Stable size - HELP

[bouncing_ball]

Stable size for two horses, one is 16hh and short coupled, other is 17hh and long coupled.

If you had a choice between:

Yard A two stables 11.25 x 12ft in size (I think are standard 12 x 12 outside standard but inside are bit smaller when measure inside after cladding etc).
Winter turnout wet flat clay, can go out everyday but gets very deep and boggy, and miserable, no shelter, no grass, hard to walk in, lost a lot of shoes. Horses both arthritic and hate staying in.

Yard B – two stables one approx. 10ft x 10ft and one approx. 11ft x 12 ft, turnout can be 16 hours over night, or 6 hours day, winter turnout is sandbased, and good. Potential for bigger stables in due course but timescale uncertain.

Are lots of other factors, but the above are key. One horse is compromised, and subject to injuries.
Both fine horses historically fine in 11.25 x 12 stables (which I’d always assumed where bigger until measured).

What would you do?

I do need to measure the stables in yard A to check quoted dimensions are right. Other yards not an option for a range of factors.

Thanks

CL

 

[PorkChop]

Gosh, difficult. In an ideal world, neither, but I realise that is not always realistic.

I would go for the one with the greatest opportunity for turnout, ie best ground, and keep them out as much as possible.

 

[be positive]

If yard 2 genuinely allows overnight turnout all winter then I would go there and just use the boxes for daytime and hope a horse stable became available fairly quickly, 10x10 is a pony box and I would not want even a small 16 hander in one for more than a short period of time.

 

[milliepops]

Gosh, difficult. In an ideal world, neither, but I realise that is not always realistic.

I would go for the one with the greatest opportunity for turnout, ie best ground, and keep them out as much as possible.

This, probably, but 10 x 10 is a very small stable. Can you give hay in the field so they could stay out more in the winter?

i went from 12x12 to 10x12 for a while and it felt very cramped - my bigger horse is 15hh and takes 6'3 rugs for reference, I wouldn't want to have her in a 10 x 10 box for any length of time.

 

[booandellie]

agree with others both stable sizes are way too small and ideally i would find somewhere with bigger boxes but in the short term you have to go with the yard that gives most turnout. I have a stable that is 10x11 and it is advertised as a pony stable . I have had people come and say their horses would be fine in there but quite frankly i couldn't bear to walk passed them everyday seeing them so cramped.

 

[wingedhorse]

I think many stables are built as 12ft by 12ft, and people assume that is what they are, but that is often the outside dimensions, and the inside dimensions are a bit smaller. Anyone who has had to cut or overlap rubber mats will not have a perfect 12 x 12 ft stable.

Measuring a friend's stables at the weekend, having said they were standard 12 x 12 stables, some of them had inlay or claying inside reducing them to 11.25 x 11.33 ft. Others were 11.5 x 11.5ft

None were 12 foot inside.

 

[wingedhorse]

I guess with stable size, I would advise actually measure it, and maybe try horses in space. I've had a horses hate certain stable locations, and they didn't improve. One hated a back stable that faced a wall. Other hated a stable that was in centre row of inside barn at the front, with all open bars.

 

[Casey76]

You're all lucky to have such nice big stables - I don't know of any livery yards in my area that has stables that big!

I consider mine to be "big" for France, and they are 9 x 8.25ft (3 x 2.75m). I moved from a yard where my box was 8.5 x 6.5ft!

 

[booandellie]

You're all lucky to have such nice big stables - I don't know of any livery yards in my area that has stables that big!

I consider mine to be "big" for France, and they are 9 x 8.25ft (3 x 2.75m). I moved from a yard where my box was 8.5 x 6.5ft!

blimin nora, they are shetty size stables at best!

 

[Christmas Crumpet]

At our old house, I had a 16.3hh in a 10 x 10 ft stable as thats all there was. He was absolutely fine in there!! He did go out every day for 12 hours and was ridden every day too but he seemed to rather like his weeny little stable. He could roll and lie down quite happily.

 

[Lammy]

A hunt yard nearby has their horses in 12x9ft stables which makes them rather narrow but all house big stocky hunters over 16.2hh. All seem to cope and can lay down. If the horses are well behaved could you leave doors open and use a stable guard instead so it makes the stable more open?

 

[Goldenstar]

I would go for the yard with the better turnout .

 

[Sparemare]

Turnout every time

 

[dominobrown]

If you can for the yard with turnout and then you would only needs stables in dire weather.

 

[GirlFriday]

Yup, turnout will make most difference.

Stabling will restrict exercise whatever size of box.

 

[mytwofriends]

Definitely yard 2, based on turnout. My horse had a stint in a small stable and was totally fine. I only moved him to a larger one as one came up - I wouldn't have worried otherwise. He's 16.2 with 6'9 rugs.

I'd never again compromise on turnout.

 

[Procrastination]

Not entirely the same but thought it might help for comparisons...my 14hh fell pony has a 9ftx11ft stable over winter. She's in 6ft rugs, the length is fine however width wise it is a bit on the narrow size. She can turn easily but I would like her to have more space!

 

[mariew]

I'd go for turnout, i've been on a yard with clay fields that turned into slop, and my mare actually refused to go out for 2 months, and it's the only time she got mud fever. A slightly bigger stable will then be a much smaller space than a field you can turn out in.

 

[bouncing_ball]

Thanks, actually measuring one is 11 x 11 and other no longer available, but there is a bigger option, maybe for the bigger horse, bit complex.

So think 6ft-6ft3 rug 16hh horse be okay in 11 x 11, and 17hh should get 12 x 12 in due course.

Then 16hh would hopefully eventually move to bigger stable.

Not perfect but probably workable.

 

[abbijay]

I've got a huge (18hh+ heavy horse) so have taken to carrying a tape measure when viewing stables. The number of people who have spoken to me and insisted I view because they've got a "lovely big stable that would be perfect for a big horse" and when I've put a tape on it it is only standard size.
IME very few stables are the size people think they are! I now have a 14x14 that is lovely.