Making a stable/pen out of gates - anyone?

[Sameru]

Just wondering if anyone does this and any advice on if you cover the gates or just leave them exposed.

It is a temporary solution to add on an internal box into what is current hay storage area.

 

[pintoarabian]

I recently did this when my four month old foal underwent colic surgery and had to have restricted movement for 6 weeks. She is normally loose in a very large ban with he dam and her dam's best friend so I had to come up with something. I have 4 wheeled gates so they are fairly substantial and stable. I tied them together to stop the mare and foal pushing them apart. I rigged them up on 3 sides, also using the barn wall to make an effective box. They both stayed in it for 6 weeks quite happily before returning to the whole barn. I didn't cover the gates. It was an effective 'quick fix' to solve a problem and it worked extremely well.

 

[Sameru]

Exactly what I was after, thanks so much.

 

[AdorableAlice]

I would advise covering the gates.

A cheap, easy and temporary way to prevent legs going through is the plastic mesh commonly seen on road works. It can be purchased in Wickes or B&Q. I double it over and the standard roll is exactly the same depth as a five or six bar gate. I use plastic cable ties to secure it to the gate.

 

[Sameru]

Would you mind getting me a link for the mesh? Thanks

 

[lizness]

You could put stockboard which is plastic sheeting on the gates. You can get it from builders merchants

 

[AdorableAlice]

Would you mind getting me a link for the mesh? Thanks

I am ancient ! computor skills very basic.

Google B and Q, put in plastic mesh fencing in their search items box, that will bring you a picture of the mesh I use. Rolls of 10m x 1m cost £12.98.

 

[lachlanandmarcus]

heres the link

http://www.diy.com/nav/garden/fenci...ncing-Orange-10m-x-1m-11987880?skuId=12498586

 

[hayinamanger]

Just a word about the type of gates you use. Do your gates have horizontal bars only? These are the safest. Gates which have additional diagonal bars can be quite dangerous for horses, they can get a leg/foot stuck in the sharp angles at the corners. Covering this type of gate would be essential.

 

[JillA]

I knew someone who lost a lovely youngster because he tried and failed to jump the gates forming his pen, caught and irreparably damaged a leg. If you can't find an alternative, please either cover the gates as suggested above, or use something too high for them to jump, such as round pen panels. Metal gates are very very dangerous (all mine used as field gates are coveren in weldmesh), wooden ones less so as they will break but they are expensive.

 

[Irishbabygirl]

I've done this in the past as you can make some really nice, roomy boxes out of them in a barn for instance, but the gates were always covered in wood - its just not worth risking a leg or two!

 

[pintoarabian]

The ones I used are horizontal, tubular bars, no diagonals for trapping legs and 5' high.

 

[JillA]

The ones I used are horizontal, tubular bars, no diagonals for trapping legs and 5' high.

That was what my friends horse had. Tried to jump, caught a leg between two rails and the momentum of his jump took him over while the leg stayed between the rails. There is a lot of leverage there.

 

[wowser]

cant ya use electric fenceing and posts i've just done this it worked for mine

 

[muckypony]

That was what my friends horse had. Tried to jump, caught a leg between two rails and the momentum of his jump took him over while the leg stayed between the rails. There is a lot of leverage there.

Ughh this gave me shivers, how awful!!

 

[Dry Rot]

That was what my friends horse had. Tried to jump, caught a leg between two rails and the momentum of his jump took him over while the leg stayed between the rails. There is a lot of leverage there.

That is exactly what jftd's Darach did here when he was first weaned and put into my field shelter. You wouldn't have thought a young foal would have attempted to jump a standard steel stock gate, but he did! Then got his leg caught as above. Fortunately, no harm done -- except to the gate which was bent!

I have since extended all the gates upwards by sandwiching the gate between pieces of 75mm x 30mm rail and bolting the two together. Two boards are screwed to these uprights extending the gate upwards. I have also lined the gates with cheap ply using self taping screws (the ones used for securing box section roof sheeting).

Pictures at http://www.morrichhighlandponies.co.uk/newprojects.htm Scroll to the bottom of the page.

I also fixed gate hinges into the inside corner of the block walls of my barn so I can hang a couple of gates in there to make a box if I need to.

 

[Pinkatc]

My horses lived in 'temporary' stables in a big barn using metal 5 bar gates for 3 years. They were absolutely fine, we lined them with plywood so there was a windbreak when they were laid down.

 

[kiteman0]

To make stables in my barn I use gates but I use ply/chip board and screw them on with tex screws.
There's no chance of them getting a keg Cought

 

[Sparkles]

Yep. Means they get to live in a pen that's at least twice as big as a stable or however big you want to make it. None of them seem to mind.

If you can plywood it or cover it, then that's ideal But like someone else said - horizontal bars are best.

 

[mynutmeg]

Our yard owner used giant straw bales to make a big pen for a mare and foal.

 

[flirtygerty]

We have strong metal gates usually to contain cattle, it does mean I can double the stable area if I need to and have solid metal cattle gates to close the barn off from the fields, I currently use old rugs over the gates to stop draughts but intend putting a windproof plastic sheeting over the gates for the draughts, a more permament solution.

 

[smellsofhorse]

After seeing what a fellow horse did on our yard if you had to do this cover them with wood.
(like a linning within the gates secured by screws)

The horse in question was an extra at the yard so no stable availible, he was in the barn with a gate at the end.
He got his leg through between two bars, tried to pull it out and sliced a huge chunk of skin down to the bone soo it was just flapping at the bottom.
Huge mess, loads of blood, long box rest.


luckily he survived but now has a very big scar!

so be careful!

 

[FfionWinnie]

I would cover with plywood not any kind of mesh or plastic.

I have done it in an emergency with weld mesh gates but its really not ideal.