# Building concrete block stables - making them safe?



## kit279 (6 May 2010)

We are getting a stable block built from scratch over the summer - the builders who are doing the house are going to do it at the same time.  The thing is that they are builders, not horsey, and therefore they will do exactly what I ask them to do, rather than give me their advice on how to make the stables safest.

Has anyone here built their own concrete block stables and can give me some pointers?

The plan is to build an L-shape block with block partitions and Monarch-type stable fronts.  How do I make sure the walls and partitions will stand up to a hefty kick? Do I need to reinforce them or buttress the walls?

Any advice welcome!


----------



## KitKat_89 (6 May 2010)

I wouldnt really have a clue about building (hopefully someone will give you some proper advice....) But do make sure that the partition walls are attatched to the back and front walls somehow! There is little more disconcerting than mixing feeds and watching the stable walls move as horsey next door scratches his bum!   (these were livery stables btw)


----------



## lachlanandmarcus (7 May 2010)

If you knit the back and the sides together by staggering the rows (like bricks) so the side ones slot into the back wall structure that will help. also use metal straps on the corners. But most important, bother to make decent foundations so wall 'begins' below ground and use concrete blocks with holes in the middle, you pour concrete down the shaft of all the holes and insert steel rods, tieing the whole wall together. Finally I would board the walls, so the force of any kick is spread and absorbed. That would also allow you to pop some insulation in the gap, which would keep the stable snug and absorb still more impact.


----------



## Magicmadge (7 May 2010)

I had a block of 4 built in blockwork. The dividing walls were built in to the front and back walls and also as above the inside of the lower part of the walls were also filled with concrete as they were built up. The roof as well as being bolted on around the top of the wall has straps at 1 metre spacing right round ( that was me wanting that as we are quite open and windy at times.  Depending on what sort of roof your having, (ours is onduline)We were going to put 1 clear roof panel over each box , but so pleased we didn't as they would have been far too hot in the summer.


----------



## loz9 (7 May 2010)

ditto what has been said above re knitting the walls in together, but also make sure you put some steel reinforcers within the walls. Are your internal dividing walls going to be full height (eg 7/8ft)? The major issue we came across when constructing our block stables was attaching the fronts. Our original plans was to have full wooden fronts like the monarch style one, but we changed this to have part block fronts. This allowed the potentially unstable dividing wall to be tied into a lower front wall that was much more stable (will post a pic).
I was previously at a yard that had wooden fronts attached to tall block walls, which came down after a horse kicked one of the dividing walls. Luckily the horse wasnt injured & there wasnt a horse on the other side of the wall. There was also the problem of big horse scratching on the wooden fronts causing them to bow outwards, & I still dont understand how it didnt just pop out!
Our yard has been built in a pre-existing building so had bars across the front, but this could probably be changed to have wooden sections or windows for external stables.


----------



## wizzybit (7 May 2010)

If possible would you seriously give some thought to putting large opening windows on the opposite wall to the door, so in the summer and still winter days they can have their window open and get a view more 'all round'.  Horses prefer to be able to look about them, helps with ventilation and may just help the horses cope with being stabled.
All my horses love their windows and seem much more content when they have to spend longer periods in their stables.


----------



## Donkeymad (7 May 2010)

We had block stables/barn built a few years ago. You really don't need worry about anything, if you trust your builders. They know how to build, be it a stable or a house. They will know how to do the foundations, how to 'lock' the walls and joints. All you need is to let them know the finishing things you need/want done.


----------



## HazellB (7 May 2010)

Donkeymad said:



			All you need is to let them know the finishing things you need/want done.
		
Click to expand...

I'd also make sure they know about the large amount of ventilation horses need, too. I built my own yard from scratch, acting as surveyor, architect, site manager and brickie all one summer and the only tiny bit of officialdom I wasn't doing myself involved some idiot from the planning office saying horses don't need windows!

I promised to take a pony into the planning office and shove a couple of corks up her nose to see how unventilated stables would work out ... 

... they caved and I got my windows. The pony missed out on a trip to the council, but hey ho 

Seriously, a builder will sort out tying things safely together if he knows the weight of a horse. One thing I would suggest is that you add as many security devices as you can at the early stages as it works out cheaper in the long run. Also add window openings by the bucket load as they can be blocked up if not needed and that's cheaper than having to open up walls at a later date (if you see what I mean!). I put in loads of open windows and it felt like too many at the time, but they are all used and the airy feel is incredible - my boxes never smell at all! 

One thing I did was put a tier half way along each inner stable wall so that if needs be we could hang a gate in the stable and split it in half. We've used that feature quite a lot when we cut too much hay and need to store it in the back of stables for a few weeks, when we've had new chickens arrive and they needed quarantine and when we needed to store a load of showjumps out of thieves' sight. That stables are big, so the space isn't missed by the horses really.

Anyway, plan ahead and get things built in is my advice. Cheaper, easier and it makes your yard your own invention. Enjoy!


----------



## irish_only (8 May 2010)

lachlanandmarcus said:



			But most important, bother to make decent foundations so wall 'begins' below ground and use concrete blocks with holes in the middle, you pour concrete down the shaft of all the holes and insert steel rods, tieing the whole wall together. Finally I would board the walls, so the force of any kick is spread and absorbed. That would also allow you to pop some insulation in the gap, which would keep the stable snug and absorb still more impact.
		
Click to expand...

We have had built 16 block stables and like the above, our builder reinforced with steel rods and filled with concrete. We have only had one complete thug (17hh heavyweight with attitude) who kicked the walls, and because of the filling there is the slightest hole and nothing else.

The other thing to remember is to pipe your water in before you start. We have water bowls and because everything is buried underground RARELY freeze. 

Not posh but very substantial....


----------



## Cahill (8 May 2010)

we have used 9`` hollows.

have seen 2 walls made from standard blocks easily toppled over by  ponies just itching.

standard blocks on their sides would be good but maybe expensive??


----------



## vwalton (11 November 2013)

Hi, sorry I know this post is very old but i am about to look at doing something very similar to Loz9 but 16 stables, would you mind telling me roughly how much yours cost - i like you already have the barn and concrete floor. x


----------



## vwalton (11 November 2013)

Again, sorry this is old, do you have a rough guide on how much just building the block divides cost you? 
thanks x



irish_only said:



			We have had built 16 block stables and like the above, our builder reinforced with steel rods and filled with concrete. We have only had one complete thug (17hh heavyweight with attitude) who kicked the walls, and because of the filling there is the slightest hole and nothing else.

The other thing to remember is to pipe your water in before you start. We have water bowls and because everything is buried underground RARELY freeze. 

Not posh but very substantial....





Click to expand...


----------



## Dry Rot (11 November 2013)

The "standard" concrete blocks referred to above are probably 4 inch or 100mm wide. Personally, I'd use 150mm (6") blocks for stables then a Clydesdale can scratch away to his heart's content!

When building something like this, start from the bottom and think about drains! Where will your drainage water from the roof, stables, and maybe an area for washing down discharge to? Believe me, there will be a lot! Also, it is a good idea to lay concrete floors and yards to a slight fall towards your drain so they dry off easily.

Yes, ventilation is important or you'll get problems like pneumonia. But drafts are bad too. Better to make them almost too big and high up and cover with a fine mesh to cut down on drafts.

Speak to your local librarian. Sure to be lots of books on stable design and they can find and get them for you.

Spons is the official builders price book for pricing building work. You'll probably get that at your library too, or just get prices from several builders.

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=s...9&sourceid=chrome&espv=210&es_sm=122&ie=UTF-8


----------



## loz9 (12 November 2013)

vwalton said:



			Hi, sorry I know this post is very old but i am about to look at doing something very similar to Loz9 but 16 stables, would you mind telling me roughly how much yours cost - i like you already have the barn and concrete floor. x
		
Click to expand...

Hi, lucky I came across this as don't usually venture in here often. I sadly can't give you exact figure off the top of my head, but including doors (~£100), rubber matting (~£120), bespoke railings(~£100) & blocks/cement I want to say it worked out around £450 per stable. We are very lucky that my grandfather is a builder (my dad has helped him for many years, & I was rapidly trained up!) so we had no labour costs, & I did all the painting & varnishing. The blocks used are 6"x9"x12" so are very heavy, but well worth the expense! We ordered direct from the manufacturers as opposed to a builders merchant.
We did have one wall kicked down on the other side of the yard where it was butted up to the edge of a steel girder & my mare stood & repeatedly double barrelled it in a strop. It has since been rebuilt with more reinforcement & the horse moved to a different stable 
Good luck with building yours! I still absolutely love mine despite wishing they were all 14x14 instead of 12x12!


----------

