Stable door kick board in Exeter
Professional stable door kick board services in Exeter and surrounding areas. Local, reliable handyman - no job too small.
Price Guide
£85-£160
Typical Duration
1.5-3 hrs
Location
Exeter, Devon
Heavy-duty kick boards fitted to stable doors. Protects against hoof damage, extends door life, saves money on replacements. Proper protection for problem kickers.
Stop Buying New Stable Doors
One horse that kicks and you're replacing doors every few years. A proper kick board takes the abuse instead - door stays intact, horse can kick all they want.
💡 Pro tip: Fit kick boards before damage happens if you know you've got a kicker. Prevention is much cheaper than repairing or replacing doors.
What Makes an Effective Kick Board?
| ✅ Done Right | ❌ Done Wrong |
|---|---|
| Heavy-duty ply or thick timber | Thin boards that split on impact |
| Coach bolts through door | Screws that pull out under kicks |
| Height covers kick zone (1-1.2m) | Too short, horse kicks above it |
| Smooth edges, no splinters | Sharp edges that cause injury |
What You Get
🔧 Solid Door Protection
| Stage | What Happens |
|---|---|
| Assess | Check door, measure, plan board layout |
| Prepare | Cut boards to size, pre-drill for fixings |
| Fit | Board fixed solidly with coach bolts |
| Finish | Edges sanded smooth, check no protrusions |
📦 You're Left With
- Door protected from kicks
- Heavy-duty boarding that takes abuse
- Solid fixings that won't work loose
- Years more life from your door
Pricing Guide
| Door Setup | Estimated Time | You'll Pay |
|---|---|---|
| Single door, one side | 1.5-2 hrs | £85-£110 |
| Single door, both sides | 2-2.5 hrs | £110-£135 |
| Double door (full stable front) | 2.5-3 hrs | £135-£160 |
Based on £60 minimum (first hour) + £50/hr after. Materials additional.
Perfect For Your Equestrian Property If...
✅ Known kicker - horse damages doors regularly
✅ New horse - reputation for kicking
✅ Expensive doors - worth protecting investment
✅ Repeated repairs - fed up fixing kick damage
Why Choose Us for Stable door kick board in Exeter?
Protects door from hoof damage
Heavy-duty boarding used
Securely fitted to take kicks
Extends door life significantly
What to Expect
Step 1: Assess Door
I'll check your door condition, measure up, and work out the best board size and layout for your situation.
Step 2: Prepare Materials
Cut heavy-duty boarding to size, mark fixing positions, pre-drill for coach bolts.
Step 3: Fit Securely
Board goes on with coach bolts through the door. Edges sanded smooth, check everything is flush and safe.
🔧 DIY Tips
Want to fit your own kick board? Here's how:
🔧 Tools you'll need
- Circular saw or jigsaw
- Drill and bits
- Coach bolts (M8 or M10)
- Marine ply or heavy timber (18mm+)
- Sander or sandpaper
- Tape measure and pencil
📏 Planning your board
- Measure door width and height to protect
- Usually 1m-1.2m high is standard
- Full width of door
- Add 50mm extra if you want to protect edges too
🪛 Fitting securely
- Cut board to size
- Sand all edges smooth
- Position on door
- Mark fixing positions (every 30cm)
- Drill through board and door
- Fit coach bolts with large washers
- Tighten evenly
- Check no sharp edges or protruding bolts
Materials choice:
- Marine ply (18mm): Best option, won't delaminate
- Thick treated timber: Solid but heavier
- Hardwood: Excellent but expensive
- Standard ply: Don't use - delaminates when kicked
⚠️ Common DIY mistakes
- Using screws instead of coach bolts
- Board too thin (kicks straight through)
- Not sanding edges (splinter risk)
- Fixing points too far apart (board flexes)
- Forgetting washers (fixings pull through)
💡 Pro trick: Fit the board on the inside of the door (stable side). That way when the horse kicks, they're pushing against the bolts, not pulling them out. Much more secure.
Rather leave it to a pro? No problem - that's what I'm here for. Give me a call.
Good to Know
🐴 Why do horses kick doors? - Usually boredom, frustration at feeding time, or wanting to get out. The board protects your door, but work on the underlying cause too - more turnout, toys, adjusted feeding routine.
Both sides? - Some horses kick from both sides. If yours does, board both sides of the door. Costs more upfront but cheaper than replacing the whole door.
Field shelters - This works for field shelter doors too. If your horses kick the shelter door (usually at feeding time), same solution applies.
Doesn't solve kicking - The board protects infrastructure, not the horse. If they're kicking constantly, get a vet to check for pain and look at their routine. Persistent kicking often signals a problem.
Maintenance - Check fixings annually. The constant impact can loosen bolts over time. Tighten them up before the board comes loose.
Frequently Asked Questions
What height should a kick board be?
Usually about 1.2m up from the bottom - high enough to protect the area horses typically kick. Can go higher if you've got a particularly aggressive kicker or tall horse.
Can you fit a kick board to an existing stable door?
Yes - that's exactly what this service is. I fit heavy boarding over your existing door to protect it from kick damage. Much cheaper than replacing a kicked-through door.
What material do you use for kick boards?
Usually marine ply or thick treated timber. Needs to be strong enough to take repeated kicking without splitting. I use coach bolts through the door so it doesn't come loose.
Will this work for a horse that kicks constantly?
It'll protect the door, but if your horse is kicking that much, there's usually an underlying cause - boredom, isolation, pain. The board buys you time to sort the root cause.
Can you repair damaged doors at the same time?
Yes - if the door has kick damage already, I'll assess whether it needs repairing first. Sometimes you can get away with covering the damage, other times the door needs patching before the board goes on.
Stable door kick board Also Available In:
Get a Free Quote in Exeter
Call us today for a free, no-obligation quote for your stable door kick board job in Exeter.
01392 964094Request Online QuoteOur Rates
Got multiple jobs?
Make the most of your first hour - I can often tackle several small tasks in one visit. List everything you need done when you call!
Why Trust Us
Need Stable door kick board in Exeter?
Get a free quote for your stable door kick board job in Exeter today.