Options for closing front of barn when sliders are open

[allons-y]

Hello all and thank you in advance

I am still in the planning stages of my sliders for the North/front aisle of my barn. I believe I have the actual doors, build and hanging worked out (on paper).

My question to you is how do you close off that open door way when the sliders are open? It’s horrifically hot and humid here in the summer. For extra fun it also gets down in the 20’s with bone chilling wind in the winter. So I need the front open in summer and closed in winter. Now I have a 12 foot pipe gate across the front, works fine. That will no longer work after I install the sliders. One stall has the door right at the opening so nothing that swings in will work. Actually, it probably would work, mechanically, but I think it might look odd. His stall door open, swings out to the front gate on the aisle.

The front of the barn opens to the ‘barnyard’ with the washrack and horse trailer there. It is not part of any pasture. Occasionally I let someone out there to ‘mow’ while they dry after a bath, etc. I still have the heavy chain I first installed across the opening before I got the gate installed. I would like something a little nicer looking than the chain. (Although it works fine and no one ever touched it)

What have you done and/or recommend?

[fancy.pants]

Why do you need to close it off? If you can’t install something easily (my barn has the same set up), just leave it open.

[Zu_Zu]

A board painted to match the barn colors with your family name / barn name facing out …slides into holding brackets placed on the inside wall on each side of the door ?

[allons-y]

@fancy.pants I need it closed to keep horses out of the barn aisle if I let them loose in the barnyard.
@Zu Zu I’m not sure I have enough clearance for a board, but thanks for that idea.
@Bluey I like that idea, thanks!

[Christa_P]

I use two vinyl coated chains with a couple of eye screws and snaps are all you need. With snaps on both ends the chains can be removed when not needed, or put a hook high up at one end to hang them over

[horsepoor]

Barns I’ve boarded at have used the night board (as we called it), which slipped into brackets to block the open door way – gave nice airflow but made sure if a horse got out of a stall, it stayed in the barn. Some had metal brackets to hold the board while others were made out of wood. The brackets could either be mounted on the inside of the barn (so board could be longer than door width) or actually within the doorway (so board had to be exact width of door to slide in – this always made me think if a horse really hit it, the board might bow and pop right out).

For me at home, I just have stall guards snapped to eye hooks, but I only have to cover 4’ and 8’ sliders (latter uses 2 stall guards hooked together). Kind of the cheap DIY version of what bluey posted.

[allons-y]

I just ordered a black plaid aisle guard, thanks all!

[ShotenStar]

Mount the gate on a separate post that sits just inches away from the barn wall / sliding door. Have a ‘catch post’ for latching it in place on the other side of the opening. I have several friends who use this arrangement very successfully. You can have a full-sized gate with or without wire mesh inserts (if you need to keep small critters in or out), Or a half height gate if you want to be able to duck under it to pass through without opening it every time.

Star

[Mango20]

If you’re still in the planning stages, I’d add drop down windows to the slider that can be opened, but the slider still keeps the barn off limits. I wish I had done that. I have the same situation as you.

[allons-y]

Thank you @ShotenStar and @Mango20 , both are excellent ideas. I appreciate everyone’s feedback. It’s too easy for me to get blocked to optional set-ups. I get so focused on the scheduled task, I get anxious and can’t think creatively!