It’s the size of the potential escape route that’s important IMHO.
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Which, imo, doesn’t matter if the horse is cornered in the back, no?
I am reading it like this, kind of. And since it’s currently an open space, could you fudge the widths slightly from 10’ to make it work?
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If the opening is wider, it is easier for them to get away.
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Here you go. I can clarify further with a better sketch if necessary. This gives you a legit run in (I personally would also add a large door on the end wall of stall 3) and a safely divided building you can also use as stalls.
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A series of 10 x 14 stalls with a 8 foot wall between them IS like a large standing stall setup. I’m not calling your 10 x 14 stalls too small. I’m saying that 10 x 14 stalls separated with an 8 foot wall between them is a dangerous space to allow multiple horses free access to. You have so many places for a horse to be trapped, or a horse to hang a hip trying to escape.
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Not with the posts 10 OC. The posts provide the structure, unless I want to add more posts, which I don’t.
Yes, except I’d have all the gates swing towards the centre so that only one set of interior and dutch doors were out of commission when the space was being used as a full run in.
Another bonus - thinking back to dairy cattle days where we had pretty much this exact set up for maternity pens - you can vary the number and size of stalls in use. If you need only one for a recovery situation, you use just the set of gates closest to the feed room.
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I’m familiar with framing. Have, in fact, done it myself. But since right now, you have essentially a frame and a shell, adding a few posts and moving the doors around a few inches from what you had planned accordingly might make this set up more feasible, and safer.
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Here’s my logic. The only way a horse can get trapped is if two are in together. In my design, there is only one corner a horse can get trapped in. In a “true run in” there are two.
Sure, in mine there are three areas it can happen in. But each one only has one corner, by the wall between the stalls.
This is why I’m not understanding why it’s safer.
@sascha that makes sense now. I don’t love the aesthetics of it (blocking the center stall door) but it is very functional, and fast to close up if needed. Thanks for the sketch.
Makes sense and that hasn’t occurred to me!
I’ll volunteer you to dig the hole for adding the post then. 
Adding as well because I want to be 100% clear on this - I would add an additional wide door on the long wall of Stall 3. I would never, ever, ever, allow in/out free choice access to the building with the gates in stall position. I’d only use it as run in with the gates fully folded back on the walls allowing access to the entire space and multiple exits.
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It’s one of those things that doesn’t come to mind unless you’ve really had hands-on experience with this sort of wacky (buy most excellent!) gate arrangement.
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Never said it was easy… or ideal. Of course in more traditional framing, it would be easier. I looked back at your photos and see that it’s essentially posts and a shell, not traditional framing on a foundation or foundation wall. But I think it may be worth it in the long run for safety. My opinion being worth nothing, of course.
I’m digging sachas idea, minus the fact that I really really want to use this lumber because I’m tired of looking at it.
Maybe I’ll build the 8’ gates from wood.
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Also, I’ll plan to put the stall #3 dutch door at the far end, to eliminate that corner.
…what? The only stall with one corner is the middle–the corner by the exterior door. Stall one and stall three have the barn side corner by the barn door and the corner by the exterior door. The partial walls are a hazard for catching a hip. The gates (which I assume will swing back to the partial walls?) narrow the space even further and risk catching a hoof with a kick.
The more STUFF, the less SAFE. Open spaces = safer.
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You’re welcome. For sure blocking the centre dutch door is not beautiful, but at least you could have the top open for extra air flow if you wanted.
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I understand what you are saying with catching the hips. I’ll hold my stance on the getting stuck in a corner though - horses can get pinned in a run in, too.
