Stall Size, What would you choose?

[RoyalRain42]

We as a family have decided to put up a barn next summer, and as the resident “herd master” i have been allowed to design it. I am enjoying the process, but now i have a dilemma.

Stall Size.

We are making a 6 stall barn, one tack room and one wash stall (8 total “stall” areas) with a upper feed room and loft with office.

For the most part, our animals are large. Smallest horse we own is 15.1hh. With the largest being the pair of draft mules that are around 18.2hh each with the talk of getting more like them.

So now, stall size is something to really consider. I do not want to have different size stalls in the mix. I just like a uniform size.

So what size to choose? I have had the mules in a 12 x 12 before and they did not seem comfy or happy at all. These boys are about as wide as they are tall as well.

I was thinking maybe 16x16 for all stalls? It seemed like a good number. I was going to try and make some make sift pens in this size to see how the boys do in that kind of stall set up. But it seemed like a good number.

Given the situation, does that seem like a good number? Good size given their size? If you had to choose what would it be?

[Mango20]

16x16 sounds like a good number to me. I was thinking 15x15 up until I read your idea. You can also design the stalls to seem bigger than they are by allowing them to have their heads out into the aisle. My horses can put their heads over two sides of their stalls, but frequently just hang their heads over their stall guards into the aisle.

[Jim_in_PA]

Larger is nice, but do keep in mind that the physical design of the building will have to cooperate with your choice for stall sizes.

[Simkie]

Would the mules be happy in a 12 x 24? It may be easier to build in 12’ spans, especially if you’d like to use anything prefab (like stall fronts.)

Any pictures of those big guys? They sound pretty cool!

[Gestalt]

My big mare wasn’t comfortable in anything smaller than a 14 ft wide. She wouldn’t lay down in a 12. The barn owner offered a 12 x 24 but it was too narrow. We ended up putting her on the end, the stall was 12 x 12 but it opened to a 24 x 24 paddock.

Your boys are big, if possible I’d do 16 x 16. Do you not want to make the wash and tack rooms 12’s?

[Bluey]

@Simkie

Would the mules be happy in a 12 x 24? It may be easier to build in 12’ spans, especially if you’d like to use anything prefab (like stall fronts.)

Any pictures of those big guys? They sound pretty cool!

That is what I was thinking, so later you can make 12x12 standard stalls if you need to.

Will you have runs off the back of the stalls?
That may guide your stall size.

Our stalls in the new covered arena will be 16’x12’ because we want the runs off the stalls 16’ wide.
Any less and shy horses feel too cramped with aggressive horses any closer to them on both sides.

You can make your stalls any size you like for your horses.
We had one barn with stalls 12’ x 18’, we had mares with foals in there.
Our current one they are 18’ x 20’, just happen to fit like that.
Before we had 14’ x 14’ there.

I am not sure our measuring stick goes past 18 hands, those must be very tall mules!

[Simkie]

@Gestalt

Your boys are big, if possible I’d do 16 x 16. Do you not want to make the wash and tack rooms 12’s?

That’s a really good question, and something to think about–a “regular” sized horse could easily turn around on the cross ties in a 16’ wash rack. Or have enough room behind to really pull back. Not something to worry about for every horse, certainly, but I did have a little 3 yo turn around on the cross ties once and that was a vet call. Not a whole lot of fun!

[RoyalRain42]

Yes, we do plan to have runs off the back of all the pens. So the idea of 12x24 would be a good idea, then the runs themselves are wider.

That would also mean i could make 2 12 by 12 wash racks, and a 12 x 24 tack room.

Ill have to fiddle with the floor layout plans, but i think that may work best in favor. Cause as someone said 16ft wide cross ties would be a bit intense.

We do plan to have it so their heads can hang over stall door. We found some fronts we like that have an opening over the door that can open and close. So if anyone decides to get nippy they loose over hang privileges

For those asking, yes Jimmy and John are massive boys. :lol: ill try and get some up to date pictures of them!!

[TheJenners]

You can make the wash stall and/or aisle narrower, so they are only 12’ (or less). My barn is 36’x36’, with three 12’x12’ stalls on one side, a 12’ aisle, then a 12’x12’ stall on the other side and a tack room, wash rack, and feed stall, all 12’ deep but 8’ wide. So you could design it so that you have 16’x16’ stalls, however the aisle can be less (tho I have been in a barn with 16’ aisle and it was wonderful) or the wash rack could be 16’x8’ and larger feed/tack stall, or something.

I would worry about them getting cast in a narrow stall.

[Bluey]

@TheJenners

You can make the wash stall and/or aisle narrower, so they are only 12’ (or less). My barn is 36’x36’, with three 12’x12’ stalls on one side, a 12’ aisle, then a 12’x12’ stall on the other side and a tack room, wash rack, and feed stall, all 12’ deep but 8’ wide. So you could design it so that you have 16’x16’ stalls, however the aisle can be less (tho I have been in a barn with 16’ aisle and it was wonderful) or the wash rack could be 16’x8’ and larger feed/tack stall, or something.

I would worry about them getting cast in a narrow stall.

I too think that, for massive 18+ ones, 16’x16’ stalls make more sense.
If the barn has to be designed a little bigger/wider, so be it.

Then, also think that finished stall sizes will depend on the barn size, generally outside dimensions, so even 16’x 16’ on paper may be more like 15’x15’ finished.

Our stalls are going on a 150’x32’ space, that measures 149’ inside with a 15’ aisle and the stalls, we don’t know, we know the width will be around 16’+ because of the runs, but the other dimension may be 12’ to 15’, whatever fits once we make them.
The bays between columns are 25’, so three 16’+ wide stalls fit between two of those.

Just figures so you know that, what you have in mind and on paper, may not quite end up the size you thought you will have once the barn shell is up.

[goodhors]

Couple more questions here. Will you have a center aisle in the barn? I want to say that any aisle should be at least 12ft wide for easy use. We drive the tractor and spreader thru there, Vet and Farrier trucks can back in, shut the end doors, letting you close out drafts and bad weather while working on the animals. Important feature to have with our winter weather. Skinny aisles cause lots of problems, add work because you can’t drive thru. Cleaning directly into the spreader saves steps and time. We hitch and drive thru the barn with the 4 of 17h horses and various carriages. You might want to go with 14ft aisle because Drafts are just more massive and so are their vehicles like a hitch wagon. Hay wagons do fit better in the wider aisle too, for unloading or overnight storage when rain is coming. Can’t always unload that day.

Next question is how much time will horses and mules spend stalled? We stall longer daily in winter than in summer. It costs more in bedding to have them inside longer. Sawdust deliveries are closer together in winter. With adding 3 more horses this year I am finding we need deliveries even closer together now. With such big stalls of 16 X 16, bedding is going to add up in costs, even for short stalling times. Also add in time to clean big stalls or pay someone else to clean stalls and runouts so they stay nice. It is amazing how much basic chore time increases with owning multiples of equines! I could be done quick, have time to do many extras when I only owned 3 small horses! We insist that each of our 9 horses is stalled daily, is handled and checked over, has a place to come inside out of our common bad winter weather to dry off and warm up. No run-in sheds here. We think that is a minimal care level, can’t lower the standards any more. Can’t get any more horses (yay) either, stalls are full now. Ha ha

No one here has mentioned using tie/standing stalls as an alternative idea. They are very common for draft animals locally. These drafts get daily turnout so they are free to move around then. We have 7 tie stalls here, used with light horses and really like them. They are a big time and money saver for our horse budget, even cleaned to the floor daily. Bedding is deep enough that horses lay down and don’t get any rubs, have dry coats and dry under their hooves. No hoof problems. Quick to clean after every use, with less bedding needed than box stalls. We find the tie stalls are good training tools for the horses, no ticklish ones as you walk by with hay or grain to feed, no kickers, don’t care about hoses dragging in and out. Horses stand tied anyplace for hours after standing in tie stalls daily. Funny enough they all load easily in skinny (36inch) trailer straight stalls, never have a problem. Slant stalls are too small for our big horses to ride comfortably.

You would need to build tie stalls proportionate to the mules, probably at least 6 1/2ft wide, maybe 14ft long. You want them able to lay down if they want to. Never had any get cast in a tie stall, probably because they get up the same way they laid down, no rolling around like box stalls allow. Our tie stalls have a 4inch lip so they step up. Seems to help prevent hanging rump out in the aisle. Geldings often will back out to pee, then step back in, which helps keep wet on end of stall, not under them. Mares are already peeing at the stall ends in a tie stall.

Anyway questions to think on, alternative ideas to consider in planning.

[horsenut_8700]

We have 12x20 stalls with attached paddocks. IMO this set up works really well- enough room to move, and I find most horses are less wasteful with bedding in a bigger space.

[Simkie]

If you want to go with bigger stalls, you could set those up on one side of the aisle, and your other work areas across from them, however deep you’d like them to be. I FAR prefer to have all my stalls on one side, anyway–and that sort of setup also allows you to shelter all your in/out stalls away from the prevailing winds, and you only need to build one overhang.

6 x 16’ square stalls is a 96’ long building. You could do a 12’ aisle, then a 12’ deep space for your tack/feed/grooming/whatever–so the building would be 96’ x 40.’ You would have 8 12x12 spaces on the “working” side of the barn to use as you wish. Length is less expensive than width (I hear) so that might make more sense than doing a shorter building that is 44’ wide.

[Bluey]

Check your figures where you are on how much more a larger barn cost.
With the local builders and building techniques that may be different.

Here, with metal buildings framed, not trusses, like most barns and arenas are here, width only starts to matter past 100’.
Under that, there is not that much difference, pylons or any other foundation and the framing is not that much bigger until past that width.
Past it, it does increase exponentially, your cost is then a consideration between 100’ or, say, 110’ wide.
Those figures may change with the barn you are building, but worth asking about if you want more width.

[walktrot]

BO bought an old farm property and the original stalls were built in an existing pole barn built for hay. They were about 12x15. The extra width made a big difference. She uses it for foaling now.

She built a 120x200’ steel building with 80x200 arena and a 40’ wide barn running down the long side. There are 18 stalls, 12x12 which is fine including for a big Percheron gelding. Eight of them on the outside wall have a window. Aisleway is about 14’ wide which is great for access by the tractor, grain delivery, and so forth. Plenty of room to cross tie. No trusses so above the stalls is open. One end has an office, 2 tack rooms (barn and boarders), feed room, classroom, bathroom, and furnace room which have hay storage overhead. 16 large lockers for stalled boarders also. It is absolutely huge, and we are very spoiled. Isn’t there an old saying the size matters?

[Bluey]

@walktrot

BO bought an old farm property and the original stalls were built in an existing pole barn built for hay. They were about 12x15. The extra width made a big difference. She uses it for foaling now.

She built a 120x200’ steel building with 80x200 arena and a 40’ wide barn running down the long side. There are 18 stalls, 12x12 which is fine including for a big Percheron gelding. Eight of them on the outside wall have a window. Aisleway is about 14’ wide which is great for access by the tractor, grain delivery, and so forth. Plenty of room to cross tie. No trusses so above the stalls is open. One end has an office, 2 tack rooms (barn and boarders), feed room, classroom, bathroom, and furnace room which have hay storage overhead. 16 large lockers for stalled boarders also. It is absolutely huge, and we are very spoiled. Isn’t there an old saying the size matters?

I never heard anyone complain they were sorry they built too big.