# tie stalls



## lamoncha lover (Mar 1, 2009)

does anyone use tie stalls. I know it isn't ideal but would only be for those cold and wet times.
My horses have paired off and the more dominant won't let the meaker ones in the barn. It's either blanket or tie stalls.
If anyone does..how large do you make them and any other ideas on putting some in appreciated.


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## offthegrid (Aug 11, 2009)

I haven't used them personally but my trainer has used them quite a bit. I think they are about 4' x 10' ....any wider and you risk horses turning and getting trapped. Her horses have never minded them, but they are used primarily for feeding and "hanging" with some hay while other things are going on -- not really for very long....I would say generally 1-4 hours and then they are turned back out somewhere. I am sure she can use them for a day or overnight but generally does not -- eg. if she is going to a show in the a.m. and horses were bathed, they would be in the tie stall (straight stall), but ordinarily they would come in for a few hours to eat and then get turned back out.


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## akane (Jul 19, 2011)

All of mine have a 12x12' stall even though we only stall in bad weather. I have occasionally doubled up siblings or a pair of weanlings or yearlings who got along in one stall but usually we keep as many stalls open as we have horses. I have only ever tied a horse over night when keeping them clean for a big show the next day or on overnight trips. There's a lot of risk to tying overnight especially at first. Horses really can't sleep well unless laying down and may attempt it in a space or on a rope that does not allow for it leading to them getting stuck. In frustration some horses may paw at their rope or the objects around them possibly getting loose or injuring themselves. We opted to put absolutely nothing permanent in our stalls so that young horses had nothing to run in to or get tangled on. We use all rubber feeders on the ground and hay on the ground. We only use hay bags and hanging feeders for more experienced horses who have proven they know better than to get themselves caught up on something or break it and injure themselves.


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## brody (Feb 19, 2009)

At the barn I ran we had 4 straight stalls - used primarily for school horses waiting between lessons, or when it was raining or whatever ... our stalls were exactly half a box stall wide .. so 5.5 feet wide - i think they were about 8 feet deep .. with a feed tub and water bucket at the front
they worked really well ... the horses were mostly out but it was nice to have a spot they could relax in ... I bedded them deeply and would oten find a horse happily crashed in them ..

not sure if it was here or elsewhere (the trail string horses also had straight stalls if they neeed to be kept in - which they RARELY did) - one set up sort of had them tied on a ulley line - the lead fed through a loop which adjusted to automatically keep a little tension in the line - so there was very very little risk of a horse getting hung up in a rope ...

you have laid back horses well used to being handled?


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## where I want to (Oct 28, 2008)

In my youth (and that was some time ago) tie stalls were pretty common. But horses worked then so they were plenty happy to rest anywhere.
You can tie them in a way that does allow them to lie down but not turn around. they all had mangers and water buckets in the mangers. And were bedded very deep.
There was also a way to allow the tie ropes to slide up and down so that they wouldn't get hung up in them. They got clean up at least twice a day as the poop piled all in one spot behind them. Also it did frustrate some horses who developed serious stall vices. Some would dig pits that forced them to stand with their butts two feet higher than their front or would weave or crib. Once the food goes, a horse who doesn't sleep is mighty bored.
Having said that and seen lots of horses in them, I would not do it unless I had no options. Most modern horses do not work enough to relax in them.
I think they were 4'x10' also - maybe a littler shorter. And I also remember one horse who pinned me by leaning on me when I went to slide past him to release his rope. You did have to squeeze by them to back them out.


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## CIW (Oct 2, 2007)

On the ranch in Nebraska we have tie stalls for the winter feed teams and saddle horses that they use to check calvey cows at night. They are 10' wide and 11' deep. Plus they all have mangers across onto the front of them with a grain box on both the far left and right sides. A floating wood plank divides it in half for each animal in the team. (Shoulder height)
In the back of the stall there is an eyelet. When a new horse is tied in, a light rope is tied behind him. If he pulls back he will hit the rope and jump forward. If he gets caught up in it he can easily break it.
The tie chain goes through a pipe and connects onto a weight to keep the slack taken up. This way the horse has a lessor chance to step over the rope.
Our floors are all made with railroad ties bedded in sand. It is also raised up a few inches to help keep the area dry.
Most times the horses and mules are only kept in a maximum of three days at a time and then only if they are being worked during the day or night. These stalls weren't meant to store an idle animal.
By the way, healthy horses don't really need to be blanketed to stay outside in most extreme types of weather. Just keep them fed well.
If you have at least one way in and a different way out of your barn, on seperate sides, instead of only one opening, your dominant animals won't be able control the barn. The other thing is, how many sq. feet in your barn, have you accounted for each animal?
Hope that this helps


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## Oakshire_Farm (Dec 4, 2008)

I use them! I love them and will never go back to Box stalls. I have a my PB Shire, is a 6ft wide stall and the 2 saddle horses in 5 ft wide stalls. They only come in the barn in the winter when the ground is really wet. They come in at 7pm and go out at 7am. They get their grain and about 2 good sized flakes of hay in the mangers at "bedtime" they are free fed all day long when they are out side. They are tied long enough that they can stand up and lay down but cannot turn around. None of them chew,paw,weave or crib. They like their stalls and are quite happy to come in once the weather turns. I just bring them in to make sure that all their feet dry out each day. They are also blanketed (spoiled rotten, I know) but in the Pacific Northwest our climate is very mild and wet! So they need to get a chance to dry out. 

Tie stalls are so much easier to clean. They can only poop behind them and pee in the middle. I have rubber stall mats down, then put a bit of shavings over them and a scoop of wood pellets where the pee is going to land. I love them!


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## lamoncha lover (Mar 1, 2009)

thanks everyone. My barn is just a small one..i think 24 x 32. I have just a little under 1/2 of it divided off for some hay.so 10x32 is hay storage. There is 1 sliding door that is the horse entry way.
we went from 100 degrees to 60 and rain.All of my horses are in good flesh, but 1 was shivering. I did blanket her.2 have access to the barn and share ..and Ebby didn't act effected by the cold rain..as she has quite a bit of padding. 
If I put in tie stalls it will only be for the rainy cold times. Any other time they will be out.I may move 2 to the homestead. They can eat some grass and will have a run in there. That will give me a little time to figure out what to do.
thanks for the info.My other option is to sell off 2 horses..not likely:>)


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## jennigrey (Jan 27, 2005)

I use tie stalls. The floor is sloped away toward the back of the stall to encourage the urine to run off. I don't bed the stalls. The horses are on mats. I clean them a few times a day. I make a "dam" of manure at the back of the stall to trap and absorb the urine. Makes for a VERY HOT compost pile, let me tell you.


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