2 stall bar design questions

I'm going to take a stab at making my own stall bars this weekend.  I've got the basic design down from all the great posts...using 2x8's with 1 1/2 in poplar dowels.  I've never used stall bars so I have 2 design questions for the more experienced.

1. The dowels available at Lowe's are 4 ft.  Instead of cutting them to 3 ft, what about adding another 2x8 in the middle to have 2 small, 2 ft. sections?  I'm 6'3", 200 lbs so I'm thinking the extra support couldn't hurt.
2. I've seen people use screws in the ends of the dowels to hold them in place.  Could I use the screws on the back side of the vertical support instead?  It would hide the screws from view and hold the dowels better I think.  (Or is this how it's supposed to be done?)

Thanks for the insights!

1. Don't do that it would be very uncomfortable to use.

 

2. That's  just fine, if a bar breaks, if just means you have to pull the unit off the wall to replace it.

Thanks!