I think that the OP should be left alone to do as she wishes. All warnings have been given, and it isn’t like she has to build those stalls to a particular code.
I will only say that there is a reason that the commercial code requires doors in commercial buildings to open out.
Are horses able to let themselves out in case of emergency? Are they likely to crush at a door trying to open a pull door as a push? 
I’m currently at a barn with double Dutch doors that open outward on the ends of the aisles. I used to think I hated the same set up at a previous barn where they opened inwards. I now know that the inwards ones were WAY more safe for daily handling in windy conditions. And the oversized ‘people’ door on the windward side of the building that opens outward? OMG, absolutely dangerous. We are forbidden from using it for horses because it is too risky.
That’s a fair comment. I’ll say that the reason for that code is fire egress. In the case of a fire, if there’s something, ie a horse, down in front of the door they are a goner anyways.
The horses will not be letting themselves out at all, unless the gates are not latched
All of my paddock gates are always hung to open IN. Why? Because, if they happen to ush out over you- buh bye! In means that I can control the flow, to some extent. Also, if the gate pushes back, it stops closed. Maybe not latched, but closed.
I have no idea what your boarding barn does. Whatever it is, you need to follow the rules
And, the reason that people door opens outward is so that, in the event of an emergency, everyone can get out.
EXACTLY. It’s a safety issue and safety issues for livestock are different than for people needing to exit a commercial building in event of an emergency.
WTF? Please read more closely. The barn I am currently at has OUTWARD opening doors (which some on this thread are in favour of) which I find much less safe than inward opening doors.
Additionally, the use of the door on the windward side of the barn is forbidden for moving horses through (even though it is large enough) because of the potential for a horse getting injured by it. People may (and some do) take their chances using that one, although pretty much no-one is dumb enough to use it on windy days.
The point of my post was to point out that outward opening doors on a barn can be a giant pain and a hazard.
Your mileage is different than mine.
If I am leading my horse out the door that the wind wants to blow I can hold the door, get the horse out it, while still holding the door, turn and shut the door.
My door opens in, and when the wind wants to blow/suck it shut, I do not have a good way to make it stay open while I lead a horse thru it.
Now clearly, the opposite is true for going into the barn. Maybe all doors should swing both ways?
Thankfully, my set up does not typically have me taking horses thru that door. I use the stall dutch doors that open out.
@endlessclimb, this post is not trying to get you to do anything differently than you are. I am simply pointing out that there are no concrete rules about these things for each situation no matter how much some want to say there are.
What one thinks is best does not work great for others. You put your doors on how you want to. If nothing else, it is clear that if you end up not liking them that way, you are more than capable of changing them down the road.
And you are forbidden from opening one of those? Right? Rules
All of the barn doors that were constructed in my barn in the late 1800’s open out. Opening a four foot dutch door into a stall is not safe. It’s a relatively small space, with a relatively large animal in it. opening a gate into a paddock? Large space. Different situation.
I always read closely
Yup. Going out, or in, doors in windy areas need to be clipped/fastened/held so they stay open. IME, it’s easier and safer to clip them inwards than to fight them open, clip them, and then when done, try to get them closed without getting smashed by them. When it’s just me with my own horse going back into the barn, I will fight the door open, hold it with my body weight, send my horse in ahead of me, and then fight not getting smashed by the door as I close it.
With inward opening doors, I found it easier. A rock was kept by the door. Open door, slide rock into place to hold it open. Inward opening doors, ime, are much easier to handle and are far less likely to slam unexpectedly.
Clearly not, because in the examples above we are talking about exterior doors, not interior, although I also prefer interior doors that are not sliders to open inwards.
Just because it’s older, doesn’t mean it’s better. In-swinging doors are totally safe unless your stalls are too small for the door and the creature housed in them.
Yup, totally agree. And having that door against the wall in the stall is just another hazard in a small space, and one that makes a small space that much smaller. So much safer to have it against the outside wall, in a larger space, where the horse is less likely to hook a leg rolling, or rub on it, or just dick with it.
I will give the main reason I do not like doors that swing in (this likely does not apply to the OP because she has sliding doors into her barn to accomplish stall cleaning).
It is hard to clean a stall with a freaking door in the way.
I have cleaned many a stall at a barn with doors that swing into the stalls. I swear, most of the horses manure behind the door so cleaning is a battle (they use wheel barrows there).
The training centre we were at, all the stalls opened in but they were hung at the corner post of the stall, so the door or gate, was almost flat against the stall divider. I don’t recall ever having a problem cleaning the stalls, and some years we had a bunch there. Always used wheelbarrows. No muck buckets for us.
Thinking about the farm I used to manage, and the farm I worked at after, all the exterior doors opened in. As do on my house, except for the screen/storm door. Very handy in snow country where the drifts would make it impossible to get in without some serious shoveling.
This is the week for getting ready for the dry lot.
Track steer is rented for a week starting Friday.
I put the short gutter run underground today, and added a 2x4 to the bottom of the barn. I’d like it to be a small rising step into the stalls, and another small rising step into the existing barn, in a perfect world.
That’s a lot of work! Hopefully these underground drain pipes won’t get clogged up with leaves and other debris.
No trees near the barn, thank goodness. Birds like to nest in one gutter but ill block them off.
This long run is getting a catch basin so should be easy to clean if it does get clogged with something.
Early morning activity - built one half of a dutch door. Made from the crates the metal for the barn addition came in.
Took delivery of the track steer. This thing is incredible and I want to keep it forever. AC, radio, backup camera, you name it. Wow!!
Found my brand new gutter the fun way, and I’m more or less ready for stone. Sod mountain is on the edge of the pasture - once it breaks down I’ll put it in low spots.
Anyone got a spare 110k lying around?? I want to keep this tracksteer forever and ever, even if I booped my gutter with it.
Oops! Looks fun tho
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