10ft by 10ft stable?

K

kat2290

Well-Known Member
Joined
4 September 2012
Messages
645
Visit site
Does anybody have a 10ft x 10ft stable? If so what size pony (or horse?!?!) do you have? This is probably a long shot but if anybody has any pics showing their pony in the stable that would be fab! :D

I've just had some land dug out ready to be built on but due to our field being on a slope and a lot of tree roots the area hasn't ended up being as big as I would have liked :( The total area I have is 18ft x 11ft for a box plus a hay/feed store.

It is unlikely the box will end up being 10x10 but I'm just wondering if it would be an acceptable worst case scenario...it is also the cheapest scenario :rolleyes:

Hopefully the box will be 11ft wide, and either 11ft or 12ft long depending how much space I want to leave for my hay and feed. Would 6ftx11ft be adequate?

At present I only have my two minis so whatever I build will be more than big enough for them but I am trying to think ahead as there is a possibility I may get a big pony / small horse at some point in the future.

I wrote a similar post not too long ago but hadn't had the land dug out then and wasn't sure what I would be able to achieve size wise... so I would once again appreciate opinions now I have a definite area :)
 
I think a 10x10 is really suitable for up to 15h, ponies really. However while the planning dept were messing about we ended up having to put my 16h horse in a 10x10 for a winter. She was fine, however she is a sensible type that knew she couldn't roll etc. She did lie down. I wouldn't like to risk my husband's horse in one - he would definitely get stuck, and I was glad when we moved my mare into her proper 14x12 stable!

As for the haystore, depends how much hay you need to get in it. 6x11 should be find for a good dustbins of feed, a few rugs and a few bales, but you're not going to get a winter supply in it..
 
Thanks for your advice! It's so hard to imagine what a proper horse would look like standing inside the space I've got marked out. My minis are swamping my imagination lol!

Its also hard trying to make something future proof when I have no idea what I might have in the future. I worry that I am putting too much emphasis on what I might have, when in reality I may never end up getting a horse at all! I would just hate to be in the position in a couple of years where I could buy/loan my own horse and end up thinking "if only I'd made the stable 2ft bigger"....

Arghhhhh!!
 
I had Olive (15.1 h/w cob) in a 10x11 for a year. I didn't even think she would fit in but she was more than happy. She slept laying down and everything so she wasn't bothered. The stable had a 16h in there before her. I know it is a foot bigger but she really was as happy as larry in there and I think she would have been even without that extra foot.
 
I don't have a photo and left the yard now but my horse was on box rest in his normal 12x12 stable but during the day he was very unhappy alone up there so the y/o suggested I put him in my daughters ponies box for the day which was 10x10 maximum. He was the happiest id ever known him, totally chilled.
tbh weirdly he looked ok in it- not ideal but we ended up leaving him there as he obviously preferred it.
He's 15.2 TB
 
That is another possibility Faracat, or maybe an 11x11 box and 7x11 feed room...I think that could be a good compromise providing I can use the full area ok.

Another question, what do people who have mobile stables on skids do about keeping the weather out at the bottom or is it not really a problem? I'm thinking of putting stable mats straight on top of the ground but not sure how well this would work?
 
We have two mobile stables which are on skids, but we have pallets in them and hay and straw stored in them, so we don't have to keep the weather out. If I was to use them for regular stables, I'm not sure what I would do, perhaps board down the gap, or more probably, put a row of bricks down and make them permanent!

Edited to add, a layer or two of paving slabs under the mats would probably do the trick really well Faracat.

I think go for as bigger stable as you can. You never know whats around the corner, and if nothing else it would make your house more saleable to have a bigger stable and you can fit more hay etc in it if not!
 
I would love to put a course of bricks down but I'm trying to avoid planning :(

If I did go down the planning route I still have a bit of a dilemma as we can't get a wagon close enough to pour or pump the concrete in. It would mean barrowing it up, don't fancy that and would require a lot of people to help! My idea to get round this would be to just make a concrete outline (just underneath the four walls) and then I could lay a course of bricks on top of that, much less concrete to get up the hill and cheaper. I think having a solid base is the best option long term but I can't really be bothered with the whole planning side...it's such a slog! Having it on steel skids seems like a good alternative
 
I have a 12 x 10 field shelter. My 15h cob was stabled in it overnight for 3 years, then my 15.3h ArabX for a year so far. To be honest I wish it was bigger. They do cope in it, but if they have to stay in during the day if the weather is really severe it does seem a little small. Also, means if you have a jumpy/nervous horse, it is difficult to muck out whilst they are still in it.
We are on clay soil, I tried rubber mats on the ground the first year - complete nightmare, ended up with a floor you could use for a roller coaster ride. Now I have road plannings underneath the rubber mats, and that's much better.
 
ive had my 17.3hh in an 11ft by 11ft for over a year now....doesnt roll but can lie down very comfortably
odd horse doesnt like a bigger stable...shes a bit agoraphobic
 
I had a chunky ID mare in a 10 x 10 one winter, she was turned out in the day and shut in at night, she was fine, they soon learn to turn round slowly and she would lie down diagonally.
 
My problem with small boxes for bigger horses is they dont move around a lot due to space limitations and you end up with filled stable legs, also the bed is dirtier due to less space. For a pony it would be fine.
 
Thanks for the replies! Think I have decided to go with an 11x11 plus a 7x11 store, this seems like a good compromise.

The next debate is whether to get planning permission and build in on a course of bricks or just to get it on skids...or to live on the wild side and apply for planning retrospectively!
 
This is a great thread as I am in a similar position. If I want bigger stables I will need to move out into the field and apply for the dreaded pp or I can stay within the garden but 10 x 10 would be my max stable size. Want to keep a couple of 13.2 native ponies so this thread is really cheering as I have always had 12 x 12 boxes before. The problem we have is that the ground is on a slope so the levels are going to be horrendous to work with - anyone had experience of putting a stable yard on a slope?
 
I saw a picture of a company who had done 3 loose boxes on a slope...can't think which company it was though! But basically they were just stepped, so each box was about 2 or 3ft higher than the one below it. They must have had to dig out three separate flat areas I guess... Ill see if I can find the pic!
 
We have mobile stables, my 16.2 is in a 11 by 10 stable and daughters pony in 10 by 9 and they both fit fine. The partition between them is low enough for my mare to put her head over and I think this helps. We have a good layer of wood chips under rubber matting as our base and it worked great last winter even though the grou d was really wet in the fielx the stables were dry. We put one slab at by the door as this is the place that gets the most ware and thats worked well.
 
We've had 13.2h ponies in smaller than 10x10. I wouldn't even think twice about putting ponies in a 10x10.

OP, the other options with your portables and gaps under the edges is to have the rubber mats curl up at the end (tack them onto the walls?).

Re concrete, we did our old pony stables ourself in stages with a concrete mixer, doing smaller square blocks bit by bit. Took a bit longer than the big horse yard that had a lorry come in, but it worked.
 
Yeah was thinking something along those lines honey...or putting a damp proof membrane on the bottom and tacking it up the inside walls and then rubber mats on top...but not sure about that idea because where would urine etc drain to? I imagine it would just pool on top of the membrane which doesn't sound ideal...
 
I think the best idea so far is a couple of levels of concrete garden flags with mats on top - the urine should drain down the gaps in the flags pretty well, or fill it with road planings and put mats on? That drains well. The gaps under two sides of the skids are quite a few inches on ours.
 
A friend of mine, who had mobile stables, put down a layer of sharp sand, then paving flags , then rubber matting on top. She says that it worked really well and the drainage is perfect. If you do that the planners can't accuse you of putting down a permanent base. B****** planners they always make life more difficult!
 
I rang the planners this morning and was told if its on skids it doesn't need permission but only if it gets craned in to position!!! If it is built on site, even if its built on skids, it is then classed as development and requires permission!!! Pah what a load boohawky! How would they know if it was craned on to site or not?! Surely you could just lie...unless they want to actually see it happen but surely not?

I'm in the Lake District national park which makes them a bit more pedantic *sigh*
 
10 X 10 stables are fine for anything under 15.2hh. I have 10 X 12 boxes and they are roomy enough for 16.2hh's; anything over 16.2hh would probably appreciate 12 X 12, but horses can manage fine in smaller spaces.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top