Field shelters - do your horses use them?

Supertrooper

Supertrooper

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Before I splash out buying one do you find your horses use them in winter? The field has plenty of natural shelter with thick hedges on all four sides and some areas with hedging they can actually get under but I'm still thinking if he's going to live out unruggged he may need more?
 
My girl has access to a shelter but I find she is more likely to use it in the summer for shade, rather than in the winter.
 
During the winter they never used them, during the summer they did to get away from the flies... they don't have them at the yard they are at now but they have trees instead which they use :)
 
Mine run into a barn which is bedded with wood chip on an earth floor. They use it all year round.

I think the small moveable shelters are difficult to keep dry underfoot. I had one on another yard and the strongest character used it but kept the weaker ones out, which was annoying because the weaker horses were the ones that needed the shelter the most.
 
Winter - never. Would rather stand in the middle of the field with their bums to the wins/rain. Summer occasionally to get out of the heat - so very occasionally lol.

Google pallet stables if you want a cheaper option - though not as pretty...

I wanted this

EBF73F19-354F-4CFE-8915-FA7C966EF86F_zpstiefirlz.jpg


Got this ;)

19B65246-D037-4FC4-9A58-BF2F3F56DD4C_zpslfakwucu.jpg
 
My mare lives out 24/7 and has one in the field she happens to be in and she literally never uses it! Even if it is raining and I try and feed her in their she reaches in for the feed and leaves her bum out in the rain!!!
 
Fides said:
Winter - never. Would rather stand in the middle of the field with their bums to the wins/rain. Summer occasionally to get out of the heat - so very occasionally lol.

Google pallet stables if you want a cheaper option - though not as pretty...

I wanted this

EBF73F19-354F-4CFE-8915-FA7C966EF86F_zpstiefirlz.jpg


Got this ;)

19B65246-D037-4FC4-9A58-BF2F3F56DD4C_zpslfakwucu.jpg
Click to expand...

I couldn't see that standing much grief, have you used it much ? I have big horses and if they leant on it they would push the wood out.
 
AdorableAlice said:
I couldn't see that standing much grief, have you used it much ? I have big horses and if they leant on it they would push the wood out.
Click to expand...

It's double thickness as it's pallets so they'd struggle pushing the wood out. It was ground anchored with super strong anchors and stood up to the Scottish highland winds and snow and also destructive sec d stallion.
 
Mine never use their shelter in the winter, and rarely in the summer. Three are out naked, and haven't got a great deal of shelter in the field, but the rain/snow/winds don't seem to bother them.
 
Mine did - used it more in summer but could find him in there in the winter - I used to put a hay net in there when weather was rubbish together with salt licks etc - if I had my own land and spare pennies would definitely get one
 
Mine use theirs all the time, summer to get away from sun and flies and winter if raining. It has an apex onduline roof and isn't very noisy not sure if its relevant but friend has pent metal roof and hers don't use it in the rain. !
 
Yes summer and winter. At the moment they spend most of the day in there out of the flies, in the winter I bed it down and they shelter from the weather (not when windy though - very sensible).
 
Mine also use theirs all year round. They have been seen to gallop to it when it starts raining. They use it to get out of the heat and away from the flies in the summer. In the winter they use it when its wet and windy.
 
One of mine uses it a lot, if & when the others let her :) She especially likes to use it when it's raining & she'll also take herself inside when we take the other two out for a hack - it's like her safe spot when she's left alone - cute!
 
Mine must be wimps compared with some, they use it winter and summer. If it starts raining heavily I hear a thunder of hooves and they both charge into the shelter. Today they were in it because of the flies this morning, and we had a downpour a couple of hours ago and they stamped in there again. :)
 
Mine use it in torrential rain and very windy weather and for shade in the summer. My previous horse only ever used it once the horse flies arrived in summer but as she got older she would retreat in there for a snooze in the afternoons all year round :)
 
Building animal housing out of pallets isn't something I would fancy tbh. Too many potential toxins and chemicals in/on the wood, not to mention the wood is not going to be very good quality or it wouldn't be a pallet, it's usually cheap weak pine that's not going to stand up to much abuse.
My DH had some idea of making fencing from pallets from something he'd seen on the internet. Soon put paid to that potential eyesore of a project.
 
abracadabra said:
Building animal housing out of pallets isn't something I would fancy tbh. Too many potential toxins and chemicals in/on the wood, not to mention the wood is not going to be very good quality or it wouldn't be a pallet, it's usually cheap weak pine that's not going to stand up to much abuse.
My DH had some idea of making fencing from pallets from something he'd seen on the internet. Soon put paid to that potential eyesore of a project.
Click to expand...

Guess I'm just common ;)
 
It's more the toxins and chemicals in the wood that bothers me really. Though I do think stuff made from whole pallets is generally scruffy looking, yes, that's not the most important concern :o
 
Mine don't use their field shelters, so last year when it was hot and sunny I opened the yard up so they could come and stand in both of the barns or in their own stables, but all that they were interested in was standing either under a tree or under the archway.
 
Mine do use them - more in the summer than winter though, even though there is some natural shelter they always opt for the shelter
 
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