# Footing and Stall size questions...



## Clayton Taffy (May 24, 2011)

I would try and find one person to rent the whole barn and pasture.


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## themacpack (Jul 16, 2009)

Pea gravel would be hard to compact into a firm "floor" surface to put the shavings over - so, imo, not an optimal option.
I agree with Taffy - finding a single horse owner in need of a place to maintain their horse(s) would be a great situation. As to the fees - you would be better served to due your research on what rates are in your specific area as it can vary considerably from one area to the next - so knowing what someone in another area completely might pay is going to be of little help toyou.


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## Almond Joy (Dec 4, 2011)

themacpack said:


> Pea gravel would be hard to compact into a firm "floor" surface to put the shavings over - so, imo, not an optimal option.
> I agree with Taffy - finding a single horse owner in need of a place to maintain their horse(s) would be a great situation. As to the fees - you would be better served to due your research on what rates are in your specific area as it can vary considerably from one area to the next - so knowing what someone in another area completely might pay is going to be of little help toyou.


Thanks! Can horses just be on compact dirt and shavings, would that be better? And there are multiple people in the area that rent out pastures for their horses. For the first year, we may make them pay the absolute minimum, because all we need is for the pasture to be maintained and it would be nice to see animals on the property again.


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## Clayton Taffy (May 24, 2011)

A stall with a dirt floor is fine, use clay not top soil, top soil won't last, you will end up taking all the soil out with the bedding. If you have one person renting the entire area they might be able to sugest what they want, maybe buying mats for a cut in board till they are paid for.


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## Joe4d (Sep 1, 2011)

put stall mats over dirt, shavings on the mats.
10X12 is fine for most normal horses,
your 1 and half acre pasture with 3 horses will quickly become 1 and a half acres of dirt and mud with out plenty of hay. Even foot traffic on that small an area will take a toll. Sounds like a great place for one or two horses. I dont believe in locking horses in stalls many people do it though. I wouldnt pay anything though unless there was a way the horses can go in and out on their own.


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## Almond Joy (Dec 4, 2011)

Thanks! 

Maybe instead of 3 horses/stalls, possibly two horses and an area to tack up and for grain? And to keep it from turning into mud, what if we made it two pastures and rotationally grazed them?


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

My barn floor was pit run, with the larger stones removed spread on top of clay to a depth of approx 10". No bedding was put down. The horses packed it when they escaped the biting bugs. I let it go thro a winter like this and in the spring with the frost coming out of the ground the sand packed in hard. I'll dump shavings in when I have them but usually just dump a few handfuls of diatomaceous earth on the fresh buns and pee spots. This helps draw the moisture out until I get a chance to clean it.


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## themacpack (Jul 16, 2009)

Almond Joy said:


> Thanks!
> 
> Maybe instead of 3 horses/stalls, possibly two horses and an area to tack up and for grain? And to keep it from turning into mud, what if we made it two pastures and rotationally grazed them?


Yes, setting it up for rotational grazing will help - but with a lot of your size, even that will likely not keep it to sustain more than one horse w/out supplemental hay.


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## Almond Joy (Dec 4, 2011)

themacpack said:


> Yes, setting it up for rotational grazing will help - but with a lot of your size, even that will likely not keep it to sustain more than one horse w/out supplemental hay.


Ahhhh, Ok. Thanks!


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

Check out Paddock Paradise. People set up lighter fencing on the inside of the stronger fencing to form a track. This gets the horses moving more as they make the circle looking for small hay piles. It will also protect the middle which will enable you to turn the horses in there briefly for fresh grass.


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## themacpack (Jul 16, 2009)

I may have missed it - what sort of hay storage is available in the barn? Is there a loft or large open space aside from the stalls?


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## Almond Joy (Dec 4, 2011)

themacpack said:


> I may have missed it - what sort of hay storage is available in the barn? Is there a loft or large open space aside from the stalls?


There is an open space in the middle currently, and then on either side hay lofts.

I'll try to attach a picture of my plans...
Okay, the blue lines are for doors, and the tack area would also have a window to the right of the door. There are also windows on the shorter sides of the barn. Oh and there is also going to be a large sliding door where the hallway ends. Each stall is 12 by 11. Could I have cross ties between the stall and the cattle area? There won't be cattle or any other animal in there unless a farmer asks.. That would probably be our last project. Also, how do you feel about dutch doors on stalls?


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## Almond Joy (Dec 4, 2011)

It turns out that someone is already interested in keeping their two horses on it for the mud season and a few weeks throughout the year for pasture/hay storage. For now she is fencing out the neighbors lot and using part of our lot and most of the barn like a run-in for now. Eventually we would like to change that, but for now, this is good!


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