Layout

All our barns have loose boxes which measure 4.5 m x 4.5 m (square) except for foaling/mare & foal boxes which measure 5m X 5m. Each stall has one door opening into the aisle and one door opening to outside. The side of the stall on the aisle has horizontal bars on the top half and the sides of the stall have wire mesh on the top half, so our horses can see each other & socialize, but not hurt each other. The back wall of the stall is solid, with the door and a window, the window if fitted with metal bars for safety. The bottom half of all the walls has sturdy and safe kicking boards. The floor of the stalls is roughened concrete and has a good draining system. All our stalls have excellent ventilation.

Bedding

All our floors are covered with rubber matting and we bed with wheat straw, shredded paper or aubiose (new product). We keep our horses on the semi-deep litter system, which we find is the most warm & comfortable for the horse whilst being economical and time saving for us. This is where we remove the soiled and wet bedding as well as droppings and top up the bed with fresh bedding. Then, once a week, all the bedding is removed and the floor hosed down and dried. We then the new is put down and the procedure repeats. We always bank up the bedding at the side of the stall for comfort and to prevent horses getting cast, and we provide a deep bed so our horse are in maximum care and safety.

Fittings

Our boxes are all fitted with rings to tie horses and hay bags (safer than hay nets), a manger (low, to provide the most natural eating position) and water bucket hooks, which prevent water buckets on the ground from tipping over. We use buckets instead of automatic waterers because we can see how mush the horse is drinking and nothing can go wrong. The stalls are well lit, with lights in each stall which can be brightness adjusted, but are well out of the horses and there is a skylight plastic/glass (very safe) to let in the natural light.

The Aisle

The aisle is the main area of the stable. It is fitted with rings and outside each stall there is a hook for their headstall and lead and a whiteboard which contains there feeding and exercise info for that day as well as any changes or problems with the horse. This helps to keep us up to date with everything thats happening with our horses!! Here, horses are groomed, tacked up, moved etc. On nice days, these activities may also happen in the outside aisle, which is between the barns. It is nice to breathe the fresh air while grooming sometimes and I think the horses like the change of scenery too!!

The Tack Room

In each barn there is two tack rooms and an office. The feed shed is separate. 

Other

The top half of the door into the aisle is kept open unless the horse has a temperament or other problem but it is bars, so the horse can still see through. The top half of the door to outside is kept open in good weather and closed in bad weather. The horses are always loose when left alone in loose box and only tied up when someone is grooming/tacking up etc. although we normally use the aisle for tasks as this.