There are many things to consider when choosing a horse stable for you and your horse. Make sure the stables have plenty of land, because horses need large areas, as they need both pastures and areas where they can exercise and be trained. You should also make sure there are other horses stabled there since horses are herd animals that need social contact with other horses.

Respiratory problems. Horses are adapted to live in the wild, so it is very unnatural for them to live inside of a building where spores, mites and dust can be found. The manure produces high levels of ammonia which adds to the stress on the horses’ respiratory systems. All these factors cause the abundance of respiratory problems among horses. To combat these issues you should choose a stable with a high ceiling, good ventilation and a relatively low temperature.

Inside the stable. Today horses are in most cases kept in box stalls. This lets them move around and lie down if they want to. Make sure your horse gets a box stall that is big enough for your horse.

In nature horses eat from the ground and that is what their bodies are adapted to. That is why the hay should be served on the floor. However, when eating grain and pelleted feeds, the horse wants to spread it out and sort it before eating, and that is why the box stall should have a manger.  Water is best served either from a bucket or a waterer.

Apart from the box stall, you need a place for shoeing and grooming. This place should be warmer than the cooler box stall since this is where humans will spend a lot of time. Horse stables should also have a shower stall where you can wash off your horse. It should ideally be situated close to the front stable door to facilitate good ventilation. A separate room for food storage is also a must. The last mandatory room in the stable you choose is the tack room. That is where you can store all your equipment, like saddles for example, to make sure they dry up and stay in a good condition between usage.

Alternative types of stables. Apart from the conventional horse stables I have descried above, there are alternative types of stables. Two of the most common alternatives are outdoor box stalls and loose housing. The outdoor box stall is a box stall that is placed outside in the fresh air. Loose housing means that a group of horses live together in and outside of an open shed. They can walk in and out as they please, thereby giving both shelter and fresh air, as well as social interaction with other horses.

Stable safety. Fire in a stable is a horrible thing and should be avoided at all costs. To minimize the risk of fire you should choose horse stables where:

* The building is sectionalized into smaller spaces. This will decrease the risk of the fire spreading.
* Smoking is strictly banned.
* The electric appliances are approved for usage in stables.
* Walls and ceiling are made of fireproof materials.
* Special ventilation installed in the ceiling can let the smoke out.
* Powder extinguishers and RCDs are available.

 

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