Horse Stalls, The Types of Metal Finishes for Where You Live

When selecting the type of horse stalls for your barn, the metal finish that you will be using is critical to how long the stalls will last.
Many people over the past few years have selected powder coated stalls only to find out they didn't live up to the marketing hype that some manufacturers have been bragging up. In a perfect world, powder coated horse stalls would be great, but I don't know of anyone who has their barn setting in the middle of a perfect world. The truth is powder coating is good as long as the finish isn't nicked or scratched. Worse is if your horse has a habit of licking the bars in the stall. Many of us have mineral blocks or salt blocks in the stall area, and once the powder coating has salt under it, it lifts the coating like a sheet of paper.
A good way to see this for yourself is if you buy something with a powder coated finish and expose it to the weather. A good example is a trailer-hitch. I had a new powder-coated hitch installed on the back of my dually this fall. The winter has not been kind here in Ohio and the road crews have been working overtime spreading salt on the roads. My new hitch looks like it's 10 years old, powder coating is peeling off everywhere and surface rust has taken over. Needless to say, my opinion of powder coating is very poor.

Enamel coated stalls and powder coated stalls are about equal in terms of preventing rust, but they can be used in dry areas of the country. If you live in the southwest where the humidity is very low, this type of metal finish will serve you well.

If your barn is in a humid area of the country, a much better option is galvanized steel. Galvanized products have a protective coating that is actually bonded into the metal and holds up much better than paint or powder coating, but be aware of the different types of galvanizing. Some manufacturers have gone to a spray on type of galvanizing which is no better than paint. If it is not hot-dip zinc galvanizing, don't waste your money as rust will appear on the spray-on type very quickly.

For people living close to the coastal areas, aluminum horse stalls is the only metal type that will stand up to this type of environment.
Anodized aluminum is the best as it has a hardened clear coating that seals the bars and stays looking nice for years. Raw aluminum will begin to discolor and will develop a "white rust" corrosion over time, so again, it pays to shop for horse stalls wisely.

For more information on high quality USA Made horse stalls, visit www.countrymfg.com

Horse Stalls, Selecting the Right Type for Your Needs

Many people get confused when trying to decide what type of horse stalls are the best for their individual needs, so I'll break to down to the 2 major types to help your stall planning:
The most economical type is the Horse Stall Kit. "Kit" styles of horse stalls give you flexibility in building your stalls as you can order the specific type of grill, stall door and other features that make the stall work better for you and your horse. The down side to building from a kit is they do require support posts to be set into the ground for the wood of the stall to attach to. This makes the stall difficult to move or change in the future as your needs change. This stall building guide will help show you how the posts have to be set.

The second type of stall is the "modular" or "prefab" horse stalls. This type of stall can be moved easily and does not require the use of support posts. The fronts and walls lock together with brackets. This style of stall is popular with horse breeders for making foaling stalls as the walls can be added and removed easily.
This prefab stall building guide will help.

Our next blog will explain the metal types for different horse stalls and explain how the humidity levels of where you live can have a huge effect on the type of horse stalls you should consider buying.

New ATV Wagon for Horse Owners

The ATV has been rapidly replacing the utility tractor in the past few years and many folks have been asking for a wider ATV style wagon for hauling larger loads than is possible with the small garden carts and trailers available at retail stores.
The new model 7340ATV tuff-wagon is designed for hauling fence posts, large bulky loads like grain bags and haybales without having to make multiple trips, saving you time!
View our wide selection of ATV trailers, carts and wagons at www.countryatv.com

Manure Spreader, Best Value for the Buck

In todays economy, getting the best value for your dollar is on everyone's mind. One of the most valuable tools for any horse owner is a manure spreader. If you have been on the end of a wheelbarrow hauling manure out of the stalls, you know how valuable a good manure spreader can be. Country Manufacturing currently has their model 600 25 bushel manure spreader on sale for $899.00 plus shipping! This spreader has been in production since 1978 virtually unchanged. A time-proven design, this manure spreader uses treated lumber boards which carry a warranty of 25 years without rotting or breaking! The simple mechanism is easy to replace and not expensive if parts are ever needed which makes this a great value. Best of all, this manure spreader is made in the USA.
Visit www.countrymanufacturing.com for more information about the Model 600 manure spreader.

Horse Owners Now Using ATVs More Than Tractors

ATV's have rapidly become the workhorse around the farm and ranch, replacing the utility tractor due to their wider versatility and ease of getting the job done easier and faster than before. At Country Manufacturing, we have recognized the need for a line of durable USA made products than can be attached easily to an ATV to help people get their chores done faster and easier than before.
We have launched a website focusing on the ATV equipment and products that horse owners would need. Visit www.countryatv.com for more information

How to build horse stalls on a budget

In these tough economic times, trying to build horse stalls can seem like a project beyond your budget, but it really doesn't have to be.
One of the major costs is lumber. Many people believe you must use a hardwood like oak to build your horse stalls, but in reality you can use a yellow pine or ponderosa pine with excellent results. We do not suggest a white pine as it is too soft for building horse stalls.
Tongue and groove boards are the best as they interlock together and are much stronger than dimensional cut 2 x 4 or 2 x 6. Using dimensional cut lumber, the boards will bow and gap as the wood shrinks and swells with the humidy in the barn.
The only boards that should be treated lumber are the bottom board of the stall. This is the area that will be subjected to urine and manure and the treated boards will help delay wood rot. The rest of the boards should NOT be treated lumber so the horse can not ingest the treating chemicals if they crib or chew on the wood. This can save you money as the cost of untreated boards are much less than treated boards.
Need help planning your horse stall project? Talk to the experts at http://www.countrymanufacturing.com/ They have many years of experience in horse stall building and can help you decide what products you will need to stay within your budget.

Horse Stalls Modular or Support Post Style

As we are edging closer to spring, many horse owners are looking at adding new horse stalls to their barns. The question becomes what is the best type for my needs?
Horse stalls are available in 2 main styles in terms of construction: Modular and Support Post.
A Modular Horse Stall is a pre-fabricated stall front or wall that is bracketed together and needs no support posts set into the floor to be installed. Modular horse stalls can normally be installed in 1/4 of the time compared to a support post style of stall. Modulars have the advantage of being able to be moved easily and sections or walls can be added or removed for converting the stalls into a foaling stall easily. People who own open-span or pole barns favor the modular stalls because they do not need support posts to get their strength. Modular stalls CAN be attached to existing support posts if they are already in place.

Support post style of stall construction is much less expensive than modular, but this savings is off-set by the amount of wood and labor needed to build the stalls. Support Post style of stalls DO require posts to be set into the floor. The stall grills and wood are attached to these posts to provide the strength for the stall front and walls.

Need assistance with your horse stall project? Visit http://www.horsestalls.com/ or call them toll free at 1-800-335-1880 M-F 8am-5pm EST. They have over 30 years of experience and will help you decide the best types of stalls for your needs.