not in all that much and poop and pee outside. 

We did go to an overnight show last summer and there were wood shavings in the stall. I absolutely hated it. You can't pick out the manure or urine and there is so much more waste. I'd never go back to doing shavings in my barn.


----------



## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

ACinATX said:


> @Acadianartist that looks really nice! I will think about this. The way this barn is currently set up, there are five 8X10 areas. One is currently set up as a "shop" area (to become a tack room when we move in!). Maybe I would leave one 8X10 and then have one 24 X 10. My horses are all 15'3 and under. They would fit. I would just need to make sure Pony doesn't bully Moonshine.


8' x 10' is small. I would only keep a 13.2 pony in one that size. 

A horse of 15.2 when lying in the field will take 16' to get up. Yes they can get up in a smaller area but it isn't natural. 

The smaller the stable the dirtier the horses get as they cannot get away from their poop.


----------



## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

Foxhunter said:


> 8' x 10' is small. I would only keep a 13.2 pony in one that size.
> 
> A horse of 15.2 when lying in the field will take 16' to get up. Yes they can get up in a smaller area but it isn't natural.
> 
> The smaller the stable the dirtier the horses get as they cannot get away from their poop.


I agree with the last part. Our spare stall is smaller than the others at around 9 x 11. I do find it tight so I don't use it unless I have to. But in a pinch, an 8 x 10 stall would do to hold a horse temporarily. Not every day, but short term, it would be better than not having anything else. The only issue would be if a horse had to be on stall rest for an extensive period of time. Then it would quickly start to feel really tiny. 

We use the extra stall sometimes to tack up a horse when there's already another on the cross-ties, to separate Harley for a couple of hours to give him an extra flake of hay, to hold him until the vet or trimmer arrives (if he's in there, the other two will be standing in the double stall because they all want to stay together), etc. Maybe three times a year, he spends the night in there because of a big storm. In the summer, if we want to shut him in the night before a show, we actually put him in the double stall with the bottoms of the doors shut, tops open, and the other two horses sleep outside. There's overhang, and they can socialize over the dutch doors but Harley stays cleaner.


----------



## jgnmoose (May 27, 2015)

No opinion on this. It is interesting to think about, but I'm years away from building something like this.

Our horses are turned out during the day, and the ones that get stalls are hand led to them at night unless it is really nice out and we just leave them out there.

Following/commenting to hear the results.


----------

