Blogs

5 Ways to Reduce Heat Stress in the Summer

May 15, 2022

As temperatures continue to rise, the long Summer days can be taxing upon your horses’ health and well-being. Summer time in Virginia usually means uncomfortable amounts of heat and humidity. As this heat arrives, it’s important to constantly monitor our barn’s conditions to help our horses avoid heat stress this Summer.

Although horses usually cope well with heat, extra care can go a long way in ensuring your horse’s best health. Here are a few ways to prevent equine heat stress and add comfort.

Adjust Your Turnout Schedule

Plan your turnout schedule around the cooler times of day. We suggest to adjust your turnout to occur either in the early mornings and also in the late evenings. These are the best times for turnout as it allows for minimal sunlight and maximum shade. Your horse will thank you as they their grazing by getting out before the sun.

Promote Ventilation

If you follow our content, you likely know the importance we place upon ventilation and natural sunlight in a barn. Ventilation is even more important during hot, humid Summer days. You can read more about the 4 ways we recommend to promote ventilation in your barn here.

For starters, horse stall fans are essential during the Summer. A high-quality horse stall fan will push a strong breeze to keep your horse cool. Additionally, the stall fan will also reduce the number of insects that swarm in the Summer. We recommend to combine a stall fan with other recommendations that can be found here.

Access to Fresh Water

Your horse’s hydration is crucial in hotter temperatures. Did you know that your horse’s water intake needs can double when temperatures begin to climb past 70-degrees? This is why it is important to plan for easy access to water at all times. Keep several water sources available and refill water buckets with fresh, clean water every day. Another alternative to water buckets are automatic waterer systems.

Electrolytes

If you suspect dehydration, you may be able to help your horse by providing electrolyte supplements. It’s best to check with your vet to understand which specific supplements work best for your horse.

In the meantime, you can be proactive by feeding an electrolyte powder in your horse’s morning feed. Another option is to dissolve the powder in the water trough – and offering a salt block or mineral lick to encourage drinking in extreme cases. Please note that you should immediately call your vet if you ever suspect severe dehydration.

Adjust Your Riding Routine

If you do ride on hot days, we suggest to ride as early in the day as possible. If this is not an option, a lighter routine and workload might be another option. Your horse will appreciate a lighter and shorter ride. If you usually work in a sunny ring, perhaps opt to take a trail ride in the shade instead. Regardless of your regime, be sure to include a proper cool down at the end of your horse.

Another recommendation is to use lightweight tack during the hot Summer days. This simple hack is one of the easiest way to ease the load on your horse’s body. This might mean switching from your heavy western saddle to a lighter weight English saddle or bareback pad. Before you finish with your horse, be sure to give him a cold shower to lower his body temperatures. The most important areas to spray are his neck, chest, and and between his legs.

Do you have any other questions on how to reduce equine heat stress during the hot Summer months? There are many ways to mindfully design your barn to optimize for airflow and ventilation. 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.

6 Products to Consider for Your Renovation

May 09, 2022

The proper renovation can do wonders for your barn’s look, feel and function. At American Stalls, we help clients with renovations of all sizes. In some cases, clients will decide to replace their existing rubber mats inside each horse stall. The next summer, they decide to actually redo their horse stalls. In contrast, there are some renovations that feature an entire overhaul – including virtually everything inside and outside the barn.

While we understand renovations vary in size, we firmly believe that a few changes can make the world of a difference. In a barn renovation, we help our clients maximize and improve upon the barn’s safety, look, and overall function. If you are considering a renovation, here are six products that can make a difference.

New Stall Doors, Stall Fronts, and Grillwork

One of the first things that visitors notice when they arrive in your barn are the stall fronts. Many older barns tend to feature older sliding horse stall doors (or stall gates) with older grillwork. We help with clients across the nation with building brand new stall doors to replace their existing ones. This replacement usually helps bring a modern, fresh aesthetic to the barn. It also helps with functionality since older doors’ hardware might not perform as well – including hinges, latches, or track systems.

There are many options to consider, but the most popular renovation options include our Sliding Horse Stall Doors, our Stall Gates, and our Grillwork. Some extensions can be very extensive in scope and nature. For example, our team worked with Olympian Steffen Peters, his wife and accomplished rider Shannon Peters, and the team at Arroyo Del Mar to renovate their 58-stall barn. You can see the before and after of the Stall Front below, but view the entire renovation here.

Exterior Dutch Doors

Many older barns tend to feature low ceilings. Older barns tend to also have minimal windows or doors that allow sunlight into a barn. For this reason, we believe that Dutch Doors are wonderful additions during a renovation project. Our standard size for Dutch Doors measure at 4′ W x 8′ H and consists of a top door and bottom door. Our Dutch Doors‘ both doors can be open and held back to the barn’s exterior during nice weather.

This addition allows for ample sunlight and fresh air to enter your barn. These doors also allow your horses more freedom to enjoy fresh air. Lastly, the Dutch Door can lead to an exterior field or paddock. As a result, Dutch Doors help improve a barn’s airflow, natural sunlight, and lead to happier horses.

Stall Mattress Systems for Horse Stalls

As horse owners, we all know the importance of proper flooring and footing for our horses. While regular interlocking rubber mats are functional, clients often splurge on our Stall Mattress systems for their existing horse stalls.

Each mattress is equal to roughly 4-6 inches of bedding. This thickness provides two main benefits. Firstly, it provides added comfort that keep your horses’ feet well rested. Secondly, the thickness also decreases your bedding needs and costs significantly.

Lastly, each mattress is topped with a seamless one-piece top cover that offers a non-slip surface. This surface provides ample traction for your horse, but also makes for faster clean up times. You can read more about the installation process of our project with Martha Stewart's team on the Martha Stewart blog.

Interlocking Rubber Pavers for Barn Aisles

Similar to above, your flooring choice for your barn’s aisle can impact your day-to-day experience. For this reason, rubber pavers are a very popular choice for barn renovations – to go over existing concrete or to replace existing interlocking rubber mats. Our rubber pavers come in a 7/8″ thickness for concrete floors or 1-3/4″ for packed dirt bases. These thickness help provide the ultimate in comfort to both tired human feet and horse legs.

Our rubber pavers are manufactured using the highest quality recycled rubber and manufacturing processes. They are built in a way to be extremely durable and environmentally friendly. Each paver also features a textured non-slip surface that provide ample traction during dry and wet conditions. This secure traction ensures that your horse will feel calm, confident, and relaxed. You can learn more about the in's and out's of Rubber Pavers in this helpful blog post.

Automatic Waterers

Many older horse barns feature stall design that did not prioritize efficiency and convenience. When we design our horse stall fronts, we offer clients with many options for feed and water. These options help you save time and lighten the daily chore load. One of the most popular additions to renovation projects are automatic waterer systems. These systems allow for you to save time and energy in providing your horses with access to fresh and ample water.

Our team carries both the newest Cascada Automatic Waterers which feature a smart app for your iPhone or Android phone. For those who would like a more traditional Automatic Waterer System, our team also carries the Nelson Automatic Waterers for barn projects. Contact an American Stalls team member to learn more about our Cascada line (left) and our Nelson line (right).

Barn Lighting

We all know that farm work goes from dusk til dawn and often well into the light. In each barn project, we place a large emphasis on ventilation, natural sunlight, and visibility. Our last recommendation focuses on visibility at all times in the barn.

We offer elegant gooseneck lamps and sconces for your barn’s exterior, but also your barn’s interior aisle way. Each of our lights are custom built to order here in the United States – featuring handspun shades and premium raw materials. Each shade provides superior lighted coverage, easy installation, and also energy-saving properties.

Do you have any questions regarding your upcoming barn renovation? Our team is here to help guide you every step of the way to ensure you have the most functional horse stall and barn products. 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.

PRESS RELEASE – American Stalls & Stall and Stable

May 04, 2022

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 5, 2022
Contact:
American Stalls, LLC
(855) 957-8255
sales@americanstalls.com

American Stalls, an industry leader in custom stabling equipment, is proud to announce its sponsorship of Stall and Stable.

“I am absolutely thrilled to welcome American Stalls as a Title Sponsor for the Stall and Stable show,” says Helena Harris, Managing Director of Stall and Stable. “American Stalls embodies all that we value: thoughtful consideration about what our horses need to be safe and comfortable, quality products, and an exceptional level of service.”

“Our horses are a reflection of the environment we create for them. This partnership will allow us to reach more horse owners in the U.S. and beyond, sharing ideas, strategies, and barn components that make horsekeeping a happy endeavor.”

“Our American Stalls team always strives to innovate and bring state-of-the-art solutions and products to our equestrian clientele. In doing so, we try our best to add value that makes a lasting change in our client’s lives. We found that same drive for innovation and value-add education in Stall and Stables’ services,” added Yash Balasaria, CEO of American Stalls.

“We look forward to our partnership with Helena and Stall and Stable. We truly are excited to offer our clients’ visibility into Helena’s insights and experience. Together, I believe we will continue to provide equestrian facilities with the highest quality products, but also education around effective barn management.”

About Stall and Stable:

Stall and Stable is a consulting firm for equestrians that specializes in barn and business management. Whether horses are your profession or your passion, we can ease your stress and help you create a more balanced life with horses. Stall and Stable empowers professionals in the equine industry with business coaching and products that improve profitability and work-life balance. If you run a boarding or training business, ride professionally, teach, or provide services like hoof care or body work–bookmark the website. If you are a private barn owner (or soon-to-be one), Stall and Stable can be your trusted resource for advice that makes horsekeeping easier, safer, and more enjoyable. There are so many things to consider when it comes to keeping horses at home. If you’re building a new barn, upgrading an existing one, or bringing your horses home for the first time, doing so with the help of a trusted guide is essential to getting it right. Please visit www.stallandstable.com to explore their website, podcast, and other helpful resources. Connect with Stall and Stable on LinkedIn.

About American Stalls:

With its range of world class stabling equipment and top-notch customer service, American Stalls clientele spans both residential and large-scale equestrian venues. From horse stall and barn doors, to flooring options, temporary stalls, and more- American Stalls designs and manufactures the industry’s most durable, elegant, and safe equine equipment. Visit www.americanstalls.com to explore the full product line or schedule a consultation.

4 Functional Upgrades for Sliding Horse Stalls

May 02, 2022

Sliding Horse Stalls are the most popular stall options for most barn projects. They are one of our favorite options because of their practicality and safety. Since the door slides flush to the stall front, we believe it is the safest door since it does not protrude in the aisle. It is also an exceedingly safe option in the case of an emergency in a barn.

When it comes to our Sliding Horse Stalls, we have so many available options. We offer our clients many upgraded options to change the aesthetics, but also the functionality. Options can include aesthetic choices such as yokes, welded wood sections, and brass finials. Functional options can include feed and water options. In this post, we’d like to explore 5 upgrades that can impact your stall fronts’ looks and overall function.

Option #1 – Open Yokes for the Horse Stall Door

The first option to consider is an open yoke for your stall door. Do you have a private barn with just your horses? Do your horses get along just fine without any issues? If so, an open yoke can allow your horses to hang their head outside of their horse stall door. This allows them to socialize with others in the barn – a big plus for their mental health and barn experience. This also applies for a commercial boarding barn or training facility. We can build open yokes in many different shapes. However, the most common are our v-shaped yoke and our rectangular yokes.

Option #2 – Closable Yokes for the Horse Stall Door

An extra addition to a yoke is the ability to close it. There are two options that we offer to clients who’d like the ability to close the yokes:

Hinged Drop Down Yoke – Our team simply welds hinges and a plunger latch to allow you the option to open and close the yoke. This yoke drops down as pictured below (left)
Removable Yoke Piece – This option is in contrast to a hinged, drop down yoke which uses a plunger latch. Instead, clients can choose to have a removable yoke-fill piece that fits into their v-shaped yoke or rectangular yoke. Our team pre-drills holes on the top and bottom of each open yoke where the removable yoke piece sits within. This option is shown below (right) where the left stall is filled while the right stall remains open.

Both closable options are great for private barns or commercial barns. For example, if you have certain horses that might be sensitive to others in the barn – a closable, hinged yoke is a great option. Another example is a high-traffic barn where you’d like to limit visitors’ access to the horses. In these cases, a hinged drop-down yoke or removable yoke fill can work wonders. It allows you the freedom to open the yoke when the time is right.

Option #3 – Mesh or Grilled Bottom on the Horse Stall Door

As horse owners, we all know that ventilation is key to a healthy barn. One way to accomplish ventilation is to add an open, vented bottom to your horse stall door. We can add either mesh or grilled 1″ round bars to the bottom of your stall door. This allows airflow to flush in and out of the horse stall better than it would for just a wood-filled bottom.

This addition also has the added benefit of increased visibility and odor control. An open bottom will allow you to maintain a clear sight line into the horse stall at all times – from different parts of the barn. Odor management is accomplished because heavier gases tend to sink to the bottom of the horse stall. An open, vented bottom allows those gases to be flushed out of their horse stalls.

Option #4 – Grilled Feed Door

We understand that our clients have been many different preferences when it comes feeding. Some clients prefer to go into the horse stall to directly manage feed through buckets or hay nets. However, one of the most popular additions to our Sliding Horse Stalls are Grilled Feed Doors.

These door is set on 2 stainless steel hinges and opens outward using a plunger latch. This seamless feed door allows you to quickly open the door and provide grain, feed, and care to your horses. We find that our clients enjoy this feature as it saves time in feeding – not to mention, effort!

Do you have any questions regarding any of the above options? Our team is here to help guide you every step of the way to ensure you have the most functional horse stall products. 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.

Barn Inspiration: Three Barns with 20 Horse Stalls and More

April 28, 2022

Are you planning on building a new horse barn with 20 or more horse stalls? When it comes to barns, we consider this stall amount as a medium-sized horse barn. It is less about the number of horse stalls in the barn in this case. We consider a 20-stall barn medium-sized because of the amount of horses, humans, and equipment at any given time.

There are many things to consider when planning a barn that has 20-30 horse stalls. That includes basics such as the purpose of the barn, the type of horses and their behaviors, and the site location. It also includes nitty-gritty details such as the flow of activities – including turnout, grooming, feed, and more. The more thoughtful planning that goes into the front end, the more efficient the barn will be at the end.

In this article, we’d like to provide some inspiration of three barns that feature 20 to 30 horse stalls. The first is barn is a polo and dressage training barn. The second barn is a thoroughbred training barn. Lastly, the third barn is a polo training and boarding barn. Each barn is different in layout and choice in stalls. We hope these mindfully designed barns give you inspiration to ensure your barn is safe, elegant, and built to last.

Barn Inspiration One: Dutta Stables & The Dutta Corporation

Our first barn is a 28-stall barn which is a FEI Grand Prix dressage stable & high-goal polo stable. This barn is located in Wellington, Florida. For this reason, the client wanted a barn that was exceedingly functional with a priority placed on ventilation. The client also wanted the barn to be a simple, yet refined aesthetic.

The client chose our hinged Full-Sized Stall Gates to help prioritize ventilation since this barn is located in a hot, humid climate. The yoke top helps the polo and dressage horses socialize and feel part of the rest of this large barn. Lastly, the mesh bottom also allows for a clear sight line into the stall.

In addition to our Stall Gates, this barn features our tack hardware including our Blanket Bars and Bridle Hooks. These hardware choices are not only beautiful, but exceptionally functional. The selection in hardware allows this barn to be efficient, clean, and organized. Lastly, we supplied our Horse Stall Fans to ensure ample airflow to manage ventilation and odor management.

The end result is a barn that is mindfully designed to safely house these horses. It features heavy-duty components to ensure it is built to last.

Barn Inspiration Two: Rockridge Stud

Our next barn is a 32-stall barn for Rockridge Stud – a full-service thoroughbred breeding and training farm located in Hudson, NY. Rockridge Stud and our team worked together on their new barn to house their mares and newborns. The client’s priority was to ensure this barn was safe for its horses – ensuring ample airflow, ventilation, and sunlight.

This barn features a simple, yet timeless aesthetic including our Sliding Stall Doors. Since this barn has many visitors in and out, the client decides to keep the horse stall door’s top as 1″ round bars. However, it was decided to add mesh on the bottom of each door to ensure ventilation and visibility. The latter was particularly important to ensure team members could attend to babies and mares. Lastly, each stall front was paired with custom grillwork to ensure ventilation and elegance.

In between each horse stall, Rockridge Stud decided on full privacy partitions. This decision allows each horse to have privacy at all times. To help drive cost-efficiency in a project of this size, these partitions feature two pieces of 8′ u-channel, one 8′ wall-stiffener , and our Southern Yellow Pine tongue and groove lumber.

This barn features barn windows in each horse stall to ensure ample sunlight to manage bacteria growth. Secondly, we worked with the client to manufacture custom Barn Entry Doors with glass-filled tops. This choice in design helps further promote sunlight within the barn. This is especially important in cold, winter months in upstate New York.

This thoroughbred barn is a mindfully designed barn that is built to ensure functionality and safety – offering the very best care to its horses. The barn doors and barn windows help promote sunlight into the barn. The wide aisles allow for heavy-machinery to easily go in-and-out of the barn for stall cleaning. Lastly, the stall fronts and horse stall partitions provide a safe, functional, and beautiful horse stall.

Barn Inspiration Three: Private Polo Barn

Our last barn feature is a private barn for a polo training facility. This barn is located in a cold-weather climate. This particular client wanted a barn that was elegant in its stall design – while also functional. Similar to the previous two barns, this barn features wide aisles to allow for heavy-machinery to seamlessly clean the barn.

This barn features our fully welded Sliding Stall Fronts. Each stall front includes a beautiful v-shaped yoke that allows our clients’ horses to socialize with others in the barn. The stall fronts also include a welded HVH design on the stall door’s bottom. The welded HVH is comprised of welded steel tubing and channel. This allows for a horizontal piece of lumber to be inserted at the center and bottom of each door.

Each horse stall also includes our Half-Grilled Partition. This choice in partition allows for ventilation during hotter Spring and Summer months. It also allows socialization for the client’s horses.

In addition to our horse stalls, this barn also features our rubber pavers all along the aisle way and the cross breezeways. Our rubber pavers add a refined elegance to the barn – providing the finishing touch. They also provide functionality such as anti-slip properties and added comfort. These two qualities make all of the difference in our clients’ day-to-day experience of their barn.

The combination of the stall fronts, partitions, and rubber paver flooring ensure that is this barn is as functional as it is elegant. Our rubber pavers ensure this barn a high-level of comfort. The flooring gracefully complements the choice in horse stalls for a timeless barn.

Do you have any questions regarding any of the above barn projects? Our team is here to help guide you every step of the way to ensure you have the most functional horse stall products. 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.

Why American Stalls?

April 10, 2022

American Stalls began building horse stall equipment in 2006 when HITS Horse Shows approached our family’s steel business to build 1,500 horse stalls. Ever since 2006, we have had the great privilege to work on thousands of horse barns across the US. Our projects have included everything from from a two-stall residential barn to commercial Grand Prix barns to large county fairgrounds with hundreds of expo horse stalls. For over 15 years, we have been an industry leading source for equestrian-related equipment.

When working with our team, you can expect the highest quality products for your barn – backed by a world class client experience. While there are many companies in the industry, we are confident in our approach to stabling equipment. We feel strongly that there are three key things that separate us from any other firm in the industry.

EXPERIENCE

American Stalls was founded in 2005, but its roots date back to 1994. American Stalls is one of four family businesses in an ownership group of four total companies. Together, the four companies lead their industries – including steelmaking, electrical power line transmission, mining, and construction.

Our management team brings this world class steel manufacturing expertise along with our approach to customer service. We then blend these two expertises with our people. Our sales and design team includes experienced horsemen who have owned, showed, and bred horses. That means we understand every challenge faced by our clientele. This includes everyone from an equestrian enthusiast to olympic-level equestrians. Our experience allows us to deliver world class manufacturing and professionalism – driven by equestrians.

QUALITY:

Our manufacturing experience allows us to have significant quality advantages that ensure our product is innovative, longer-lasting, and higher quality.

Innovation means that our clients have access to our world class design and engineering teams. In each project, our teams provides innovative industry-leading concepts, hardware, and finishes. We use less materials through our design that allows for a more sustainable and stronger product.

Long lasting products mean that your products use the best raw materials, galvanization methods, and protective finishes. This approach further protects your investment in your stabling equipment. As a result, our clients are guaranteed the highest quality product and best client experience.

RELATIONSHIPS & SERVICE:

Exceptional customer service is in our genes. Some just have it – an innate desire to deliver meaningful experiences. What our clients speak about most is that singular experience of being truly seen, heard, and understood. This relationship-driven approach continues long after the original purchase.

At American Stalls, we work instinctively and from the heart to serve our clients. An American Stalls purchase is an investment in equine products, but also in a relationship with our firm. We are a family run and operated business to this day and we intend to ensure that is true for generations to come.

Each purchase is the seed for our purpose. We deeply care for our people and make it our mission to build long-lasting, genuine relationships with our clients. We are here for generations to come and look forward to servicing our clientele well after the initial purchase.

Spring Cleaning: How to Prepare Your Barn for Summer

April 10, 2022

It’s officially the Spring time which means that it’s time put away those heavy blankets and switch them out for fly masks.

A fresh horse barn can make the world of difference in the health and sanity for your horses and handlers! Early Spring time is the perfect time to get begin prepping your barn for warmer weather ahead. This includes cleaning both your horse barn, horse stalls, and every in-between.

It’s time to effectively organize and stow away your winter equipment and get organized for warm weather riding (finally).

Here are a few tips to help you kickstart your spring cleaning:

COMPLETE CLEAR OUT

This may go without saying, but don’t forget to clear out your space before you start cleaning your barn. This includes hay, bedding, rubber mats, and any other movable equipment. An empty space is key before you start your cleaning process.

Once you have products and equipment out of the way, the clearing process then includes your beloved horses. This means turning your horses out to the pasture. This practice is key as your horses tend to get in the way of effective cleaning – not to mention kicked up dust that is hazardous to their health. Once this all is done, the real work begins.

HAY ROOM

Hay removal can be cumbersome, but this is the first step after you completely clear out your barn. We recommend to go through your hay storage areas. We know that many equestrians store and feed their horses with ample amounts of hay supply. This is why it is even more important to get rid of any hay supply that may be questionable or gone bad.

Once you remove hay, we recommend to thoroughly sweep the entire area. Clean floors and areas will ensure hay particles don’t cause issues for your horse’s breathing. Your horses will also appreciate a clean barn (just like us humans).

Afterwards, look around and remove cobwebs as you find them. The removal of cobwebs is especially important since they pose the risk of a fire hazard. This practice accomplishes a safer horse barn while also making for a fresh appearance. Lastly, scan your hay room for any wet spots. A wet spot could help identify a potential leak in the roof that requires repair. This is essential to preventing moldy bales of hay. Once you’ve given the room a good cleaning, it’s time to bring back the hay now that the floor is clear.

Tack Room

Once the hay room is cleaned, the tack room is the next room to clean. We’ve all been guilty of spending hours on Pinterest – scrolling through dreamy barns and tack rooms. Well now it’s your time for your tack room to shine!

Similar to our homes, the winter team usually means that the tack room becomes a mess full of saddles, hardware, and cleaning supplies. Step one is to make extra space. You can accomplish this by removing supplies, tack, and gear that you no longer use. You can also always donate unwanted supplies to a local horse rescue.

Once you’ve made some space, it’s time to polish your hardware and condition your tack. Lastly, you’ll want to wash and organize your riding blankets. Once you have everything organized, it’s a great idea to do one final dusting and sweep of your dream tack room. We recommend to do a similar procedure to that of your hay room. This includes everything from sweeping to dusting to removing cobwebs.

HORSE STALLS

Horse stalls tend to remain unkempt in all seasons, but especially so in the winter. This tendency is why it’s important to do a deep spring cleaning. For a whole article, we recommend that you read our guide, “How to Disinfect a Horse Stall?”

In addition to a disinfection, we recommend to follow general best practices for horse stall maintenance. This routine, seasonal checkup will ensure you get more years out of your horse stalls investment. This includes basic such as:

Inspect your horse stalls for any chips or scratches in the powder coat. Contact our team for a bottle of touch up paint to ensure any scuffs, scratches, or chips are treated.
Inspect the hardware around your horse stalls. During the Winter season, did you realize that your horse blankets were unorganized? That might warrant accessible blanket bars. The same applies for bridle hooks, halter hooks, and other tack hardware – all of which can ensure for a safer and more organized barn.
Inspect the condition of your in-fill material which is usually Southern Yellow Pine lumber. Is it still in good condition? Are there any boards that need replacement pieces?

AISLEWAYS

We are guilty to this, but horse barn aisles can quickly turn into storage areas. This habit and tendency can subtly turn into a safety hazard as there is more protruding items in the overall flow of the barn. Spring is the perfect time to finally clean your aisle way to declutter and organize your equipment.

This is a great practice for cleanliness, but also to remove any potential fire hazards. Lastly, decide on a new space in the barn where you can store excess tools, supplies, and equipment. A designated space is sure to make it easier for you to follow through with returning those items.

SAFETY EQUIPMENT

One of the most neglected equipment in any home or barn: safety equipment. This includes:

Make sure that your fire extinguishers are serviced and placed in an easy-to-find location.
Get the wiring checked by an electrician.
Clean your stall fans to ensure that cobwebs and other fire hazards are taken care of.
Restock your first aid kit
Replace any expired items.

Cleaning is never the favorite, glamorous topic in any household or organization – yet it is essential. We hope these tips will help you kick off a clean and successful Summer season. Happy cleaning!

3 Products to Manage Horse Stall Bedding

April 06, 2022

Bedding can be one of the most overlooked (and costly) aspects of managing a barn. In this blog, we share three highly effective solutions to reduce bedding waste, save money, and keep your horses comfortable. From our easy-to-install Bedding Blocker to the advanced StableComfort mattress system, these products are designed to make daily barn life more efficient.

How to Start a Barn Renovation or New Build

March 30, 2022

Whether it is a barn renovation or a new build, it can often be difficult to determine where to even begin. Over the years, our team has gained invaluable experience with thousands of barn owners. Our projects include everything from private barns in one’s backyard to large-scale commercial developments.

No matter the scale of your project, the principles often remain the same from barn to barn. In this article, we’ve compiled a handful of articles that we’ve written in the past. These articles cover everything from horse stalls to barn design to choices in horse stall flooring. We hope that the below compilation will not only equip you with the right knowledge, but will allow you to make more informed decisions.

The Basics of the Process:

In addition to the above 3 articles, we also recommend clients to review our Barn Design Guide and updated Product Catalog .

The Basics for the Barn Structure:

Horse Stalls 101:

Understanding Finishes & Maintenance:

Horse Stall and Barn Flooring:

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.

The 2 Types of Sliding Horse Stall Fronts

March 30, 2022

Sliding Horse Stall Fronts are one of the most popular options in horse barns. Sliding Horse Stalls are popular with good reason as they are often safe, reliable, and functional for most horse barns. Most stall fronts and stall doors can be extremely dressy and elegant as well – depending on the customizations.

When it comes to Sliding Horse Stall Fronts, they are two main styles available. The first is what we call Fully Welded Stall Fronts. The second is what we call a Sliding Horse Stall Front Kit – keyword being “kit.” A client’s construction skills, intended design, and budget will often determine which of the two styles is right for your project.

In this article, we would like to walk you through the differences to consider between the two options. Let’s dive in!

The Horse Stall Kit

Horse stall kits are sold in a variety of “pieces.” The client will then assemble the kit onsite by themselves or with the help of a general contractor. A horse stall kit includes components such as:

The sliding horse stall door
Grillwork (also known as “grates”)
U-Channels that hold the tongue and groove lumber in place
Track System and Pin Lock Latch

Horse stall kits tend to be more cost-effective when compared to fully welded sliding horse stalls. Why? it is because horse stall kits because there is less welding and labor involved in the manufacturing.

Although kit horse stalls are more cost-effective upfront, please consider that they do require more installation time. This added time will drive up the install cost if you intend to hire a contractor to install the horse stalls.

Sliding Horse Stall Kits can be a beautiful option for your barn. The Stall Door and Grillwork can both be fully custom built to achieve your intended look and functionality. For example, the Sliding Stall Door can be customized with different yoke options, bottom fills (I.e. mesh or bars), and other decorative designs. The Grillwork can be customized by adding a feed hole opening or even a grilled feed door.

The Fully Welded Horse Stall System

In contrast to kit horse stalls, fully welded horse stall systems are panel systems that are prefabricated steel frames.

This means that the stall panels are ready to install the minute they deliver to your farm. In contrast to horse stall kit, this means that you do not need to individually frame out the stall and cut any components. Once unloaded from the flatbed truck, fully welded panels are ready to attach to existing barn support columns or assemble to create a freestanding horse stall structure.

Pre-welded (“fully welded”) panels are often pricier than kit horse stalls. This is because there is more welding done to the stall front’s frame. Fully welded horse stall panels do help save time, labor, and cost during installation though. Fully welded stall panels can drop the installation time from 10+ man hours for a kit horse stall to about two man-hours for a fully welded system. This consideration brings the cost comparison to be much closer at the end.

In addition, pre-welded frames, partitions, and horse stall fronts add the benefit of greater strength because of additional welding across all components.

Similar to a horse stall kit, a Fully Welded Sliding Stall Front system can be completely customized to meet your envisioned look and function. The Horse Stall Door itself can be customized many ways including:

Custom Yokes – V-Shaped, Rectangular, and other Designs
Filled Yokes – Hinged Drop Down Yokes or Removable Pieces
Custom Feed Options – Feed Hole Opening, Grilled Feed Door, or a Swivel Hay Feeder
Custom Water Options – Integrated Water Lines, Automatic Waterer Systems, and More
Custom Aesthetic Designs – Wood In-Fill Centers and Bottoms, Mesh Bottoms, Grilled Bottoms, Shavings Guards, and more

While the above is a great starting point, we do understand that each barn is different. Your personal style, your horses, your barn’s purpose, and so many other variables affect your stall front decisions. Our team is here to help guide you through the process. Contact us today if you may have any questions. It is our goal to help you pick the right Sliding Horse Stall Front option for your barn.

Question Mailbag – Horse Stall Doors

March 30, 2022

We recently asked our social media community if they had any questions regarding our luxury horse stalls. We were pleased to receive many questions regarding our horse stalls – particularly our stall doors.

Whether it is an exterior Dutch Door or an interior horse stall door, stall doors are an important part of your barn. The right choice in these doors can improve the day-to-day ease of your barn. We have compiled a list of 4 questions that we received frequently along with our responses.

Question 1 – “I’m building a new barn and am wondering what is the best width and height for my doors. Should the Dutch Doors leading to the Paddocks be the same size as the interior Sliding Stall Doors?”

Our Response: In the vast majority of our barn projects, both Dutch Doors and the horse stall doors are the same width and height. Regardless of your horses’ breed(s), we recommend a minimum door width of 48″. This width is often safe and functional for most breeds. That being said, in an ideal world, we recommend clients to opt with what we consider “standard” which is 52″ wide.

In regards to height, most barns will have horse stall doors and partitions around 7′ tall to 8’6″ tall. We recommend our “standard” height of 8′ tall for both the Dutch Door and interior Sliding Horse Stall Door.

Question 2 – “I live in South Carolina and it gets incredibly hot in the Spring and Summer. I’m considering to add mesh or a grilled bottom to the bottom of our horse stall doors. Is there a better, recommended option between the two?

Our Response: In 2022, a “vented” bottom on horse stall doors is an increasingly popular upgrade. A vented bottom means that the bottom half of the door includes welded steel mesh or welded 1″ round bars. Between the two options, it is truly a personal preference. There is no better option between the two – mesh and grilled bottom. That being said, below are a few things to consider:

Mesh makes for a more modern and contemporary look. In contrast, grilled bottoms tend to be a bit more traditional and vintage.
Both options are equally safe. However, they must be manufactured with safety in mind. That means attention to details when it comes to design and materials.
When using mesh, we recommend to use a heavy-duty gauge that has no more than 2″ of spacing. We also recommend that the horizontal mesh rod is positioned in the exterior of a stall door. This means that the vertical rod is in the stall interior – ensuring no hooves can climb up and get stuck. If you are considering 1″ round bars, we recommend to ensure the bars are a minimum 14-GA and spaced no more than 2.5″ apart (on center). .

Question 3 – “I’ve been in hundreds of barns. One thing that drives me crazy is shavings and bedding coming out of the stall. Is there anything I can do in my stall door design to keep the bedding inside the stall?”

Our Response: This is a common question we get from clients. It is an important point because bedding in the aisle means that bedding is going waste. This inefficiency of bedding leads to higher costs in shavings. This doesn’t factor in the fact that shavings in the aisle is an eyesore. The first thing that we recommend to our clients is to add a shavings guard to their horse stall door. This shavings guard comes in 2 main designs – one that features all steel and the second option is a piece of lumber framed by steel.

This shavings guard is often 4″ to 6″ tall – ensuring that bedding is contained within your horse stall when the door is closed. That solves the bedding issue when the stall door is closed, but what to do when the door is open? This is where we recommend our Bedding Blocker product to clients.

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.

Do you have any additional questions? Please reach out to our sales and 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 18+ years of experience.

3 Horse Barns with 6 Stalls or Less

March 30, 2022

Most of us equestrians dream of the day to have our dream barn. That dream barn is often at home in our personal farm. While our team is often involved with large barn projects, we wanted to write this post to inspire our clients who want to build smaller dream barns in their property.

Here are five horse barns with six horse stalls or less – proving small-scale barns are not lacking in the design or quality.

The first barn that we’d like to feature is a project that we completed for a fantastic interior design outside of Nashville, TN. This barn was built with the intent to house our client’s horses, but also use the center aisle for entertaining guests. We worked with our client and her vision to tastefully bring it to reality. In the end, our team helped Julie Davis Interiors by custom building European Horse Stall Fronts, Partial Privacy Stall Partitions, and providing custom interlocking rubber mat kits for each stall.

Who said that the barn is JUST for horses? This barn provides clients inspiration that our beloved barns can also be multi-use for entertaining purposes at times.

The next barn that we’d like to feature is a beautiful, airy barn in Morriston, Florida. This client has had vast experience in building barn – this being her third barn! For this barn, our client chose for it to be very open and expansive in nature. She chose our custom Sliding Horse Stall Doors for the barn interior. Each door was custom built using a mesh bottom to help promote ventilation, visibility into the stall, and allow sunlight into the stall. Each stall door also included a v-shaped yoke on the top for socialization along with a beautiful steel center and bottom rail.

Our team then helped custom build grillwork to match on the stall fronts and stall partitions. Last, but not least are our Full-Sized Stall Gates positioned in the back of each stall. This decision was to match the aesthetics of the Sliding Stall Doors – while providing our client’s horses easy and safe access to Paddocks.

The last detail we loved about the above barn is the farm’s name. You can find the signage on the top left corner showing the farm’s name: Hiraeth. This is the meaning of that term: “A spiritual longing for a home which maybe never was. Nostalgia for ancient places to which we cannot return. It is the echo of the lost places of our soul’s past and our grief for them. It is in the wind, and the rocks, and the waves. It is nowhere and it is everywhere.”

It is truly a privilege to work with clients in bringing their dreams to a reality. It’s even more fulfilling when we get to see that that a barn holds such a unique significance in our clients’ lives.

While the previous two barns are located in Northern & Central Florida, this last barn is located in our backyard in Virginia. This barn is a charming 4-stall barn for a family’s four horses. Our client had recently moved into the area purchasing a new farm property. Our team then helped client with a full renovation. This project includes brand new grillwork, custom Sliding Horse Stall Doors, blanket bars, and our black rubber pavers.

Similar to the previous barn, these Sliding Stall Doors include a v-shape yoke top and mesh bottom. The difference though is in the center and bottom rails. This Virginia barn features our wood-insert HVH center and bottom – as opposed to a steel in-fill. This slight difference gives this barn that classic look that is synonymous with Hunt Country Virginia.

While our team works on many large equestrian facility projects, we find just as much pleasure in helping our clients with their smaller private barns. We help clients across North America bring their dreams to a reality – whether that is new barn construction or a barn renovation.

Do you have any questions about where to begin for your upcoming barn project? Our team would love to help answer any questions and make recommendations. 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.

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Adjust Your Turnout Schedule

Promote Ventilation

Access to Fresh Water

Electrolytes

Adjust Your Riding Routine

New Stall Doors, Stall Fronts, and Grillwork

Exterior Dutch Doors

Stall Mattress Systems for Horse Stalls

Interlocking Rubber Pavers for Barn Aisles

Automatic Waterers

Barn Lighting

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