Construction portal - Home. Water heaters. Chimneys. Heating installation. Heaters. Equipment

Separate stall for riding horses. The perfect way to make a suitable stall for a horse

Despite its size and strength, the horse is an animal sensitive to conditions. If kept improperly, she may get sick. Many diseases and ailments can be avoided by providing the animal with a good stable. You can not only buy or order it, but also build it yourself. Horse stables are the central topic of the article, read on and learn a lot of useful information.

You should start working on building a stable by choosing a project. You can buy it, order it from specialists, download a ready-made one from the Internet, or develop it yourself. It doesn’t matter which option you choose, the project must reflect the following:


Selecting a location

When choosing a place to build a stable, you need to consider the following factors:


In addition, we must take into account that the stable premises are only a small part of the territory necessary for keeping horses. It is also necessary to build a levada in which horses will walk, a room where hay and other feed will be stored, a platform for training horses, and a place for storing manure.

Independent design

You can create a stable plan yourself, modifying the standard one or completely anew. You can draw it manually, or you can use computer programs. After this, you will need to submit the plan to the local authorities in order to obtain planning permission. To successfully develop a plan, it is necessary to take into account the specifics of individual structural elements.

  • the cost of all materials with a small margin;
  • payment for the services of builders, watchmen, and auxiliary workers during construction;
  • the cost of providing all necessary communications;
  • state duties.

Construction estimates for a standard project are easy to find on the Internet. An individual project will have to be calculated independently. You will need to add 10% to the total amount for unforeseen expenses that will definitely arise.

Walls

The design and construction of walls should be treated with special responsibility. Both the strength of the building and its performance qualities – thermal conductivity, water resistance, ease of maintaining an optimal microclimate for horses – depend on them to a greater extent. The thickness of the walls depends on two factors - the climate zone and the selected material.

In areas with a warm climate, the walls will be thinner; in a cold climate, the opposite is true. Under equal conditions, a wooden wall will be thinner than a brick one.

The thickness should be sufficient so that even in frosty conditions the walls do not freeze through and the room maintains a positive temperature of at least 10 degrees. In central Russia, where sub-zero temperatures last for 3 or more months, the minimum thickness for wooden walls is 20 cm, for brick walls - 40.

There must be a foundation. The base of the walls near the foundation is laid with waterproof material, such as roofing felt or asphalt.

Roof

It is made inclined. Traditionally, this is a gable structure, although recently single-pitched structures with an attic and hayloft have become widespread. The height of the eaves of a gable roof should be more than 2 m, and the height of the ridge should be more than 4 m. For a shed roof, the lower edge of the slope should be at least 3 m from the foundation. It is imperative to provide gutters to prevent moisture from precipitation from accumulating on the roof.

Cover the roof with materials that should not allow water to pass through. Weather and weather resistance and fire resistance are also highly desirable. Traditionally, roofing materials are roofing felt or slate; if you have a sufficient budget, you can make a tiled roof.

If the height allows, you can equip the attic for storing hay. This way you can save space for the feed store.

Door

The size of the door is calculated so that a horse and rider can freely pass through it. Recommended dimensions are 2.5x1.5m.

Very convenient is the double door design, the top of which can open independently of the bottom, like a window. This will help to quickly ventilate the room without opening it. Horses often learn to open simple bolts, so there should be two locks. One for the opening part, and one more - from below, at a distance of 10-15 cm from the floor. The upper edge of the lower part is covered with tin or an iron sheet, otherwise horses will chew it. It is very important to ensure that both parts fit snugly against each other, without gaps that create a draft.

Partitions between stalls are usually made of unpainted boards. Recommended height – 2.5 m. Their lower part is made solid up to a height of 1.5 m, and the upper part has gaps sufficient for the horses to see each other. In some designs, partitions are made collapsible.

Floor

Here opinions differ. There are several options, each of them has many fans and critics among owners and builders of stables. Therefore, it is advisable to present all the main options with a description of the advantages and disadvantages of each.

The classic version of the adobe floor still has many fans. It is cheap, easy to make and repair, and gentle on horses' hooves. In addition, it is easy to make a drainage groove in it. The disadvantages of an adobe floor include the impossibility of its sanitary treatment and good absorption of liquid horse excrement.

Cement floors have gained well-deserved popularity because they are easy to clean, do not allow soil moisture to pass through, and are very durable. Drains are made from the outside, but drainage needs to be taken care of inside. A drainage hole is made in the back of the stall, and the floor is given a slight slope, sufficient for urine to flow into these holes. The disadvantages include its hardness and poor thermal conductivity, so it is recommended to cover the cement with a wooden covering or simply a thick layer of sawdust.

The wooden floor also performed well. A pit 30 cm deep is filled with large crushed stone, a timber is placed on top, which is covered with a board 5 cm thick. An air cushion is not made for reasons of stability of the entire structure. A drainage ditch 0.5 m deep is being dug along the perimeter of the building.

Window

Window openings are made at least 1.5 m from the floor, maximum - 2 m. The standard size of openings is 0.5 m x 0.7 m. The number of windows is chosen from the consideration that the total area should be slightly less than an eighth of the total area of ​​the frame walls of the room.

It is imperative to include shutters in the design of the windows to darken the stable at night and for safety requirements, and mosquito nets to prevent insects from entering the premises during ventilation.

Communication design

Although there may be no communications in a stable, especially a summer or temporary one, there should be communications in the permanent place where horses are kept.

Electricity

In a winter stable there must be light not only in the corridor, but also in the stalls. The duration of daylight hours in the place where horses are kept permanently must be at least 8 hours. In addition, in an unlit room it will be problematic to clean stalls and care for horses.

You will also need sockets for electrical appliances. It is better to place them either outside at the front door under a canopy in the case of a summer house, or in technical rooms and in the corridor from the inside at the front door. If the stable has a rest room for staff, sockets should be there too.

Ventilation

It must be there! Sometimes, during construction, to ventilate the room, a gap is left between the roof and the crowns of the walls, but this cannot be done. Constant drafts can cause horses to catch colds. However, it is impossible without ventilation, since the air must be clean and dry, otherwise problems with the horses’ health may begin. In addition, these animals quickly heat the room with the heat of their bodies, and the stable should be cool.

It is optimal to space the ventilation holes at different heights. This creates the air flow necessary for traction. The inlets are made in the stalls, and the outlets are on the roof.

Good ventilation can also solve the problem of condensation.

Water supply and heating

If possible, you need to supply water to at least the technical room, this will greatly simplify the work of the grooms. If this is not possible, then the design provides space for large barrels in which water will be stored. Their volume is derived from the fact that each horse requires 50 liters of water per day.

In places with harsh climates it is necessary, but it must be used with caution. Low temperatures are not as dangerous for horses as stuffiness and heat. The optimal temperature for a stable lies in the range from +5 to +15.

Safety in the stables

The finished stable must meet safety requirements. And we are talking not only about fire safety, although the presence of fire extinguishers and containers with sand is strictly necessary. When building a stable, it is necessary to take into account several not obvious points:


These rules can be called banal, which is why they are often forgotten. And the horses pay for this with their health and their owners with money.

Materials

There are many options for materials for building a stable. There are debates about which one is better, there is no consensus. Even the best materials have their drawbacks.

Generally speaking, materials with the following characteristics are suitable:

  • the presence of pores that facilitate effective gas and water exchange with the external environment;
  • good heat retention in the room;
  • high thermal resistance coefficients;
  • moisture resistance.

The best materials for building a stable are considered to be wood, brick, and, a little worse, foam blocks. Backfill frames can only be used in extreme poverty, and stone and concrete are unsuitable materials for construction.

Tree

This material perfectly retains heat indoors, at the same time, buildings made from it are permeable to atmospheric air, which allows for natural gas exchange. If you compare a brick and a wooden wall with the same thermal conductivity, the brick wall will be several times thicker. Wood costs relatively little, and building with it is easier and more convenient.

Ideal would be logs with a diameter of 20-25 cm, or timber covered with clapboard.

This material has not only advantages, but also disadvantages. These include:

  • fragility. The service life of a wooden building is several times lower than that of a brick one;
  • fire hazard;
  • susceptibility to rotting and the destructive action of living organisms, for example, wood-boring beetles. This problem is partially solved by impregnating lumber before construction.

Video - Step-by-step construction of a stable from lumber

Brick

This material also has many advantages. It is strong, buildings made from it are durable and resistant to environmental influences. It conducts air and water well, without creating the effect of heat loss and excess humidity. Brick buildings retain heat well inside, preventing excessive condensation and the “greenhouse effect”. However, they retain heat worse than wooden ones, so in central Russia, for the construction of stables, the walls are laid in 2 bricks, their width must be at least 40 cm.

The disadvantages of brick as a material for construction include high cost and low speed of work.

Video - Stable made of foam blocks

This material does not rot, does not burn, and retains heat well.

Frame-and-fill design

The filling component is usually sawdust mixed with expanded clay or slag. The slightest crack causes it to spill out, which leads to the formation of voids in the wall. This reduces the thermal insulation of the room, and it begins to lose heat in winter. In addition, rodents live in voids.

This design has one advantage - price. The frame-and-fill design is the cheapest. This explains its relative popularity.

The following materials are not suitable:

  • stone. It is difficult to process and construct, does not retain heat well, and contributes to the formation of dampness. Despite the durability and resistance of stone buildings, this material is not suitable;
  • concrete blocks. They crumble easily, remove heat well from the room and do not protect against dampness.

When choosing a material, you should proceed from the climatic conditions of the place where you plan to install the stable, as well as other factors (depth of groundwater, presence of ventilation and heating systems, etc.).

Construction of a summer stable

The summer stable differs from the winter one in being less “solid.” It has fewer requirements and is easier to build. In addition, it does not require a deep foundation and registration, since it is not a permanent structure.

This is what the step-by-step construction of a two-horse flyer using frame technology looks like. The dimensions 6x3m were chosen based on both the comfort of the horses and economy. Lumber has a standard length of 6 m, so you won’t have to overpay for what will be scrapped.

Video - Construction of a summer stable

Step-by-step instructions for building a summer stable

There are fewer requirements for summer stables than for regular ones. Therefore, this can be installed using frame technology. We will build without a stationary foundation, on posts. This design helps make the building collapsible and can be moved. We take the sizes based on the number of horses, we will have 2 of them.

Foundation

You should start by marking the outer perimeter of the flyer. This is done as follows. Using a tape measure and any device for measuring angles, mark a 6x3 rectangle on the ground. The length of the diagonals also needs to be checked to ensure that the rectangle is even.

Pegs are driven in around the perimeter and tied with rope. It marks the boundaries of the pit, which must be dug to a depth of 30 cm. A drainage drain is made, a film is laid for waterproofing, after which the resulting hole is filled with layers of graphite and sand several centimeters high in turn.

Piles are installed on the resulting gravel-sand “cushion,” which can be bricks or blocks made of any strong material. They are covered with roofing felt to prevent direct contact with the tree, and the first stage of construction is completed.

Building a frame step by step

Step 1. We begin the construction of the frame from the bottom frame. It is fastened at the corners so that the logs are embedded in the frame. The location of their installation must be calculated so that they pass along the foundation blocks. To strengthen the structure, a 15 x 15 cm board is placed between the joists.

Step 2. Then, it’s time to form the corners, for which corner vertical posts are installed on the harness. The main ones are also placed in the place of future windows and doors. Intermediate between them, so that the maximum gap does not exceed 3m. Their height is equal to the desired height of the stable, in this example it is 3m.

Step 3. Using levels, we measure the angles, after which we fix the racks with braces and cross members, which will prevent the structure from “floating.” The upper harness is done in the same way as the lower one. Crossbars indicate door and window openings. The front wall is raised by a beam, forming a roof slope. We put it on the floor joists.

Step 4. Then the middle wall is formed. To do this, a beam of the required height is placed vertically according to the marks.

Finishing and insulation

The next stage of construction begins with the installation of the roof. Then, it’s the turn of the external walls - they are covered with insulation and sheathed with any lumber. After which the roofs and walls of the stable are insulated.

Insulation is inserted into the cells of the frame, after which the entire internal perimeter is covered with heat-insulating material using a construction stapler and sheathed with moisture-resistant plywood. Then, the floor is covered with boards, windows and doors are inserted, and the summer stable is ready.

Levada

In conclusion, I need to say a few words about how to organize the levada. It must be near the stables, since horses need to move and be in the fresh air every day.

At home, this is a rather troublesome task, requiring the farmer to take into account all aspects. One of these is the construction of stables and corrals. In this article we will talk about how to build a building at home and what you will need for this in detail with all dimensions, standards, photos and videos.

[Hide]

Stable requirements

So, the design and construction of stables with your own hands must be competent and meet the following requirements:

  1. Housing for horses should be as comfortable as possible. That is, the stable design should initially provide large space for animals. A horse's stall should be spacious, warm and bright, and it should always be clean. It is very important that there are no drafts in the horse pen, otherwise the animals will get sick.
  2. If you are designing a stable with your own hands, then it is better to choose a place on a hill. As a result, the humidity in the room will be significantly lower, and this is a very important nuance.
  3. In addition, it is advisable to locate the corral for horses, having previously assessed the prevailing wind direction in the area. It is better to make sure that the horse pen is located according to the plan with the end part facing the air flow.
  4. The stall for the horse, as well as the structure of the stable, must be thought out taking into account your budget. Therefore, we recommend that you first monitor the construction market and roughly understand how much stable projects cost. Only then can you make a plan. If you cannot correctly compare your capabilities and goals, then building a stable can take years.
  5. If you design and build a stable yourself, then consult with specialists about this. Experienced farmers can give practical recommendations, which will help avoid possible mistakes.
  6. In winter, the room temperature should be at least 5 and no more than 15 degrees Celsius. In summer, it is advisable that the threshold of +15 degrees is not exceeded. Humidity should vary from 60 to 75%.
  7. A stall for a horse, in principle, can be built from any material, but experienced experts recommend constructing a structure from brick or wood. According to reviews, such a dwelling, which is called a stall, will always be dry and warm. If you decide to build a playpen with your own hands, then it can be installed on any foundation, as long as the foundation is on a hill.
  8. It would be cheap and practical to use adobe to construct a building. But for this you will have to study the technology for producing adobe from straw and clay.
  9. It is quite possible to build a clay wattle stall for a horse with your own hands - this is often practiced in some regions. The outer frame is sheathed with wood, and all cracks are sealed with a mixture of clay and sawdust.
  10. Sometimes stable projects are planned taking into account the construction of a building made of natural stone. But this should not be done, because in this way the horses’ home will always be damp and cold.

Construction of a stable from A to Z

How to build a stable with your own hands? All detailed information with dimensions, layout and standards is presented below. As for the foundation, it can be anything. The main thing is that the future home for the horses should be located on a hill, and the foundation should be located no less than 1 meter from groundwater. In this case, the foundation will last a long time.

Materials and tools

You will need:

  • cement with sand for the foundation;
  • roofing felt for roof and floor;
  • wood for walls, floors and roofs;
  • polystyrene foam for insulation;
  • ready gates.

Walls, ceiling and floor

Before making and arranging walls, you need to consider several factors:

  • the climate in which you live will only determine the thickness, and the material itself must be durable;
  • if the winters in your region are very cold, then, regardless of the foundation, the walls should be dense and thick (thickness size at least 22 cm);
  • In any case, there must be a foundation: only with it can you make sure that the walls are not damp.

So, we make the walls, floor and ceiling:

  1. First, a foundation is laid along the entire perimeter of your site. As a rule, the drying time of the foundation ranges from 3 weeks to 1 month.
  2. When the foundation is dry, start building the walls. It is best to use wood for this. Immediately at this stage, take into account the location of the windows. The walls can be insulated with foam plastic.
  3. As for the ceiling, the norm would be to make it about 3.5 m high. It is desirable that it be wooden, but on top it will need to be insulated with a mixture of clay, sand or roofing felt, as well as sawdust and ordinary earth. When designing, you also need to take into account the fact that the ceiling must be waterproof; this is a mandatory norm. Therefore, you will also need to lay slate on top.
  4. You need to approach the installation of the floor with your own hands very responsibly; this is one of the main stages. When drawing up a plan and designing a building with your own hands, remember that the floor must be dry, since the health of the animals will depend on this. Floors made of wood, concrete or clay are considered acceptable standards in this regard, but ideally, rubber would be used (on top of wood). Rubber flooring will never rot, will not slip, and is very easy to maintain. Lay one or two layers of roofing felt, and then wooden boards on the floor and secure them securely.

It should also be noted that another norm that must be adhered to is the installation of the floor on a slope - towards the passage. The most important thing is to eliminate thresholds in the building, this is also the norm.

Lighting

Stable designs should be designed with lighting in mind. First you need to think about the location of the windows in the building, and only then start lighting the room. The light should not be very bright or very dim, so use a standard called luminous efficiency. This standard is 1 to 15 - the ratio of the total area of ​​the windows to the area of ​​the building as a whole:

  1. Consider installing lighting fixtures around the perimeter of the room.
  2. Run wiring underneath them.
  3. It is desirable (in principle, this is also considered the norm) that the windows are located at a height of two meters from the floor. If your region has cold winters, then the windows need to be designed in such a way that additional frames can be installed if necessary. Equipment for the stable is also an important aspect - watch the video about this.

Door, feeders and stall

Installation of doors, feeders and stalls:

  1. All doors should be about 1.5 m wide, forget about narrow doors. Door jambs in a building should be rounded. It should also be noted that doors to the building should only open outward. Taking into account all these requirements, install doors in the room.
  2. It is better to use a long trough as a feeder, which should be placed near a light source. Also keep in mind that the trough should be deep and roomy - everything for the animal’s comfort. The number of feeders varies depending on the number of animals.
  3. The next stage is arranging the stall. The stall must be installed so that the horse can not only stand without any problems, but also lie down freely without experiencing discomfort. For example, if a horse is 1.6 m tall, the dimensions of the stall should be 3.7 x 4.3 m. Therefore, when all the walls are erected, the floor and ceiling are equipped, start working on the stall.
  4. All stalls must be equipped with appropriate gates. The gates are installed on hinges and equipped with locks so that the horse cannot arbitrarily leave the stall.
Sorry, there are no surveys available at this time.

Project of stables for 10 and 50 head

If you decide to start breeding horses, then you will probably have interesting projects for stables for 10 and 50 heads. As you understand, a stall for 10 heads should contain 10 stalls, for 50 heads - 50 stalls. Detailed projects of stables for 10 and 50 heads are presented below.

Building a corral for horses with your own hands


Determination of area and shape

In this case, everything depends solely on your capabilities. The larger the paddock area, the better. 100 “squares” will be enough for one horse; if you have a small herd, then the paddock area should be about 60 square meters. In this case, the larger the corral, the safer it will be.

As for the shape of the pen, it should be in the form of a circle or oval and preferably without corners - this way the horse can move freely in a circle.

Materials and soil

The fence must be constructed from metal pipes or boards mounted in several rows. The fence columns must be installed at a distance of about 2 m from each other, no more, so that they are able to withstand heavy loads. Materials for the pen are attached exclusively from the inside, and the height of the fence as a whole must be at least 1.8 m. Wood is the best option for making a fence for 10 or 50 heads; in practice, metal pipes are often a hazardous material.

As for the soil, it should be sand or field soil, compacted as best as possible. Experts in the field of horse breeding recommend lining the pen with plastic cells through which grass grows. This way the water will quickly go into the ground. You will find more information in the photo and video.

Photo gallery

Video “Building a stable”

How professionals build stables - watch the video.

The most suitable place to house and live a horse is a stall. It goes by many names: pen, stall, stall. A stall is needed not only for the convenience of keeping, but also for raising and training the animal.

Where to start, what to grab onto, what to come up with. Let's start in order.

The most ideal option is a box with a paddock. It allows the horse to be both indoors and outdoors. Naturally, in bad weather, you need to control the time the animal spends outside. If funds or space do not allow this, then you can solve the problem with the help of an external box. When the top door is open, the horse also takes an active part in the life of the stable and does not get bored. Protect your horse from drafts.

Open upper door

Dimensions

In almost all stables, the size of the stall is no more than three meters by three meters - nine square meters. All these sizes are suitable for keeping horses in a “satisfactory” condition. Accordingly, we can observe trampling, hitting, gnawing - all this from a very confined space.

If we think logically and calculate correctly how to make a stall for a horse, we have the following picture: the length of a horse is on average two meters and forty centimeters. Accordingly, the side is slightly small. The ideal option for a horse is four meters by five meters. This is necessary so that the animal can calmly turn around in the stall.

Many people simply remove the top layer of soil, sprinkle it with peat, and the coating is ready. This is due to savings, but this can hardly be called savings; the costs for a doctor will be much higher. Peat, together with manure and urine, forms an excellent environment for infectious diseases.

There is an option for an adobe floor, but you have to knock it down two or three times a year and lay a new one, it is very warm and not slippery, but you need to always have a clay quarry with you, and this is also not cheap. Wooden flooring is also a good option, but over time it becomes slippery. We recommend the best option - a concrete floor. Only he will protect you from rats.


Concrete floor

The walls of the box must be made of proven brick. Horses do not chew or hit it with their hooves. But if we take into account the needs of the animal, many simply lose their will because they gnaw on a tree, suffer from it, or hit it with their hooves:

  • It’s very easy to make a wooden partition and you don’t have to skimp on the profile. The dividing partition should cover half the height of the stable. Side partitions must be equipped with ventilation holes.
  • The front wall can have a different appearance and production method. The front mesh made of metal bars resembles a prison, but is convenient for stables with regular visitors - the horse cannot reach out and bite.

Front mesh
  • For a private stable, an open front wall is suitable. If the dividing partitions are made of brick, then the front wall is also built from it. It can also be made from a channel and a board. Or simply abandon metal structures altogether and install a completely wooden partition.

Almost all types of doors are equally good and equally bad. If your stable does not have the required width, then it is better to make sliding doors. An ordinary rotary or, as it is also called, “rotating” one, withstands the pressure of horses better and more reliably. The size of the door must be at least one meter and fifty centimeters. And pay attention to the fittings, there is, of course, a great choice here, but two galvanized bolts for a regular door are the most reliable and durable lock.


Sliding doors

Rules for placing parts

The disadvantage of the stall is that only the front wall remains for feeding and it is necessary to place a manger, a feeder, and an automatic drinker on it at the same time. This gives the horse a reason to indulge in water and food and do other fun things. If it is not possible to divide the stall, then you need to follow the rules:

  1. The stall size ranges from three meters to three and a half long and two meters long.
  2. Slope up to one and a half centimeters per meter in the direction of the gutter.
  3. The separation pole is tightly attached to the feeding table.
  4. The stable pole is attached at a level of one meter from the ground.
  5. To avoid collisions with a neighboring horse, a shockproof casing is attached.

The box stall is very convenient; it provides the horse with a comfortable bed, measuring two and a half by one and a half meters. You can provide a grill on top to prevent bickering between animals.

In the end, one thing we can suggest is that the best stall for a horse is a box. First of all, this is the health of our horses, which will always reciprocate our feelings.

Stall size
The size of the stall may depend on the size and purpose of the horse. For ponies and small breeds (Arabian) 4x4 meters will be sufficient, and for horses whose height exceeds 140 cm, the stall size should be at least 4.5x4.5 meters. Large horses of warm-blooded and draft breeds need an even more spacious stall, measuring 5x5 meters or 5.3x5.3 meters, and a mare with a foal or a stud stallion needs to be provided with 6.5x6.5 meters of free space. On the other hand, miniature horses thrive in stalls measuring just 2.5 x 2 meters. It is recommended that the length of the stall wall be 1.5 times the length of the horse, but as they say, the longer the better.

Ceiling height in stall
It is better to follow the principle of “the higher the better” for both horse safety and ventilation. The minimum ceiling height can be 4 m (if you make stalls in an existing old room and you simply have no other choice). Increasing the ceiling height will improve air circulation, but will also help minimize the risk of your horse hitting his head if he rears in fear. High ceilings also mean that wiring and other communications will be located higher and, as they say, out of harm's way.


Doors
Stall doors can be lattice, solid or combined. It is better to install combined doors (half wooden/iron - half lattice, pole or mesh): this, firstly, will provide ventilation, secondly, it will allow the horse to observe what is happening in the stable, and thirdly, it will not allow she gets injured by getting her hooves stuck in the bottom of the grate.
Stall partitions are also of great importance: if designed correctly, they give horses the opportunity to communicate with their neighbors. Horse stable design companies say that ninety percent of clients, when asked about partition designs, want them to be continuous from floor to ceiling. But stable designers recommend that owners allow the horse to interact with other horses.

Floor coverings
And finally we move on to the floor covering. Each owner decides for himself what type of coating to choose, but in general, the floor must meet the following requirements:

Don't be too tough
- do not absorb odors
- be dry
- be non-slippery
- be durable
- be durable
- to be cleaned
- be accessible, inexpensive


The presence of good facilities for horses on collective farms, state farms, and stud farms is of great importance for the successful breeding of horses.
The construction of stables must be carried out according to standard designs and in accordance with the standards for the placement of horses provided for by the State All-Union Standard, introduced on April 1, 1949.
Depending on the composition of the horses and how they are kept, the following are built: 1) stables for working horses, including stables for adult horses, foal stalls for young animals for 20 or more foals; 2) stables for breeding horses, including stables for stud and trial stallions on farms with 6 or more stud stallions; stables for queens; stables for weaned foals, where they are kept for up to 1.5 years; stables for young animals aged 1.5 years and older - trainer stables; arenas for testing and mating queens, as well as for training trotting and riding young animals.
In addition to premises for keeping horses, there must be various structures and devices necessary for the normal running of horse breeding - open and closed tracks for training, halls for guiding young animals, pens, paddocks, levadas for walking, horse baths and showers, etc. Nomenclature, the number and size of these structures are established in accordance with the needs of the farm and local conditions.


The land plot for the placement of horse breeding premises must be dry, level and located below residential and cultural buildings and above veterinary and medical buildings; the boundaries of the site should be at least 50-100 m from the nearest roadways; There must be a sufficient amount of water on the site for drinking, household and fire-fighting needs. Paths to pastures and watering places should not cross railroad tracks, highways or highways.
When planning premises for horses, it is necessary to ensure the most convenient connection of trainer's stables with trainer's tracks, as well as stables of all purposes with docks and levadas. Stables for weaned foals should be located at a distance from stables for dams. Mating arenas should be as close as possible to the stables for stud stallions, and even better, when they are under the same roof and connected by a corridor.


Koshoshin for working horses is suitable for stall, stall and group housing. Pregnant and suckling mares are kept in the stalls. The number of stalls in stables for working horses must be at least 25% of the total number of places in them. In group premises it is possible to keep young working horses from weaning to two years; the group should consist of no more than 4 foals of the same sex and age. Breeding horses are kept in individual stalls. Weaned foals are kept in twos in a stall, selecting those that are equally developed and friendly to each other.
Stables for breeding horses are best divided into isolated sections with. independent exits, with a capacity of no more than 20 horses in each section.
Stables must have utility rooms: a fodder room - for a five-day supply of concentrated feed, bulky feed and bedding; platforms with tanks for hearth; a room with a hot water tank and a stove adjacent to the harness department; harness - in the stables of working horses; harness-inventory - in trainer's stables and in the stables of stud stallions.
Premises for horses, as a rule, are not heated and the temperature in them in winter is maintained by the heat generated by the animals. Stables that are too warm make horses weak and contribute to colds and other diseases. The normal temperature in the stables is considered to be from + 6 to + 12°C. Stables should be dry and bright, with good ventilation. The relative air humidity should be no more than 85%, the carbon dioxide content in the air of the stables should not be more than 0.3%. In stables of all types, ventilation with natural or mechanical movement of air must be equipped.
A sufficient amount of light is necessary for the health of horses and the normal course of all physiological functions in their bodies. Natural lighting, expressed as the ratio of window area to floor area, should be:


The sizes of stalls and stalls are determined by the size, purpose and age of the horses. For example, stalls for working horses should have a width of 1.0-1.8 m and a depth of 2.8-3.1 m; stalls for working horses - width 3.2-3.5 m, depth 2.8-3.1 m; stalls for breeding horses - width 3.3-3.0 m and depth 3.4-3.6 m; group rooms for young animals are built at the rate of 4.5-5.5 m2 per foal. The height of the windows above the floor of the stable depends on the height of the horses and is equal to 1.6-1.8 m in the stables of working horses, and 2-2.2 m in the stables of breeding horses.
The floors in stalls, stalls, and group rooms are made of adobe. In premises for working horses, it is allowed to install wooden floors on beams reinforced in clay preparation.
Great attention must be paid to the correct arrangement and constant maintenance of good condition of floors in stables.
Stalls and stalls must be equipped with feeders in order to feed concentrated and roughage feed to horses in the most efficient way and without loss. The construction of good feeders in stables is often not given due attention. Feeders that are tightly attached to the stall and protrude far from the wall can cause bruises to the horse. Typically practiced in stall housing, feeding horses with roughage from the floor leads to the fact that various inedible impurities, dirt, and worm eggs enter the digestive tract along with the feed.


T.T. Rogalev designed a combined folding feeder for oats and hay. During feeding, the feeder is folded back into the stall; the rest of the time it is located on the side of the aisle, forming a flat surface with the inner surface of the stall wall. The feeder is a wooden box that tapers towards the bottom. The bottom of the feeder is secured in a slot in the stall wall with two iron pins, which makes the feeder movable. The feeder is divided by a partition, the lower edge of which does not reach the bottom by 1.5-2 cm, into two parts unequal in size. The smaller compartment is also filled with oats, from where it gradually flows into the larger compartment. Tests have shown the high advantages of this feeder.
Cone-shaped feeders for oats - cast iron, enameled or wooden - are widely used. It is quite possible to install large cone-shaped corner feeders for roughage in stalls, open or with a tight-fitting lid. In pens you can arrange feeders in the form of boxes and mangers, but you should not make high lattice mangers for hay. When feeding from high mangers, the horse has to hold its head high for a long time, which leads to impaired blood circulation in the head, arching of the back in young animals, and clogging of the eyes with dust and dust.
Stable premises should be regularly cleaned and systematically repaired.
Manure must be removed from the stable twice daily; stalls and stalls must have dry bedding at all times. The best bedding is winter straw; moss, sawdust, peat, and foliage can also be used for bedding. Straw for bedding is required (per day): suckling mares and foals 5-7 kg, stud stallions 4-6 kg, young animals 3-4 kg, working horses 3-5 kg.
The walls and ceiling of the stable must be swept at least 2 times a month, and the walls and partitions must be whitewashed 2 times a year.
The stable should be well ventilated daily by opening the outer doors; constantly monitor the condition of adobe floors, immediately eliminating any potholes that appear; once every 2-3 years, completely reupholster all floors; systematically monitor the condition of windows, doors, gates and other building elements.
In the stable, it is necessary to ensure the mechanization of labor-intensive work on the care and maintenance of horses, preparing feed, which facilitates work, increases its productivity and improves the quality of work performed.
For the removal of manure and delivery of feed, overhead roads or trackless vehicles must be installed. Mechanization of horse cleaning and watering is quite possible; It is advisable to install individual taps at automatic drinkers.

Related publications