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EddieWalker
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I went with James Hardie lap siding for the exterior and trim.
Eddie
Creating my horse barn
- Thread starter EddieWalker
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I went with James Hardie lap siding for the exterior and trim.
Eddie
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EddieWalker
Epic Contributor
The interior walls of each stall are 3/4 inch plywood
Eddie
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EddieWalker
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Yesterday I sprayed primer and paint on the inside of the stalls. A friend told me that horses will pee on the walls and I needed to protect them. I didn't know this, or even think about it, so I caulked all the seams first, then painted them to help protect them from soaking up the pee.
It's raining today, so I can't finish painting the trim. Once that's done I can put on the edge flashing for the roof and the gutters.
Eddie
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EddieWalker
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The fence has been done for awhile, but it's not perfectly flat. Some holes are deeper then others and from a distance looks pretty bad. It's a simple matter of pulling the posts up and filling the inside of the post with a couple scoops of readi mix concrete from a coffee can and some water. Once it cures, the post is locked into that height. Karen's son Chad came over with a friend and spent the day doing this for us while I was working on siding.
Eddie
Trillium Farm
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A horse with shoes will kick through the plywood. I've always used at least 2" full to 2.1/2" oak boards. You could still line it with oak boards over plywood
Trillium Farm
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Eddie horse don't pee on the walls. you may have some splash if there is no bedding, but with straw or shavings no splashing at all. You should consider instead if the paint could be toxic to horses
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EddieWalker
Epic Contributor
I used exterior grade latex paint, so that should be safe if anything eats it.
After I was told about horses peeing on the walls of the stalls, I did some searching online and there are quite a few products out there to deal with it. I'm assuming it's the female horses who do this. And I'm also guessing that it's just some of them. My thought is to be safe then have to deal with it after it happens. Sealing the wood and putting some paint on it wasn't very hard or time consuming.
Eddie
After I was told about horses peeing on the walls of the stalls, I did some searching online and there are quite a few products out there to deal with it. I'm assuming it's the female horses who do this. And I'm also guessing that it's just some of them. My thought is to be safe then have to deal with it after it happens. Sealing the wood and putting some paint on it wasn't very hard or time consuming.
Eddie
ultrarunner
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Around here most use either full 2x material or concrete knee walls in the commercial barns about 4 to 5' tall...
ustmd
Platinum Member
We have the 3/4 plywood on out four stalls. Over the last 13 years, my has had 3-4 mares and so far we have not had an issue with the plywood rotting out.
A bored horse may just try to relieve their tension by kicking back at the walls. If they break through, you could have a badly cut leg, broken leg, displaced hip, torn ligaments and a huge vet bill whether it lives of not.
Oak tongue and groove works best if concrete block is out of the question. They may also acquire a taste for the plywood and paint and chew through your walls. Be careful to watch the nails or screws you used, too. Once they get exposed by some mechanism (kicking, chewing, rubbibg or biting) they may get cuts, broken teeth, torn tails or missing eyes. I've seen much of this first hand in local barns.
You can stick with your walls as long as it gets watched regularly. Be prepared to replace sections asap. There are 'no-chew' paints and coatings that can be bought for stalls as well as fences. Keeping some play toys in the stalls can sometimes work to relieve boredom. Having their 'buddy' in there within eyesight helps, too.
Mine are heavy duty concrete block. After one kick, they change their mind...
BTW: if you have extra dead tree branches to deal with, I use my wood chipper to make great stall chips. Easy to sift, absorbent and almost no cost. Pine trees (needles and all( produce a great stall material and make the barn smell wonderful. My Tomahawk chipper has a couple of different screens that can be changed out to select the best one for horse bedding.
Keep this advice in mind once given to me by a famous professional horseman: "Keeping the horses out of the barn keeps the Vet out of the barn".
Oak tongue and groove works best if concrete block is out of the question. They may also acquire a taste for the plywood and paint and chew through your walls. Be careful to watch the nails or screws you used, too. Once they get exposed by some mechanism (kicking, chewing, rubbibg or biting) they may get cuts, broken teeth, torn tails or missing eyes. I've seen much of this first hand in local barns.
You can stick with your walls as long as it gets watched regularly. Be prepared to replace sections asap. There are 'no-chew' paints and coatings that can be bought for stalls as well as fences. Keeping some play toys in the stalls can sometimes work to relieve boredom. Having their 'buddy' in there within eyesight helps, too.
Mine are heavy duty concrete block. After one kick, they change their mind...
BTW: if you have extra dead tree branches to deal with, I use my wood chipper to make great stall chips. Easy to sift, absorbent and almost no cost. Pine trees (needles and all( produce a great stall material and make the barn smell wonderful. My Tomahawk chipper has a couple of different screens that can be changed out to select the best one for horse bedding.
Keep this advice in mind once given to me by a famous professional horseman: "Keeping the horses out of the barn keeps the Vet out of the barn".
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EddieWalker
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Thanks for the advice. Since these stalls are open and it's just to give them a place to get out of the rain, or cold wind during winter, do you think they will chew through the wood?
Eddie
Eddie
WM75Guy
Elite Member
Eddie,
There is a difference between wood chewing and cribbing (see link). If you get a horse that cribs any exposed wood surface they can bite is fair game. I have seen them do major damage to where they can get a grip. My stalls are 2"X8" tongue & groove but all exposed edges are covered with metal. I have seen the collars and sprays used to discourage cribbing without much success.
https://www.smartpakequine.com/content/cribbing-horse
There is a difference between wood chewing and cribbing (see link). If you get a horse that cribs any exposed wood surface they can bite is fair game. I have seen them do major damage to where they can get a grip. My stalls are 2"X8" tongue & groove but all exposed edges are covered with metal. I have seen the collars and sprays used to discourage cribbing without much success.
https://www.smartpakequine.com/content/cribbing-horse
coobie
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Love the look of the Posts,very nice.Good job Eddie.
JimRB
Veteran Member
Note that covered with metal does no mean drywall corner beads, it means 1/16" to 1/8" angle iron. Occasionally you see peop[le use corner bear which as you well know is know to slice the heck out of a finger.
We have 3/4" plywood in our barn stalls the past 17 years. No damage from pee. Mostly mares. No paint or varnish except when I am redoing bad construction methods. I am sanding and varnishing any plywood I take down during repairs. Termites have done more damage than any horse. I did have a beaver horse that liked to crib. Angle iron sort of minimized the damage. As others mentioned if you have kickers you may need to either add another layer of plywood or add thicker wood. Since it is a run in and run out stall set up you may not have any issues. Our horse tend to not kick. I do hear the occasional kick but no problems yet.
We have 3/4" plywood in our barn stalls the past 17 years. No damage from pee. Mostly mares. No paint or varnish except when I am redoing bad construction methods. I am sanding and varnishing any plywood I take down during repairs. Termites have done more damage than any horse. I did have a beaver horse that liked to crib. Angle iron sort of minimized the damage. As others mentioned if you have kickers you may need to either add another layer of plywood or add thicker wood. Since it is a run in and run out stall set up you may not have any issues. Our horse tend to not kick. I do hear the occasional kick but no problems yet.
riptides
Super Star Member
I'd frame it up on the inside with some horizontal 2x8's or 2X12's. Maybe a pressure treated one along the bottom. Run the boards up to at least four feet high. I'd get rid of the paint altogether. If the horses start chewing or cribbing, your looking at maintenance. I'd rather muck out the stalls and have the ability to get a pressure washer in there if needed.
One good horse kick into plywood and you could be looking at vet bills. Horses seem to find trouble, and they aren't as tough as other animals.
One good horse kick into plywood and you could be looking at vet bills. Horses seem to find trouble, and they aren't as tough as other animals.
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EddieWalker
Epic Contributor
Thank you. I really appreciate all the good advice and lessons learned over time.
Eddie
Eddie
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EddieWalker
Epic Contributor
Thank you. I really appreciate all the good advice and lessons learned over time.
Eddie
Eddie
riptides
Super Star Member
Hah! Trick question. Depends on the horse, of course. I have seen them rear in stalls 12X10 bending the metal divider stall poles, I have had a beer kicked out of my hand and flung forty or so feet away. My hand continued up with such force, I almost knocked myself out, when it met my forehead. My elbow hurt for days it moved so darn fast.
