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.
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Building Your Horse Stalls- Types of Wood to Use

For many folks, deciding on the type of wood to build your horse stalls can be a problem. Oak was the most common type of wood used years ago because of it's availablity and hardness.
Nowadays, white and yellow pine is the wood of choice. Pine can be used because the grill sections fit over the top edge of the wood, so the horse can't easily "crib" or chew on the wood edges. If your horse has either of these habits, edge protectors can be purchased which cover all edges of the wood, stopping the horse from biting down.
Tongue and groove lumber is the best as the wood planks interlock with each other and produce a very strong wall. By using tongue and groove lumber, this will stop gaps from forming as the wood dries over time and shrinks, producing gaps between the boards.
We suggest the bottom board on the stall to be treated lumber as it will be the one subjected to manure and urine on the floor of the stall. Do not use treated lumber for the rest of the stall wall as the treating chemicals if ingested by the horse can cause large Vet bills due to making the horse sick. A good horse stall building guide is available which will help determine how many boards you will need for each horse stall front or side wall.
Make sure the wood you are using has been dried properly before starting to build your horse stalls. Wet wood will warp quickly and cause the stall doors to bind and walls will warp out of shape.