Dutch doors on stalls

[Kari]

Hi all,

Time has come, the contractor needs me to make a decision (we're putting in a new barn)! Each stall will have a door at the rear which opens to a run. Should these be sliding doors or dutch doors?

I like the dutch doors for ventilation, but are there safety issues?

If you think I should go with dutch doors, how tall should the bottom half be?

Keep in mind, too, that these stalls are for foaling.

Thanks for any input!!

Kari

 

[Marty]

I have both and I like both kinds!

The main barn has solid sliding doors and the little barn has top and bottom dutch doors. I never use the tops so actually I removed them about as fast as they went up but I'll put them back on for winter most likely.

Make your bottom doors low enough about 36" inches or so, so the horses can easily see out is my only real suggestion.

Good luck I cannot wait to see your new barn.

 

[AppyLover2]

I really like the dutch doors. Great for ventilation when you want it and easy to close when you don't.

 

[minih]

We have dutch doors on ours and love them, they increase the ventilation and light in your barn. Nothing more depressing than a dark barn during the day when the lights inside are turned off. Even on a rainy day if the wind is not blowing we have enough of a overhang that we keep the top door open and let light in.

 

[Echo Acres]

I love our dutch doors. Ours are home made, so not quite as good as the real deal. If you can buy them premade or have a professional do them that is best. The issues we deal with is snow/rain getting in around and between them because we had to leave a little space for the wood to expand and yes it does expand. That is the only down fall. On the other hand we saved a few hundred dollars doing it ourselves. Ours are 4 feet high by 4 feet wide and I really like them. I like this height for a couple of reasons. First I don't have to worry about any one jumping them. Also I can leave the top one shut if need be and just open the bottom and the horses can go in and out. I don't do this often, but it is nice to have that option.

 

[kaykay]

we love our dutch doors. we have a sliding door in the front and dutch doors in the back of each stall. I love it as I can let them out without going in the barn if I use the dutch doors and as said they are great for ventiliation

 

[Genie]

I think I would love the dutch doors to the individual runs.

Wish I had a barn like that

I am jealous

 

[Cathy_H]

We had dutch doors put on our new barn. What we are going to do though is switch the top shorter door to the bottom & the bottom taller door to the top since our horses are shorter..... We didn't think about that when we had it built.

 

[Kari]

Thanks for the input, everyone!! I think I'll go with the dutch doors, provided we aren't looking at too much more in cost.

Marty, I did a search and found a picture of your stalls with the half-walls and the lattice. I REALLY like them and think I'll "copy" you, if you don't mind!! With a few revisions to make it my own, of course........ I'm "copying" some from Scott Creek, as well.

The Chicken Coop (long story... the contractor is mortified) will have five 12x12 stalls on one side, a brick/sand aisle, and a feed room, trailer, cart, firewood storage, and whatever else we think of on the other side! It's gonna be GREAT! The runs I'm still planning... any suggestions? Size?

Kari

 

[whitney]

I have dutch doors and REALLY like them. However each stall with the dutch doors open to individual pens so I like the bottom half tall so I can shut them out in the summer time and still air the stalls out and in the winter I close the top half to block wind and they can go in and out of the stall without bumping their head.