Setting up a new stable includes making sure you are housing your horse in a clean environment and meeting all of his shelter, food and water needs. The space and actual accommodations will vary depending on factors like the size of the horse and weather conditions, but many elements of stable care are consistent for all horses. Thorough research and careful planning when setting up a new stable will ensure your horse has a good home that will shelter him well.

When setting up a new stable, your horse will require a stall. Most horse stalls are usually around 12’ x 12’ in size. Larger horses will require more space, but most experts do not recommend much less than this even for smaller horses. In ideal arrangements, the stall will have an adjacent paddock, which will allow the horse to move in and out at will. The best type of door between the stall and paddock is a Dutch-style door, which has top and bottom portions that can be opened and closed separately. This style of door allows you to keep the horse in the stall while still giving him the freedom to look beyond the immediate environment of the stall. The walls of the stall should be smooth and safe for the horse, with no nails popping through or hooks on which the horse could injure himself.

Be sure, when setting up a new stable, to develop a plan for maintaining fresh clean bedding and keeping the horse’s stall clean. An adult horse can produce as much as 40 pounds of manure and urine each day, so the stall needs adequate drainage. Plan to keep the stall clean by mucking out the manure and dirty bedding and replacing it. Straw is not always an ideal choice for bedding, since some horses will attempt to eat their bedding, even when it is dirty. A better choice is sand (for drainage) covered by dirt and shavings (for comfort).

Ensure the new stable you are setting up has good ventilation, to minimize the growth of bacteria. Include fly control in your plans when setting up a new stable, since allowing fresh air to circulate often means easy access for flies.

It is best to feed your horse in a trough or manger, not on the floor. When horses eat off the floor, it increases the possibility they will also consume dirt or sand. Sand can cause colic, which can be fatal to horses. Hay nets are not usually considered safe, since a hoof could get caught in the netting. A better choice is a sturdy hay rack. If you feed your horse from the floor, keep the floor clean and the area free from sand. Water should always be plentiful and fresh. To make caring for your horse easier, consider installing an automatic watering system when setting up a new stable. A less expensive option is simply filling a large (20 gallon) bucket with water. Remember that this can be quite heavy to carry from the water source to your horse’s stall, so bear that in mind when setting up a new stable.

Ideally, when setting up a new stable, keep the tack and feed in a separate area from the horse. If the horse gets out of his stall, you do not want him injuring himself on tack or the hooks holding the equipment, or gorging on the stored feed. Safety is an important consideration when setting up a new stable.