Ultimate urban horse stable.
This is a fun article, too.
TBH I think this set up, mare motels seem to be at least double stall size if not larger, is probably healthier than 20 hrs in a 12x12 stall and 4 hrs of grass turnout. A traditional stall is damn small for a 1000 lbs animal.
runs off zipping up flame suit
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Ventilation issues are probably better in those mare motels. I like stall/paddock combinations where the horses can move inside or outside freely, but I had to board in a traditional stall with pasture turnout and I worried about air flow during the winter because the horses were locked up when the snow was piling up. It’s a concern when you have them breathing indoors, even if you clean the stalls daily.
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It’s hard to ventilate a barn enough to reduce heat build up in the summer with conventional construction too. Not impossible, but hard. And many barns are older builds with less than the latest and greatest architectural features.
My barn at home is mare motel ish and is a whole heck of a lot cooler than the boarding facility we just moved out of.
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lenapesadie, that’s an interesting point. Research project waiting to be done!
It would be useful to know the minimum effective mix of stall and turnout time and dimensions for those areas where space is at a premium.
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It would be an interesting research project!
Our barn here in the South has to take into consideration the heat, the freezes, and the sideways blowing tropical storm/hurricanes. The best solution is the classic Florida barn, where the walls are close together on the bottom and gradually spaced towards the top. It provides excellent air flow. Also, the blowing storms more typically come from either major water source (east or west), so we get away with barn aisles facing north/south to take advantage of breezes. The horses have stall/paddock combos and they use the stalls, even in the heat of summer, because the design allows air flow. They can also see a bit of the outside through the spaces in the walls. It seems to relax them. My Mustang mare loves her stall, even though she wasn’t a fan of stalls in general. I can’t post pictures of our barn, because of the glitch, but you’ve probably seen pictures of these type of barns.
I’m very lucky in that the barn I board and work at is on 100 acres, so even the individual turnouts are large enough for a horse to have a good buck and fart around. The manager also has a very good relationship with a neighbouring property that has allowed us access to hack around their fields. The barn is also circle shaped with a high, domed ceiling and skylight, with windows that are left open even in winter for ventilation. There are also ceiling fans that keep air moving. So, even though turnout is only 6 - 7.5 hours, the barn is still a pretty nice place for the horses to be in.
Most of the ones I have seen are 4 times a normal stall size, at least. I’ve mostly seen the ones that are in sets of 4 with a roof in the middle shared by the 4. They aren’t an option where I live, but if I was boarding in a milder climate in a more urban area, I’d look for that as an option.
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I think it’s a decent set up, climate permitting like you say. I like the open air concept. It’s so hot where I live that anything that lets the air move through is a major plus imo!
Sure it’s not picture perfect ideal but that’s life.
I’ve got a bigger horse, 17 hands plus, and he can’t keep a traditional stall very tidy if he’s in it for very long. When given more room, he’s neat as a pin!
