Considering Buying a Barn -- Stall Size Question

[Pico_Banana]

For a while now, I have been mulling over the idea of purchasing my own horse property where I can keep my horse. I have decided to dip my toe in the water at least a little bit and go look at a property for sale this weekend. One red flag I noticed is that the stalls are only 10x12, not 12x12.

My horse is a solid albeit short-coupled 16.3 Oldenburg. While I don’t intend to run a boarding operation, there will be other horses there and most will be over 16 hands. Are 10x12 stalls a non-starter for horses of that size? All would be in turnout from 8-4 or so.

Looking at the issue from a different angle, I’m wondering if the stalls can be enlarged. But I guess I have to see how they are built (i.e., which wall is the short wall) before I can know the answer to that.

[Dressagelvr]

Yep, 10x12 is too small for a large horse. I actually think 12x12 should be the minimum size for any horse and that anything over 16.1 should be in a 14x14.

Horses need to be able to move. They need to be able to easily lay down and rise.

[trubandloki]

That is not a huge red flag to me.
Are larger stalls better? Sure. But 10’x12’ is not something that would make me say no to an otherwise wonderful property.

Is there any way you can set them up so that they have attached runs? Is there any way you can set their day up so they are out more and in less?

[mmeqcenter]

10’x12’ are completely doable, but I’m sure they’d be happier with more than 8 hours of turnout per day. I have a 17hh and a 16.2hh who’ve both survived fine boarded at a barn with 10’x10’ stalls. Not ideal, but livable. My barn I now own has 10’x12’ stalls. No problem.

[js]

Can some of those stalls be reconfigured to larger ones? I wouldn’t want 10x12 but often when barns are built a 12x12 stall ends up as 11.7 x 11.7 or a bit smaller once you have kick walls put in etc. depends on how the barn is built. When looking at properties see if stalls can be removed and made bigger. If you have your horses at home you might end up allowing them 24/7 turnout so big stalls might not matter so much. I’ve always had our stalls set up where the horses can come and go as they please.

[suzyq]

I would put Dutch doors and individual runs off each stall to enlarge the stalled space.

[Pico_Banana]

It sounds like at least some of them have in/out runs, so that would help.

I’m in the Northeast and the one barn I was at (ages ago) that had in/outs closed them during the winter. I guess I was thinking that I would do the same but I suppose that I don’t have to. The idea of being able to make these decisions myself makes me giddy!

I love the idea of having my horse out much longer than 8-4 but she’s never done that before and I don’t want to count on that because she may not like it.

The property is otherwise quite lovely. Very picturesque New England with large grassy paddocks (although not very many) and direct access to extensive trails. Strangely there’s only an indoor and no outdoor ring so would need to find a way around that, too. I can’t stand riding in an indoor when it’s nice outside!

[NorthernHunter]

I don’t think 10x12 is a deal breaker. I’ve been at boarding barns with 10x12 and 10x10 stalls for horses (my mare is 16.2hh) and she was fine in them.

[horsepoor]

I would not rule it out just because of 10x12 stalls. Where I am boarding for the winter has stalls that size – they are smaller than ideal, yes, but the horses manage, even the humongous warmbloods. I think they get messier than a bit larger as they can’t not walk in the poop when it is such close quarters. With runs off the stalls, I’d be less worried about the size, but you could also look at whether any can be reconfigured to be larger (the barn where I am at would actually be pretty easy to pull down dividers and make the stalls 12x20, but of course, that means less stalls).

[a1eventing]

Unless the stall are cinderblock - you should have some wiggle room to reconfigure things I would think. I’m in the process of considering a custom build and am planning on 12x14 stalls. My horse is 16.2h. 12x12 is totally fine but the 10’ dimention is tight for larger horses IMO. I had my guy at a boarding farm with off sized stalls and the 10 or 11’ stall he started out in had him bumping into water buckets and catching his tail hairs on any random splinter on the wall

[2DogsFarm]

Wouldn’t be a deal breaker for me.
I had my stalls built as true 12X12 < inside measurement.
Even my 17H+ WB could go flat out.
But current my 16H TWH & 34" mini are sharing one stall & both go down at night. Evidenced by “bedhead” & bedding on bellies.
I also often find all 3 (add 13H pony) hanging out in a single stall.

Like @js my herd has 24/7 turnout with access to stalls or pasture as they please.

I don’t have an outdoor arena, but do ride on my small (5ac total) acreage when ground is dry.
My indoor - attached to the barn - has sliding doors on all 4 sides. With all 4 open, next best thing to an outdoor.

[trubandloki]

@a1eventing

catching his tail hairs on any random splinter on the wall

I think they can do this living in a huge space. They know we like their tails full and nice and work hard to make us stress about that.

[GoodTimes]

It wouldn’t be a deal breaker for me, especially if the stall fronts allow them to put their heads out.

My horse is boarded but lives out 24/7 so stall sizes don’t affect me much other than at shows.

At my parents old farm they built the 3 stalls in 3 corners of the barn, and the tack room/feed room was in the 4th corner. The stalls were 12x12 but were European style so the horses could put their heads out on two sides and they had windows that opened on the two “barn wall” sides. The barn aisles were also nice and wide so even if horses were in the stalls they weren’t bothering anyone in the cross ties.

At my parents new place they chose to build a shedrow type setup since the horses get boarded in the winters anyway. They built them 12’x13’, the top part of the stall fronts and above their feed tubs can be opened or closed. They only come inside to eat or if the bugs are bad though.

Most horses will prefer to spend most of their time outside. And believe me, you’ll appreciate just having to pick stalls instead of mucking day in/day out. When you see horses standing at the gate it’s probably because they’re on a schedule, they want to come in for dinner, if they could talk though they’d probably tell you they’d like to go back outside again after.

[Lucassb]

@trubandloki

I think they can do this living in a huge space. They know we like their tails full and nice and work hard to make us stress about that.

TRUTH.

My stalls are quite big and my new guy has made a game out of removing as much tail hair as he can, despite my practically SANDING the walls of his stall, taping the ends of the handles on every bucket, you name it. Sigh. It makes me crazy. I swear he does it on purpose.

The size of the stalls sounds fine to me. If you can do run outs, even better.

As for turnout… meh. To each their own. My crew, with one exception, prefer to be in their stalls munching hay, under their fans in summer when it’s hot/buggy. They go out after the dew is off the grass per our farrier’s request, and can stay out as long as they please. But typically by 3-4pm, they want to come in. Dinner’s not til 6:30ish so it’s not that; they are just done with their outside time. Divas !