Whether you’re a seasoned equestrian or a first-time horse owner, building your own horse stalls can be a rewarding and cost-effective way to provide a home for your horse. If you are a DIYer, keep reading as we list several horse stall plans, so you can have a better understanding of what it takes to build a stall from scratch. These projects will help save you money and create the perfect home for your horse.
The 11 DIY Horse Stall Plans
1. Collins Country DIY 2 Horse Stall
| Materials: | Roof trusses, five 4×4 pieces of wood, plywood or 2×10 boards, choice of roofing material |
| Tools: | Saw, hammer, nails, wood screws, roofing nails |
| Difficulty: | Advanced |
This 2-Horse Stall plan is quite advanced, but if you are skilled at building, the result is well worth it. This horse stall is essentially a run-in shed, so it can double as a stall and an outdoor shelter if you need it to. The best part is that you don’t need an existing barn to build it.
The plans are adaptable, so you can size the stalls to your specifications. If you are particularly skilled, this idea could be made much bigger to accommodate as many horses as you want it to.
2. The Horse Forum Swing-Out Stall Fronts
| Materials: | Wood, gate hinges and latches, screws |
| Tools: | Drill, saw, hammer |
| Difficulty: | Moderate |
These swing-out stalls are made entirely from wood. There are no rules for what type of wood you use or the size of the stalls, so you can make them to your desired specifications. The stall fronts are essentially 4-foot gates that install the same way that any fence gate would. With a drill, saw, and a few screws, this is a relatively easy stall project for an existing barn space.
3. ofhorseandhome Horse Stall Floor DIY
| Materials: | Gravel, rubber stall mats |
| Tools: | Jigsaw, shovel |
| Difficulty: | Moderate |
A good stall floor doesn’t just affect how difficult it is to muck out your stalls; it can also affect the health of your horse. Stall floors should be well-cushioned and easy to clean and have good drainage.
You’ll need a dirt surface to start with, which can be covered with tamped gravel. Finish off with rubber stall or trailer matting to make the stall floor easy to hose off.
4. COWGIRL Magazine DIY Traditional Wood Horse Stalls
| Materials: | Wood planks, screws, stall matting |
| Tools: | Drill, saw |
| Difficulty: | Moderate |
This traditional wood stall arrangement incorporates both wood and steel. The steel dividers enable the horses to see one another easily, and since they are relatively short, most horses can also see over the top.
These plans provide a few different options for stall fronts. Our favorite involves using screen doors, so you can easily pop in and out of the stall as needed. Since they are transparent, your horse feels less closed in.
5. RAMM Horse Fencing & Stalls DIY Horse Stalls
| Materials: | Pre-fabricated stall package, screws |
| Tools: | Drill |
| Difficulty: | Moderate |
If you prefer fancier-looking horse stalls, pre-fabricated stalls may be the way to go. They cost more than building them entirely yourself, but they’re fairly easy to install.
6. Container Auction Shipping Container Horse Barn
| Materials: | Sea Can use shipping container, two steel man gates, screws, bolts |
| Tools: | Drill, saw |
| Difficulty: | Advanced |
The shipping container horse barn offers a unique spin on how to re-purpose a Sea Can. You will need great handyman skills to make it happen, but basically, you cut out two portions of the container and replace them with steel main gates to turn it into a barn. You’ll need dividers in the middle if you wish to separate your horses.
We strongly recommend installing some sort of fan or ventilation system in this barn. Shipping containers are designed to be sealed, and there are no environmental controls, so they can get excruciatingly hot in the summertime.
7. Of Horses & Home Horse Stall
| Materials: | Wood, wire mesh, screws |
| Tools: | Hammer, saw, drill |
| Difficulty: | Advanced |
The Of Horses and Home Horse Stall helps you create a large stall that your horse will love. It’s an advanced build, best suited to woodworkers with building experience, but it is well worth the effort if you have the tools and skills. The author provides plenty of images and diagrams to help make the building process easier, along with many tips and tricks.
8. Offgridish Living Horse Stalls
| Materials: | 2×6 boards, livestock gate, nails |
| Tools: | Circular saw, sawhorses, tape measure, drill |
| Difficulty: | Intermediate |
The Offgridish Living Horse Stalls plan walks you through building a horse stall quickly and easily. It primarily uses 2×6 boards, nails, and livestock gates to create a simple stall for about $600. The gates enable you to create different areas in the stall depending on your needs, so it’s quite versatile, and the author explains how to build it in video format, so it’s easy to follow along.
9. Sutton Hobby Farm Horse Stable
| Materials: | Old telephone pole, scrap wood, screws |
| Tools: | Circular saw, hammer, rake |
| Difficulty: | Beginner |
The Sutton Hobby Farm Horse Stable is a fun plan that uses recycled items to help keep down the cost of building the stable, and it’s perfect for someone with access to scrap wood. The instructions are easy to follow, and the stable is simple to complete if you follow along closely. The finished product is durable and suitable for a single horse, but you can add as many as you need if you have the space.
10. The Hobby Farm Homestead Horse Stall
| Materials: | 2×6 boards, 4×4 wood posts, nails |
| Tools: | Circular saw, hammer, ladder, level |
| Difficulty: | Intermediate |
The Hobby Farm Homestead Horse Stall walks you through creating two stalls using basic boards and wooden posts. There are no hard cuts to make, and you shouldn’t need anything larger than a hand saw to complete the work. The author demonstrates each step in a two-part video series that is easy to follow, and the finished stalls are sturdy and look nice.
11. Tim Anderson Ranch & Horse Training Stalls
| Materials: | Metal stud, 2×6 boards |
| Tools: | Cutting plane, wood blade, |
| Difficulty: | Advanced |
The Tim Anderson Ranch and Horse Training Stalls is an advanced project that shows you how to build horse stalls inside a large barn from scratch. You can watch each step on video, so it’s easy to follow, but you will need to cut metal studs and require specialized tools, so this is considered an advanced project. That said, if you have the tools and experience using them, it should be a quick build.
Horse Stall Building Tips
There are a ton of details to keep track of when building standalone horse stalls or run-in shelters. If you are building stalls in an existing barn, it’s a bit easier, but you’ll need to be aware of building codes if you are starting a new structure.
Your first priority should be evaluating your level of building expertise. DIY horse stall projects are no joke, so you need to be aware of what you are capable of and when to call in a professional. Know what you’re getting into before you start.
Things to keep in mind:
Conclusion
Building your own horse stalls can save you a ton of money, but it’s no easy feat. You will need serious building skills to tackle these DIY plans. If you are confident in your abilities, these projects will give you all the inspiration that you need to build your own horse stalls! DIY horse stall plans are excellent alternatives to pre-made stalls and can save horse owners significant money. If you are a beginner, we recommend starting with the Sutton Hobby Farm Horse Stable or The Hobby Farm Homestead Horse Stall, which are fairly easy but result in attractive and durable stables. If you have experience with woodworking, the Of Horses and Home Horse Stall or the Tim Anderson Ranch and Horse Training Stalls will produce professional-grade stalls that will last many years.
Featured Image Credit: Konstantin Tronin, Shutterstock
