Moomin1
Well-Known Member
Out of general interest, wondering what people's thoughts are on keeping top doors shut on stables when horses are in at night?
Shutting top doors in stable..
- Thread starter Moomin1
- Start date
amandap
Well-Known Member
One of my (many lol) pet hates I'm afraid. 
Air flow stifled, horse can't see out, etc. etc. etc.
I don't have stables anymore but the last stable doors I had I removed the top ones.
Air flow stifled, horse can't see out, etc. etc. etc.I don't have stables anymore but the last stable doors I had I removed the top ones.
thewonderhorse
Well-Known Member
No no no no no. They need ventilation and to be able to see what's going on IMO. Even if my horse was a type to try and jump out I'd rather have a full grille up than shut the top door
3Beasties
Well-Known Member
I don't understand why you would shut them tbh!
justabob
Well-Known Member
I suppose it depends if wind and rain are blowing in on a stormy night, I personally would not shut the top door. My horse is stabled in a barn so it is not an option. I went to a very well known trainers yard in the summer and every top door was shut from 5pm.
amandap
Well-Known Member
Now I know why I'm not a top trainer.
VioletStripe
Well-Known Member
Don't like. Reduces both ventilation and something for the horse to do to keep itself occupied!
justabob
Well-Known Member
LaurenBay
Well-Known Member
Have done in the past. Didn't like it but had to be done. My old YO bought some weanlings. They had never been seperated and were sharing a stable. When the time came to put them in seperate stables (starting to argue over food) one kept jumping out. Twice we got there to find the filly injured. They both had grills on the side of their stables to see into the next stable though, so they still had Horsey companionship. After 4 nights of doing it. Both are now fine and top doors open.
Honey08
Waffled a lot!
I do it quite often in winter. If you live in a low, sheltered area with lots of trees and protection, I can see that you never need to shut doors. In more exposed areas its a different story, and doesn't quite fit into text books!
Our stables face out to open countryside and up to the hills and moors. Luckily, most of the weather comes from behind the stables, so the doors stay open, but if the wind is coming from the North and especially if it is driving rain or snow, I always shut them. There are louvre boards on each stable, and at each end, plus an inch gap under the bottom door and between the top and bottom doors. The roof is high, and there are gaps between each stable at about 10' high to the apex, so there is air moving all the time. Even with the doors shut there are draughts when its windy. We still end up with snowdrifts in the stables if it blows hard enough, even with the doors shut! All our stables have good windows that the horses use when the doors are shut. They aren't remotely bothered.
My friend's yard is on the hill above us, and she has to shut top doors nearly every night. She learned to do this when the wind blew into the stables and blew the roof off!
Our stables face out to open countryside and up to the hills and moors. Luckily, most of the weather comes from behind the stables, so the doors stay open, but if the wind is coming from the North and especially if it is driving rain or snow, I always shut them. There are louvre boards on each stable, and at each end, plus an inch gap under the bottom door and between the top and bottom doors. The roof is high, and there are gaps between each stable at about 10' high to the apex, so there is air moving all the time. Even with the doors shut there are draughts when its windy. We still end up with snowdrifts in the stables if it blows hard enough, even with the doors shut! All our stables have good windows that the horses use when the doors are shut. They aren't remotely bothered.
My friend's yard is on the hill above us, and she has to shut top doors nearly every night. She learned to do this when the wind blew into the stables and blew the roof off!
Foxhunter49
Well-Known Member
Barn situation here so it does not arise. They do have large windows at the back of the stables so they can look out and these are shut when the weather is blowing straight through and at nights in the winter. There is good air circulation in both barns.
The only time I have shut top doors when I have had them, is if the weather is blowing straight into the stables.
The only time I have shut top doors when I have had them, is if the weather is blowing straight into the stables.
Moomin1
Well-Known Member
All reasons for shutting top doors I've seen here I would agree are valid and reasonable given the circumstances.
I was wondering what people thought of just generally shutting the top door in normal conditions, as it is now in most of england/wales - ie 10 degrees ish, bit of rain, bit of wind etc etc.
I have shut the top door on my old horse twice, when he lived in the Welsh mountains and was on the side of a valley with the snow being blown into his stable. I hated doing it but it was necessary, and for his immediate welfare.
I was wondering what people thought of just generally shutting the top door in normal conditions, as it is now in most of england/wales - ie 10 degrees ish, bit of rain, bit of wind etc etc.
I have shut the top door on my old horse twice, when he lived in the Welsh mountains and was on the side of a valley with the snow being blown into his stable. I hated doing it but it was necessary, and for his immediate welfare.
Littlelegs
Well-Known Member
No, I think its pretty horrid being shut in. Some of the reasons listed so far I can understand, if the horse has a window or grill etc & ventilation. But just shutting the top door on your average stable? No. If its cold, just stick another rug on.
Dizzydancer
Well-Known Member
In normal conditions i doubt you could find a good reason.
My yards stables are in a U shape with a barn on the open side so wind blocked in all directions to a degree. And then every stable has an over hang off the roof which stops rain and snow but ponies can still have heads out. So have never needed to use top door- o except to keep a couple of stray dogs in overnight!
My yards stables are in a U shape with a barn on the open side so wind blocked in all directions to a degree. And then every stable has an over hang off the roof which stops rain and snow but ponies can still have heads out. So have never needed to use top door- o except to keep a couple of stray dogs in overnight!
touchstone
Well-Known Member
My neighbour used to do this if it was a bit wet and windy (it never blew in the boxes) with rugged hardy types. I did them for her one morning and the ammonia stench and humidity was terrible.
I had a box which did used to have snow/rain blow in in bad conditions, I solved it by sawing a quarter of the width off the top door which meant the horse could still get their head out, allowed air in and only a tiny bit of weather blew in. My current stable doesn't have a top door.
I had a box which did used to have snow/rain blow in in bad conditions, I solved it by sawing a quarter of the width off the top door which meant the horse could still get their head out, allowed air in and only a tiny bit of weather blew in.
My current stable doesn't have a top door.
pansymouse
Well-Known Member
Someone did it to my horse once in a vile storm and he got so distressed by the morning the stable looked like a poughed field
Crosshill Pacers
Well-Known Member
Same here. When the weather was a lot better at night, I was leaving the top doors open, but it's not great with us at the moment. The rain blows towards the stables more often than not, and the wind last night was unbelievable. Our row of stables are at the back of a big open shed, with a gap between the adjoining wall and the roof. The stables have partitions between them at about 5 1/2 feet, so the horses can see over into each other and there's plenty of air space as the roof is on a slant. There's also a couple of inches gap between the outside wall and the roof, probably because the whole shed is about 200 years old!
It's never caused my lot any problems
usernamepending
Well-Known Member
Is the horse shutting its self a valid reason?! Put her in at night and she has got it down to a fine art! Pushes it up with her nose so the catch come undone then pulls it shut!
It's rediculous but I'm not going to stop her if she feels the need to have it shut, bless her. Even if I Tied it back she would probably find a way!
She is a funny one but got to love her derranged ways
Put her in at night and she has got it down to a fine art! Pushes it up with her nose so the catch come undone then pulls it shut! It's rediculous but I'm not going to stop her if she feels the need to have it shut, bless her. Even if I Tied it back she would probably find a way!
She is a funny one but got to love her derranged ways
tallyho!
Following a strict mediterranean diet...
Top doors were invented for a reason.. So you can shut them if necessary. Sometimes it's necessary, most of the time it is not.
Thing is, if you built your own yard to your own design, you probably wouldn't build top doors in... However, lots of livery yards were old studs or working yards where shutting tops doors were necessary when walking stallions past, or horses needed to be protected from the odd lunger.
I know a situation where a groom forgot to shut the door of a stallions stable when bringing another in. All hell broke loose, they fought over the stable doors smashing it to pieces, horses were injured, groom was in hospital... Carnage. A very sorry situation easily avoided by just shutting the top door momentarily.
Top doors are really useful but I would never shut a horse in like that unless I really needed to.
The farm now does not have top doors and all horses can touch each other over a wall... This would horrify some people but it works for us.
Thing is, if you built your own yard to your own design, you probably wouldn't build top doors in... However, lots of livery yards were old studs or working yards where shutting tops doors were necessary when walking stallions past, or horses needed to be protected from the odd lunger.
I know a situation where a groom forgot to shut the door of a stallions stable when bringing another in. All hell broke loose, they fought over the stable doors smashing it to pieces, horses were injured, groom was in hospital... Carnage. A very sorry situation easily avoided by just shutting the top door momentarily.
Top doors are really useful but I would never shut a horse in like that unless I really needed to.
The farm now does not have top doors and all horses can touch each other over a wall... This would horrify some people but it works for us.
milliepops
Wears headscarf aggressively
At my old (very exposed) yard we had galebreaker blinds which we could pull down if needed, rather than a top door. They were excellent-kept the weather out but maintained ventilation and the horses could still see out. I'd have them in a heartbeat if I was designing my own place.
LaurenBay
Well-Known Member
Heres a photo, you will see what I mean by grills. One filly was inbetween my mare and another and the other filly had a little gelding next to her.
lachlanandmarcus
Well-Known Member
We are on top of a hill in the foothills of the Cairngorms and the weather comes straight at us. We have a mini barn with exterior top doors plus the interior full split doors.
One side is west facing so gets the south westerlys pretty head on - blizzards and horrendous damgerous gales. So we do close the top exterior door then on that side - BUT when we specd the stables we had the option of having window inserts in those doors, so altho the window is shut, Madam can still see out. TBH when it gets as bad as it gets here, she is very grateful for the dryness and also the quietness she gets when the window is closed- the noise of the crashing howling wind is very tiring! And we can get 4 to 5 feet of snow by her stable, Id rather it stayed outside)
Also ventilation is very good as it is a portal framed mini barn and also in gales the air pushes its way in very effectively through the ventilators high in the roof and under the sliding front door etc.
However we are in the unusual extreme here! I would say that 'down south' which includes most of UK I couldnt see a reason for closing a top door and that if I had to do it I would have a grille made up to close instead. Certainly should never be routine, if it is a grille should be used instead - it wouldnt comply with the welfare code/5 freedoms guidelines for horses if it were used as a matter of course and without specific justification.
One side is west facing so gets the south westerlys pretty head on - blizzards and horrendous damgerous gales. So we do close the top exterior door then on that side - BUT when we specd the stables we had the option of having window inserts in those doors, so altho the window is shut, Madam can still see out. TBH when it gets as bad as it gets here, she is very grateful for the dryness and also the quietness she gets when the window is closed- the noise of the crashing howling wind is very tiring! And we can get 4 to 5 feet of snow by her stable, Id rather it stayed outside
) Also ventilation is very good as it is a portal framed mini barn and also in gales the air pushes its way in very effectively through the ventilators high in the roof and under the sliding front door etc.
However we are in the unusual extreme here! I would say that 'down south' which includes most of UK I couldnt see a reason for closing a top door and that if I had to do it I would have a grille made up to close instead. Certainly should never be routine, if it is a grille should be used instead - it wouldnt comply with the welfare code/5 freedoms guidelines for horses if it were used as a matter of course and without specific justification.
PandorasJar
Well-Known Member
In first stable with youngster I did. As was in a barn and side barred next to another horse. So wasn't particularly enclosed.
Normal stable no. For littlun who proved she can jump, always a grill. Does the same job but she can see out and has air flowing
Normal stable no. For littlun who proved she can jump, always a grill. Does the same job but she can see out and has air flowing
BWa
Well-Known Member
I don't have a split door as my stable is a converted, brick building. It has a large door with a chain across if he is in during the day and it is shut if he is at night or the hunt are going past! It is a large building split to also contain my tack room, feed area and it has a high roof so I'm not worried about ventilation. At the moment he is only in when the weather is really awful but he has managed fine for the two previous winters.
rockysmum
Well-Known Member
When I had my own place I built the stables myself. They were sheltered until the wind shifted one particular way and this nearly always brought snow. After finding a snowdrift at the back of my stables I made some top doors with a wood frame and mesh in the middle. They allowed airflow but stopped the snow blowing in.
Only time they were shut was when snow was forecast.
Only time they were shut was when snow was forecast.
angellauren
Well-Known Member
I don't like the idea of it but I've done it. My New Forest is renowned for it unfortunately. He was born in the New Forest, put in a barn where there was no escape for a while and then when he reached me at 10 months old, he lived out until he was 3 1/2 years old until he went to be backed where they were stabled 24/7 but worked each day, he didn't jump out once. I brought him home to a new yard now as I needed somewhere with facilities but within 3 days I moved him to the yard up the road as we were both unhappy at the new place, he'd got his legs stuck over his door for the first time here. At the second new yard he just wouldn't stay in from then on, so he had his top door closed overnight for about 4 - 6 weeks before he figured out that if he stayed put he could look out. I worry that he wasn't weaned properly, if another horse left the yard, he'd be scrambling over the door, he has such terrible separation anxiety! He's fine now really but he'll field hop and things at his loan home at the moment but they deal with it, it's not a problem really anymore, it's just part of who he is. He enjoys being in his stable though, he won't go out if the weather isn't good enough.. I'll never know why he still does it!
AmyMay
Situation normal
We have had to do it very occasionally in high winds. I don't like doing it. But it's better than the roofs being blown off.