Group Stalls?

[Bluey]

@S1969

I would not do this instead of stalls. I might do it in addition to stalls.

Any time you want to interact with horses directly, it is easier when they are separated – feeding, grooming, tacking, vet, farrier, isolating for observation, injury, blanketing, medicating…the list goes on and on.

I have stalls that open to the paddock with Dutch doors and to the barn aisle with sliding doors on the other side. They are only solid on the bottom half, so horses are “together” all day when they stand in them, but are fully separated every night for feeding.

It would totally stink if they were in one communal stall for feeding; it would definitely be a fight for resources, and my most needy mare would always get bullied off her food unless I tied them or used feed bags.

Not to mention all the other things I listed above.

One advantage for horses to living as domestic animals is that they have consistent resources provided to them and peace to enjoy them.
Most horses adjust to most conditions, but some are sure nice, one is having their own safe, comfortable individual little corner of the world and it’s resources all to themselves, at least for part of the time.

The more options we have to manage our horses, the happier we can manage them.
Stalls and individual pens can be part of that.

[Red_Barn]

Here’s an ![](nteresting 2017 article addressing this very point:

https://equusmagazine.com/blog-equus…roommate-27816

[IMG]https://equusmagazine.com/.image/c_limit%2Ccs_srgb%2Cfl_progressive%2Cq_auto:good%2Cw_700/MTQ1Mjc2NDE4MTMzMjA2NDI0/srs-piber-mare-and-foal-barn-lr.jpg)

Not sure I’d actually do it, but it’s definitely thought provoking.