4 Latch Options for Horse Stall Fronts

by American Stalls November 07, 2022

At American Stalls, we believe that any Horse Stall Front is only as good as its hardware. While we can build extremely attractive Stall Fronts, we also understand the need to master the basics. What do we consider the "basics?" That includes the hardware such as door latches, hinges, and other key hardware. In this article, we'd like to cover the 4 latch options we offer for our Hinged Horse Stall Doors and Sliding Horse Stall Doors.

Sliding Horse Stalls

We offer two latch options for our popular Sliding Horse Stalls - whether you are purchasing just kit Sliding Stall Doors or the entire fully welded Sliding Stall Fronts. Our two options include our best-selling Pin Lock Latches and our Flip Latches.

Both latch options are incredibly heavy-duty – using only the most heavy-duty materials to ensure durability in day-to-day use, but also safe latching. Our Pin Lock Latches are built only using 304 stainless steel, galvanized steel, and/or aluminum. Both materials ensure longevity, durability, and strength. The Pin Latch includes a stainless steel pin and pin receptacle. It also includes aluminum wall sheath and galvanized steel pin chain. Our Flip Latches are built using galvanized steel which is then powder coated to match your Sliding Horse Stall Door.

While these are two different types of latches, they share a common list of benefits including:

1. Durable Latching – Both latches are built only using the best materials. Horse barns are moisture-dense environments which is why we use galvanized steel, stainless steel, and aluminum. Our choice in materials allow your latches to stand the test of time – both against moisture, but also equine impact.
2. Safe Placement – Both latches are designed to be tucked away and hidden from your horses. This ensures that even the most savvy of escape artists can't toy around with their latch.
3. High Visibility – We aim to design our stall equipment to not only look beautiful, but also make your day-to-day life easier in the barn. The nature of our latches allow you to be on one-end of the aisle. You can then look down the aisle to easily get visual confirmation on which latches are open and closed.
4. Quick Use in Emergencies – Many manufacturers use complicated latches that can be hazardous in the time of an emergency. Our latches are designed to be easy-to-use so you can quickly access your horses in the event of an emergency.
5. Bolt On Assembly – We also prioritize long-term ease of maintenance in our stall design. While many manufacturers weld their latches, we believe in bolt-on construction. Although we have a high-degree of confidence in our latches' strength, we have respect for our thousand-pound equine friends' strength. If anything ever happens to your latch, our latch design allows you to replace your latch in a quick and cost-effective fashion.

Hinged European Horse Stalls

All of our hinged European Stall Fronts and Stall Doors utilize our state-of-the-art Plunger Latch assembly. Our Plunger Latch features a stainless steel construction and a stainless steel striker plate.

Similar to our Sliding Door latch benefits, our Plunger Latch is easy-to-use and offers easy long-term maintenance. This is because we designed our Plunger Latch with a bolt-on construction instead of a welded latch. This ensures that you can seamlessly replace any latches in the latter years of ownership (i.e. 20-25 years down the line). Each Plunger Latch includes a corresponding stainless steel striker plate. This ensures extra protection around your steel post to minimize impact and scratching.

Horse Stall Gates

Our Stall Gates are the last Stall Door option that we will discuss in regard to latching options. Our Stall Gates are purchased and go into many different applications including old barn renovations and new builds. For this reason, we provide a gate chain, carabiner clip, and screw-eye as standard included hardware. This particularly works for our clients who use our Stall Gates in their renovations when the Stall Gate is not installed flush into the door opening.

If you do plan to purchase our Stall Gates, we offer a Universal Gate Latch that you can purchase separately. This latch is the perfect choice if you plan to mount them flush into your door opening. Each latch is machined from solid 304 stainless steel and then finished in a black powder coat finish that is electro-plated. This latch operates like a traditional slide-bolt latch, but is extremely heavy-duty due to its stainless steel material.

We believe that your choice in an easy-to-use and safe latch is crucial to selecting your horse stall door. While the above latch options are the most popular choices, we can also offer additional designs and customizations upon request. Do you have any questions on this post or simply need help with your barn project? You can reach us at sales@americanstalls.com or a call at (855) 957-8255. Alternatively, you can also complete a Contact Us Form. We look forward to assisting in bringing your dream barn project to life!