Horse stalls come in all sorts of designs and sizes.
Among all of the available options, it is certain that your horse will spend a lot of time in their horse stall. In addition to the basics for comfortable and safe horse stalls, there are a lot of add-ons that can add safety, elegance, and function.
During the purchasing process, we walk clients through a variety of add-ons. Although these add-ons drive up the cost upfront, they are priceless in the long run. These add-ons are valuable because they:
- Fit your style of feeding and handling your horses
- Allow your horse to have easier access to fresh water, fresh air, and socialization in the barn
- Promote a healthy environment through ventilation and available sunlight
Here is a concise list of 5 upgrades to consider when making your upcoming horse stall purchase:
Mesh or Grilled Bottoms
Steel mesh or steel bars allow for optimal ventilation in a horse stall. Aside from ventilation, steel mesh and grilled bottoms also allow a horse owner to look down the aisle or into the stall as they walk down the aisle. This way, an owner can always maintain visibility of their horses. The only drawback is that bedding can be kicked into the aisles. To combat that, we recommend to add bedding guards to the bottom of each stall door.
Removable or Closable Yoke
A yoke is the opening in a horse stall door through which a horse can hang his or head outside of the horse stall. Yokes come in all sorts of styles including V-Shaped yokes, square yokes, rectangular yokes, and more.
Horse owners - especially in busier commercial barns - don't like the idea of allowing a horse to hang their head in the aisle-way. This is because some horse owners are concerned that their sale horse will bite incoming visitors.
One option to add function and versatility is a closable yoke.
You can add a closable yoke by either having a completely removable yoke piece or a hinged, drop down yoke. At American Stalls, we tend to recommend our clients to consider removable yokes as opposed to hinged, drop down yokes. This is because horses tend to be playful and play with the yoke that has folded down on the door. To avoid the playful nature and any shenanigans, we tend to recommend removable yokes.
Feed Doors
Feed doors come in the form of large-grilled feed doors that swing outwards. These doors are built into stall fronts so our clients can feed quicker and easier. These feed doors are especially helpful if you have barn help that is unfamiliar with horses. This way, the individual does not have to enter the horse stalls to provide feed or water.
Automatic Waterers
Automatic waterers are usually installed in either the horse stall's corner or mounted into the stall front. Automatic waters have the advantage as they allow for a constant source of clean water available to your horse. They are also easy to clean.
Sliding Stall Doors
This is not necessarily an "add-on," but we do tend to recommend sliding stall doors as opposed to hinged stall doors.
A sliding stall door allows you to save time in opening and closing the door every time the horse is turned out. In regards to safety, sliding horse stalls are easier to open and close. In the event of a fire or other emergency, a human handler can easily slide open the stall doors, lock them in place, and attend to other stalls. In contrast, hinged stall doors pose a safety hazard when left unlatched in an aisle. For these reasons, we strongly recommend that you consider a sliding horse stall door that can lots of long-term value.
Do you have more questions regarding your existing stall doors or a new stalls project? Contact us today and our team would be happy to assist with any questions and project planning.
Below are more helpful resources and articles recently shared by our American Stalls team:
