The property I am renting has a barn that was advertised as two 12x14 stalls, and one 12 by 10 stall. Well, after removing the junk from the barn, I finally measured it. The bigger stalls are 10x11, and the small stall is 8x10 :eek:
I won’t be able to build a new barn unless I buy the property. I have a 17 hand horse, a 15 hand horse, and a 14 hand pony. Please make me feel better about squishing a 17 hand horse into a 10 foot stall :lol:
Seriously though, what is the smallest size stall you have used/would use for a 17 hand horse or a 14 hand pony?
Our barn’s stalls are 10 by 12, and I have one 17 hand horse. He lays down and can stretch out. Definitely a better size for the smaller horses, but he seems ok. (the doors also have windows so he can reach his neck out for a little more room).
Where I grew up riding the stalls were 10 by 10 and there were some bigger horses there that seemed ok.
At another barn, the stalls were 8 by 12, and we had 17 hand horses in those, although that seemed small for anything bigger than 16 hands.
Kind of depends on turnout. If they out in field morning to night, not a big deal. Otherwise, ouch.
However, I’m reminded of a Cother who posted a pic of her 3 mules and two horses who all decided they wanted the same stall (there were empty ones available) and happily bunched in that stall and smiled for the camera. Cutest picture.
Our 17:2 hand mare has a stall that is probably 10 x 12. When she first arrived at the boarding barn, she was given a foaling stall, because the BO was concerned about her size, and the smaller stalls. After repeatedly getting herself stuck, she was moved to the smaller one. Haven’t had a problem since, and yes, she does lie down.
Thanks, I feel a better about my big guy 
The stalls have open fronts, and I turnout 12+ hours a day.
Still worried a little about my pony though. He is a size 68 blanket size, and petite, but the stall is still only 8 feet wide…
Our standard sized stalls in our barn measure 11 ft x 10 ft. All of our stalls have dutch doors so the horses can hang their heads outside the stall which gives another 4 feet of head and neck room. We have had horses as large as 17.2 hh with no issues at all. They all seem to be able to lay down with no problems. I might add my horses are outside from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm in the winter, longer outside hours in the summer. We thought about building larger stalls but so glad we didn’t. So much more bedding costs and labour involved in cleaning larger stalls.
10 x 10 boxes are very common here and you often see bigger horses in these boxes. The only time a lot of them come out is to be ridden or put on the walker. So if your guys are out for 12+ hours I wouldn’t stress about it too much. Are the walls at all removable in case he gets cast and you can’t pull him up?
Over the last few years I had a 17.1hh (86" blanket) horse live in a 10x10 stall for a month while I converted tie stalls into boxes - he could hang his head out and was happy, though he did have to pee on the diaganol; and due to a sick friend suddenly needing boarding had a 15.1hh (75" blanket) gelding in a 8x9 for a month, again with hanging his head out he was fine. As long as they get decent turnout and you bed appropriately (so they aren’t stuck standing in a puddle in the pee spot) they will be fine.
I wish I did smaller stalls to be honest, I could have fit in a grooming stall and a bigger feed room if I had which would have been way better use of space. Mine are 12x12 with my broodmare stall being 12x18 and another single stall that is 10.5x11. I think 10x12 would have been the perfect size.
[QUOTE=StormyDay;8309667]
Still worried a little about my pony though. He is a size 68 blanket size, and petite, but the stall is still only 8 feet wide…[/QUOTE]I’ve seen 15-15.2h horses (size 76 blanket on one) in 8x12 stalls. My 16.1h size 81 blanket horse can turn around in my stock trailer (either 6’8" or 7’ wide, not sure.) My horses have been in 10x10 stalls, and I really didn’t think my 16h gelding looked cramped at all. I’d think pony will be okay.
A year ago I moved my 17h (81" blanket) mare from a facility with 12x12 stalls to a home where she has a 12x10. She has 24/7 access to a stall -> paddock -> grass field setup most of the time (closed in around nine hours overnight, with the dutch door open), and she is quite content in there.
When I show up I often find the horses chilling in their open stalls by choice, so she definitely doesn’t find it unpleasant in that 12x10 space!
I prefer larger stalls. My stalls are 12 x 14 and if I was to build again, I would go 14x14 if not 14x16. My tallest is only 16.2 but I would rather they had more room to move around rather than less.
Recently, I had my 14 3 horse in an 8X8 box stall in a trailer with a camera so I got to watch. She could move around just fine. If you’re doing the kind of turnout that you mentioned (12 hrs), I would not be worried about pony. they really just need enough space to turn around and lie down.
I have a full clydesdale who’s 16.3H and around 1700lbs. He’s done fine for years in 10x10 stalls, varying boarding barns. The only time he’s actually been cast or had a real problem was when he was off to training and had a 12x24 stall normally given to studs!
The only real problem we had to deal with routinel8y was hock sores in winter time as he’d lie down more. But a couple of winters ago he was out to pasture 24x7 and still had hock sores, so it wasn’t necessarily the stall’s fault.
My barn as a kid had 8 x 12’ stalls. They worked fine for my 14.2h pony.
My kid’s pony has a 8’ by 10’ run-in attached to her dry lot. She is perfectly comfortable snuggled up in it. She wears a 68" blanket too though she’s a bit shorter. I have also kept my 16 hand Appendix in that dry lot for months with no issues. The front of the stall is open so they can go in and out, which adds to the space but I have a stall guard I can put up and sometimes do if I want to keep them in a stall for some reason. I wouldn’t leave any horse in that space for a long period of time. If the pony had to do a layup for example, I’d give it a bigger stall for at least part of the day. With mine open, I use the dry lot FOR layup with no worries about size. It’s perfect for any horse really, I’ve never had any horse have problems. And the “dry lot” is not fancy, it’s just fenced off from the paddock with Horseguard tape. If the stall has an open front, maybe you can do something like that and just leave the door open. The little area I have is probably 15 by 30 but gives them plenty of space to get out of the stall and move around at will.
All my stalls are 10 by 12 and I have horses up to 17 hands that are comfortable in them. I wish they were bigger but they came with the farm and are fine.
here is the kid’s pony in the small stall last winter during a very cold spell along the short side, sporting her Eskimo gear: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10205290233557387&set=a.1492536715412.68690.1293847780&type=3&theater
You can see the dry lot here: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10207244305127955&set=a.1492536715412.68690.1293847780&type=3&theater That tape is hot but I need to tighten it in that pic, I’ve been crawling over it too much filling hay and picking manure out of the paddocks. The horses never bother it.
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[QUOTE=cherham;8310540]
We thought about building larger stalls but so glad we didn’t. So much more bedding costs and labour involved in cleaning larger stalls.[/QUOTE]
Hmm, didn’t even think of that.
Are the walls at all removable in case he gets cast and you can’t pull him up?
No, the barn is old and the walls are solid. The beams are 12 inches thick :lol:
I have a full clydesdale who’s 16.3H and around 1700lbs. He’s done fine for years in 10x10 stalls, varying boarding barns.
Wow, if he can fit, I am sure mine can!
fordtraktor: Thanks for the pics.
2dogsfarm: your guys remind me of two of mine. They like to be in the same stall too.
[QUOTE=StormyDay;8309667]
Thanks, I feel a better about my big guy The stalls have open fronts, and I turnout 12+ hours a day.
Still worried a little about my pony though. He is a size 68 blanket size, and petite, but the stall is still only 8 feet wide…[/QUOTE]
I have 3 geldings that are that same general size… They have all had turns in my “emergency” stall that is only 8x12 and all have done fine. I only use that stall during hurricanes or blizzards, when everybody needs to be locked in. So when it gets used, they are locked in the stall for days. No issues… Everybody has turned around/laid down, etc.
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