Base for mobile field shelter?

seoirse

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Further on from my 'maybe I'm going to get a field shelter post the other day' I've not only decided I'm definitely going to get one but I've also found a fairly local company who will do the spec I want and come and erect it all etc etc. However, I want to organise some sort of base for it to be built on, though the guy at the field shelter place has said while not ideal, it can go straight on the grass if it has to. I'd rather put something down to just give a bit of a firmer surface and help prevent mud at least inside the shelter. The field is on top of a hill so fairly well drained, the worst mud we ever get is about hoof deep and even now in all this wet only about 5% of my paddock has any mud in it at all and the planned area for the shelter isn't very wet. The area where I'm planning to put the shelter is partially under some trees and pretty level. The shelter is going to be on skids. I can't put concrete down as we are not allowed anything which would be difficult to take up. Anyone got any ideas? I don't want anything too stony as my horse, while shod all round is likely to be standing on it quite a bit.

My other conundrum is which way round to put the shelter. My field is oblong with the short sides at the north and south ends. The gate is at the north end, and there is woodland immediately over the fence all along the south side which is where my horse hangs out for shelter. The girl in the field next door which is exactly the same as mine has her shelter at the south end under the woods but the opening facing north, the reason for this is so her horse can look out and see the whole field and all his mates, she was worried if she turned it round to provide more shelter he wouldn’t be able to see out onto the field and may not use it or may charge out of it like a rabbit every time he thought he was missing something. I'd just like mine to have a bit more shelter from northerly weather, but then I suppose he could go and stand behind it! Sort of defeats the point a bit though?! Hmmm?
 

*hic*

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Ah, the point of a mobile field shelter is that it has no base as, in theory, the council may want to you to move it every few weeks so that it does not require planning permission. Try using grass mats inside it.
 

seoirse

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Ah, the point of a mobile field shelter is that it has no base as, in theory, the council may want to you to move it every few weeks so that it does not require planning permission. Try using grass mats inside it.

oooh, didn't know about these, just googled grassmats and they look ideal - thank you!
 

madeleine1

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mine on grass and is fine, has been for about a year now, i have the rubber matting inside it but mainly cos if i didnt id have to find somewhere to store it. its actually been a god send over the doorway with all this rain.

i built my field shelter, it took 9 months as my dad gave me the wood for my 21st birthday.
my mare likes to have sex with anything she can when shes in season and she has already tested my field shelter thoroughly and it withstood all her efforts, shes a 16hh sport horse.

just make sure you treat the wood properly and all will be fine
 

RutlandH2O

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Hi, again...DO'D nailed it. The shelter should not have a purpose-made base. All of mine are on grass. However, depending on the soil beneath the grass, you could wind up with very fine, dry, powdery soil inside after your horse has spent several months in it. None of my 5 shelters gets muddy. Rubber matting or grass mats are a great idea. My lot rarely dung inside, but if they do, it's pretty straight forward to clean up. Would that be the case with grass mats, though?

All, except one, of my shelters faces north. When I mentioned to you, re: your earlier post, the possibility of offsetting the door, I have had those shelters' doors offset, so that there is more protection from the elements inside. So, instead of having the door opening in the middle of, say, a 16' run, I have it more to one side. I have them make the opening about 6' or 7' wide. Of course the opening can be as wide or narrow as you desire and depending on the number of horses that will be using it. Mine are for Shires. I, also, mentioned having the manufacturer cut a 3' square opening on one short wall and on one long wall, at horse head height. I have found that, horses being prey animals, mine were, originally, reluctant to go into my first shelter, which is 24' x 12'. After several months ignoring the structure, as soon as I had 2 window openings made, they went straight in. As I mentioned the other day, I have perspex panels that fit into the openings in winter (although they rarely use them that time of year).

Could you put the shelter near the gate on the north side? If the field gate is right next to the shelter, it would make it easier for you to carry and hang nets, muck out, etc. Where is your horse's water source? Near the gate? If your shelter is only having 3 sides, I understand why you wouldn't want to have it facing north. But, if you have 4 sides with a 6' door offset, no problems with the elements.
 

seoirse

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Yes its going to be 4 sides with an offset doorway so whichever way around it is it will offer protection from all wind directions, I'd prefer the door to not be facing north but I think it will have to be.

I am definitely going to put it at the south end of the field which is the opposite end from the gate so less convenient for me, but its my horses favourite part of the field so I think he will use it more if I put it down there.

I've spoken to the girl with the field next door and she doesn't have anything down in her shelter either so I'm increasingly thinking now I won't bother with a base and see how I get on. If there is a problem with the ground I suppose I can add something after as the shelter will obviously be mobile. The ground there is really level which is a good start.

Thanks everyone for the help. I'm getting quite excited now! How sad!
 

eatmoremincepies

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Wouldn't bother with a base, as long as the ground drains ok and you angle it with its back to the weather, iykwim. Mine is on clay, rest of field is horribly wet, inside shelter is bone dry.

You might want to feed inside it for a while so they realise it's not going to eat them/ they have to rush out every time there's a sound outside. *rolls eyes*
 

scarymare

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I've got 3 now - all mobile.

You defo don't need a base - I bed mine with straw and they are fabby.


As far as direction goes, I put mine back to prevailing (westerly) winds. Ideally put it in the most sheltered spot you can (one of mine is in a sheltered corner). Most important of all is to have it 'yorkshire boarded' around the top. Check out Saltire Stables site for what this is. I didn't use Saltire for my last one but the company I did use did the Yorkshire FOC. Before I did this they used to make very good aeroplanes and regularly flew.
 

The Fuzzy Furry

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I have 3 shelter - 2 fixed & 1 on skids.
The 1 on skids has been used most of the year round, tho the animals only go in there by choice to:
1. Escape the flies in the summer
2. Eat anything I may have shoved in there

They never go in to shelter from rain/wind - preferring to stand in the lee of 1 of the walls instead (muppets!)

What I can say from experience is: make sure you site the shelter so it is already in some form of shade.
If you leave it in the sunniest area with doorway facing the midday sun - & if horse goes in during the hot weather (which he will do to escape from flies) - he will fry in the build up of heat.

Put the shelter either right up to a fence along the back, or let it stand out at least a horse length away from a fence so horse can shelter from winds on any side at any time.

My mobile has no flooring in - once the grass is scuffed down well inside - bccoming a lovely dust patch in the summer ;) its stayed quite dry & firm in it. Mine does have a good overhang ouside the doorway tho with front gutter to take away any rainfall from the front & doorway.

We move this shelter twice a year, in summer its in the top fields for fly protection & shade, in winter its further down & seems to used only for hanging haynets on :D (and for my peace of mind that they DO have shelter when I'm at work in the dry & warm!)

Any reasoning for the off-set doorway? Just if ever you have more than 1 in the field, these can become quite dangerous in the door-way, even between very good pals of horses!

Make sure it has airvents in - otherwise it 'could' move in high winds. I site mine in winter side on (narrowest to the most likely direction of wind power!)

Good luck - and happy shopping!
 
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seoirse

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Thanks everyone for all these tips and ideas. TBH my biggest worry now is the thing blowing away/over while horse is inside! It's only for 1 horse, hence the offset doorway, to give him more protection. He won't be having anyone else turned out with him, his field mate sadly now has to remain on very restricted grazing all year and goes in at night round so they are seperated long term. He has friends over the fence though so he's never alone, not that it would bother him tbh!

I have decided its definitely going up against the fence (leaving enough space for him to get through the gap though) on the south side of the field. There is woodland immediately over the fence so its shady and sheltered from S/SW winds already. It's the N/E winds I want to give him a bit of protection from. Even if he stands along side it to shelter from the wind/rain then its helping. I had a shelter in my old field (15 years ago) they only used to go in to poo and spend the rest of the time in bad weather stood behind it!

The girl who has the field next door has a shelter and mine is actually coming from the same place as hers and will be exactly the same as hers. She's had hers there for 3 years now and it's not blown away and is positioned exactly the same as mine will be, however I am still worried about the wind so am going to have to do something before next autumn to ensure its anchored down somehow. I've looked on Saltire Stables and can't work out the yorkshire boarding?

Thanks again so much everyone for all the help.
 

fatpiggy

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Someone I know used those concrete squares you make a patio with as a base in a field shelter. It worked very well and they were just picked and taken away when they left.
 

diluteherd

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Nail it to railway sleepers, they wont rot and will keep it off the mud, make a heavy anchor to stop it blowing over and will also not infringe on planning permission as it isnt fixed to the ground.

I then just got some rubber matting and put it as a floor for it.

Hope this has helped a bit.
 

lachlanandmarcus

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Or else get some angle iron from a blacksmiths or scrap yard (they will know what it is) and hammer it in at 45 degrees towards the base of the shelter, one on each corner. The shelter is then pegged to it and because of the angle, it cant work free. Use heavy duty nylon rope.

This has proven to be the most effective way of securing both arks and static caravan on top of a hill in the Cairngorms for the past 4 years (previously ark would fly over fences and hedges....)!
 

indie999

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Mine is not on any hard standing and the field gets wet clay etc. But it is dry inside. I paid extra to have overhang and mine is facing with the opening EAST(I think thats what I was told to do). Pro is in hot weather the sun is never directly into the shelter and hits the front and then side/back during and end of day. Disadvantage in the winter if it is sunny it doesnt get the sun at all!! But I find it more useful for fly/sun relief than the cold. I use hemcore and it keeps dry as bone inside so no mud!

If its sited on hard standing it will need planning as its classed as fixed structure!

Mine is brilliant it was by Chart stables. Its about 8 years old and like new now.
 

RutlandH2O

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What are you having put on the roof? If it's Onduline, make sure they board the roof with something like OSB board before fixing the Onduline. This will give more weight to the structure. Kickboards of the same OSB board will, again, add more weight. Don't use anything less than 9mm, 12mm or more is so much better. I'm mentioning this because you have said you are concerned about the shelter blowing over in heavy winds. The galvanised skids are an excellent anchor against the wind, as well.

We have a couple of wood chewers. We had galvanised right-angle strips fixed to the outside corners and doorway. Works a treat.
 

seoirse

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Hi everyone - thanks so much for all your advice and experiences with your own shelters. It's really helpful. I've binned the idea of a base and its going directly onto the field. I'm concentrating now on anchoring it and I've got my step Dad on the case too, he's an engineer and very handy too. I've narrowed it down to two shelters by two different companies so almost made a decision! We're just trying to work out which one is going to be the most windproof. Both have pretty much the same spec but slightly different shapes.

Many thanks.
 

kezimac

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just get one that is made in panels - Mine had an offset door - me thinking more protection etc - horse wouldnt use it much as couldnt see out and felt scared if inside and could hear things and not see them - So i had front panel removed - hey presto 3 sided and front completley open horse uses it all the time - think my doorway faces east (however i have trees behind shelter and some about 50 ft in front of it so wind wont come that way.)
also no base - just nice soil now!
 

Lizzie0682

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Mine has a little bit of hard core (think its called that) that was there previously on the land, I think you're fine without it though, as others have said once the ground has dried it tends to stay dry. Enjoy it! Got mine in Dec after years of umming and ahing, it's the absolute best thing I've ever bought! Mine are always in it, and I always sleep so much better knowing they cn put themselves in it at night. No more 3am wake ups worrying about the rain / wind!
 
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