Question about removable stall partitions and (Exterior) Dutch doors on stalls

[ArabDiva]

I have a 3 stall pole barn. 2 of the stalls (12x12) are next to each other. I have 2 horses that live in the barn.

I need to replace the wall between the stalls.

I was thinking that, while I’m at it, maybe I’ll make it into some sort of swinging partition between the stalls to give more flexibility in case of layup or if I ever fulfill my pipe dream of breeding one of my mares.

I’m also playing with the idea of adding dutch doors in each stall that would open out into the paddock/sacrifice area.

The idea being that the stalls, with the partition open, could then be run in/run out. Having both dutch doors open would make sure that neither horse could corner the other one.

Does anybody have experience with swinging or removable stall partitions? or a dutch-door setup like I’ve described? Pros/cons?

If anybody has done a swinging partition, I’d love to see photos of how it’s constructed.

[Pennywell_Bay]

[QUOTE=ArabDiva;8039918]
I have a 3 stall pole barn. 2 of the stalls (12x12) are next to each other. I have 2 horses that live in the barn.

I need to replace the wall between the stalls.

I was thinking that, while I’m at it, maybe I’ll make it into some sort of swinging partition between the stalls to give more flexibility in case of layup or if I ever fulfill my pipe dream of breeding one of my mares.

I’m also playing with the idea of adding dutch doors in each stall that would open out into the paddock/sacrifice area.

The idea being that the stalls, with the partition open, could then be run in/run out. Having both dutch doors open would make sure that neither horse could corner the other one.

Does anybody have experience with swinging or removable stall partitions? or a dutch-door setup like I’ve described? Pros/cons?

If anybody has done a swinging partition, I’d love to see photos of how it’s constructed.[/QUOTE]

I had a removable wall for a foaling stall. It was not a swinging stall but had channels and the boards slid down. It was easy to set up and break down, when needed. I stored the boards for the wall flat in a dry space and had that set up for 15 years until I moved.

[Bluey]

We have one stall that the side swings out of the way either way, so we can use it as part of the 40’ run in shed, giving us an extra 14’ under there, first picture.
Ours used to be a solid wall, but some of the new horses were unsure in there without seeing the other horses, so we remodeled to open top, so they can see the other horses without fretting.

Also a picture from the internet from similar stall division, hung on a frame, that can be folded back to make one large out of two smaller stalls.

With that system, you have to first clear the bedding out, like on the pictures, those division walls need to be as close to the bottom as you can make them, so a horse’s foot may not by accident slip under there if free swinging on a post, or almost flush with the frame bottom if hung on a frame.
Ours is less than 1" off the mats:

[Mango20]

I have boards in a channel between my stalls (2 0n each side of the aisle) but so far I have only removed one board to replace it. I still like having the option of a convertible space.

If your horses are pals, your ‘run-in’ idea should work.

[Coyoteco]

It seems like you could have a 12’ dividing panel that folds back against the back wall when not in use. You could have a 12’ door across each stall. Those doors could open so that they are horizontal to the front of the loafing shed.

[ArabDiva]

[QUOTE=Bluey;8040161]
We have one stall that the side swings out of the way either way, so we can use it as part of the 40’ run in shed, giving us an extra 14’ under there, first picture.
Ours used to be a solid wall, but some of the new horses were unsure in there without seeing the other horses, so we remodeled to open top, so they can see the other horses without fretting.

Also a picture from the internet from similar stall division, hung on a frame, that can be folded back to make one large out of two smaller stalls.

With that system, you have to first clear the bedding out, like on the pictures, those division walls need to be as close to the bottom as you can make them, so a horse’s foot may not by accident slip under there if free swinging on a post, or almost flush with the frame bottom if hung on a frame.
Ours is less than 1" off the mats:[/QUOTE]

Thanks for the pics, Bluey!
That’s more or less what I’m looking to do. Great point about needing to be flush to the ground.

@Coyoteco;8040445

It seems like you could have a 12’ dividing panel that folds back against the back wall when not in use. You could have a 12’ door across each stall. Those doors could open so that they are horizontal to the front of the loafing shed.

yep. I may put one door on the end, and one on the side, but that’s essentially what I’m thinking of doing.

[ayrabz]

Hi, ArabDiva! I found an amazing design here from another COTHer!. This link takes you to a thread where I was researching for the specifics, and gives some additional pix and information from her in addition to the original.
http://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/showthread.php?331366-trying-to-find-the-thread&highlight=sliding+stall+wall

[Bluey]

Priefert portable stalls have a system where the middle partition is on a track you can push out into the aisles.
Those are sold for fair grounds, where they can push the middles all out and clean the whole side with a skid loader at once, to prepare it for the next event.
Then they slide them back into place.

A private barn could use that system to take the wall completely out.
Slide it into the aisle and then carry it off with your tractor.
Bring it back when you want two stalls in there again and slide it into place.

[ayrabz]

I’ve seen that system, Bluey, and I’d never want one to ‘slide into’ the aisle…(personally, my little barn would not accommodate). But I love the ‘slide to the opposite wall’ idea …you never have to remove it, you just slide it over and have a 12 x 24 instead of a 12x12. and it stays right there!

[moving_to_dc]

[QUOTE=ArabDiva;8039918]
…I’m also playing with the idea of adding dutch doors in each stall that would open out into the paddock/sacrifice area.

The idea being that the stalls, with the partition open, could then be run in/run out. Having both dutch doors open would make sure that neither horse could corner the other one…[/QUOTE]

If there is ANY chance that one horse might be a bully to the other, I would not rely on a 4’ wide opening for escape. It is too small. A panicked horse trying to escape might not be able to center itself perfectly in a 4’ wide opening. It could easily run into one side or the other, and injure itself badly.

I prefer a shared space to have an opening no less than 10’ wide. Most of mine have 12-16’ wide “doorways” shared between 2-3 horses.

[Bluey]

[QUOTE=ayrabz;8041003]
I’ve seen that system, Bluey, and I’d never want one to ‘slide into’ the aisle…(personally, my little barn would not accommodate). But I love the ‘slide to the opposite wall’ idea …you never have to remove it, you just slide it over and have a 12 x 24 instead of a 12x12. and it stays right there! :)[/QUOTE]

We have done that, but we didn’t slide it, just carried it over to the other wall and wired it there until we wanted it pinned back in the middle later.

Our stalls are portable, so we have changed them around time and again, as our needs changed.

Having stalls framed right into a barn is fine, but you have to dismantle them to change them, that is where some way to easily do so with some middle partitions would come in handy, I think.

[TBHunterPrincess]

I have a friend who has a four stall barn- two stalls on each side of the aisle, one paddock on each side that is shared by those two stalls. She bred one foal each year, so she would take out the divider between the stalls on one side and that gave her a foaling stall. She had Dutch doors to the paddock, so the mare and foal could use it as a shelter when turned out overnight.

Another barn that I know has a divider that swings to the back wall, but that is not nearly as nice as the walls that you can take out board by board. The swinging wall stuck out from the back wall, and there were just too many edges for the foal to hurt herself on.

[Classicgal]

Those slotted dividers can crash down if a horse kicks out a lower board. I have one but also a brace screwed in on each side. If I was to open it and expect two horses to share I would want the outside doors on the ends for easier escape (which I do not have).

[Valentina_32926]

[QUOTE=Pennywell Bay;8039944]
I had a removable wall for a foaling stall. It was not a swinging stall but had channels and the boards slid down. It was easy to set up and break down, when needed. I stored the boards for the wall flat in a dry space and had that set up for 15 years until I moved.[/QUOTE]

My current (Florida) barn has the same thing - with 2 Dutch doors on either end of the over-size stall that open up to the pasture. Once I stopped breeding the mares I made this stall a bit smaller and enlarged the stall next to it by moving where the stall partition was located. It has worked out well over the years, although I usually close the bottom of the Dutch door so they don’t come into the stall to pee/poop during the day.

I should note that the boards need to be very thick so they don’t bend/bulge without support in the middle.

[Schatzi09]

My barn has a center aisle with 3 stalls on one side and 2 on the other. The divider boards just slide into channels and each stall opens via Dutch door to a large stall-sized private paddock. There is also a gate dividing the private paddocks so I can open the divider inside and the gate outside to have an area for a mare and foal or whatever.