- Home
- About Us
-
Custom Products
- Shop by Products
- Resources
- Contact Us
-
When it comes to horse stalls and barn doors, there are two primary materials involved including steel and wood. This is the case whether you are thinking of remodeling or building a barn.
In this article, we would like to talk in-depth about the lumber choice for your horse stalls and barn doors. This decision is important because the lumber makes up so much of the horse stall. As a result, the choice in lumber will dictate the strength and longevity of your horse stall system. It will also drive the safety factor which is important to consider in a horse stall environment. Lastly, your choice in lumber also has a large in impact on the overall project expenses.
To start, below is an overview on the most commonly used materials and lumber in horse barn products:
Given the wide variety of wood and filler options, it can be difficult to make a decision about the best material for your barn. Although there are some best practices, each barn is unique because of its location, surrounding climate, and the barn's overall build.
A barn located in New England will experience heavy snow and heavy winds. This New England barn will often require different considerations than a barn located in a southern barn where insect issues arise. Below is a list of factors to research and consider when deciding on lumber:
The above is a starting point for your ultimate decision regarding the wood for your horse stalls and barn doors. Please contact our team if you have any questions or need guidance. Our team works on projects across North America and has significant experience in guiding our clients. Feel free to contact us today at (855) 957-8255 or complete our inquiry form. Our American Stalls team is here to be a resource to help you build a barn that is elegant, safe, and built to last.
As a horse person, it is likely that you have likely been in dozens – if not, hundreds – of barns. When visiting barns, it is also likely that you have seen every type of imaginable product. This means that you have seen different types of horse stalls, horse stall flooring, hardware, fans for horse stalls, and even feed and watering options.
Despite the wide variety of products available, there is a high risk of choosing the wrong product for your barn. What do we mean by "wrong product?" For our team, a "wrong" products means that it is not optimal for your horses' safety. "Wrong" also means that the product is not built with longevity and durability in mind.
At the end of the day, as horse people, we spend our hard earned time, energy, and resources into our horses and barns. That is why it is especially to choose products wisely to ensure your barn is safe and built to last
To help you choose the right products, we have compiled a list of four comparisons for commonly purchased products. In this list, we will explain which products to choose over other products.
Choose This: Interlocking Rubber Mats
Not That: Straight Edge Rubber Mats
When it comes to your horse stall's flooring, the first choice is often between interlocking mats and straight edge mats. In our experience, we always recommend clients to choose interlocking mats over straight edge mats. We make this recommendation because interlocking rubber mats allow for a closer, snug fit compared to straight edge rubber mats. This fit ensures that dirt, bedding, and liquids don't find their way between mats. Secondly, we often find that interlocking mats do not curl up in the corners the way straight edge mats do over time.
To summarize, interlocking horse stall mats prevent common issues that occur with straight edge mats including excessive movement and overall cleanliness.
Choose This: Deep Guard Horse Stall Fan
Not That: Traditional Box Fan
High-quality horse stall fans are crucial in any horse barn. They are essential to keeping your horses cool and barn well-ventilated. Stall fans are moreover important in the summer season.
That all being said, we have been countless barns that use the wrong fans in their horse stalls. The most commonly used stall fan is the box fan – which is also the most dangerous fan for a horse barn. Why? It is because these fans are often not rated for agricultural use. This means that the stall fan's motor is not fully enclosed and bearings are not sealed. This then leads to friction when dirt, dust, and debris accumulate inside the fans. This friction is ultimately a fire hazard.
When choosing a stall fan for your horse barn, we recommend our deep guard design horse stall fans over the traditional box fan. Our Stall Fans offer a significant amount of air circulation and offer safe design for your barn. Below are some criteria to look for when choosing your stall fans:
Choose This: Our Stall Gates
Not That: Traditional Stall Gates
Commonly overlooked, stall gates play an essential role in the horse barn. Stall gates – also referred to as "stall screens" – are a crucial piece of stabling equipment in every type of barn imaginable. This includes large boarding barns, training barns, and even backyard hobby barns.
In the equestrian industry, we have seen countless types of stall gates that are not built to our safety standards.
When it comes a stall gate, it is important that they follow the best safety standards such as:
These safety standards will ensure that your stall gates are safe and sturdy for your horses.
At the end of the day, we prioritize safety and durability in the horse barn. That is the utmost priority when we deal with our clients and their projects. The aesthetics and finish of your barn all follow suit once we set a standard for safety, durability, and longevity.
Do you have any questions or need pointers for your horse barn's design? Feel free to contact us today at (855) 957-8255 or complete our inquiry form. Our American Stalls team is here to be a resource to help you build a barn that is elegant, safe, and built to last.
As a horse lover, it is likely that you have visited dozens of barns. In those barns, we can guarantee that you have touch, felt, and seen numerous types of horse stalls.
Across the United States, it is likely that you have seen more sliding horse stalls than a hinged horse stall. Sliding horse stalls are, after all, more common in most horse barns. As a casual observer, it is easy to skip over the sliding horse stall's hardware.
That being said, it is the hardware that often differentiates an excellent sliding horse stall from one that is subpar. Why is that? It's because the hardware is usually what determines whether your doors function properly. Any horse rider, trainer, or owner can attest to this.
We have all been in a barn where the horse stall doors gets stuck in the track. We then have to use all of our bodyweight (and more) to get that sliding stall door to move. We have also seen or had door latches that are not safe nor functional. Many of our horses are escape artists and that's why we often have to ensure the latches are safe, strong, and properly designed.
When it comes to American Stalls sliding horse stalls, we only use the best hardware. Our selection in hardware is intended to:
Whether you are considering our sliding horse stalls or looking to simply change your existing stall's hardware, we have the best hardware for you. Below is an overview of our hardware for our sliding horse stall systems:
One of the most important components of your sliding horse stalls is the track system. This track system includes the track, two trolleys, and other mounting hardware.
Horse owners usually experience issues with their stall doors due to poor track design and not-so-great trolleys. Many companies will use a round track that does not have a "self cleaning design." Additionally, many sliding horse stall doors will include trolleys made from hard plastic or metal. These materials, in your trolleys, will break down overtime and make it difficult for you to slide your doors.
That is why we use only hard delrin balls in our trolleys. This particular material ensures that your rollers and trolleys work for decades. Lastly, our sliding track has a self cleaning design. This design reduces the build up of debris (i.e. dust, insects, etc) inside the track. Rest assured, our track and trolley systems will allow you to effortlessly use your doors, as intended, for years to come.
The next two components that are important are your sliding stall door's door stops and door guides. The door stop helps "catch" and stop the sliding stall door. This works in tandem with a bolt inserted in your overhead track to ensure that your sliding stall door stays safely on the track. The door guide ensures that your door does not push into the aisle when your horses leans against the door.
When it comes to door guides, many horse owners are used to a roller door guide. American Stalls does not offer this door guide option as we see that debris (i.e. dust, dirt, crushed stone) builds up on that rolling door guide. We then see that the roller has a slow corrosive impact on the door's paint. That is why we use a steel u-shaped door guide to ensure your door is safe – while protecting the finish.
Last, but not least is your latching system. There are numerous latch options available in the market for sliding horse stalls. Despite the wide variety, there are very few latch styles and designs that our team recommends. In our view, a latch system should be elegant to seamlessly flow with the sliding horse stall's design.
In addition to the aesthetics, the latch needs to be mindfully designed to withstand impact. It also needs to be designed and placed in a location that is hidden from your horse. These are the considerations behind Pin Lock Latch system.
Each pin lock latch includes (1) stainless steel pin and chain, (1) stainless steel pin receptacle, (1) aluminum wall sheath, and (4) installation screws.
First off, our choice in materials – stainless steel and aluminum – ensure that only the best materials went into your latch. This is especially important since the latch is touched and handled throughout a day. Secondly, our particular design ensures that the pin is inserted at an angle that withstands any degree of impact. Lastly, it is located in a manner that is hidden from even the smartest of escape artists.
This choice in materials and design guarantees a latch that is easy on the eye, built to last, and incredibly safe.
Do you have any questions or need pointers for your horse stall's hardware? Feel free to contact us today at (855) 957-8255 or complete our inquiry form. Our American Stalls team is here to be a resource to help you build a barn that is elegant, safe, and built to last.
There are so many emotions that go into building a new barn or renovating an existing barn. After all, we love our horses and often dream of that perfect barn. That is why it is so important to get it right the first time.
When planning your dream, it is easy to prioritize how your barn will look – without giving much thought to the function. While aesthetics play a key role, it is equally important to focus on functionality. A focus on form, function, and design will ensure that your barn works for you as opposed to against you. Lastly, a focus on functionality will ensure that you save time, energy, and finances.
Before you start planning your barn, we encourage you to think about the following choices:
1 - Larger Barn Aisles
Narrow barn aisles are commonly found in older barns built before the 1990's. When building your new barn, we encourage our clients to build aisles that are a minimum 10' wide. Ideally, we would recommend a 12' to 16' wide barn aisle in a perfect world.
We recommend this because a wide barn aisle will ultimately pay off in multiple ways. The first reason involves your horses' safety. A wider aisle allows for two horses (or humans) to safely pass each other. This is not only safer, but also saves you valuable minutes in day-to-day barn movement. This reason is even more true for busier and larger facilities such as boarding barns. Lastly, a larger aisle will allow you to drive vehicles through the aisle. For example, tractors and gators can be brought into the barn to clean and feed in a more efficient way.
2 – Add Windows & Dutch Doors
Sunlight and fresh air do wonders for a barn regardless of your barn's location. We have routinely visited facilities in hot climates that don't feel hot due to their barn's overall design. Although exterior stall door and windows are costly, they are ultimately invaluable to your barn's success.
We recommend to always add windows or Dutch Doors to the back of horse stalls. This addition will promote airflow and natural light into your barn. Lastly, a Dutch Door (or exterior sliding door) also functions as a safety mechanism in the event of an emergency.
3 – Run-In Stalls & Turnout Spaces
Run-in stalls and turnout spaces are positioned directly behind an interior horse stall. A Dutch Door (or sliding paddock door) usually stands between the interior of horse stall and the run-in (exterior) horse stall.
This choice can help provide your horses with the options to stay indoors in their horse stalls or go outside to get fresh air. This combination of a run-in stall and Dutch Door also will help cut down on the amount of time it takes to turn your horses in and out each day. Why is this the case? It is because turn out is simply done by opening up exterior Dutch Doors each day as opposed to haltering your horses, leading them out, and so forth.
4 - Developing a Master Plan for Your Farm & Barn
This choice is often costly and overlooked, but it can often be a game changer in your barn's long term success. We strongly recommend to work with an architecture firm or reputable builder who can help you develop a master plan.
A reputable firm will help you consider many elements that will affect your barn's longevity. For example, we recommend to consider the topography and land surrounding your barn. Is the land level? What is the soil like beneath the barn? Does the surrounding landscape lead water flow to the barn or away from the barn? Other things to consider is the direction of the wind and sunlight in your barn's location. These are just some of the few things that a reputable architecture or builder will consider when developing a masterplan.
Do you have any questions or need pointers for your new barn or renovation project? Feel free to contact us today at (855) 957-8255 or complete our inquiry form. Our American Stalls team is here to be a resource to help you build a barn that is elegant, safe, and built to last.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 3, 2021
Contact:
American Stalls, LLC
(855) 957-8255
sales@americanstalls.com
American Stalls, an industry leader in luxury horse stall and stabling equipment, is proud to announce its sponsorship with the historic Oak Brook Polo Club and Chicago Polo Association.
“The Chicago polo community is growing. More players, professionals and patrons are entering the sport throughout Greater Chicagoland and Western Suburbs. So we are thrilled to have the support of American Stalls to guide, enhance and deliver the best quality horse stall and barn product solutions to our members,” says Oak Brook Polo Club Managing Director, Daniel O’Leary, and Chicago Polo Board Member.
"We look forward to working American Stalls in our efforts to grow the sport and provide the best equine welfare resources," added O'Leary.
“Our American Stalls team is excited to sponsor the Oak Brook Polo Club and Chicago Polo. We believe that share a similar vision as Chicago Polo. We both have a strong desire to bring more exposure to the game of polo and bring in new players to the sport. Additionally, we always love working with our polo clients and are thrilled to support a historic league and club. We hope to support the growth of polo in the Chicago area for years to come.” added Yash Balasaria, CEO of American Stalls.
About The Oak Brooke Polo Club:
Founded in 1922 by legendary businessman, Paul Butler, the Oak Brook Polo Club is an American Polo treasure and one of the oldest polo clubs in the United States. It was once the sport's epicenter for elite professional polo in the United States and served as home to the U.S. Open Polo Championship for twenty-four straight seasons and other prestigious international and national polo tournaments. For decades, the Club has been a popular Sunday tradition and social scene known for entertaining Hollywood celebrities, dignitaries, royalty and Chicago's distinguished. Today, Oak Brook Polo Club hosts several Sunday matches and continues to attract thousands of fascinated spectators who marvel at the athleticism and majesty of this timeless sport.
Connect with Oak Brook Polo Club at www.oakbrookpoloclub.com or on Facebook & Instagram.
About Chicago Polo Association:
The Chicago Polo Association ("Chicago Polo") is an established network of thirteen polo facilities and seven USPA member polo clubs that have formed a strong community to support the growth and sustainability of polo in Chicagoland area and Western Suburbs. Arranmore Farm & Polo Club, Barrington Hills Polo Club and Oak Brook Polo Club serve as the three clubs that welcome spectators to weekly or select schedule events during the season, while others offer a venue for safe and competitive tournament and league polo for the community's 130+ players and students. The Chicago Polo Association is a non-profit corporation currently seeking 501(c)(3) status.
Connect with Chicago Polo Association at www.chicago-polo.com on Facebook & Instagram.
About American Stalls:
With its range of world class equine equipment and top-notch customer service, American Stalls clientele spans both residential and large-scale equestrian venues. From stall and barn doors, to flooring options, temporary stalls, and more- American Stalls designs and manufactures the industry’s most durable, elegant, and safe horse stall and stabling equipment. Visit www.americanstalls.com to explore the full product line or schedule a consultation. Connect with American Stalls on Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn.
Whether you are building a new barn or renovating an existing barn, there are only two primary styles in horse stalls:
In both styles, we can build them in two ways:
Your choice in a horse stall system will be largely driven by your aesthetic preference, your project budget, and other variables that are unique to you and your horses.
In a previous article, we spoke about many of the differences and considerations when deciding between hinged horse stalls and sliding horse stalls.
In this article, we'd like to go more in-depth about why we recommend sliding horse stalls. Read on below to learn why we recommend sliding stall fronts to all clients – including everyone from smaller private barns to large horse show barns.
Saving Space & Maximize Your Barn's Space
When building a new barn, we know firsthand that each square foot counts. We want to ensure that each square foot is mindfully designed and built to get the most bang for your buck. That means building the maximum of horse stalls and including other amenities such as tack rooms, wash bays, and locker rooms.
Compared to European (hinged) stall fronts, sliding sliding fronts allow our clients to save valuable space. This is because the sliding stall door slides against the stall front panel or existing horse stall front. Hence, the door doesn’t swing outward into the barn aisle like a hinged door. This space-saving feature makes sliding doors a perfect fit for busy facilities including horse boarding barns, training barns, and large venues.
Improve Safety in Your Barn
When it comes to our horses, we work hard to ensure every small detail is mindfully planned to keep our horses safe. We regularly recommend sliding horse stalls for private hobby barns and larger commercial facilities because they don't protrude into the aisle like a hinged door.
To begin, for example, a hinged stall door can get caught by the wind. This can injure a horse or human if the stall door is left open in the aisle. In contrast, a sliding stall door can be safely secured against the stall front.
Secondly, a sliding stall front features safe design that ensures the least amount of handling and steps. For example, a hinged door needs to be closed when the horse is not in the horse stall. Therefore, the handler has one more additional action to do when leading a horse out of its stall to close or open a latch. In contrast, when you are leading the horse back into the stall and the sliding door has been left open, there is less action involved to ultimately close the stall door.
Thirdly, when horses are turned out and a sliding door has been left open, a human can simply look down the aisle and tell who is out and who is not.
IMPROVE THE FIRE SAFETY IN YOUR BARN
Lastly, we recommend sliding doors especially from a fire safety standpoint. In the case of a fire, you have very little time to make crucial, life-saving decisions. In this case, you simply pull our pin-lock latch or push up a latch and slide open the door as you move to the next stall.
Our state-of-the-art pin lock latch features the highest quality materials and a seamless design. This design allows you to quickly unlock each stall door – allowing you to go from one stall to the next in the case of an emergency. If safety is your top concern, read up on our 4 safety tips for a safer horse barn aisle.
Do you have more questions about stall components or barn safety in general? Our team is here to help you with our decades of experience in building safe, functional, and elegant horse stall and barn products. Contact an American Stalls team member today!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 21, 2021
Contact:
American Stalls, LLC
(855) 957-8255
sales@americanstalls.com
American Stalls, an industry leader in luxury horse stall and stabling equipment, is proud to announce its sponsorship of the Virginia United Polo League.
“Our American Stalls team is excited to sponsor the Virginia United Polo League. Beverly Equestrian has been a client for several years and it has been a pleasure to see Beverly Equestrian – led by Bill and Darrin – invest heavily into the equestrian sport both locally and nationally. We particularly love working with our polo clients and are thrilled to support the Virginia United Polo League in becoming the east coast destination for polo. Most importantly, we are excited to see Virginia United Polo bring exposure to the game of polo and bring in new players to the sport,” added Yash Balasaria, CEO of American Stalls.
"We are excited to partner with American Stalls for our inaugural year of Sunday Polo at Great Meadow. We look forward to showcasing exciting matches from June to September, and the opportunity for spectators to enjoy a beautiful afternoon of fun in the center of hunt country. Our goal as a league is for Virginia is to be the premier East Coast destination for summer polo, added Bill Ballhaus.
About Virginia United Polo:
Virginia United Polo is the premier East Coast destination for summer polo, with fields at Great Meadow, Beverly Equestrian, Kingland Polo, and Foxlease Polo. In 2021, Virginia United Polo will host a series of open, 6-goal, 8-goal, and 12-goal tournaments. These tournaments and matches will be played from June until September. Enjoy competitive summer polo on outstanding footing in the Virginia countryside.
Connect with Virginia United Polo at www.vaunitedpolo.com or on Facebook & Instagram.
About American Stalls:
With its range of world class equine equipment and top-notch customer service, American Stalls clientele spans both residential and large-scale equestrian venues. From stall and barn doors, to flooring options, temporary stalls, and more- American Stalls designs and manufactures the industry’s most durable, elegant, and safe horse stall and stabling equipment. Visit www.americanstalls.com to explore the full product line or schedule a consultation. Connect with American Stalls on Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn.
Regardless of your location, the summer usually bring uncomfortable amounts of heat and humidity. Temperatures can range from mid-80's to low 100's depending on your location.
These rising levels of heat and humidity come with health hazards for our horses. These health hazards can include everything from dehydration to pesky bug problems to heatstrokes.
Heat-related problems can occur in equine sports such as jumping, driving, eventing, and other strenuous activities. Heat issues can also simply arise when riding an unfit horse at our own barn. Lastly, certain horse breeds are even more susceptible to heat-related problems. For example, heavily muscled horses (i.e. quarter horses, warmblood breeds, friesians) are at greater risk of retaining heat in the working muscles than leaner-breed horses (i.e. Arabians or Thoroughbreds).
That being said, horses are usually able to cope well with heat and humidity, but extra care in management can go a long way. It is crucial to do what we can as horse owners to create the best environments for our horses in their horse trailers, barns, and other spaces.
As warm weather arrives this Spring, here are 4 products that we highly recommend to manage heat in your horse barn.
1 - Dutch Doors
When it comes to a horse barn's design, we always stress the importance of ventilation and sunlight. Dutch Doors are exterior horse stall doors placed along the side of your barn. These doors can be opened at the top half, bottom half, or both. As heat builds up in your horse barn, Dutch doors allow your horse to hang their head out to get fresh air. These doors also simultaneously allow much needed airflow into your barn and horse stalls.
One expert recommendation is to pair a Dutch door with a stall gate (otherwise known as a stall screen). This addition allows you to open both the top and bottom doors of your Dutch doors while keeping your horse safely housed in their horse stall. Lastly, it allows for airflow to also enter from the bottom – simultaneously flushing out heavy gases such as ammonia that build up in a horse stall.
2 - Barn Windows
Similar to Dutch Doors, barn windows do wonders for the overall function and health of a horse barn. Barn windows allow for increased sunlight and ventilation. The most traditional design of a barn window is what we call a "Dutch window" which is a wood-filled barn window. That being said, there are so many ways to make a barn window functional and elegant. Options include:
3 - Adding Mesh to Your Horse Stall Fronts
Aside from barn exterior components, our design team always recommends to add mesh to your horse stall fronts. Although mesh is an expensive addition, this material adds so many priceless benefits to your barn. For this reason, we believe that the additional cost is justified immediately and in the long run.
You can read about the benefits of mesh here, but here is a condensed list of its benefits:
If considering a barn renovation or new barn construction, you can add mesh as an upgrade to your stall fronts. The mesh will add much needed airflow especially in warmer climates.
We do understand that mesh upgrades on custom stall fronts can be a considerable upgrade. Another option that many clients choose is to add our stall gates to their existing sliding stall doors or standalone as their primary stall door. This allows clients to add airflow to their barn at a more cost-effective price point without sacrificing on quality.
4 - Stall Fans
Last but not least, we recommend to add high-quality stall fans to horse stalls. This is a no brainer, but a high-quality stall fan will:
When shopping for horse stall fans, we recommend against the traditional box fan. Box fans are inexpensive and versatile, but these fans are not approved for use in horse barns by national electric codes. These traditional box fans utilize an "open" motor construction and design. This particular design presents a serious fire hazard for barns. This is why we recommend to purchase a stall fan with a closed motor design.
When we work with clients, we routinely recommend our PureCOOL 12" Stall Fans. These fans are quiet, include a "closed" motor design, and include a deep-guard design that is safe and effective.
While this article covered 4 products and some best practices, this is far from a complete list. If you are looking to make improvements to your horse barn, we encourage you to give our team a call or email. One of our design project managers would love to speak with you to see how we can help increase the safety and function of your barn. You can reach our sales and design team at (855) 957-8255.
When it comes to horse stalls, there are many options. There are more "permanent" horse stall options that include our sliding stall fronts and our European stall fronts. These horse stall styles are usually found in all sorts of barns. In addition to permanent horse stalls, there are portable horse stalls as well. These portable stalls are used routinely for horse shows, horse clinics, and overflow at training facilities.
If you are a commercial equine facility, we firmly believe that a well-made portable horse stall is a true asset. This is because an excellent portable horse stall offers the best of both words: flexibility and durability.
That being said, not all portable horse stalls and temporary horse stalls are made the same. As equestrians, we are used to seeing portable horse stalls at large horse shows that are poor quality and not safe.
At American Stalls, we work hard to produce the highest quality portable horse stalls that safe, functional, durable, and look good. That is why some of the best equestrian facilities in the USA use our portable horse stalls to house their clients' horses.
Here is a checklist to consider if you are thinking of purchasing portable horse stalls for your commercial facility:
In addition to the above, our team takes tremendous pride in our portable horse stalls because of our focus on quality. This focus can be seen in our choice of materials to ensure your horse stalls are built to last. This means pre-galvanized steel, non-toxic powder coat finishes, and mindful craftsmanship to ensure that your horse stall performs well against rust. Here are more visual clues to look for in a high-quality temporary horse stall:
Do you have more questions regarding our portable horse stalls? Contact our team today. You can reach our sales and design team at (855) 957-8255 or also send us an email at sales@americanstalls.com
At American Stalls, we understand that each barn is unique to the owner. Each barn is different because of many variables. These factors include:
Whether it is a private hobby barn or a large breeding facility, we understand that your horse barn is a significant investment.
In particular, we understand that your American Stalls purchase is an investment toward your lifestyle, your general life, and your horse’s wellbeing. That’s why we go to great lengths to mindfully design our horse stall, barn door, and barn window products. We dedicate ourselves to building products that you and your horses will be happy with for years to come.
In this post, we would like to share with you our design process. This will help our readers and prospective clients understand what to expect of the design process for horse stall and barn components.
Step One: Research
We recommend to research what styles you would like in your dream barn and ideal project. Visit friends’ facilities to get a better idea of what is out there in other horse barns. Order our print materials to touch, feel, and interact with our products. Look through our photos and videos on our website at www.americanstalls.com.
We also recommend to check out the latest updates on projects through our social media platforms. These include Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest.
Step Two: Get in Touch
We are horse people who understand the hectic schedules of fellow horse people. We also understand the complexities that go into planning a stables project. Each horse barn is unique to the owner of that barn. Contact our team and we will assist you every step of the way.
Step Three: Explore Potential Options
Once we get in touch, our sales and design team will send you options and pricing for all of your horse stall and barn components. Our sales associate will help provide expert recommendations based on your barn's location, your requirements, and our years of experience.
Our design team will also make recommendations for products that our team does not directly build such as horse stall flooring and horse barn flooring. At the end of the day, we view it as our duty to help our clients pick the very best products for their horse barn.
Step Four: Review Product Designs & Decide
Once you have had a chance to compare multiple options, our team will help you with your decision on product design. Before we build your equipment, we will send you technical CAD drawings that will include all specifications. You will review these drawings at this stage. Our team will also provide an estimated date of completion. Each product is custom built to order. This means that we will build your horse stalls, barn doors, barn windows, and other components down to the millimeter.
Step Five: Crafting Your Project
Our sales and design team works closely with our manufacturing team. This means that we handpick the highest quality materials for your project. We will build with materials that will perform best with your set of variables. These variables can include your barn location's climate, your horses' temperament, your horses' breeds, and more. Our equine equipment undergoes rigorous inspection and quality standards at three separate stages.
Step Six: Ongoing Support
Our American Stalls team is here for you throughout your project. Our team prides itself in its extreme ownership, transparency, and communication. This ongoing communication continues after delivery to ensure complete satisfaction. After installation is complete, our team continues to serve our clients with our customer service approach. Rest assured, we are in it for the long run with our clients.
Do you have an upcoming project for your dream horse barn or your equestrian facility? Our team of experts is here to help guide you every step of the way. 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.
As horse people, we know firsthand just how small the "horse world" is in reality. You might live in central Kentucky, but chances are that you travel regularly all over the United States for shows. The very nature of the equestrian sport makes for a small, tight-knit community.
Despite the interconnected nature of the horse world, we also know just how local it is as well. For example, we will consistently travel between Michigan, New York, and Florida for shows throughout the course of a year. We will then come back to our "home." Our local – and nationwide – equine communities consist of tack shops, feed stores, local shows, local Facebook groups, WhatsApp message groups, and so much more. In short, our interconnected equestrian world is rather – in one word – complex.
Up until recently, there wasn't a social media platform that was tailored to equestrians. That is why we are so excited to feature The Pegasus App in this month's Equestrian Business Spotlight.
Pegasus is a new equestrian platform whose mission it is to empower and connect the entire equestrian community by providing a platform that solves the industry’s biggest challenges.
We recently had a chance to sit down with the founders of The Pegasus App to learn more about their journey, their business, and more.
Meet The Founders:
Jen is a civil engineer by trade, graduating with a Civil Engineering degree from the University of South Florida in 2012. Following graduation, Jen worked as a civil engineer for five years across Mitsubishi, Chromalloy and T3 Design. At which point, she transitioned from engineering to technology sales and specialized in parking technology sales, leveraging her training and experience in engineering projects such as intelligent transportation system (ITS) and traffic flow design. She continued to work in technology sales for several years as the Director of Sales for the technology unicorn, PayByPhone.
Sam has a background in national security and geopolitics having served in the Australian Army. He then moved to Washington DC and attended George Washington University and completed a double masters in International Security and Political economy. Upon graduation of grad school, Sam commenced work in defence contracting and eventually started his own technology company with some friends from the army called WithYouWithMe that won the award as the fastest growing technology company in the Asia Pacific. WithYouWithMe focussed on retraining veterans in technology careers such as cyber security, data science, robotics and cloud computing, and was very active in Washington DC as it served the United States’ industrial complex and government, by providing a pipeline of technically trained veterans to work on national security projects and infrastructure.
American Stalls: When did you start Pegasus?
Jen: We began white boarding Pegasus in May 2020 when COVID began. Sam had just exited his previous company and was looking for something to do next. My schedule had slowed drastically as the conference circuit that consumed a large part of my technology sales job dried up so I had newfound time on my hands. So between May and June, we both began developing ideas for Pegasus and conducting market research. By June 2020, it was clear that there was a need for a comprehensive and more advanced technology platform to serve the equestrian community. We then began to build the technology. The platform launched and became available to the public on New Years 2020 and has been growing a steady user base since.
American Stalls: How did the idea come to be?
Sam: Jen grew up riding as a Three Day Eventer and Pony Clubber in Central Florida. At the peak of her career, she competed at the preliminary level on her beautiful thoroughbred Imp – short for ‘Impulsive’. All through her riding days, Jen tried to build new riding products to improve the rider’s experience but failed to get them to market. This was in the early 2000’s prior to the true globalization of modern markets, which has since made building companies and developing new physical products a lot easier. So while the inspiration and need existed, many of Jen's inventions didn’t succeed.
When Jen began college, her competitive days came to an end. All during college and her young professional days, Jen continued to lease horses and ride and train casually, to stay in touch with the sport. Her mother Lori, a lifelong rider, continued to sign Jen up to all the major equestrian publications, like Chronicle of the Horse, as a means of keeping Jen’s passion for the sport alive. Despite her life taking her in another direction, she continued to receive regular equestrian magazines delivered to her front door.
When COVID-19 hit, we began a three month road trip that stretched from the remote parts of the Georgia Mountains all the way up to the very border of Canada and Maine, and everything in between.
Jen: Along the way, I hoped to find a local barn where I could secure a short term lease or other riding opportunity for a horse. Despite the search however, it became increasingly obvious that finding such places was close to impossible, unless you knew someone local or you were in the right Facebook group, which was difficult as many of them require being approved by a moderator. We were not in a single place long enough to both get approval and make a request for input from the group, before we moved on to the next spot in what we termed our “COVID Quarantine Tour.”
This frustration led to many conversations between the two of us – prompting questions like, ‘How do people who make their living in this industry get things done? How do they find customers, communicate with customers and get the word out about their operation?’
When our road trip came to an end in late May 2020, we settled for a month at a farmstead in Farmville, Virginia. We then delved deep into market research about what else was out there and why someone had not yet built a modern technology platform to empower the equestrian community and economy. Sam, who had a history with building modern technology platforms and companies to solve problems for niche communities, was amazed at how antiquated a lot of the current tools in the market were, and so was immediately convinced that they could build a world class technology company to help the equestrian community and economy.
American Stalls: So that was the seed of The Pegasus App?
Sam: It sure was. We then began to build. For six months, we worked with key personnel within the American equestrian industry to refine what the product needed to be and the problems it needed to solve. We also worked closely with Jen’s mother Lori Tankel, who is very much still deeply involved and connected in the eventing and show jumping worlds in Florida. She had a lot of feedback as to what she and other riders, businesses, and horse enthusiasts would love to see a modern technology platform achieve. Lori, in addition to other prominent equestrians and businesses in the Virginia and Florida areas, provided feature ideas and tested the product to make sure that the platform really was optimized for equestrians.
By the 31st of December, 2020, the Pegasus platform was ready for launch and at midnight on the dot of NYE, it went live and was made accessible to the public.
American Stalls: Fantastic. Since launching, Pegasus has expanded its features. How does Pegasus help the equestrian industry?
Jen & Sam: Pegasus has a very long road map of features that we are developing. After months of research, it is apparent that there are many modern solutions to old problems that Pegasus can fix.
In the immediate term, Pegasus is trying to solve three very simple problems. Firstly, we are trying to optimize communication within the equestrian community. While tools like Facebook are very well developed technology platforms, they are not a good tool for sharing, trading, communicating, etc. If you have ever posted a saddle on Facebook to try and find a buyer, and then had it disappear from view down the Facebook groups activity feed because it was one of one hundred posts that minute, then you know what Sam and Jen mean by Facebook not being optimized for equestrians.
The second big problem is the buying, selling and trading of horses and equestrian equipment. We focused on this feature due to the overwhelming number of posts you will see on Facebook where people are having to use emoji’s to spell out the price of a horse they are trying to find a buyer for, or worse, are paying to post an add for their horse or saddle on an aging classified site. A seller just then hopes that someone sees it. We set out to solve this problem by creating a beautiful platform where you can post an ad for your horse, business, services, side hustle, whatever it might be. Other people can then find it by selecting what they are looking for and in vicinity of what address. Then an AirBnB looking interface reveals it for you and connects you via private message to the seller so you can immediately trade with one another.
The third and final problem is very simply the challenge of Facebook’s policies that restrict the sale of animals on the platform. We have spoken with a few hardworking equestrian business owners who have had their Facebook accounts locked due to breaching their policies. This has greatly damaged their business and risked their livelihood.
So if you look at these three problems together, Pegasus is a platform designed to provide all the functionality and convenience of Facebook, without the challenges and risks Facebook poses and with a lot of extra benefits due to it being optimized for equestrians.
American Stalls: Those are three very large, but necessary problems to solve. As you build Pegasus, what do you both enjoy the most about building this app?
Sam & Jen: Meeting and working with the people that make the equestrian world go round. From your next door neighbor who keeps a single horse on their small property, through to the heads of USEF, USEA, etc. It is greatly fulfilling to sit down with them and learn about their challenges – whether that be macro issues like how to attract more people to the sport or micro issues such as Facebook keeps taking down my posts. To learn how the community and economy work and take that information back to our engineering team and build technical solutions that solve these problems, that’s the best part of our jobs. At the end of the day, Pegasus is just a tool that serves the community to do things that exist in the real world. So we have to focus on the real world and build technology that makes that easier. Not the other way round.
American Stalls: What are 2-3 tips you would recommend for a traditional equine business (i.e. venue, boarding barn, etc) to go digital and have a solid presence?
Sam & Jen: Our first tip would be to stop building your own websites. They are expensive to build. They are expensive to maintain. They cause you stress. And in 99% of cases, they look bad. At this point, unless you do something truly unique, most people know what you do, so all they want to know is how much do you cost and can they come take a look at your location/products/etc. This is all stuff that can be achieved by spending the time to really fill out your business details on Google maps, which most people use anyway.
Now of course, we would prefer that you use Pegasus instead because the Pegasus Directory is essentially a Google Maps optimized specifically for horses and designed for you to run your entire business through it for free. But if that isn’t something you are willing to do, then our one piece of advice is to stop wasting money on an antiquated website and instead use the tools that exist like Google Maps and Pegasus.
Another piece of advice we would give is to talk to each other more. So much of the equestrian economy relies on a small number of repeat customers. Repeat customers come with great customer service and referrals; referrals are the cheapest customer you will ever attract. So we would encourage all equine business owners to talk to each other more. Not just the people in your barn and not just posting a picture on Facebook or Instagram. Find people nearby who have a symbiotic relationship with your business such as an equestrian event business and horse motel, and speak regularly and offer to help one another wherever you can. This will not only increase your referrals but also make you aware of what's happening in the equine economy and give you ideas you can capitalize on.
The last thing is paperwork. We have been blown away to learn how little paperwork exists in the equestrian economy. Deals are all hand shakes and written checks. If a release waiver is signed, it is printed, signed, and then lost in the tack room somewhere. If horses are bought, a check is handed over and you are waived good luck. While we are very fond of the ‘old ways’ and can appreciate the trust in this industry, it is a recipe for disaster. We understand that no one wants to involve lawyers in anything ever, due to it slowing things down and costing money, but that what we are building a portal to automate all that for free so you can get those contracts in place free and quickly to protect yourself.
American Stalls: Those are 3 great tips! If you had to narrow it down to one more tip, what tip would you give other equestrians to succeed in today’s climate?
Sam & Jen: This is perhaps our biggest piece of advice. The equine world needs to get creative. It is full of very experienced people with a lifetime of knowledge in their head, who are then doing lackluster jobs on the side that doesn’t utilize their experience and skill, to make money. There is a drastic need for the equine industry to start being creative with how they monetize their time and skills to better serve one another.
For example, one of the features we are launching soon is what we have dubbed the Horse Inspector. The Horse Inspector is someone who has a lifetime of experience buying and selling horses and knows exactly what they would look for in a horse if they were buying it for themselves. So why not have them go and review a horse for you and write you an objective report on their assessment, and you pay them for the in-person assessment. You can then commission five reports for five horses all over the country that you are interested in and then widdle the list down to two horses you actually want to invest time in going to look at yourself. If you pay each horse inspector $200 for a report, then you have spent $1000, but you have saved at least three times the cost of travel and accommodation on the horse you don't have to go see yourself, not to mention the time, so you end up on top. For the Horse Inspector, they can start a second career, conducting up to ten horse inspections a week and making $2,000 a week in extra income. That’s just over $100k a year doing something you already know how to do.
As for Pegasus, we have built out the technology to make all that happen and standardize the reports, contracts, Horse Inspector profiles, reviews, search, etc.
This is just one example, however, of how being creative can both save people money and make people money. The equestrian industry is a tale of two worlds. Those that are wealthy and enjoy horses. And those that make horses their life and livelihood, and often are not wealthy at all. The wealthy are happy to spend money if you give them a great product and save them some time. The less wealthy have the time and expertise, they just need to be taught what else they can offer the wealthy and be given a portal to get in contact with them.
That’s the bridge we are trying to build at Pegasus.
To learn more about Pegasus and sign up for the Beta version, go to www.thepegasus.app or email Jen Tankel at jen@thepegasus.app.
When building (or renovating) your barn, we will often think about the safety and visual appeal. During this process, we will consider the horse stall style, the barn doors, the amount of ventilation, and thousands of other details. One crucial area that every horse owner pays attention to is flooring and footing.
Your choice in flooring for your horse barn will largely dictate how much time, effort, and money you will spent in keeping your barn look its best. When deciding on a flooring option, we understand the needed to strike a balance between:
When it comes to the horse barn aisle, clients often ask our American Stalls team a lot about rubber pavers, rubber mats, and other options. In our years of experience, we firmly believe that rubber pavers are the best all-around flooring choice for horse barn aisles. We believe pavers are the best choice for horses because of their durability and aesthetic appeal.
Our Rubber Pavers are made in a "dog bone" shape. This shape – once the interlocking rubber pavers are installed – create an attractive pattern to your barn floor. Our rubber pavers come in four (4) color choices including black, terra cotta, gray, and forrest green. This way, our clients can mix and match color choices to ensure that their barn looks exactly how they'd like it.
In addition to the visual appeal, rubber pavers are easy to install over a hard surface (i.e. concrete) once there is a curb to contain the pavers. Once installed, our rubber pavers are also easy to replace if one becomes damaged. That being said, we see time-after-time that rubber pavers perform exceedingly well. Our rubber pavers hold up to years of abuse from general barn traffic, weather conditions, and heavy-machinery over the rubber pavers.
The last factor – using tractors, trucks, and other vehicles over the pavers –is one of the biggest advantages of rubber pavers compared to interlocking rubber mats. Rubber pavers have a higher density of rubber per unit. For this reason, rubber pavers perform exceedingly well in absorbing impact from heavy machinery.
Last but most importantly, our rubber pavers are incredibly safe for every horse barn. The rubber material provides an excellent slip resistant grip. Additionally, our pavers come in two thicknesses (7/8" thick and 1-3/4" thick) to provide anti-fatigue cushioning for you and your horse. This particular thickness also acts as an absorbent for noise in your horse stalls and horse barns. Our clients are always surprised as to how quiet the rubber pavers are horses walk on them.
Do you have any questions regarding our rubber pavers? Our team is here to help you make a well-informed decision. Our expert team can help with everything from design layouts, sales estimates, recommendations for bases under rubber pavers, and more. Please contact us at (855) 957-8255 or sales@americanstalls.com
