Does anyone use Tie stalls for feeding?

[Catersun]

like the title says.... they'd be used for feeding and while we were riding, waiting for vet, or farrier... etc.... Not for use for long amounts of time... pros and cons.... Just thinking...

[analise]

I could see the appeal, but then I know of people who tie horses in the field when feeding so they don't go eat each other's food. And it would keep them out of, say, an aisleway while waiting for the vet or farrier. And, I guess, if you've got limited space for big stalls, since you could fit several tie stalls in the space of a box stall.

[Sithly]

A barn I used to work for had tie stalls. I loved them. I'll probably set my barn up similarly if I ever get my own place.

They had double tie stalls (two horses in each), which I prefer to single tie stalls because there's more room to move around the horses without getting trapped against a wall. They used feed mangers made from rubber stall mats.

They also had all their pastures connected to one sacrifice paddock which led directly into the barn. Feeding was quick and simple: you you opened the gate and let the horses in, they went to their stalls, and you clipped them to the ties. Didn't take new horses long to learn the routine. Any naughty ones were led in by hand until they straightened out.

Turnout was equally simple. You went out and opened the gate to whichever pasture they were going to that day, then came back in and unclipped them and turned them towards the door.

It was a great system. Quick, efficient, and every horse got the right feed.

[FlashGordon]

Cater, we had about 12 tie stalls at a barn where I worked in college. Horses were out 24/7, we'd bring them in 2x a day to feed. Once they got the routine it was very easy and efficient.

They seem to learn real quick that the tie stall = food and so they are happy to go in and stand there. We had quite a few that would "self-load" into the stalls, not saying that's the best idea, but hey we were 18... ;)

They were also often tied in the stalls for grooming/tacking. If you have a little manger up front for hay, most are content to stand there and munch for however long you need them to.

In this particular barn, there were only 2 major incidents in 10 years. Both the horses involved never should have been in them in the first place as they were not reliable tied ANYWHERE.

[Catersun]

Yeah.. that is one of my concerns... two of them aren't confirmed "will stand tied through anything horses".... but I'm thinking with a butt bar. I know one will be fine as long as there is a butt bar... not so sure about the other. I think as long as there is food involved we will be fine. The hay manger is a definate though. I'm trying to think of a way to water them in there as well.... I'll keep thinking about it. It's not happeneing tomorrow.. so I've got time.

[JenEM]

The barn I grew up riding at had them for the lesson horses. They lived out, and were brought in only for meals and for use in lessons. For an hour or two at a time, they were perfectly fine, but they were generally laid back schoolies. The stalls did have ties at the back, sort of like a buttbar, but made out of something like a single rubber stallguard.

The setup was great for that purpose, because it didn't take up a lot of space with boxstalls for horses who were only in 2 hours a day, they were easy to clean, and it was easier for the kids to manage the horses not being loose in a whole box.

[camohn]

Yup. We have polo ponies that live out.....tie stalls are used for waiting (vet/farrier etc) and for severe weather when we do bring them in. Ours are 6 x 10......big enough for them to lie down if they want to.

[halla]

Both polo barns I rode at used them. There's a photo of UVA's here: http://www.vapolo.org/facility.html I think they were the double stalls someone mentioned above. I only took lessons there, so am not sure how long they spent in them. The other place had smaller, less nice stalls, but had no issues that I know of. The horses spent several hours a day in them. I didn't like those so much, mostly because they were just small.

[Jsalem]

We use them for our lesson horses. There's a pic on my website: patchworkfarmga.com, under the Facility Tour section. Ours is kinda fancy, but the idea is simple. Our barn has 4 tie stalls. The dividers come out to make 2 pony stalls at night. The stalls are matted and bedded, there's a big overhang in front and behind and fans over each stall. There is a water bucket and hay net in each stall. Our lesson ponies are perfectly content to stand there for hours. Sure beats the heat and bugs outside.

[trubandloki]

I think tie stalls are great.

I know of several lesson barns where the horses actually live in a tie stalls. Not just come in from turn out when they are going to be working. Basically they are in their tie stall when not being ridden.

All the horses I know that live in them have no problem laying down and getting up, etc. They all seem perfectly comfortable living in a tie stall.

[Good Old Sledge]

We've always had a few tie stalls in the barn. Pretty much just use them for ponies now because we have a bit more room, but tie stalls are great.
I've never had trouble with a horse in one, but I wouldn't take a horse off the track and put him in one, either. Having a buddy will make it easier on a horse that's never used one. And your butt bar. And a few days of gentling in to the idea; jus in for feed, not tying them etc. Pretty much the way you might break a weanling to a trailer.

[Catersun]

We use them for our lesson horses. There's a pic on my website: patchworkfarmga.com, under the Facility Tour section. Ours is kinda fancy, but the idea is simple. Our barn has 4 tie stalls. The dividers come out to make 2 pony stalls at night. The stalls are matted and bedded, there's a big overhang in front and behind and fans over each stall. There is a water bucket and hay net in each stall. Our lesson ponies are perfectly content to stand there for hours. Sure beats the heat and bugs outside.

How many square feet is your lesson barn? I LOVE that idea and layout.

[Jsalem]

I'll have to measure when I get to the barn, but I based the tie stall size on a generous trailer stall. My fronts swing out and are cut out for the horses to put their heads over. Maybe 5' wide? If I did it again, I would probably make the stalls 6' wide, so that when the divider was removed the stall would be bigger. From chest to tail, maybe 10' long? If you want real measurements, let me know and I'll measure for sure.

Best thing I did was have a generous overhang in front of their heads and behind their tails. That way, in bad weather, they're very snug and you can still work in there. There's enough room in front of the stalls to cross tie a horse. You can see we have a more formal grooming crosstie to the left. The tackroom to the right is probably 10 x 10. It has a window against the stall wall and another one directly across from it. In hot weather, there's a really great cross breeze. The other key was that the ceiling is insulated.

That little barn could be expanded to have more stalls. We had a little space where we wanted to fit it in and wanted it very compact. It sits right near our round pen and covered arena. We also wanted it to visually be very open since it sits right near everything. You can "see through" the barn.

At the same time we also added 2 outside washracks to the right of the tackroom under the trees. Very handy. So our little "school barn" will easily hold 4 in the stalls, 2 in the washracks, 1 in the grooming stall and 1 on the cross tie in front (8!).

[halla]

I bet an really old stable management book would have dimensions and advice on training a horse to tie in one. I don't think I have anything like that at home, but I'll look around. Google books might even have something.

[slpeders]

The place I board has converted the old cowbarn to tie stalls and a tack area and the horses there go into tie stalls (but butt-latched in, not tied in) for feed twice a day. Hay is fed outside in their paddock.
There are also a couple 'outside' areas that have tie stalls in the paddock for feeding those that live out 24/7, to ensure everyone gets the right meals/supplements. It also keeps the horses contained while fresh hay is delivered to their paddocks.
For waiting for farrier/vet/etc, they typically use the grooming area crossties though
or one of the solo-horse paddocks.

[cllane1]

The barn I ride/board at does, and I love it. Horses are only in 2 x a day to eat, unless laid up (there are 6 regular sized box stalls for layup) or waiting for the farrier/vet/to be ridden. Each has stall guards at the opening and rope halters attached inside so horses can be tied. Even horses that have never been in a barn before gt the hang of the routine very quickly. Takes much less bedding and picking too.