Stall Size??? 9x9'???

[Dressage59]

When we originally moved here last year, we had four horses and two barns. The previous owner mentioned that one of the stalls in the main barn used to be two stalls. When we lost one horse, we moved them all into one barn and converted the one stall into two. That changed the stall size from 9x18 to two 9x9 stalls. It’s a shedrow barn and I can’t build out - there’s a creek on two sides and a wash rack on the other. From the wash rack, you go into the feed/supply room and there’s a separate door for the tack room. The permit requirements in my county are pretty strict also.
While I can’t go out, I can go back into the concreted hallway for the feed/supply room. It would give me 9x15 stalls.
One of my horses has Cushings and wets/drops along the back, effectively taking up a lot of room.
The vet was out the other day and he said the stall size was fine as I have one for a large pony and one for a 1050 lb. mare.
Also, the chiropractor comments that the large pony is the one most out of whack when she comes. I don’t know if that comes from being cramped. They’re in every night for about 12 hours.

Thoughts on stall size? I’m most comfortable with the larger stall. I would appreciate any insights. Thanks in advance!

[mmeqcenter]

9x9 is pretty small, so unless you have small horses (<15.2hh) I’d make them bigger if you can. I don’t mind small for short-term (many horse shows are 10x10) or horses that are out nearly 24/7, but for being in 12 hours every single day that is too small, IMO.

[danacat]

The existing center aisle 30 x 50 barn on my property had stalls that were 9.6 x 9.6 – I immediately moved the divider walls so that 3 stalls (2 on one side and 1 on the other) became 14 ’ wide – I use the left over tiny stalls for storage.

I have two BIG geldings – they manage okay in the 9.6 x 14 (can turn around and lie down) but the 9.6 depth really is cramped IMO. Webbings (I never close the doors) do give them more standing room and rarely are they in overnight, but I’d much rather have 12 x 14 stalls. Pole barn construction makes that tough – pole every 10’. I’m looking into getting LVL beams so that I can remove poles and bump out the stall depth – but that’s another story.

My smaller gelding has standing room to spare in his 9.6 x14 – but I’m sure he’d be more comfortable with more depth.

[PrincessPonies]

I personally would go to bigger stalls. I have 12’x12’ and my 16.1 hand horse is happy and can move around. My mini is also in the same size and I wouldn’t even think about putting her in something smaller because of her size. She is very active and loves rolling and uses the whole space.

[Bluey]

Do you have outside pens attached to the stalls?
If not, that would be one more solution, if possible to put some out there.
Now, you want to try to make them wide enough so they won’t feel crowded and fight over the fence.
It will be ok if the 14’ is the width of the runs, not acceptable if the runs are the 9.6’ width.
Would have to get creative then, like more pie shaped pens, wider on the other end, or wider outside the barn footprint itself.

A good barn builder should be able to remodel the inside for you by adding supports further apart and buddy them to the existing framing with high gluelam beams, but it will be expensive.

Our old race horse training barn had 22 stalls and 18 of those were 10’x10’, really not acceptable, but they made do.
We took a wall between stalls and made them 10’x20’ stalls, much nicer for the horse’s comfort.

You could possibly, if the eaves are not too low, expand the barn sideways by moving that wall some feet over as an overhang, open into the barn, closed on the outside?

See what local builders would suggest you may do.

[bt1]

too small to be in that long

[Simkie]

I can’t imagine keeping anything other than a (small) pony in a 9x9. A 9x9 at 81 sq ft is just over half the size (56%) of a “typical” 12x12 stall at 144 sq ft. Sounds like anything you can do to make those bigger would be preferred.

[Sparrowette]

@Simkie

I can’t imagine keeping anything other than a (small) pony in a 9x9. A 9x9 at 81 sq ft is just over half the size (56%) of a “typical” 12x12 stall at 144 sq ft. Sounds like anything you can do to make those bigger would be preferred.

Agree. Seems like a 9X9, your’re just asking for someone to get cast.

[Dressage59]

@Bluey It’s a shedrow barn with the 2 or 3 stalls in front with a wash rack. Behind them is the hallway for blankets, grain, etc. and the last area behind that is the hay storage. Unfortunately, that leaves out the paddocks. Good news is that is where I’m going to install a dry lot. Really excited about that.

Thanks everyone! I almost fell over when the vet said that. Unfortunately the vet and my DH have started a bromance and I didn’t want DH changing his mind. I’m going for it!

[DMK]

I think maybe if you have a dry lot with good footing (cowcarpet or equivalent base) with a roomy run in shed (run electric so you can add fans!) that might solve your problem. You may find that they end up out there more often than not and the 9x9 stalls are used for really bad weather.

I have 9x20 stalls and they worked really well for my 15’3 - 16’3 horses who were out all day or all night depending on the time of year. The 16’3 horse had no trouble sacking out and for a couple years I had a pretty big, rangy (16’1 but extra long) foundered retiree living in that stall+dry lot as well. He always had access to the dry lot, but when he needed to lay down he headed in to the stall to lay down with no problem.

But yeah, 9x9 (BTDT @ WEF) is a challenge for extended period of time for a big horse, but I’ve had the large pony in my profile pic in a 9x9 stall and he didn’t look overly cramped so I might look for other reasons why he is out of whack!

[Bluey]

@Dressage59

@Bluey It’s a shedrow barn with the 2 or 3 stalls in front with a wash rack. Behind them is the hallway for blankets, grain, etc. and the last area behind that is the hay storage. Unfortunately, that leaves out the paddocks. Good news is that is where I’m going to install a dry lot. Really excited about that.

Thanks everyone! I almost fell over when the vet said that. Unfortunately the vet and my DH have started a bromance and I didn’t want DH changing his mind. I’m going for it!

Shedrow barn?

Could you add a pitch by making the front high part of the roof the middle, adding to it in front of it going the other way and make that 12’ for stalls that would be 12’ wide also?
Or whatever size you may want to make them.

Leave what you have now open for all other purposes.

[clanter]

might convert to tie stalls?.. they say a 5 by 9 allows room for the horse to lie down

https://www.hi-hog.com/products/equine-equipment/standing-tie-stalls/

or stalls for the minis are 6 by 8 which is OK for an under 32 inch thing

[js]

What is the other barn like, can it be added on to? Is it in the budget to tear down either barn and build a new one or get a new prefab? 9x9 is just too small, 9x15 is certainly better but it is still hard for a full size horse to lay down if it is narrow, the risk of a horse getting cast is possible.

I would opt for something new, like a prefab 3 or 4 stall that is delivered and set up ready to go and relocate it to not be between two creeks if possible. Get something that is going to work well rather than trying to make do with something that isn’t going to accommodate your horses.

[Zu_Zu]

too small

[Dressage59]

@js The other barn has two 12’x12’ stalls, no real place for storage just a little overhang in back and behind there is some caged area for dog kennels. This all ties into the arena. On that one I can go out to the side with another large stall and then build an attached storage area behind it for hay/etc. All of my pasture property is on flood plain, including the barns. We’d have to think about that one. The county permit situation here is ridiculous. I’m having trees knocked over in one pen to make it a horse pen. The county put it in writing that I can not bring in any dirt - even to fill in the tree stump holes. I also needed a double silt fence on flat ground so nothing would drain into the creek. The company doing the silt fence said this was way overkill and they work for the county all the time. Supposedly it was a big decision to let me have the trees taken out with their roots and they let me do it provided no building was going on back there and I stayed a certain # of feet away from the building… So the barn area can work there, the storage area will be smaller than needed. One factor to consider is that we won’t have area for a dry lot close to that barn. One of next year’s projects is to put a dry lot immediately behind the other barn with easy access.
We’ll think about this option.

Thanks everyone for all the insights! It really helps.

[clanter]

might be cheaper to buy one of the neighbors out and move the horses into their house … so what does the county proposed you to fill the holes where the tree stumps will be? or are the holes just to remain?

All of my pasture property is on flood plain,

are the streams deemed to be “Regulatory Floodways” ? those are managed differently than a floodplain

here is the FEMA guide to the regulatory agencies to have an idea was to where they are coming from and know if they the requirements they are imposing are just

https://www.fema.gov/floodplain-management-requirements

[SonnysMom]

OP- can you fill the stump holes with small gravel and then spread some existing dirt over the gravel? If they specified no dirt but did not indicate you couldn’t fill them with other material you may as well take advantage of that oversight.

I think 9x9 is fine for most ponies but that seems small for a horse even a small horse. My bedroom growing up was 9x9 so I can easily picture a pony in that size.

[js]

Build a stall of the barn with the 12x12 stalls. Use the other barn for your hay storage etc. I wouldn’t worry about storage directly on the barn you are using. You have two barns, use the one that can’t be configured for good size stalls for your storage etc., build onto the other one have 3 12x12 stalls that will accommodate your horses comfortably. Its a pita hauling feed from one barn to the other but in the end you will have a barn with good size/comfortable stalls for your horses. Get you a golf cart to get your hay from one barn to the other.

[Dressage59]

@clanter I can rake/box scrape over the holes with the remaining dirt to level everything out. Essentially, that means I’ll have lower elevation after than what I do now. It won’t be ready for a horse pen for a while – the loader guy isn’t here yet and I have to have growing vegetation before that silt fencing can come down, the county will do their final inspection after the growing vegetation and before the silt fencing is removed. Then I’ll need to plant the silt fence area. Once the final inspection has been done. I’ll spread my compost back there.

There were lots of stump holes back there. We took gravel and filled them up to 6" of the top and then added dirt. It worked great! The tree guy recommended 10 dirt loads - I don’t know how many cubic yards though. Out of curiosity. can I use a manure spreader to spread dirt. The garden person told me to spread a dirt/sand combination over a low spot in my yard to raise the ground to the level of the other grasses. Wondering if that would work with regular grass. I just can’t be obvious about what I’m doing. If I get caught, I’ll get my backside kicked (and fined). Probably the first time my *ss will have value! - LOL.

@SonnysMom I hadn’t thought about the gravel part. I’m afraid I might get caught. Their inspector shows up on your property and then calls you to tell you that he’s here. It’s all a surprise when he’s coming. The soil erosion guy was nice enough to allow me to have the trees removed up to 25’ of the creek vs the standard 50’ as I’m only grazing horses and not building anything. I told myself I’m going to be good about this regardless of how asinine some of this seems - like the double silt fencing, no dirt to refill, etc. It’s almost dictatorial and the silt fencing guy said it’s been this way for about 1 1/2 years.

[Simkie]

I’m raising several low or just bumpy areas of the property with composted horse manure. Is that an option? It’s worked very well. You wouldn’t be bringing soil in!