# Designing stables. Individual versus Group



## PranaHorse (Oct 17, 2014)

I am working with a property owner here in Costa Rica to build some stables and I'm looking for some opinions.
Here in Costa Rica the norm is that they keep horses in separate stalls, and unless the owners come around often, the horse are only taken out for training exercises 2 or 3 times per week. This is mostly for "paso" work, or fancy trotting.
This is for the owners with money.
All other horse are out to pasture, pretty much surviving on their own until needed.
OK, so that's not what I'm into, but that is what goes on here 95% of the time.
I have horses who are for pleasure riding, and I will be bringing out clients of ours for trail rides. We have a retreat where we host one couple, and this will become an offered activity.
Sorry for the build-up, here is the question.
We are trying to decide between building individual stalls or a group enclosure.
My guess is that the woman who owns the property and will be overseeing the running of things will want to have a simple roofed area that the horses can use or not, as they decide.
This is the opinion part I am after.
Do you feel that horses with free range will become "more wild" and therefor less easy to ride?
Or, is it better to keep them in individual stalls , and just let them out during the day?
I plan to go out and ride three times a week, or so.
Most importantly, I want to be sure that my now gentle, and easy to ride horses will remain so when ridden by a new rider who may not have all that much experience.
These would be the guests who are staying at the retreat. ( not the same property by the way)
Right now, my two horses are kept in individual stalls, and I am out almost every day to either ride them, or at minimum take them out on a lead to graze, since I do not want them shut in all day.
As I mentioned, most places simply keep horse in stalls, or never in stalls. It's all or nothing here.
This is why I am trying to establish a better way on this property of giving shelter at night, as well as plenty of free space to rome during the day.
So once again, my question is individual stalls or just one group protected area.
Most likely there will be 4 or 5 horses.
Thanks for your input!


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## Horseychick87 (Feb 5, 2014)

Maybe you can have the 'best of both worlds' so to speak and do a stable with individual stalls with runs that are maybe attached to a pasture. This way the horses could go out during the day or night, whenever is best for you and whoever else may be caring for them, then they can be stalled with the runs for the remainder of the time.


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

Horses need the social contact that stalls take away. A roof is a good idea for them to escape the hot sun. Because the horses can move about they don't have the pent up energy of stall kept horses.


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## PranaHorse (Oct 17, 2014)

Thanks for the input so far. I agree about the need to socialize, as well to graze and exercise. Those are three main reasons we plan to give them access all together to pasture all day. I guess I am still looking for opinions about if it is "better" to stall them individually at night, or to just let them decide and give them a shelter that they can choose to use, or not, at night.
I am asking to see what the thoughts are on if either plan will effect there "personalities" ( can't think of a better word) about being ridden.
For example, when I bought my first horse, Chico, he was never stalled. He was kept on a property that had the herd out to pasture all of the time.
After I bought him, it took me a couple of times, and then he would allow me to go up to him to bring him in.
He was very ridable, but would get very stubborn at times, especially since we were riding alone.
After a couple of months I moved him to where he had a stall.
He became MUCH more willing to do what I asked of him.
Maybe he was just happy to be out of the stall, and that sounds terrible.
Or, maybe he was simply more focused on being ridden and less on hanging out with the herd.
The plan is to give them both worlds: A communal pasture and stalls.
So any big difference between the choices: individual vs one big roofed area, and how it will effect ridability?


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## Red Gate Farm (Aug 28, 2011)

I believe it's better to let them decide.


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## PranaHorse (Oct 17, 2014)

Yes "Red Gate" but my meeting with the property owner to design the construction is tomorrow and none of the horse can make the meeting, so I need to make the decision for them. Ha! 
So you think it is better to not put them in for the night and just leave it for them to decide by building an open communal structure?


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## Roman (Jun 13, 2014)

Posturing would be fine as long as it's either a huge pasture or else you have another to rotate them on. Grass doesn't last forever. You could put a shed for them to go into also.

Although, being it a retreat and/or trail riding place, you probably should have stalls so you can put the horses in there if you have a group of riders coming in and don't want to crowd the aisleway or have to catch, groom, and tack while the riders are waiting nearby and possibly getting impatient.

Edit: And having the stalls to put an injured or ill horse into also.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Maple (Jan 10, 2012)

I would draw up three sets of plans.

1) stalled barn
2) No stalls
3) A facility with a few stalls and paddocks with shelter. 

Give the property owner all these options, and let them decide which exactly they like the best. At the end of the day it is up to THEM to decide not you.


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## RBuchele10 (Aug 19, 2014)

I agree with Maple: give them options. An IDEAL facility for horse and human is one with a few stalls and the paddock with shelter from all that sunshine! 

A few stalls gives you the option to care for a sick or injured horse that needs to be on stall rest for a bit or under supervision. Stalls would also be great for tacking up. Beginners can feel overwhelmed if you toss them out into a herd, regardless of their personalities.

Training wise - you'll have happier horses in a herd. Typically a horse doesn't lose its training if it's put out in a field. That factor depends on how much you work with them!

Side note: Depending on where you are in Costa Rica, from what I recall when I have visited, your weather is pretty moderate (you don't have to deal with freezing temperatures and snow!), though it can get pretty humid! A more open sided barn would probably be best to keep airflow going on those more humid days. 

Buena suerte y Pura Vida! ;-)


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## PranaHorse (Oct 17, 2014)

Thanks RBuchele10, your input is helpful, just what I was looking for. Yes it is never cold here, but there are parts of the year when there is a lot of rain. We are on the Pacific coast, in the foothills, so not on the beach but close. 
I like the idea now, based on some other suggestions found here, of a sort of hybrid approach.
Perhaps a structure that offers both individual and communal covered space, so that we can speak to various issues including a horse in need of a space to heal…good call on that.
As for who's decision it is, it sort of is more for me to decide since I will be paying for and doing all of the construction.
Really I was after how one decision of another might effect there "rideability" and I think you spoke to that well (RB) so thanks.
Thanks all, I appreciate having this community to lean on, and of course I'd love to see more thoughts if you have any.
Thanks.


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## TessaMay (Jul 26, 2013)

My thoughts in red  



PranaHorse said:


> Do you feel that horses with free range will become "more wild" and therefor less easy to ride? In my experience it's the opposite. Horses who are allowed to roam have less pent up energy and therefore are more likely to behave better under saddle. The only horses that I have ever known who have to be pulled out and lunged to calm them down before they can be ridden are horses kept in stalls. Not always the case, but more often than not.
> Or, is it better to keep them in individual stalls , and just let them out during the day?  I like to have the option to be able to separate them if needed, but I wouldn't actually lock them up at night.
> Most importantly, I want to be sure that my now gentle, and easy to ride horses will remain so when ridden by a new rider who may not have all that much experience. Some horses have the personality/temperament that they will still be well behaved even if ridden by only inexperienced people, some don't and develop bad habits if they are not regularly ridden by someone who knows what they are doing. It really depends on the horse.


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## PranaHorse (Oct 17, 2014)

Also some more great feedback which really helps. Thanks.
Ok, so lets say we go with a roofed structure that has a couple of stalls as part of it for when we need them.
How then will it be best to feed grain to them?
At this point I've only been responsible for my one horse. I would go take him from the pasture and then groom and feed, perhaps ride, and then return him to the pasture.
The other horse in that particular setting did not receive grain, but simply foraged on their own…again, that's how they do it here if you are not "rich"
Later, now that he has been kept at a facility that stalls them pretty much all of the time, he of course gets fed there.
Since this "new place" that we are creating will host four or five horses, what will be the best way to feed them grain twice a day without it being a big production? For example, tying each one up to feed them may be more then we can handle. There will most likely be just one person taking care of feeding at any time.
Since the suggestions seem to be leaning me towards NOT keeping them in individual stalls at night, we loose the ability to feed them before letting them out, and feeding them again in the evening which is what I'd like to do.
Any good solutions to this? Especially since we are building and can figure something in.


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## hyperkalemic4 (Dec 8, 2014)

In the wet areas here in the states a lot of horses get rain rot from the dampness. I think if a horse has some shelter, it would be great. Here in Utah horses stay out in the harshest winter even if they have a stall to go in.
I think horses get hotter and more nervous if they are stalled. Are more quiet to just get on and ride if they are out where they get some exercise and that would much better for you if dudes are riding.


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## Horseychick87 (Feb 5, 2014)

PranaHorse;

For the feeding grain you can do straight stalls set up somewhere accessible, or have the needed number of stalls that the horses could freely walk into at feed time for the grain.

If you had a corral off of the stalls that lead to say, a pasture you could call them in to eat (most horses kept like this learn which stall is theirs and will walk into it at feed time.) This allows you to have each horse separate to prevent food theft and give them a good looking over/ grooming. 

The stalls can be open air, just a low barrier between stalls to allow them to reach over and groom/ socialize, but still have their own space.

If the corral/ paddock is big enough, you just close the gate(s) to the grass pasture when you want to keep them in and they have a place to be outside if they wish, or they can chose the stall.


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## DarElBeck (Oct 23, 2014)

Where my trainer is they have stalls that open into the pasture and an overhang for shelter from the weather. They shake a bucket of grain and the horses stall themselves. If you have a lot of dominant horses it might not be advisable though as you don't want fights. They go through and let the horses in one at a time and go back through feed then let them out when they are done. Another option might be a covered shelter with tie stalls if you don't intend to stall them all the time. Tie Stalls | Hi-Hog

I personally only like to stable horses when in use. Aka feeding, riding, care, etc. The tie stalls would allow you to just bring them in for feeding without a hassle.


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