Help - need ideas to keep horse from trying to come out of dutch door

[pawandhoof]

Built a new barn which I love and love finally having the horses at home with me!! The barn has dutch doors that go from the stall to the pasture. I have been keeping the upper door open to allow air into the barn. Last night the horses were in their stalls having their evening grain. I was moving hay and a bale fell, knocked over a table and made a loud crashing sound. It scared the crap out of my gelding and he tried to jump out of the top part of the dutch door - YIKES! He didn’t get out, nor hurt himself, but he did bend up the door unfortunately and now the top part isn’t able to be closed. That I will have to look into getting fixed ASAP.

So, is there something I can put up that would deter the horses from thinking of trying to go out the top of the door is even a option but that would also be safe for the horses and allow good airflow? And not be a pain to deal with. I don’t ask for much I know…

Hoping all you experts on here will have some ideas so I can fix this issue I now see I have. Sure don’t want one of my horses getting hurt if they try to come out the top part and in this heat, having the top part of the dutch door closed isn’t feasible either.

Thanks in advance and I will be eagerly awaiting your suggestions!

[Simkie]

Install another top piece that opens to the inside that has bars or mesh screening.

There’s a picture of this sort of thing on this page:

http://www.lucasequine.com/blog/decemberhorsestalldesignnewsletter-21.html

First image under “Cross buck design”

“Dutch door 8” on this page is the same sort of deal:

http://www.lucasequine.com/gallery_view.php?id=13

So is “dutch door 10”

[DressageFancy]

Yes, a screen gate for the upper door. I have even seen full door screen gates for max air flow.

[pawandhoof]

Thank you - that is the type of thing that I was thinking would work well. But, I wonder how I could add something like that to my exsisting doors???

[pawandhoof]

DressageFancy, can you tell me where I can find the screen gates?

[Simkie]

You hang it on the inside of the frame. It opens to the inside of the stall.

The dutch door is generally hung on the outside of the frame and opens to the outside of the stall.

Google “stall gates” for a PLETHORA of suppliers. This stuff isn’t hard to find.

[SmartAlex]

If anyone has any feedback on particular stall gates please share. We are going to get one for a new pony so she can see out of her stall, and I think while we’re at it we may replace our web stall guards with gates

[goodhors]

Go to that Lucas site posted above, get a full gate instead of just the top half. I am sure they have both swinging models and roller models that slide to the side. Pony, not sure on size, can see out of the full mesh door, still be SAFELY enclosed even if it gets rowdy. Lucas makes wonderful products, which are not cheap but truly excellent even with rough horses.

I hate doors horses can put heads out of, since horses FIRMLY BELIEVE that if head fits out there, ALL THE REST of him will too. Trying to jump out, leaning over half doors and wrecking fit, breaking doors and latches, hinges, is COMMON when you have Dutch doors. I never saw stall webbings to be much of a hindrance either, when horse THINKS he needs to exit that doorway and tries. Big chance of webbing, chains, snagging horse or causing other injuries.

I love my FULL sliding doors, cover the opening, no heads out, roll to the side for FULL opening width to exit and take up NO SPACE against the wall, clearly out of the way of horse snagging on it.

[yaya]

Armour Gates, http://www.armourgates.com/ has many kinds of doors, half gates and full screen doors to choose from.

I just re-did my stalls and replaced all my doors and stall bars with their products.

[ayrabz]

my top dutch doors are wood , but are like ‘frames’ that hold the spaced bars. Now, my doors do not exit to the outside, so I don’t have to have the full closure/weather issue as they open to the barn aisle. However (!) I have one matching that does open from aisleway to inside of run in, and in that one, I have a cut piece of plexiglass, with little rotating flip holders to ‘add’ it during the winter winds blowing in. I use it just as is most months and add the plexiglass to block wind during the bitter months.

[just_sayin]

We just use a stall guard above the bottom door. I wouldn’t use it for a horse that rears and tries to get over the door !

[Christa_P]

I have a couple of gates from here:

http://candpengmfg.com/id5.html

They are very sturdy and easy to install.