Field shelter help please

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Sooo, if Fly goes back, she'll end up on her own in a massive field all winter with no company, not even sheep or cattle and I just can't let that happen. So...to manage it with everything Dan and I have going on, I have made the decision to keep her at least until the spring as her and Molly are so happy together so I am moving them to a new place. They will be going from 1/4 acre on a livery yard with stables and facilities with very little grass to 6 acres of lush grass where I can basically do what I want. A proper 24x16ft shelter will be going into the field, but it won't be delivered until 2nd week in December and I would like them to have some form of shelter until then. I have just picked up all my fencing today so will be doing that tomorrow and moving them over in the afternoon sometime, but we are due some nastyish weather again soon so I am wondering what I can do to give them some form of shelter until the proper one arrives. Me and Dan are both very handy at DIY, but need some ideas as really not sure what to do for the best. The field is fantastic and while not massively exposed to the elements, it is exposed enough that there will be times that they will need somewhere to shelter. Pulled pork and ribs on offer to anyone who can help :) Oh...and I can make it semi permanent, putting posts in ground is no problem and I could I suppose use it as a store when the proper shelter arrives :)
 
As a cheap, temporary measure, could you get a local farmer to stack some big round bales of straw in the most sheltered bit of the field? Mine ignore their shelter most of the time, seem to prefer to stand with their bums against the wall.
 
Yes, that's happening Monday. Do you think they will be alright. Not too worried about Molly, she has always wintered out, but Fly has always bn stabled. She's stayed out so far this year. YO had them both in last Sunday as a precaution but she always seems happy munching away even when I think it's awful. Probably just me being silly but I hate the thought of them not having shelter as big hedges but nothing they can get under and wind comes in our side of the hedge so not really any use anyway.

Thank you. It would be a windbreak if nothing else. Xx
 
Mine have a lovely field shelter in a very sheltered part of the field, they have a thick bedvof straw down on it and their beloved himalayan salt lick hangers. All very cosy...if its persisting down with rain/blowing a gale where are horses??? Middle of the bloody field :rolleyes3:
 
Haha! My miniature shetland has free access to a barn when she is out in the paddock she shares with the sheep. At night I bring her into the stable which she loves, but despite the howling winds and pouring rain, she would much rather eat grass all day! She is kept on a paddock at the top of a hill where it is incredibly windy and she does not wear a rug, but that is your classic miniature shetland!
As said previously, I would suggest piling straw bales for shelter!
Good luck! :-)
 
Thank you. It's that thing about being out 24/7 isn't it. "Yes it's great so long as they have shelter". I'll kill my back doing it and bet they don't bleddy use it. Thanks for replies guys xxx
 
Mine do use the shelter I provide especially if I put hay in. When dry I try to put hay outside in different places to help ground but also out of the wind, never seems to stop blowing up here! Our dry stone walls act as good wind breaks when ponies do not push them over trying to reach grass on the other side.

Bales sound a good temporary fix or we have used corragted sheeting up ended as panels fixed to a wooden frame,to block particularly bad wind funnelling area and they survived all last winter and still good. You could extend and put roof on later for storage, we have made serveral storeage areas this way.
 
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Adopter said:
When dry I try to put hay outside in different places to help ground but also out of the wind, never seems to stop blowing up here!
Click to expand...

Ha! Yes, I have that problem too (edge of Saddleworth Moor)!

Adopter said:
Our dry stone walls act as good wind breaks when ponies do not push them over trying to reach grass on the other side.
Click to expand...

And that one! Spend my life putting top stones back.

GG - as long as they're rugged and have plenty to eat they'll be happy. I put my hay out in piles around the field, to keep them moving as much as possible (and as Adopter has pointed out, it also stops the ground getting too poached).
 
Thanks guys. I know they'll be ok. I have huge straw bales coming tomorrow which will form an L shape high enough to shelter behind whatever direction the wind travels in.

They are getting through so much hay at the moment as there is virtually no grass but the 6 acres they are going on is really good, established grazing. I've done a good walk over it for many hours searching hard for nasties and can't see any so it's been well maintained by someone. I'm building a store tomorrow for energiser, poo picking stuff and hay and I know they'll be fine.

It's going to be nice to have the worry of too much grass as opposed to not enough!
 
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