About Horse Stables

Horse stables can range from a pole barn with metal siding to a large special made barn. The loft can be converted to a living apartment with a staircase leading to it. Stables should provide ventilation, and be designed well with good floors and stalls. The hundreds of riding stables in the United States provide well-mannered horses for the public to ride. 

Ventilation

Stables should have high roofs, cupolas and exhaust fans to ventilate the stable. High roofs allow the air to rise from the stall area. A low roof will keep the air closed in, which makes the barn hot and uncomfortable. The cupola and exhaust fan draw the hot air from the barn and make the air cooler. 

Stall Size

The standard size of a stall is 12-feet by 12-feet for a 1000-pound horse. It should be 1.5 times longer than the horse. The standard height for stalls is 8 feet. Some horses can kick as high as 7 feet. The recommended door opening is 8-feet high, to keep the horse from jumping over the wall. The recommended doorway width is 4 feet.  

Roofs and Exterior

The roofs and exterior should be painted a light color to reflect heat. The roof should be insulated to keep the building cooler. The height of the barn can be 10 to 12 feet, but there are also some 8-feet high barns. Most floors are dirt floors.

Horse stables are often built with swinging and sliding doors are common. It can be the two paneled-Dutch door or be a solid door