The Danish regulations concerning the layout of stalls and stables for horses requires that the area of the stall is at least the square of the double height of the horse, the shortest side has to be at least 1.7 times the height of the horse. Our stalls are all the same size: 3.5m x 3.5 m, so it is legal accommodation for a horse of up to 1.75 m.
In addition to the area requirements, there are an enormous number of other regulations regarding the height of the interior of the stable, how much volume of air per horse, how much natural light to come from windows and so on.. But since we rebuilt the stable two years ago, it complies with those regulations.
The stalls are made by inserting boards between the posts that form the outer edges of the stall.
Some 2x4" larch were sawn to length (125 cm), and then they were ripped on the tablesaw.
All the children including one playmate were "forced" to participate for 1 hour.
We didn't get to do much actual building, but we cleaned the area and started on making the holders for the boards.
Some of the boards only need to be 85 cm long, so I can use some of the twisted and ugly larch that is unsuitable for anything else. For this stall I plan to use boards of 5/4" thickness. The rest of the stalls have got normal 1" thick boards.
Previously it was common to make the upper board for a stable out of elm, since horses and pigs don't like to bite in it, presumably it doesn't taste very good. The existing stalls have boards made out of either larch or Sitka spruce. They have been painted with something called "bite stop", so it hasn't been a problem with the horses destroying the wood.
Please note that I do like horses and do enjoy riding myself once in a while.
Gustav (10) crosscutting a 2x4
Some fairly twisted larch
The boards inserted between two holders.
The future source of hide glue
Those are some intense regulations for horses. Are there any for other animals, say pigs or sheep?
ReplyDeleteHi Ralph. I am pretty sure that the regulations are even stricter for pigs. For instance, there is a regulation that requires that pigs have activity toys in their stall.
DeleteI don't think they are very strict for sheep since they are believed to be able to cope with al kinds of climate, so they can be kept outside all year round with access to a shelter.
Brgds
Jonas
I think you are setting your self up for a "how to make your own hide glue" post.
ReplyDeleteI am sure that the female population in our family does not agree to that we should make that experiment.
DeleteBrgds
Jonas
I grew up in the heart of a big city so unfortunately for me I didn't get to see farm animals until I got older. Luckily as a teenager I spent some time each summer in the mountains and on farms so I got to be introduced to a different world. I'm not sure of the regulations here concerning farm animals but I know they are stricter now than they had been in the past, when there were few, if any, rules regarding stables. For the most part people were responsible for their own farms which I believe was generally fine. Of course there were always a few who treated their animals cruelly and therefore created the need for more regulation. As always the rules are in place for people who would follow them even if they didn't exist.
ReplyDeleteOne of the sad Things about the new regulations is, that they criminalize a lot of people who are treating their animals just fine. But suddenly the interior height of their existing stable is to low. And therefore they are suddenly breaking the law. On the other hand, people who have been mistreating their animals, will continue to do so even with the new stricter rules.
ReplyDeleteIn Denmark the normal political move is to make a strict law, and then do nothing..
In my opinion it would have been better to spend the money that were used for the creation of the new regulations on forming an agency of some sort, that could handle the already known offenders of animal welfare. But that is not going to happen.