How big is the framing?
We use 4″ framing that is joinery grade and planed. Joinery grade framing is stronger as it is slow grown and has less knots. It will easily stand up to horses scratching and rubbing, and generally putting stresses on the timber. Remember, your horse may not be as expensive as an Olympic Competition Horse, but he will still be as strong. Why are some stables cheaper? Timber is graded due to structural strength and amount of knots. Knots tend to dry up and fall out thus weakening the structure. The slower the growth of the timber, the closer the grains are together, meaning the timber can cope with more stresses. In basic terms the cheaper the timber, the cheaper the timber and the less strength is has. It will also be more liable to shrinkage and warping. Internally, the kickboard lining takes quite a hammering over the years that you intend to have your stable for, hence the stronger the lining, the more it can stand up to.
