As living spaces go, a box stall is a pretty basic thing. A square enclosure with a door,  a couple of bits of hardware from which to hang buckets, and maybe a window–that’s it, right? Well, yes, it is, on the surface. But there’s a little more to it than that.

That stall is very likely the place where your horse is going to spend the bulk of his existence as a domestic animal. Even if he is turned out every day, and exercised regularly, up to 16 hours of his daily life could be whiled away in that familiar, small space. So, it’s not a bad idea to put a little thought and planning into its design, both to ensure his comfort and his safety, and to provide you, his handler, with as much convenience as possible. Here are some things to consider when you design your horse’s living space