Hello! I have been thinking of adding a few stall runouts to my barn. We currently just have one pony but are planning on getting 1-2 more horses in the future. Right now we have 2 stalls on one side of the barn and 1 on the other side. Our barn is also housing to our tractors and small workshop. Our one pony gets pasture turnout all day and gets put up at night. In the hot summer days she also stays put up all day. Would a runout for the stalls be good? Also, would they be worth it? I wouldn’t be able to make huge ones since the side of the barn with 2 stalls is next to a tree line. They would be about 12 by 15 feet. Also, unless I move some of the equipment around and put the third stall next to the 2, the third stall wouldn’t have a runout since there is a back trail on that side of the barn. Thanks! If you need more info or pictures let me know.
(Btw, I was also thinking about making a wash rack since the pony has quite a struggle standing still in normal outside cross ties while being washed haha. Any tips?)
I like having runouts. Even small ones provide more movement than just a stall.
Runs off stalls make A HUGE difference in horse happiness and bedding consumption, at least for mine. Totally worth it!!!
Do you think it would be worth it to move the third stall to the same side as the rest of them? Or should I just have one horse that doesn’t get a runout if I get to the point of two horses and a pony haha.
Simkie is right
and move the stall over or buy a 4th horse.
Yes, runs are worth it. Big improvement in equine mental health, and if the run has soft footing many horses will pee and poop out there saving you a fortune on bedding.
Mine is set up so the stall runs have gates directly into larger paddocks, which in turn connect to pastures. So the horses can (and do) come and go at will, and I can change turnout access just by opening and closing gates. Huge labor saver!
So basically it saves bedding because they do their business outside most of the time and it still gives them some grass to munch on if they are put up due to weather (too hot for example). Mine wouldn’t be connected to a paddock since ours are not close to the barn.
Forget the grass idea. It will be denuded…pronto.
because of that, make sure you put down a really solid base, or you will have sucking, mid-cannon mud.
Totally worth doing for the comfort of the horses, but take care of the ground before you install.
This is a simple question. If you were a horse which would you prefer?
It bears repeating: there will be no grass in runs of the size you mention (or even larger runs.). It will all get eaten/beaten down in no time. That’s why you’ll want, if at all possible, to put down stone dust or some other non-organic welll-draining material, so the runs don’t become a quagmire. And you still have to pick the runs clear of poop and old hay every day. But, for horse health and overall increased ventilation, etc., runs off the stalls are absolutely a good thing.
I’m not sure the pony would be any better-behaved in a wash stall than in cross ties, but maybe I’m missing something. I don’t find indoor wash stalls worth the cost, but I think wash stalls are one of those things that are entirely up to personal preference, climate, etc.
You save bedding because they do manure outside some, but the main reason is they are not standing in one small spot making a mess of that one small spot. The attached run allows them to loaf in various places.
I totally agree with @Arlomine 's post above. Make sure the footing in your run is good.
I like my runs because it allows the old horse the freedom to always be moving, his arthritic self does better that way. I like my runs because it allows me to separate my horses but they all still have access to outside. I like my runs because it allows me to put my horses up (waiting for the vet or farrier) but they still have a little room to move.
They have always come in very handy when confinement is needed for medical reasons.
I love having run outs. My stalls are set up so they open into the paddock but if/when I move back north a requirement is a barn that either has run outs or can have run outs created. My horses are so much happier being able to pick when they want to be in their stalls and it allows them to socialize freely.
Just don’t be surprised if you have a bonded pair and they end up in the same stall frequently! My small pony and ASB can frequently be found taking naps together in a single stall. :lol:
^
THIS X1000,000!
In a small runout grass will last about a nanosecond.
And yes, at the very least put down geotextile fabric after digging down at least 6" & topping with gravel for an area about 6’ out from the stall door.
Learn from my fail.
I did the above about 7yrs ago.
Excavator went down 9", put down the geotex, then roadbase (stones anywhere from fist-sized to river rock) & I am still fighting the area directly behind the stalls. Around 6’ out from each dutch door.
Everywhere else in the sacrifice paddock he did the same way is good, solid footing no matter how much rain or snow we get.
Horses drag bedding out - even though I added a 2X4 composite sill to each door a couple years ago.
Last Fall I had it dug down to the geotex & filled with river rock. That lasted until Winter, now I am nearly back to square 1 with ankle-deep muck.
I am going to consult with the excavator and perhaps try the hoofgrid system,
Amazingly, none of my horses have scratches from going in & out thru the mess.
They are turned out 24/7 with free access to stalls.
But I am sick & tired of trying to keep it solid for my comfort when picking it clean.
And yes, you will save on bedding.
Currently I am picking perhaps one pile from each stall daily & sometimes none as in the nice weather horses stay in pasture or even sleep out.
I use pelleted bedding.
3 weeks ago I added 2 bags to each of my larger (12X12) stalls. No need to refill yet.
This is for 16H horse, 13H pony & 35" mini.
On this topic I want to say - If my stalls are open then the paddocks are closed. No groups of horses in stalls.
Not because I am no fun or paranoid, but because I know my animals.
Best to be prepared in case you end up with a horse like mine that takes great joy in cornering and kicking other horses. No small confined spaces for this horse when with any other horse.
We had one big pen with a 16’ x 16’ single stall.
It was our stallion pen.
After we quit breeding, we used that big pen as one of several our geldings ran in.
The stall door was always closed.
One summer hot midday, we looked over and there were no geldings in sight, not even one of the five not standing, not lying down, just vanished.
We hurried over and somehow the door had come open and they were all five packed in that stall like sardines in a can.
We eased away and left them there, left the door open.
Many times most or all would just pack in there, hot and all, probably getting away from bugs.
We would never have risked what could happen if one gets cranky and starts kicking around, but by happenstance we found out that those five were fine with each other, even packed in there, so we left it alone.
Would not do that on purpose, most horses don’t get along quite that well, all the time.
My previous boarding facility had 12x50 runs attached to the stalls. My horse, gelding, kept his stall super clean. He would poop in the run unless it was pouring rain and cold. The stall was a matted 12x12. If there was no bedding in the stall he would pee outside. Unfortunately, not much was done in the way of footing in the runs. So the pee spots became craters that didn’t drain and were disgusting. The runs became a slick muddy mess within the first six months.
I believe the horses really liked the runs compared to just a box stall. I’m hoping to buy a farm this year, and stalls will definitely have runs. As other posters have stated, doing site work to include a drainage system and footing are a must. I would also say that having a bit of roof overhang over the run would be a huge bonus, otherwise rain blows into the stalls. Gutters help as well.
As a side note / spin off: How big would the “runs” need to be to maintain grass cover? I’m thinking of a 4 stall center aisle barn with 2 stalls on each side and each stall is attached to a run and perhaps two small paddocks. So, 8 small paddocks. I was thinking 1/4 acre paddocks. Horses would be in stalls half the day with free access to run and one paddock and the other half of the day turned out on a different larger pasture. I live in the Deep South where the growing season is long. I’m thinking that by rotating use of the two small paddocks I could keep reasonable grass cover with this system.Any thoughts?
Very worth it and easy to do. I have 1 stall and I used portable round pen panels to make a run out when I brought my young horse home.
my mares have a huge lean- to that is fenced in with round pen panels for a large dry lot right next to it. The best part is the portability and future uses of the panels if circumstances change.
Years ago I read about a study done that looked at how much a horse moved in stalls of various sizes. They found that increasing one dimension of the stall to 20’ resulted in the horses moving fives times as much as in the standard stall. I don’t remember if the standard stall used was 12x12, 12x10, or 10x10.
So yes, runouts are worth it.
Yes, I think they’re worth it.
My gelding has a small one, and he spends a lot of time on his patio, as I call it. I think he likes it since he has neighbors on both sides (fortunately all are fine with a shared fence line) and can watch what’s going on outside. He does poop mostly outside and since he isn’t only standing in his stall and moving in there all the time, his stall stays relatively clean and he goes through less bedding than those in stalls without runs. For him it’s also nice to feed some of his hay outside in the open air (just hang a net out there) due to his allergies. He also loves to stand out in the rain.
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You really need good footing with a good base to prevent mud. Often a good base and compacted stone dust works well. I’ve also seen cement runs (small) or cement with artificial turf on top.
Chiming in again on the subject of horses sharing stalls.
I have had pairs of geldings on my farm for 16yrs & every pair would share a 12X12 stall peacably.
Pairs:
-16H TB & 17H TWH
-17+H WB & 13H Hackney Pony
-Same pony & 16H TWH
All would share a stall for naps, hanging out, but separate into stalls for feeding.
4yrs ago I added a mini to the pony & Walker.
Mini routinely bunks with the Walker & on occasion all 3 share a stall.
They still go into “their” stall for feeding.
Mini finishes his grain, then returns to Walker’s stall to share hay.
{shrugs} Never a problem here.
