Horse Boxes – All You Need To Know

Horses should be able to feel comfortable all the time during their stay in the stable. A bright and airy atmosphere and a sufficient size of the horse stall are very important for the large animals. In addition, you must pay attention to the proximity to conspecifics and thus to social contacts of your horse to other horses. In this way, you will enable your horse to live a healthy life and maintain its full performance. In the past, horse stables were often dark and very musty, but nowadays most stable owners place more emphasis on keeping the sensitive animals in a way that promotes health and is as species-appropriate as possible.

The relevance of horse stalls in stable equipment

Horse stalls play an important role in stable furnishing. They represent the home of the animals when they are not in the paddock or pasture. The general requirements for stalls include keeping the four-legged animals in a manner typical of their species. Horses must be

• stand comfortably,
• lie down,
• rest comfortably and
• get up again.

You should therefore provide your horse with sufficient space in its box. If you, as a rider and horse owner, want to know exactly how big the stall should be for your horse, you can find precise information on the optimal size in the “Guidelines for the assessment of horse husbandry under animal welfare aspects”. They are published by the German Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection (BMELV), in order to be able to assess horse housing from an animal welfare point of view.

Furthermore, a level and non-slip floor covering is required in the horse stable, which is provided with clean and dry bedding. The waterproof stable floor should be easy to clean to facilitate daily stable maintenance. Are you also interested in how best to muck out your stable? Then read our guide “Mucking out horse stables properly – Not so much manure! Here you will get valuable tips.

If horses are kept in a single stall, it must not be completely closed. Only in this way can the sociable animals hear, see and smell other stable inhabitants, so that they do not feel lonely.

High quality features of horse stalls

Horses are large and powerful animals that can cause damage with their body weight. These factors should be considered when choosing the right horse stall. To ensure that your new horse stall is maximally sturdy, you should look for high-quality features. This includes a sturdy construction of all components, using durable and hard-wearing materials such as square tubing in their manufacture. If you want to buy a horse stall, this purchase is one of the elementary investments in stable equipment, which pays off in the long run. Therefore, permanent resistance and long life are very important. These factors can be achieved through reinforced wooden boards and continuous quality in the processing of all components.

Safety aspects of horse stalls

Horses are very active animals that move around a lot and like to rub against surfaces when certain parts of their bodies itch. Therefore, a high standard of horse stall safety is significant. Sharp corners and edges, protruding hooks and nails, holes in boards and unsecured parts pose a high risk of injury to horses in the box. Therefore, to minimize the risk of injury to animals, well-sealed closures of all components and smooth partitions to neighboring stalls are critical. Also, nothing should come loose or stick out at an angle due to the animal’s impact. In addition, grid gaps in the longitudinal and transverse grids must not be so large that one of the horses can stick its head through.

The sizes of horse stalls

Since every stable is different in its construction, there are horse stalls in different sizes. For this purpose, the various models can also be adapted to physical dimensions of horses, which can vary greatly. The height of the side panels and the dimensions of the frame serve as helpful factors in the selection of dimensions. In addition, there are also horse stalls with different door widths, so that even broadly built horses can fit through.

Regardless of the particular dimensions, an uncomplicated assembly of the boxes is a significant factor that scores in practice. If the assembly can be done without a great effort, no specialized and expensive professionals are required. Thus, you can realize the assembly of the horse stall within a short time on your own.

Concrete equipment features of horse stalls

In addition to the dimensions, the other equipment features are also essential when making a purchase decision. Sliding doors that are locked with a bar lock are practical for daily use. In this case, the sliding door is suspended in a closed track made of steel. Since the door stop is equipped with a rubber buffer, opening and closing is possible with little noise. Hot-dip galvanizing as well as powder coating prolong the life of the metal parts. Lattice panels made of sturdy tubes provide the finish for the filling made of resilient bongossi and Douglas fir wood. Thanks to a pass-through in the wooden field, you can easily and quickly supply the horse with feed. Alternatively, variants with a revolving door and a curved front are also available. For a mare with a foal, a two-part revolving door is a good choice, so that the animals can enter the box more easily. Furthermore, eye locks and foot latches increase the safety in the horse stall. These features guarantee you an expedient locking system. In case of unusual stable dimensions, tailor-made solutions can be implemented to suit individual requirements.

The further furnishing of horse stalls

Especially in winter, horses spend a long time in the stable due to frequent bad weather. Therefore, designated areas for eating, drinking and lying down are part of the standard furnishings of a high-quality horse stall. In addition, horses depend on constant access to fresh drinking water, for example in the form of a permanently installed self-watering trough. Furthermore, the furnishings of a horse stall include a large and shatterproof feeding trough with a flat bottom. Horse troughs are very practical for feeding hay to the animals in a safe, hygienic and species-appropriate way. With the feeding troughs you should pay attention to a low feeding height and tightly built bars, so that the horses can in no case get their hooves in between. All furnishings that are used for feeding the horses should be checked daily and cleaned thoroughly. It is not recommended to leave buckets of water or feed standing freely in the stall or hanging loosely. Since horses move around a lot, like to roll and lie down, they quickly get their hooves into the bucket, so it can become a source of danger. In addition, the contents of the bucket spreads throughout the stall and soils it. With a permanently mounted facility, each horse can eat in peace and safety and then find a dry resting place undisturbed.