Open barred window between stalls: Yay or nay?

[Tory]

I just had a barn built last year and the divider walls are 8’ of bars towards the rear and 4’ solid wall in the front. Each horse has privacy while eating but can easily see each other. (BTW, it has a solid bottom wall. The bars are about chest height.)

The air flow is so nice. None of the stalls feel muggy or hot. On Saturday we had an extremely hot day (101 degrees), I was so happy and I’m sure the horses were too!

When the barn was finished and we moved the horses into it I weaned my filly. Since she was able to see her mom, she didn’t even let out one whinny (and neither did mom). Best “stress free” weaning that I have ever done.

I might not like this in a big boarding facility if I didn’t have control over the neighbors, but for private I think it is the best:yes:

[horsepoor]

@Tory;8695822

I just had a barn built last year and the divider walls are 8’ of bars towards the rear and 4’ solid wall in the front. Each horse has privacy while eating but can easily see each other. (BTW, it has a solid bottom wall. The bars are about chest height.)

I think this is what I would choose if I were starting over again. My home barn has solid walls because at the time that we built, I had a mare that body slammed the walls where I boarded and my builder saw that, so he built my stalls to “hold an elephant” :lol:. But I miss the light and ventilation of having bars between. In the places I have boarded that did have bars, we often had to cover them as horses would get feisty about protecting food, so I think having just a partial open wall like Tory describes would be an ideal compromise.

[fjordmom]

[QUOTE=Simkie;8694942]

Half solid walls might be a good option for a boarding barn–solid near the feed corners, open behind that. Horses get a little privacy to eat! If it’s got to be all or nothing, making the end stalls solid sounds like a good compromise.[/QUOTE]

This is what I have in my 7 stall barn. I’ve both taken in boarded horses and just had my own here. I love this arrangement. The horses have all seemed very happy no matter what arrangement I’ve had: geldings, mares, even a young stallion (just didn’t put him next to a mare). They do not have runs out from their stalls, but do go out in small group turnout in larger pastures during the day.

I think the view keeps the horses relaxed and the openness is great for ventilation. My stall fronts have bars as well. If I had to do it again I would in a heartbeat.

[Angela_Freda]

Bars, either full wall or half also make it difficult to isolate/quarantine if you need to.

A separate building is nice to have, but not practical from the standpoint of cost, or care as a horse who is sick but in a separate building can be hard to keep an eye on while getting work done.

[vxf111]

FWIW with the stall fronts being bars, dutch doors in the back, and the solid partitions being about 10 foot high between the stalls-- I still get TONS of airflow and I can’t imagine noticing MUCH of a difference in that regard with grates between the stalls. The entire top half of the front being open allows plenty of airflow. Maybe it would be different without the dutch doors and if more of the front were solid?

[TownesThatBigChestnu]

My barn is open like that, the middle aisle is bars all the way around, even in the back. I was nervous it would make my neurotic horse even more nutty, but it has had the opposite effect. He could never really be stalled longer than overnight, but now he actually finds comfort in being so close and seeing everybody all the time. He enjoys his stall time instead of just watching the clock waiting to go out. Could truly have gone either way though.

The barn does have a couple of the stalls that face the outside (walls in the back with windows) and have boarded up the sides for a few finicky horses who didn’t like it. It seems most of the horses do, though. Hubby says it’s like a jailhouse herd in there.

[FitToBeTied]

We have bars on top the stall walls between the stalls. They run from the front to the back of the stall. We love it for openness and air flow.

For separation or quarantine, we have one stall by itself across the aisle from the rest of the stalls.

[Scribbler]

On the front and sides, we have solid walls to 4 feet (I think), then chain link/mesh to the ceiling. Sliding doors. Attached run-outs, with solid doors, but these are rarely closed. If there is a problem between two specific horses, or they lung at each other during meals, it is easy enough to tack up some plywood over the mesh, and take it down when the horse moves out. The horses generally do fine here, and get to be aware of all the horses up and down their side of the barn, across the aisle, and general traffic. They seem pretty happy here. The barn also has good air flow, which means the wind can blow through, and it doesn’t get all cozy and warm on frosty nights the way a locked-tight barn does. But the horses are fine with that.

[StormyDay]

No way would I put in ‘windows’. After boarding in many barns like this I have come to the conclusion that no horse likes them. I find that it causes horses to start kicking stall walls and making nasty faces at their neighbors. Horses see their stalls as their own personal safe space, much like a persons bedroom. You would not be happy if someone was staring into your bedroom. I do have open stall fronts so they can stick their head out and see the others if they feel the need to.

[beowulf]

[QUOTE=Angela Freda;8695840]
Bars, either full wall or half also make it difficult to isolate/quarantine if you need to.

A separate building is nice to have, but not practical from the standpoint of cost, or care as a horse who is sick but in a separate building can be hard to keep an eye on while getting work done.[/QUOTE]

Wooden walls do not provide a fail-safe barrier from sick horses; most communicable sicknesses are airborne and wood would do tilly-tat to prevent a neighbor or even the horse down the row from contracting the illness.

That being said, sick or quarantined animals should be placed in isolated/separate housing, full stop.

[khall]

I have a 12 stall barn, only 4 have the bars between the stalls because I have mares mostly. The other side has windows on the outside wall and 4 stalls have peep holes where 4 stalls turn into 2 foaling stalls with rolling walls and the handles that hold the walls in place are open a bit. I do like the bars mostly but some horses just cannot handle that much horse contact especially near their food! So even with the bar stalls I have the first 3rd solid where their feeders are.

[Eilsel]

[QUOTE=Bluey;8695813]
I talked to MBbarnmasters last fall and they said that most trainers today were preferring the walls between stalls to be 4’ solid bottoms and 1/3 in the front, by the feed door and the upper 2/3 of that wall, bars, for horses to see each other and airflow.

One or two stalls completely enclosed for the rare horse that needs it maybe, but most they were building today had those kinds of walls and the report was everyone was very happy with those.

I think that front 1/3 to be a whole wall by the feed does give the cranky or shy horses peace that someone is not looking at them eating, while they still can step over to the other 2/3 and see the horses are still there.

Here is a picture:[/QUOTE]

Our new stalls are like this and they are awesome. The horses love them! The horses don’t seem to bother each other while eating because of the 1/3 full wall (it may even be only 1/4- 3’ out of the whole 12’- I’m not entirely sure). I also think they allow not only for airflow but for better lighting in the stalls - I hate it when the stalls are always dark!.

[js]

Horses at home - our barn has grill’s between stalls so they can see each other. It works great and agree that air flow is perfect. That said, my old show horse (sadly deceased) was very food aggressive, he would attack any horse getting near his stall at feeding time or at least attack the grills between the stalls. I always kept him in an end stall so I could feed him facing the wall which worked fine.

If this is a boarding barn then I would consider at least having a couple of stalls with solid walls between stalls for any potential horse that is food aggressive.

[Angela_Freda]

[QUOTE=beowulf;8696253]
Wooden walls do not provide a fail-safe barrier from sick horses; most communicable sicknesses are airborne and wood would do tilly-tat to prevent a neighbor or even the horse down the row from contracting the illness.

That being said, sick or quarantined animals should be placed in isolated/separate housing, full stop.[/QUOTE]

Yes in a perfect world.
But who can afford perfect world?

[beowulf]

[QUOTE=Angela Freda;8696472]
Yes in a perfect world.
But who can afford perfect world?[/QUOTE]

Many who are building barns can :winkgrin:

[netg]

My horses are mostly dominant pigs who will try to attack anyone near them when it comes to their food. I also wanted great ventilation because of the heat here. We do have runs off the stalls (4 set up for horses, 1 hay, 1 tack.) I have solid walls between stalls, bar fronts with yokes on the doors, and they can see each other out the back of their stalls as well. Our barn is considerably cooler in the summer, so the horses hang out inside when the sun is out. My gelding gallops, a lot, and in the summer when he’s home he does it early morning or evening, or in the middle of the night.

My mare would love open because she’s insecure and takes confidence from other horses being bossy - she very happily allows them to assert their dominance and sees them as her protectors. She’s now in a herd at my trainer’s which she loves best.

https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/t31.0-8/341306_872460255496_455128543_o.jpg

[Pocket_Pony]

Coming back to add a picture of mine:

http://i1310.photobucket.com/albums/s654/PrincessFishCheeks/New%20House/201409477-21-alt_zps68066229.jpg

I hate those doors, as my last barn had sliding doors (which I loved) and these just get in the way of taking horses in/out and accessing the stalls, but I’ve got too many other things that I need to spend money on so it is what it is.

[allons-y]

I’m glad to see this thread, I’m figuring out what to do with my 36x36 barn. So far I have two horses and 4 stalls. (Fifth stall is the hay room.)
I have an extremely humble barn, just spaced 2x4s, 5 ft tall as all inside walls. My plan is to gradually ‘finish’ the inside as funds allow.
My current two are on the 3 stall side, with an empty stall between them. They both have a barn aisle door to see the great outdoors and can’t fight over the stall wall. The bully pone-pone would probably worry pounds off chicken OTTB if he could glare up close.
Pone faces the pastures and keeps a vigilant eye for dangerous intruders. TB looks out at my house (“food lady!”), and watches new house construction 2 acres away with fascination.
I will eventually make 5 ft solid bottoms and probably use hog panels for the tops. Thats what I did at prev co-op barn and it worked great for my 3.
So far my simple little barn is perfect for my needs, at home, and I’m not out to impress anyone. Except myself, I really wish I was rich, then I could impress the socks off myself, Le Sigh

[SonnysMom]

[QUOTE=beowulf;8696521]
Many who are building barns can :winkgrin:[/QUOTE]

Barns come in all sizes and costs. My friend just built and addition to her detached garage. So technically she built a barn. It is all of 2 stalls and aisle and a tackroom. The tackroom and feed room were in the existing garage. She certainly could not afford to build another free standing stall to use for quarantine. She also does not have the space for a free standing quarantine stall just in case. She only has 2 horses. She can’t quarantine one from the other everytime she takes the non-retired horse somewhere. The retired horse would get ulcers- he has a documented history of ulcers.

I had a horse go to Mid-Atlantic for surgery on a leg. He was stuck in a free standing recovery stall and yet he managed to pick up a slight respiratory something while he was there for 3 hours. I guess I should have quarantined him when he got back to the farm. The only other horse in the barn he was in was there post colic surgery.
Most small farmette owners do not have the room or finances to have a place to strictly quarantine a horse.
To be fair if I was a facility that did not have a totally separate quarantine area I would not buy from New Holland. But I would buy from somebody private or from a show barn. We do not quarantine every horse that comes back from camping, clinics or shows. That is just unrealistic.

[Quelah]

No unless it’s a pair of horses that are dear friends. Horses kept in close confinement shouldn’t have to see another horse that close up. There’s a better way to put it but I think it keeps them on edge and defensive, especially at feeding time.