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Choosing the right yoke for your horse stalls can enhance comfort, ventilation, and socialization. From open yokes to hinged and removable designs, explore the best options to create a welcoming and functional barn environment.
It's the second week of October and we're finally seeing falling leaves and change in their beautiful colors. These changes signal the shift from Summer to Fall to Winter. Before we know it, winter will soon be knocking on our barn doors.
This time of the year (mid-to-late Fall) is the perfect time to prepare the barn for winter. After all, it's of utmost importance to ensure a safe, comfortable, and functional environment for our four-legged friends. Before the temperatures drop further and snow piles on, here are six things that will make sure your barn is ready for the Winter months.
#1 – Deep Clean Your Horse Stalls
Just like your home or your car, it's easy for our barn cleaning routine to fall behind during the colder Winter months. For this reason, we recommend to get a head start in deep cleaning your horse stalls. We recommend to remove the any bedding and manure from Fall months. This helps us do a thorough deep clean and stall disinfection. [Read our article on how to disinfect a horse stall here]. After disinfection and a deep clean, you can then use stall dry products to dry up any wet spots in your stall. As cold weather ramps up, we can add layers of clean dry straw to make for comfortable bedding.
We have a thorough guide on how to disinfect your horse stalls.
#2 – Organize Blankets
As we transition to colder weather, identify and clean your horse’s lightweight sheet. As temperatures drop through October, we recommend to be mindful about your horses’ blanketing needs. There might be some nights where your horses may require light blanketing. As we get further into November, it is important to ensure that your heavy blankets are cleaned and ready to go. This way, winter will not sneak up on you.
Lastly, one of the best ways to organize your blankets in the barn are through high-quality blanket bars. A well made blanket bar will have enough space between the horse stall and the blanket bar. This space will allow space for your lightweight blankets and heavy blankets to dry.
Lastly, make sure that each of the blankets still properly fit your horses. Athletes, new borns, seniors, and laid up horses may have gained or lost weight over the Summer and early Fall. For this reason, we recommend to check that their blankets fit snug around them.
#3 – Inspect Electrical Components and the HVAC
No matter the age of your horse barn, we recommend to schedule inspections on your wiring and electrical outlets. A thorough inspection includes the clearing of dust, debris, and cobwebs.
In the long daylight hours of summertime and early Fall, we might notice (or care) that certain indoor or outdoor lights have gone out. This all changes, of course, once the evenings grow shorter and we find ourselves changing a bulk in the evening. Make sure all your work areas will be well lit when you need them to be. Replace any blown bulbs and check wires for fraying.
We also recommend to have your HVAC system inspected if your barn has a system. Lastly, also recommend to outfit your barn with battery-powered (or solar powered) flashlights to provide safe access to your barn during power outages. Please note that all outlets or frayed wiring should be immediately repaired by a licensed professional.
#4 – Inspect & Clean Your Barn’s Feed Room & Plan Ahead
Chilly fall evenings are often a cue for rodents to look for extra food. Before you know, a horse barn’s feed room can be an ideal outlet for rodents. For this reason, we recommend to clean up your feed room to help reduce the risk of rodents and insects. Sweep up spilled feed that will attract your unwanted guest.
Inspect your storage containers to make sure the lids seal tight. We recommend metal trash cans or metal bins instead of plastic bins that can be chewed through by rodents. Lastly, if you store hay in your feed room, use pallets that allow for better air circulation.
Once you have inspected the condition of the feed room, we recommend to plan ahead your feed. Be sure to check supplements on hand and their expiration dates. It’s always also a good idea to have extra quantities of any necessities to hedge delivery difficulties caused by winter storms. We recommend a rule of thumb to buy about 10 percent more than you think you’ll need.
#5 – Inspect for Drafts & Superior Ventilation
Although it might be contrary to popular opinion, our horses don’t mind the cold the same way humans do. We speak with new horse barn builders all the time and communicate that you don’t need to close up your barn to prevent heat from escaping like a private residence. After all, ventilation is essential for a horse’s overall health and specifically lung health.
That being said, we recommend being mindful about the amount of ventilation. Too little ventilation can mean that dust can accumulate quickly within the barn. However, too much airflow can mean bone-chilling drafts which can be dangerous for temperature regulation. For older barns, we recommend that your barn structure. This means to check Barn End Doors and Barn Windows to cover any holes that let in too much air. Replace any broken Barn Doors, Barn Windows, Dutch Doors, or faulty door latches.
The above is far from a comprehensive list of steps you could take to make sure your equestrian facility is ready for the Winter. However, the above list is a great starting point to in making sure your horses are safe, healthy, comfortable through the winter season. During these months, we also understand that many clients beginning their projects for Spring and Summer. Our team is here for you every step of the way – whether it is a new barn build or simply a renovation. You can schedule a consultation by filling out our Contact Us Form – we thank you in advance!
Have you ever stood in the aisles of a barn, pondering over the perfect gift for a horse enthusiast in your life? Each holiday season, we inevitably scratch our heads and ask, "what do I even get them?" We know the feeling.
Last year, we put together a list of four gifts to consider for any equestrian in your life. You can view that list here.
To ease your holiday gift hunting, we're back with our handpicked list of practical barn essentials. These are not just gifts; they're thoughtful solutions that every equestrian will cherish.
Gift Idea 1 – The Bedding Blocker:
Picture this: A pristine barn aisle suddenly invaded by stray shavings from the horse stalls. It's a scene that is all too familiar, right? Enter our Bedding Blocker – a true barn lifesaver. Its low-profile design means it fits seamlessly into your horse stall, keeping shavings where they belong. Here's why it's a must-have:
The Bedding Blocker is a shavings guard system that is exclusively designed for both interior and exterior horse stall doors. It is installed at the base of a door opening to keeping the shavings inside your horse stall. Our Bedding Blocker is guaranteed to save you valuable time cleaning and money on wasted shavings. Some of its benefits include:
Here's what one recent client said about their Bedding Blocker: "It is so much ncier not to walk into a shavings filled barn aisle every morning! Even my 27 year old gelding quickly learned he could brush the bristles to enter and exit the stall. This product definitely works!"
Gift Ideas 2 & 3 – Blanket Bars & Bridle Hooks
The Winter months are finally here! This means that tack and other supplies magically appear in larger quantities within the barn. Whether it is an increase in blankets, bridles, and everything in-between. We've all been in barns where it seems that there the tack may not be organized properly.
As winter sets in, so does the challenge of organizing extra tack. Our Blanket Bars and Bridle Hooks are the perfect solution. They're not just hooks and blanket bars; they're the key to an organized, efficient barn space.
Our Bridle Hooks and Blanket Bars are mindfully designed to install seamlessly into your horse stalls. Each piece is built using the finest, heavy-duty materials. Our Blanket Bars are made using 1.3" or 1.9" round tubing. Our Bridle Hooks are machined in-house from the finest brass material. Our tack hardware allow the equestrian in your life to easily store and access necessary tack.
Here's why our clients love them: "These bridle hooks nad blanket bars have transformed our tack room. Everything is so accessible and organized! Not only that, they are so much sturdier and more solid than other hooks and blanket bars I've used in the past. We get so many compliments from friends!"
Gift Idea 4 – Pin Lock Latch
Although a small detail, your choice in latches can make the world of difference in your barn experience. Ask any equestrian that has been through an old barn with faulty latches. These are not only a safety risk, but they also waste your time with their inability to latch.
In contrast, our Pin Lock Latch is a state-of-the-art latching system built for sliding horse stall doors. They are machined from solid stainless steel to ensure strength in the daily rigors of a horse barn. Their stainless steel material also ensures longevity and rust protection. Most importantly though, our Pin Lock Latch is designed by horse people for horse people. This means that your latch will safely enclose your horses in their horse stalls.
Another great benefit is that you have the ability to visually confirm whether a stall is locked or not from any part of the barn. Simply stand in the aisle and determine whether the latch is angled or straight. If angled, you have visual confirmation that your horse stall door latch is secured in place.
Are you still looking for ideas on what to get that difficult-to-shop-for equestrian? Be sure to check out our Equestrian Gift Idea list from last year here. Our American Stalls team wishes you luck and wishes you a very Happy Holidays!
This post was originally posted on Equivont.com and authored by Ellie Sack.
Here’s your guide to what common human foods your horse can enjoy with you!
It’s a great feeling to reduce food waste by sharing with your horse, but it’s important to be discerning when sharing treats that aren’t a normal part of their diet. Every special snack should be fed in moderation and in safe, easily chewable portions. In addition to taking care with the foods that are safe to share with your horse, there are also several food groups that can be toxic to your horse.
Here's some foods that you should never share with your horse:
At the end of the day, if you’re ever unsure of whether or not you should be feeding something to your horse, air on the side of caution by either skipping the snack or consulting your veterinarian.
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.
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:
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. Lastly, each Plunger Latch comes standard with a stainless steel pull, but can be upgraded to brass upon request.
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!
Guest Post by our friends at GH2 Equine Architects
Biosecurity, while obviously very important for veterinary facilities, should be a consideration in the design of every type of equine facility – from private barns to large event venues. While the design elements can change depending on the size of the facility and how often different horses are moving in an out, the basic principles remain the same:
Principle #1: Ventilation:
You didn’t think we could go more than a few posts without mentioning ventilation! Adequate ventilation, in addition to being beneficial for a horse’s respiratory system, also reduces ammonia levels and can help reduce the transmission of airborne illnesses.
Principle #2: Quarantine Stalls
Dedicated Quarantine Stalls (or the option to isolate specific stalls, if needed) is key. Dedicated quarantine stalls are seen in veterinary facilities, large event facilities, and facilities that are often bringing in new horses (think sales or boarding facilities).
This allows new horses or horses that have been exposed or are ill to be isolated from the rest of the stall areas. At smaller, more private facilities, being able to separate and isolate a stall when needed is usually adequate. Quarantine stalls, at a minimum, should prevent any nose-to-nose contact between horses, which is why you often see photos of full-height walls in our veterinary facilities.
Principle #3: Easy-to-Clean and Non-Porous Surfaces:
Easy to Clean and Non-Porous Surfaces are key to success in any equine facility – big or small. The easier the surfaces are to clean, the less time it takes to disinfect stalls in between inhabitants. Surfaces should be durable and non-porous, such as the epoxy painted masonry, powder-coated stall fronts and windows, and poured-in-place rubber flooring (no seams!), to name a few.
Principle #4: Contained Manure Management:
Managing waste should be done in a manner that prevents manure and stall waste from spreading around a highly trafficked facility. Containing waste to a specific area, away from horse areas, and removing often reduces increased biohazard risk.
GH2 Equine Architects are the "Authority on Equine Design." Their architects are active equestrians and facility users, providing further interaction and feedback from fellow users and industry leaders. They in turn, pass those benefits and knowledge to their clients. Please visit their website to learn more about their capabilities or view their project list here. Connect with GH2 Equine Architects on Facebook and Instagram as well.
Our Stall Gates continue to be one of our most popular products for horse stall fronts. Our Stall Gates provide our clients with tremendous value. This includes a Stall Gate that is mindfully designed to promote ventilation, visibility, and elegance in any barn. Our Stall Gates can be used in a variety of horse barn settings.
In this blog post, we would like to discuss many frequently asked questions about our best-selling horse Stall Gates. We hope this post helps you make the best possible decision for your horse stalls project.
Question 1 – Are these Stall Gates in-stock or are they are custom manufactured?
Answer – We build our Stall Gates and keep a large quantity in-stock at any given moment to meet our clients' timelines. You can usually find lead-times and availability on our Stall Gates' individual pages here on our website. We are also able to custom manufacture Stall Gates for our clients if they have certain design changes or powder coat changes they need made.
Question 2 – How do these Stall Gates ship? Are they available for pick up if I live near your facility?
Answer – While we build tremendous products, we take equal pride in our ability to execute the logistics. It is equally important that we safely deliver your new horse stalls. If you are only purchasing our Stall Gates, we ship them via a reputable LTL (less-than-truckload) carrier. All of our Stall Gates are individually boxed and then placed on a pallet with ample packaging. This ensures that your Stall Gates order arrives safe and sound to your farm.
If you plan to purchase other stabling equipment with your Stall Gates (i.e. grillwork, barn end doors, Dutch doors, etc), we then ship your entire order together on a flatbed truck. This allows us to deliver the entire order safely to your barn. Lastly, we do offer pick up to our clients whom live in driving distance to our facilities. Please kindly contact your American Stalls Project Manager and they would be happy to arrange this option.
Question 3 – I have an overly playful horse. I want to make sure that the yoke is high enough to ensure he is safely in his still. For your Full-Sized Stall Gate, what is the height of the yoke?
Answer – Our Full-Sized Stall Gates are 65" tall. The yoke's bottom-most point (bottom center) begins at 48". Based on this measurement, the yoke is 17" tall from the bottom center to the top most frame. This yoke height is the same for our Half-Sized Stall Gates as well (17" deep yoke).
Question 4 – Do the Stall Gates include hardware or do I need to purchase that separately?
Answer – Each Stall Gate comes with all the mounting hardware – including hinges, wood screws, carriage bolts, and washers. Please kindly note that you might need different screws (i.e. tap cons) if you are installing the Stall Gates to a concrete block. You can view an installation process using our hinges here.
For latching, we provide a standard gate chain, carabiner clip, and screw eye. We provide this as a basic latching option since our Stall Gates are installed in a wide variety of barn applications. If you plan to mount your Stall Gate flush into your horse stall door opening, you can also separately purchase our Universal Gate Latch. This latch is made from 304 stainless steel and then finished in a black powder coat.
Question 5 – What's the main difference between the three different Stall Gate styles?
Answer – Our Stall Gates come in two main styles. The first being a traditional Stall Gate which includes a yoke opening on the top. The second style does not include a yoke opening, but it is low enough to allow your horse to hang their head out. Our Stall Gate options include:
All of our Stall Gates are 51" wide and feature our best-selling mesh bottom. This mesh allows for ample ventilation in your horse stalls – while also promoting visibility within the stall. Our Full-Sized Stall Gates are fantastic for most large horse breeds. In contrast, our Half-Sized Stall Gates are better suited for smaller breeds such as ponies, shetlands, miniatures, and other livestock. That being said, our clients often still choose to use our Half-Sized Stall Gates for their larger horse breeds. Lastly, our Grilled Stall Gates are perfect for both large and small horse breeds alike.
Question 6 – How high do you suggest to mount the Stall Gates from the ground?
Answer – If you have our Full-Sized Stall Gate or Grilled Stall Gate, it is likely that you are using it for a larger breed. In this case, we recommend to mount our horse stall gate about 1" off the floor. This ensures smooth door movement. If you are choosing to mount our Half-Sized Stall Gate, we suggest to measure your horse's chest height. We then recommend to mount it at a height where the yoke sits comfortably chest level.
Do you have any additional questions? Please reach out to our design team at (855) 957-8255 or email us at sales@americanstalls.com. Our team of expert consultants would love to sit down, understand your questions, and provide our 17+ years of experience.
Note: The following is provided through a partnership between STRIDER and the USEA. As part of Strider's commitment to diversity, enabling access, and building capacity throughout the industry, Strider is pleased to provide this content to benefit the sport of eventing. Below was originally published on USEventing.com.
To organize a successful horse trial, combined test, clinic, or cross-country schooling day involves good management of many moving parts.
As an organizer, it’s important to remember: your time matters. Having a variety of methods in your event management toolbox can help quiet the organizational chaos. Check out these five tips to save time (and boost revenue) as an eventing organizer.
1. Have a Plan (and then another)
Work backwards from the date of your event and create a timeline. This is helpful for everything from communications to the ordering of supplies.
Remember: Taking a few minutes to create a backup plan for weather and other logistical nightmares can save you time in case of an emergency. Your insurance company may also require you to have a written emergency plan.
2. Clearly Define Policies, and Stick to Them
Decide early on what your late entry, cancellation, weather, and refund policies will be. Then, stick to them. Be sure to clearly define and outline these policies in an easily accessible place for participants entering your event.
Remember: Your time is valuable. Handling horse and rider changes after your closing date, adding late entries, and processing refunds can take up a great deal of time. To set and enforce policies can save you a great deal of headache as an organizer, while also making things as clear as possible for your participants.
3. Automate Where You Can
Schedule social media posts announcing your event, entry open date, and entry closing date in advance. Business suite from Meta (or Facebook) has a handy scheduler that enables you to publish to multiple social media channels at once. You can similarly schedule email invitations and entry reminders through programs such as Mailchimp or ConstantContact.
Automated, digital processes are more efficient than paper. Take time to consider the paper processes you currently have in place and research some tech you can adopt to save time.
Remember: Online entries, digital payment tools, and electronic waiver services are great ways to streamline processes for yourself and for riders. Not every tool will work for every organizer. It’s important to evaluate solutions that will work for your event’s goals and are within your budget.
4. Communicate Clearly
Answer Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) in advance. Make it easy for riders to find trailer-friendly driving directions, ride times, your facility’s dog policy, and answers to other logistical questions. Post these answers somewhere public so you won’t have to answer them by text and email.
Take advantage of your scheduled emails to remind folks of closing dates, your facility’s policies, and other important details.
Remember: You’ll save hours when you eliminate random texts, calls, and emails from participants that distract from your day.
5. Delegate
Remember: It takes a village! Hire an expert, coordinate volunteers, or phone-a-friend to assist with pre-event details.
Streamlined processes, clear communication, and teamwork allow organizers to focus on the details that make their events so special. Time matters. To implement policies and tech to save hours in paperwork hassle can go a long way.
As participants, it’s key to be as respectful as possible of policies and processes in place that enable these events to continue. Regardless of where you’re headed this season: thank your organizers, thank your volunteers, and of course – thank your horse.
STRIDER is the leading entry platform across disciplines for the equestrian industry.
From enabling riders to discover and book the perfect opportunity to helping equestrians across the industry grow and run their businesses, STRIDER fosters connections to top-tier experiences. Please visit www.striderpro.com to learn more about the suite of software products and services available. Connect with STRIDER on Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn. For more business resources, explore STRIDER’s Professional Development Webinar Series.
Guest Post by Raquel Lynn at Stable Style (View Original Post)
Situated in the rolling hills of Tennessee’s hunt country, this barn is a special place.
When Julie Davis had the opportunity to build her dream barn, she sketched it out on paper, using her expert eye and knowledge as an interior designer to bring her ideas to life. Situated in the heart of Tennessee’s idyllic hunt country, the Davis family horses enjoy their private barn and lush property. The picturesque landscape and thoughtfully designed space allows Fox Knoll Farm to double as a space for hosting hunt parties and events.
The Barn
The custom 5-stall barn was built by hand and on site by talented woodworkers who did the board and batten along with the framing. Once the shell was up, Julie worked with many of her usual vendors – electricians, plumbers, painters and cabinet builders she works with on a daily basis at her design firm. It was fun to recruit them for her personal project and bring them to the countryside to work on a barn.
There are four stalls on the south side of the barn and a single stall on the opposing side. The individual stall is perfect for a guest or potentially a pony one day. The barn has a tack room, feed/kitchen room and a wash room on the north side of the barn.
The stunning stalls are by American Stalls. Julie had an excellent experience working with the team at American Stalls. The communication and transportation of the stalls was well organized, along with installation instructions.
“I knew if I ever got the opportunity to have my own barn, that I wanted to do European style stalls. So I did research and contacted American Stalls to have them build me what I wanted,” Julie said. “I ordered the custom European horse stall fronts, side stall partitions, horse stall doors, all the wood, the bucket hooks, blanket bars and bridle hooks from them.”
A large hay storage room and area for keeping the Polaris and other equipment is behind the sliding barn doors on the left.
The interior of the barn is completely stained and painted, there is no raw wood inside, which gives it a finished look.
Next to the tack room is the multi functional kitchen, laundry and feed room with a refrigerator, freezer, sink and spacious counter top for catering and prep work when parties are hosted at the barn. The rooms are climate controlled with heating and cooling.
The barn is functional, beautiful and designed to perfection. The tall ceiling allows the barn to feel open and spacious. Julie had fun picking out a large chandelier, gooseneck lights and lanterns. The stall fronts by American Stalls are always complimented by guests and the brick floors are another favorite feature on the interior. The custom gooseneck lights are steel and copper.
The Tack Room
The roomy tack room features a Sherwin Williams Grizzle Gray paint with a v groove specialty wall featuring custom cut panels of stained rough sawn oak. Rough sewn handmade beams are also featured in the tack room ceiling.
The room is 12′ x 17′ and is equipped with an HVAC system for temperature control which is better for the tack as well.
Exterior Spaces
The barn is painted a custom shade of cream with custom green/gray doors. Lanterns, string lights and hanging planters accessorize the exterior. Julie competes in show jumping with one of her horses, the other two are hunt horses and she has a youngster that she’s currently training and bringing along.
The barn entrances each boast a set of large 12′ sliding doors which frame the barn perfectly. The extended barn aisle offers a nice photo worthy focal point for entertaining.
Thank you Julie for opening up your barn doors to Stable Style and our American Stalls team.
If you can dream it, we can build it. Our team of expert designers remain at your service to help bring your dream to a reality. Please kindly feel free to send us an email at sales@americanstalls.com or a call at (855) 957-8255. Alternatively, you can also complete a Contact Us Form.
Martha Stewart has enhanced her Bedford, New York stable to better accommodate her five Sicilian donkeys and one Fell pony. By installing custom half-sized stall gates from American Stalls, powder-coated in her signature "Bedford Gray," the smaller equines now enjoy improved visibility and engagement within the stable.
