Anyone use this method for turning out and bringing in? Pasture is connected to barn…so gate is opened and horses go right into the aisle way and then into their own stall…reverse for turnout…stall doors are opened and horses go out on their own instead of being led. This is a small boarding barn…about 7 horses. I see some potential problems with this. Opinions and experiences?
I do it. My horses calmly walk into the barn and go into their specific stalls. Chaos occurs if I have to move someone around. They don’t get into anything naughty. One gelding can be a bit naughty and be a stall hopper and drive me nuts, but if I yell- “Hang a left, Gunny!!!” He goes into his stall without a fuss(incidentally, his stall is now on the right side… but he used to have the first stall on the left a decade ago and that is his word to go to bed/get dinner).
I kinda like showing off and opening the gate and 7 horses walk in -in order- and go into their perfect stalls. Like a finely tuned dance.
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I’ve seen this “tried” at boarding barns but the horses raced about 90mph to get into the stalls. Any stall. Boarders all
complained it was an unsafe practice so they stopped.
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I sort of have this setup but have Dutch doors so the horses aren’t in the barn aisle.
At times they might wander into the barn when I am doing other chores if the door is open, and it can lead to some trouble with the boss mare trapping the lower ranking horses. Most of the time it is no big deal, but if grain was being scooped (or horses were anticipating this) it could be.
If the horses and stalls don’t change, and the routine doesn’t change, it can probably work. I don’t think I would do it with other people’s horses, though. It would be hard to defend it if a boarder’s horse got injured.
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That was the method used at the barn I rode at when I was a kid.
There were usually around 20 horses and the biggest problem was occasionally somebody would grab an extra bite of hay if an open bale was left in the aisle, lol!
I have experienced it in the past. Like @rememberthenight, it was the herd’s routine and I don’t recall any mishaps. I do remember a lot of horses crowding the door, having to roll the door open quickly and make sure to get out of the way even though they just walked quickly, and regular slipping (no falling) on the concrete aisle, especially when muddy. The horses were barefoot. Private backyard type farm, no boarders.
We used to have rubber buckets in the barn on a rail along the middle.
We would open the gate to the pasture and they would walk themselves single file, boss first, in the barn and to their same bucket every time, up to six or so of them.
When we had a new horse, we helped him find his bucket and in a couple times they all knew where to go.
Then we would groom them all and ride a little bit around the barn and turn out and only keep up those we needed to ride more.
We don’t have a training stable now, so don’t have that system any more.
It worked with routine loving Western horses (3), but was a disaster when we got young, sporthorses. Even after much practice being led to the same stall, they could not resist checking other stalls so two horses got tangled, all sorts of rushing about on the roughed cement. No one fell, but skidding did occur before we gave it up. They just did not “work it out” in time. Not worth injuring horses.
A local boarding stable is “infamous” for opening the pasture gate to the lane ending at the barn. Horses know dinner is waiting, gallop up and in. Number of horses vary, often 20 or more! Horses skid in the slick floor, some fall, partially or flat out. Others jump over it or run into each other trying to stop!! Owner claims the time savings over hand leading in so many horses, is the deciding factor. Not going to change, even with injured horses! Nice facilities otherwise, seems to be full most of the time, with nice horses. Have to say watching that bunch coming in, sliding, kicking, jumping, totally amazed me!! Never want to see anything like it again!!
Years later, we do feel that “the daily laying on of the hands” during leading in and out, is a big benefit with horses staying accepting, willing to do as asked. Allowing horses to CHOOSE makes them think they get a vote in decisions!! NOT a good idea with very smart horses, they will question your decisions in other areas too! Our horses need to be very obedient at all times, not making their own decisions or arguing with our choices.
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My stalls have doors that open to the paddock/pasture, so the horses have access to their stalls any time they want.
At feeding time they all know that they won’t get fed unless they are in the correct stall, s they go there. This is a very stable herd (newest horse has been here 7 years).
I would be hesitant to use it with a less established herd. When I introduce a new horse, the stall doors are closed except at the actual feeding time, and then they are shut into eat- until the herd dynamics stabilize.
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Just a bad idea. It is only a matter of time before two horses end up in the same stall and somebody gets the crap kicked out of them. Why risk it? It’s just lazy.
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I guess it depends on the set up.
only a few horses might work but I would say no on a boarding barn with many horses.
I was at a boarding stable checking it out for a friend and I happened along at feed time.
The barn staff opened all the pasture gates and just let the horses out. They didn’t even try to space it out so the barn wouldnt be overwhelmed. The horses at the futherest pasture raced down because they see the other horses
one of then wouldnt go into his stall and wouldnt be caught. He caused a pile up at the entrance because he snapped at the horses trying to get by.
At the same time there were people trying to come in for lessons and a little girl I guess about 6 years old was trying to get to the barn from her car and there all these horses milling around.
Quite chaotic and totally unnecessary.
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I’ve seen it done with big herds where it was scary, feed was put in the stalls first everyone RAN in lots of slips/falls/kicks and stolen grain. Plus stitches needed far to often (multiple times a year) when a horse would slice their side open on a gate latch. I would NEVER keep a horse with someone who found this acceptable.
Another place the paddocks had a lane between them, one person would go to the gate and let the 2 horses per paddock go down the lane to the front of the barn. Then a second person at the barn would lead them from the front of the barn to their stalls. This was all done in a nice calm manner, I never saw any issues caused by it - the horses where all laid back trail ride types.
I have also seen the small stable groups being allowed to walk in quietly by themselves, or that always have access to their stalls with the right horses and people it works out well.
I was looking for boarding and one barn the manager was bragging about how many days she could go without actually touching a horse. They let the mare herd run a half mile down the road make a sharp left down a short but steep hill, to a paved parking area, then a sharp right into the barn. Where they could pick whatever stall they wanted to go in for grain then be kicked out again. Needless to say I passed on that place it closed not to long afterwards.
With the right setup and knowledgeable people who ID potential problems and manage them it can work great, with other people and setups it’s a disaster waiting to happen
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I think with the right setup and common sense it is nice to have as an option in bad weather or an emergency etc. but in general I prefer the horses be handled/led.
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I worked at a farm that did this with mixed herd of a couple of aged mares, one gelding and a bunch (8-10) yearlings. It was a chaos and one of the reasons I left. Horses ended up everywhere, in wrong stalls, 2 or 3 in one stall to sort through, others refusing to go into stalls. It wasn’t my favorite time of day.
In the old days on my family farm with a herd of 4 at the gate at one end of a barn with the other end closed, it was fine, everyone knew where to go and there was no room to run.
I would never permit it in my boarding barn or with anything but a docile, sweet group. I boarded at a place that did the herd turn-in, but one time staff let the “herd” out to gallop to the stalls, WHILE I WAS RIDING IN THE WAY ON A FRACTIOUS HORSE IN SNOW, with ZERO warning. the horse reared, slipped, and fell on my leg. a very narrow escape from serious injury for both of us – the snow was the only thing that kept me from a broken leg.
We did this at the barn I worked at as a kid. Stable groups of about 10 “boys” and 12 “girls”. Orderly and calm in and out in the same sex herds. In retrospect thank goodness as the care was being provided by dedicated but marginally trained illegal child labor (best times of my childhood). Times change but horses don’t know that. I think it could work.
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I boarded at a barn that did this, about 7-8 horses at any given time. Worked out just fine. New horses were haltered and led to their stalls for the first couple days or weeks until they figured out the routine. In the time I was there there were never any issues.
my older sensible ones get that privilege, the young rowdies get haltered and led in - reminds them they are domesticated critters and keeps them out of trouble.
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Just about my favourite thing ever on COTH! I didn’t get to barn rat, as we had horses at home, but love it!
To the OP, I’d be fine with it with a very few horses in a calm herd with a well-established pecking order. Otherwise, a no from me.
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I’ve recently been given a front row seat to viewing the life and times of a mid price boarding stable when one popped up next door.
Their horses all ramble scramble into their stalls every night like a bunch of wild mustangs.
I see the time advantage for the barn owners but
my clients would pack up their stuff and leave the first time that happened to their horses!
