Horse stockks

[sandsarita]

I am currently in the process of designing a barn with a builder and have some extra room. I had originally thought that I would install the breeding/vet stocks outside but it looks like I will have some extra room unused based on the current plan, and one of the options is to put the stocks inside so the work can be done out of the weather.

If inside, what is the best orientation? My idea is to lead the horse straight in with the side being able to swing out to the side. The problem is with the lead out. It will be tight. The area to work in is about 8’ wide and 14’long, so I am not sure it will work. What do you guys think? I can make my feed room more narrow at 10’ wide and this area 10’ wide as well if it would make it work.

[Bluey]

Ask your vet?

That is what we did to decide what kind of stocks to make and how to set them in the space we had.

Our vet had some great ideas.

[goodhors]

Why can’t the horse back out of the stocks? My old Vet used stocks for treating horses at his clinic, home built to his design. Horse was led in, just backed out when done being worked on.

Stocks were used for AI, but not live cover breeding. Not suitable for that. But you could do almost any kind of “doctoring” on any part of the horse, stay safe, with horse well restrained. Had wide strapping that went over the back, so none could rear up, which I have not seen much anyplace else. I thought it a great feature, saw strapping be needed a couple times when we were waiting our turn!

[Bluey]

Our vet stocks can be open to the side to let a horse out that is unsteady and can’t walk forward or back.
Our vet wanted so many feet clear on all sides, because some times a horse may have problems with balance one way or another and you never know what will happen.

We asked our vet because he will be the one to need to work around our horses in our stocks, plus he does that every day in his clinic, so was the best to get that kind of advice from.

Our vets have two different clinic buildings, each one with two stocks each and just built one more addition, incorporating on their new stocks the best features of all others.

These are some stocks I built 40+ years ago from some old pipe we had laying around.
We have used them for pregnancy checking mares, to treat horses, to brand horses, to trim, you name, we did it in those.
They are portable, are just chained there to the horizontal pipe, which makes them not as convenient, as you can really only access one side of the horse easily.
Then, we don’t use them much any more.
We never had a horse fight in there, so can’t tell what would happen if one did.
To keep horses in there, we use a thick cotton rope in the front and back.
The sides come off if necessary, are pinned in there.
They are only 7’ long and our vet wants us to make the one in the new barn, that will be permanent, 8’ long:

[sandsarita]

The only reason I was worried about backing out was if sedated. I know no live breeding, it would only be for AI. I am looking at other options, just playing around with other square foot options. I am new to the area and am still figuring out good equine vets locally, they are all mixed and the closest equine only surgical/breeding vet is 1 1/2 hrs away so we haul there for most things the majority of the time. It’s more for local beginning treatment of colics, needing to twitch/restrain treat a horse before hauling in that I need the stocks for. Having been in a location without them boarding, I will never be there again.

I grew up with them outside with a lead in lead out for everything, so it was very simple. But would prefer to be under shelter. Am currently drawing up plans and going to the builder shortly so will be figuring it out. May adjust a stall size slightly to give a bit more room as I really would like them inside.