All weather turnout field shelters

[kathantoinette]

I have an all weather turnout area; approx 20m x 30m, sand, well draining, which is soon to be extended to about 28m x 30m, all uncovered currently.

My thought (for next winter!) is to put up some field shelters in the area so that my two could potentially spend most of the winter in there rather than getting brought into their stables every night. I could put out ad-lib forage for them. I’m generally thinking it might be a nicer way for them to live in winter.

My question is would you get a field shelter with one wide open front and one communal space or two separate open fronts with a partition in the middle of the shelter?
What happens if they both want to be in the same shelter? They do get on well and pecking order is firmly established.

Just interested to hear of other peoples current set-ups. Thank you.

 

[cauda equina]

I'd get one big shelter, they are bound to want to cram in together whatever you do
Two of mine (14 hands and a mini) happily share a 14x10 shelter but I wish I'd had a bigger one

 

[GinaGeo]

I have one big shelter that multiple horses use. And they also have access to their stables. Three of them tend to share, two definitely prefer sharing. One prefers his own space. Depends on your horses

 

[FestiveG]

We have two in one big shelter, they share just fine and I'm fairly certain that they'd stuff themselves into one half of it was split

 

[SantaVera]

one big shelter the bigger the better.

 

[Red-1]

Defo one big one as there is less chance of one getting bullied in a corner. However, I would go for one with a good centre post, front and back, so you can hang a partition in case you ever want to divide it in the future.

 

[PurBee]

As you already have stables if they ever need individual box time for whatever reason, i’d have the shelter as one large one, for sharing, if they all get on with each other.

Mine have a winter dry-lot large area and are always in and out of the open shelter throughout the night, so do move a lot more than being stabled overnight. They only stay in there for hours on end by choice if the weather is brutal.

I have a deep-bed system of shavings in there so they can lie-down flat and get REM sleep.

 

[kathantoinette]

Thanks everyone for your feedback I think one big shelter with no partition will be the way to go.

 

[Jellymoon]

Def one big shelter with room for a few different hay stations. Great idea btw!

 

[Cocorules]

I have a partition that "lives" clipped to the back of the shelter but that can swing across if I want to partition it. There are stable doors at the front which are clipped open. That gives me a massive field shelter, but I can convert it to stables if I wish. I only ever do so for vet visits.