Function

• A box stall.
  
  A stable is a building with the primary purpose of housing livestock animals. Most commonly, this means horses although cows, donkeys, goats or other animals may be kept in stables as well. The interior is divided into separate areas, known as "stalls," to house individual animals. Box stalls allow the horse or other animal to move around freely. Standing stalls are narrow and require the horse or other animal to remain tied and standing.
  
  

Features

• A typical stable interior.
  
  Besides stalls to house the animals, a stable may have other areas that are typically storage related. These include a feed room where grain or other animal feed is stored and a tack room with storage space for saddles bridles, and other equipment. A stable may also contain areas where horses or other animals can be tied so they can be groomed and saddled.
  
  

Benefits

• A small stable.
  
  Because they offer shelter, stables are beneficial to protect horses and other animals from harsh weather conditions such as rain, wind, and snow. They keep the animals warm and dry and protect them from flying debris in a windstorm. A closed stable also protects its occupants from predators such as wolves and coyotes. For valuable animals such as racehorses or show horses, being kept in a stall protects them from getting dirty and potentially getting injured out in a pasture.
  
  

Size

• A stable can vary widely in size. Stables range in size from small buildings with only one or two stalls to huge buildings that can house hundreds of horses or other animals. Smaller stables usually have private owners who are using the building to house their own animals or run a small business. Larger stables are usually found in major commercial enterprises such as horse racing tracks, agricultural shows, or major farming operations.
  
  

Ownership

• A stable may be private, which means that it is used to house its owner's horses or animals, or it might be used for boarding. In a boarding stable, horse owners pay a set monthly fee in return for housing their horses in the stable. This fee may also include services such as feeding the horse and cleaning its stall, or it may cover the space only. In the latter case, the owner must visit on a daily basis to take care of these chores on his own.
  
  

Warning

• Because flammable materials such as hay and wood shavings are often used in stables, there can be a danger of fire. If at all possible, hay should be stored in a separate building and all stables should have multiple fire extinguishers placed throughout the facility and near the exits. For safety reasons, smoking should not be allowed inside a stable.