What Is the Right Stall Size for Your Horse?

A 12-foot by 12-foot box stall is recommended for a 1,000-pound horse, according to Penn State Extension. Oregon State University Extension says stalls should be at least 10 by 10 feet and that 12 by 12 feet is better. The guides also give figures for ceilings, doors, partitions, aisles, and ventilation.

If you are building a stable for your equine family or setting up a first stall, start with the floor size, then check the doors and ceiling.

What is the average size of a horse stall?

Penn State Extension's Horse Stall Design fact sheet says "A 12-foot x 12-foot stall is the standard recommendation for a 1,000-pound horse." It adds that "Many stables are successful with stalls slightly smaller than this, but walls less than 10 feet in length are not recommended." The fact sheet is written for "a typical 1,000-pound horse" and says "You should adjust the dimensions for significantly larger stall occupants."

Oregon State's 4-H horse project guide gives a range: "Stalls should be at least 10-by-10 feet; 12-by-12 feet is better."

A 12 by 12 foot stall has 144 square feet of floor and a 10 by 10 foot stall has 100, so the larger one has 44 percent more floor.

How much time the horse spends inside

The horse stall size required for your equine to feel at ease may vary based on its activity level and time spent in the stall. The more time your horse spends indoors, the more space it should have. For those still looking, HorseClicks has horses for sale in Colorado with details on each listing.

Penn State puts it this way: "The more time a horse spends in a stall or the more active it is, a larger stall size is justified." It also says "Larger horses require more square footage than do smaller ponies to be able to turn around, lie down, and get up comfortably." For a rough check of wall length, the fact sheet says "Generally, the stall wall length is 1 1/2 times the horse's length."

Oregon State Extension says "The healthiest equine lifestyle is for the horse to be turned out 24 hours a day, seven days a week." A stall is where a horse stays when it is not outside, and space such as horse pens is one way to give it outside time.

Stalls for mares and foals

Oregon State says "Larger stalls may be needed for foaling." Penn State says "A divider between two standard stalls may be removed to allow more space for a mare and foal or a stall-bound horse."

Ceiling height

Penn State says "Horse barns are commonly built with a ceiling height of 10 to 12 feet with 8 feet being the minimum. A low ceiling not only inhibits air circulation, but also increases the chance that a horse may strike its head." Oregon State says ceilings and doors should be at least 8 to 9 feet high.

Some stables have no ceiling at all. Penn State says that in that case "the minimum height is the clearance to the lowest item on which a horse may strike its head, such as a light fixture or truss bottom chord." For a stable with a ceiling, Penn State gives 8 feet as the minimum height for a ceiling. It also says to position light fixtures at least 8 feet high to minimize contact with the horse.

Doors and partitions

Penn State says "An 8-foot-tall by 4-foot-wide stall doorway opening has been the recommendation for years; although this is not often seen in stables." It continues: "Stall door manufacturers typically supply a doorway opening of slightly over 7 feet with a 42- to 45-inch width," and says "These smaller doorway openings are adequate for horse and handler safety." For the door opening width, Oregon State says stall doors should be 4 feet wide.

On how a door swings, Penn State says "Swing doors should open into the aisle rather than into the stall." For a full-length door it says there should be "less than 3 inches of clearance under them to prevent the horse from getting a hoof or leg stuck." Oregon State says "Never lock stall doors."

Penn State says "An 8-foot-high stall partition is standard. Partition height needs to be at least 7 1/2 feet to prevent horses from getting legs over the wall. Most horses can kick as high as 7 feet." Oregon State gives walls between stalls as at least 7 feet high, with the bottom 5 feet allowed to be solid and slats or screens above.

Aisles

Oregon State says "Barn aisles should be at least 8 feet wide with nonslip surfaces." Penn State's ventilation guide says "It is not uncommon for the stable's working aisle to be breezy and well-ventilated while the stalls suffer from stuffy conditions."

Ventilation

Penn State's ventilation guide says "Provide 4 to 8 air changes per hour to reduce mold spore contamination, minimize condensation, and reduce moisture, odor, and ammonia accumulation." It gives a guideline of "at least 1 square foot of opening into its stall" for each stabled horse, even in the coldest weather, and says the best place for that opening is the eave, where the wall meets the roof.

For a 12 by 12 foot box stall, the same guide says "sufficient openings would be a 3 x 2 1/2 feet open window for 5 percent opening or 4 x 3 1/2 feet open window (or top of Dutch door) for 10 percent opening." If a stable has a ceiling, the guide says "position it no less than 12 feet above the floor to allow air circulation."

Penn State's stall design sheet says "For natural lighting, provide a minimum of 4 square feet of window space in each stall." Both guides tell horse keepers to keep hay out of the roof space over the stalls: Penn State says "Storing hay and bedding over the top of the stalls is not recommended," and Oregon State says "Store hay and bedding in a separate building from the stalls."

Bedding and flooring

Penn State's stall design sheet says "Sufficient bedding helps prevent sores or abrasions." On hard floors it says "Some of the hardness of concrete and other unyielding materials can be overcome by using rubber mats or deep bedding." Oregon State says "Mats provide enough cushion for the horse that you need only enough bedding to soak up urine," and "Clean manure and wet bedding out of stalls once a day."

Penn State's flooring guide says "A well-bedded stall will have less odor problem since the urine is more readily absorbed into the bedding."

A stall also needs choices about flooring, lighting, and feed storage, which come up in horse stall design.

When you take the time to ensure that your steed has a comfortable box stall, it shows everyone around you that you're a horse lover as much as the clothes you wear to display your enthusiasm for everything equine.

FAQ

Does a horse need a barn?

Oregon State says "A simple shed is adequate shelter." It says "Shelter is one of the basic requirements for horses, mainly to protect them from wind and give them a place out of the rain to dry off." It adds that "If you need a more controlled environment, a barn is a good option."

Should stall partitions be solid or barred?

Oregon State says the bottom 5 feet of a wall between stalls may be solid, with slats or screens above. Penn State's ventilation guide lists "Open grillwork on top of front and side stall partitions" among the ways to improve airflow, and says "solid washable partitions between stalls may be desirable" for isolation stalls and specialized buildings such as veterinary practices and some high-traffic breeding facilities. Where a stall needs more protection, solid partitions are the option those guides name.

Can hay and bedding be stored above the stalls?

Penn State says storing hay and bedding over the top of the stalls is not recommended. Its ventilation guide says that if hay and bedding must be stored overhead, it should be built over the work aisle so the stall has no ceiling.

Sources

• Penn State Extension, Horse Stall Design
• Penn State Extension, Horse Stable Ventilation
• Penn State Extension, Horse Stable Flooring Materials and Drainage
• Oregon State University Extension, 4-H horse project