New horse coming and it would be good to separate him more from my other horse who can be a pest. My question is about putting bars between the stalls: how much distance would be good between the individual bars? I think I’d prefer something other than rebar and was thinking of plumbing pipe. Any advice? Thanks.
TSC or other farm stores may still sell goat panels, which are 3" squares of heavy wire. No horse reaching thru or getting a foot caught in it. You can cut the panels to the length needed, I think height is 48 or 54 inches.
Any extra pieces might work as garden trellis or covering the odd fence holes between barn and posts. We made a dog pen out of goat panel for a puppy, cheap and easy while we needed it.
As for bars, small spacing is best. Last I knew, a tennis ball was the measured space for stairway spindles under the top rail for human children. Heads cannot get between the spindles.
As a person housing a STUPID horse who got a big hoof between solid steel, front window bars, hung there a while, go with smaller widths! She had big hooves, bigger than 3s, we never were quite sure how she did that! She is the same one who rubbed her rump on the hot fence post, then kicked thru fence, pulling wire down and cut her leg!! Never so happy to see a horse leave!!
5 Likes
I use re-bar as conduit bent when horse rubbed against it --ok, Percheron, but it still bent. Like @goodhors idea. Further --when you install bar if you do go that route, of course you will drill into the lower sash to set the bar about an inch, maybe more, depends on wood and bar. However when you drill into the upper sash --drill the hole deep enough that you can push the bar UP and clear the bottom sash --should horse ever get hoof caught, you can simply lift UP the bar and it will be free.
6 Likes
We used electrical conduit for our bars.
Rebar has a texture that would cause damage if I horse was to get caught in it.
Conduit is smooth (like pipe). It does bend quiet easily, which if a horse is stuck is a positive in my opinion. In my stalls the bars start at a height they are not that likely to get bent by rubbing.
2 Likes
My bars are 2.6” OC
2 Likes
I walked into to a barn at 7am one day and found the same thing. It was a hind leg that was stuck. He was 17hh and had dinner plate for hooves. I still have no clue how he did it and it was a really struggle getting him free.
2 Likes
No bars!! Too many horrific accidents caused by bars! A couple strands of hot tape and a small solar charger is a cheap way to keep them apart. Some type of mesh for longer term.
Thanks very much to all who responded. All these ideas are helpful to consider. The mention of panels made me realize I have some leftover Red Brand No Climb and will go look at it and ponder if and how that could work in the space. You responders are much appreciated!
1 Like
Bars with narrow gaps of less than 3’’ would be generally safe and are used/normal in many barns without issue.
1 Like
Having a horse who can be a pest and mostly doesn’t like a neighbor, I suggest a solid wall of some kind.
4 Likes
Many barns without issue for many years. Each and every horse I know who has been injured in a bar hang up accident was the first one in a barn that had been in use for years. It’s like barn fires. People use box fans and whatever wiring was in the barn when they moved in. And mostly it’s fine. Until it isn’t. If you are going to build something, why not make it the safest you can?
3 Likes
a horse with a death wish will find its way, nothing is safe for them
turn them out but then they stand under a tree only to be hit by a lightening bolt from a storm that is fifteen miles away, that happened to two of the horses I cared for while in college both died instantly
3 Likes
Or horizontal wooden boards with spacers above the solid stall walls, like this: https://www.thehorsesadvocate.com/horse-barn-stall-walls/#jp-carousel-29582.
3 Likes
Goat panels do seem to still be available from TSC, after I did a search. They showed them as 16ft long, x 50 inches tall, priced about $75. Not sure if all stores stock them or if you need to order it.
I would strongly suggest using the goat panel over fence wire because the 4gauge wire of panels is so much stronger, more rigid, than 10gauge or less wire in fencing. The lower the gauge number, the heavier the wires it is made of. I am not sure fence wire would take much abuse from a pesty or angry horse trying to “get” his stall neighbor.
As Clanter said, horses will hurt themselves on anything or in a “safe” situation. I build for the “stupid moments” when NOTHING could have prevented a bad moment, just hoping horse comes out with minimal damage. NEVER want to say “I wish we had built it stronger.”
2 Likes
Yes and the safest I can think of IS bars between stalls, safe distance apart and sturdy. Air flow, companionship, etc etc. I think we can just agree to disagree on this and not speak further about it.
1 Like
Bars will flex under load and then spring back to straight. A hoof striking high enough between bars can cause enough flex for the hoof to slip through and get trapped.
I remember kneeling on a horse’s neck while someone cut a bar so we could get his foot free.
Minimum one inch diameter steel pipe for the bars. Maximum 1.5 inch distance between bars for lower part of stalls, and with a 1/4 inch minimum thickness steel strip welded horizontally across the mid point of lower bars to lock them all together to reduce possibility of a hoof being forced through. Same one inch diameter steel steel bars on upper part of stall, but two inch spacing and no horizontal reinforcing strip really necessary unless you have a horse that might rear and strike out.
