Have you built your own stables? We want to hear your thoughts and experiences...

[H&H website editor]

Have you built your own stables? If so, the H&H editorial team would love to know if there’s anything you wish you’d done differently while constructing them? Equally, are there any things you've included that you now really can't live without? Please reply below or email gemma.redrup@futurenet.com for the chance to feature in an Horse & Hound article. Thank you.

 

[Peglo]

We built a “GP” shed so I do have to share half with my OH unfortunately. It’s a 60x40 steel structure, blocked half way up and wooden boards the rest of the way.

My stables are made from wood that my OH built and they are open and airy.

We put windows in each stall so they can look outside but TBH we rarely use them and they are usually shut. 2 of the windows open onto a small paddock and if I was doing it again I would make them doors and either have an outdoor run each or just open onto the paddock.

We put in big wooden doors so bigger vehicles could get in if need be. Because of the size of the gap it meant the stalls were limited to a certain width. If I could change it I would make the doors smaller (or put at the other end of the shed) so my stables could be bigger.

Otherwise I’m very content with my stables and horses seem happy.

 

[ElleSkywalkingintheair]

I extended stables at previous house, so went from two 12x12 and one 12x16 with one tack room to two tackrooms, four 12x12, one 12x16 and an extra 12x12 grooming/washing/tack up area with electric and water that could in a pinch be used as a stable too. The stables were a corner shape with the grooming area doubling as a path to the field.

Extras I had and loved were my three way Shetland door meaning my Shetland could see out but the extra bit could also be closed to be used for larger horses, individual light switches for each stable, windows in the back wall diagonally opposite to the door to help with with air flow and taps in the main tackroom and grooming area. I also made sure the stable doors opened to make it easier to lead horses out and through the grooming area to the field, meaning some opened to the left, and others to the right.

An extra I had but now I've moved I've not rushed to replace are drinkers. I had them with individual taps meaning they could be turned off if the stables were empty or if I knew frost was coming, but the horses just loved to itch on them and I was in constant fear of them pulling them off the walls. I'd purposely chosen large drinkers incase it did freeze, but that would just have meant the flooding was even more! Luckily they never did pull any off the walls but it's certainly a consideration.

Extras I'd have loved and still plan to get are a stable heater in one stable to use after winter baths, and fans in all stables for hot summers, also cameras in each stable.

The tiny pony door with a little visitor demonstrating it's also useful for little people too