Has anyone used these as fieldshelters?

[proctor]

Or know of someone who has/does and you have anything good or bad to say about them.

I found them on eBay and they claim to withstand gusts of wind to gale force 10, and ideal for horses and cattle. And at £649 it's alot cheaper than traditional shelters which I can't afford. Your views please!

 

[forestfantasy]

My horse would take one look and run the other way!

 

[proctor]

Bless! By the time it's got hay inside, my boy will be in it like a shot!! I'm still in 2 minds about it though :/

 

[rockysmum]

Or know of someone who has/does and you have anything good or bad to say about them.

I found them on eBay and they claim to withstand gusts of wind to gale force 10, and ideal for horses and cattle. And at £649 it's alot cheaper than traditional shelters which I can't afford. Your views please!

Hmm, firstly I wouldn't want that in my field in a high wind, the structure might be able to withstand it, but would the ground fixings when the ground is wet and muddy. It could become a huge sail if it took off, quite dangerous I would think.

Secondly I doubt my horses would go in it.

And last I am sure that it would not take kindly to being used as a rubbing post, mine have managed to break down fencing doing that in the past.

For the price I have built far better structures using timber from the second hand timber yard. But then I enjoy building things

 

[Tinypony]

I thought about them at one point, but decided that it would probably get damaged quite quickly by horses using it as a bum scratcher. Or maybe even testing their teeth on it, as they have been known to do on my car bonnet!
Forestfantasy your post made me grin, can you imagine spending the money then the horse won't go near it? Mind you, I think natural curiosity would overcome the initial horror and any horse would end up inside it eventually.

 

[5horses2dogsandacat]

Ugly! As above ponies would look and be in the next county within seconds!

I've seen a similar thing before think they were called pony tents anyway that was a year or so ago not heard anything of them since.

If you really look I've seen field shelters for around the £600 mark. If you want good quality hang on to your cash until u can afford the real thing xx

 

[forestfantasy]

Forestfantasy your post made me grin, can you imagine spending the money then the horse won't go near it? Mind you, I think natural curiosity would overcome the initial horror and any horse would end up inside it eventually.

lol, my little sec a would be straight in for a nosey, he's pretty brave - but one rustle and he'd be out!
The big girl - no chance! Maybe after a few months she'd dare take another look!

But seriously i agree with Rockysmum - building your own will be cheaper & stronger

 

[proctor]

I do think it's hideous myself but was thinking of my horsey!! And now I've had 10 minutes to think about it, nah, stupid idea!!

I always do this, find something that looks really good and I get all excited over it, then sensible head kicks in and I really look into it and see that actually, it's a rubbish idea!

 

[FairyLights]

NO I wouldn't buy one of those. all the above ,plus could you imagine a horse in there on a windy day with all that plastic blowing around? I can see it lasting 2 days TBH. There are wooden field shelters available at around£600 especially second hand ones.

 

[*hic*]

Yup, mine has been up for just over 12 months now. We are extremely exposed out in the Fens and it has stood up to things that a £600 wooden shelter would not have done - partly because the ground fixings as supplied are up to the job.

The horses are keen to go in it but really it was intended as a lambing pen/shepherd's hut.

 

[Tinsel Trouble]

The noise that would make in the wind would mean it is unlikely to be used when it's most needed.

I am sure that you could have a word with a local handy man, use old telegraph poles for the uprights and weather boarding for the walls and either plastic sheeting or something felt covered for the roof! Should come in cheaper than the full field shelter if you labour for him and source the material yourself.

 

[YasandCrystal]

I briefly considered these, but I think if you have a bum scratching herd like my lot then they would last a nano second. We had an iron base frame welded up and made our own using 2" wood to waist height and then 1" boards and an metal roof - it cost around £800 in total but should last for 20 years (16" x 12")

 

[CazD]

Oooh Yasandcrystal - that's brilliant. Is it moveable? have you actually tried moving it? Might get hubby to examine your pic carefully and see what he can come up with.

 

[YasandCrystal]

Oooh Yasandcrystal - that's brilliant. Is it moveable? have you actually tried moving it? Might get hubby to examine your pic carefully and see what he can come up with.

It is moveable - tried it with a small tractor. May need to be smaller to be towed by a 4 x 4 - not sure. We copied a premier shelter design from a company that advertises on ebay. Hubby just worked out dimensions himself. Ours is pretty tall, but our WB is 17hh. We put 2 stainless U rings on the frame on both sides to attach a chain to for towing. It still needs finishing off with the roof ridge tiles and guttering. We are so pleased with it we are making another.

All the best ideas are copied copied these hay/haylage feeders too

 

[serenityjane]

Our shelter like this has just died, it left the ground yesterday despite being weighted down by boarding, two spare tractor tyres and a tractor! It is our tractor shed. We have had it about 5 years though! Only used as a store/shed but wouldn't really recommend it as a field shelter- not because the horses wouldn't get used to the noise and movement, but because if open ended like the picture shows it will blow away or over-ours was closed at both ends and is in a relatively sheltered spot!
We bought a cheap wooden field shelter (only small as it was for llamas) it cost £600 and that blew over too a few years ago! We then had to re-build and reinforce it as well as bolting it to a fence! Probably best to save up for a decent sized and weighted shelter or put in a very sheltered spot- in which case there really wouldn't be a need for a field shelter as the horses would shelter there anyway!!
Or as Tinsel trouble says- build one yourselves around secure (into the ground) posts.

 

[Ruth_Cymru]

YasandCrystal- That haylage feeder is genius!

 

[YasandCrystal]

YasandCrystal- That haylage feeder is genius!

Yes it is!! Wish it had been my original idea. Easy to make and saves so much wastage and the horses like the challenge of getting the hay or haylage out. I have 3 hubby made for me

 

[Miss L Toe]

Yep, like that would be in another county after yesterdays winds, the hen-house is in pieces, about 100 yards apart, stable roofs removed, trees felled, and so on.
As long as a field has hedges, horses will always move about to find the best place.

 

[Ruth_Cymru]

Sorry OP, forgot to answer your original question- was distracted by the amazing haylage feeder I know someone who has one of those shelters, the horses are more than happy to go in it, but the covering doesn't do too well in high winds. personally I'd go for a wooden shelter if possible, may be more expensive short term, but think it would be the best investment long term.

 

[Tinsel Trouble]

As long as a field has hedges, horses will always move about to find the best place.

What about taller sections of fencing in the field corners to create a wall (akin to yorkshire boarding)? If the gap between the boards is as wide as the width of the boards the wind will not come through, but it will not blow over in high winds. Horses don't really mind the rain, they can be rugged up for that, it's the wind they try to get out of.

I can't find any pics, but I will try to pm you locations of places that have them. That way you will know what I'm talking about.

 

[proctor]

Sorry OP, forgot to answer your original question- was distracted by the amazing haylage feeder I know someone who has one of those shelters, the horses are more than happy to go in it, but the covering doesn't do too well in high winds. personally I'd go for a wooden shelter if possible, may be more expensive short term, but think it would be the best investment long term.

Thanks, I'm definatly going for a wooden one. The whole idea of my horse "camping out" seems a bit ridiculous now!!

 

[indie999]

My horse would rub his bum on it and it would fall down. Would think false economy.

 

[Honey08]

OP it was worth a thought, and obvioulsy worked for one person on here.. I think it may work if you had natural shelter around the field, such as trees, houses or hedges in surrounding fields...

As a temp shelter one year we put a few haylage bales in, and they stood behind them to shelter. That was in summer, so they didn't eat them when there was good grass around!

 

[JCWHITE]

My structure is very similar, in fact it could be almost the same, albeit mine is covered with clear plastic, the grade for polytunnels, because that was free from a nursery.
In fact, it IS a polytunnel, as someone here said, provided the specialist anchorage is used .The beauty of it is that it can be move to fresh ground, maybe every 2 years or so.
I dont have a problem with horses rubbing on it, and a large round bale can be accommodated with 2 large horses inside.
Cost to me,just the price of the hoops and the straight bars.Try a nursery or growers.
Be aware that if you dont anchor the plastic down with specialist black rope,and use the official ground pegs, then it can upend in very strong gales.

 

[Enfys]

Yes, I live in a wind tunnel, they haven't blown away yet. The horses don't care about the noise and they don't give a toot about the aesthetics of the things. The sheeting generally has a life span of about 5 - 7 years though so not a permanent solution. I also have a 60 x 80 one that I use as a hay shed, it's been up for 5 years and withstands 75 mph winds on a regular basis. All ours are fixed with ground hooks and also railway sleepers.

As for the rubbing, provide horses with something else to rub on, I have railway sleepers sunk 3' and concreted into the ground - they double as tying posts as well.

 

[liveryblues]

http://www.nfed.co.uk/index6.htm

2nd down i think? not sure how these compare on price. I have two and have had them for 2 years now, apart from the odd bit of damage inflicted by horses itching on them, they are great. Aparently you can get an 18x12 in a normal horse trailer? Mine were delivered so not sure if thats true. I boarded mine out myself.

 

[beeswax]

I like them and think they would work and for extra security with wind you could bury a big log in the ground on either side with some wire-rope attached to the log and the tent so it doesnt take off and fly, you could store some hay at the back put a gate in the middle and some poles in the front and you basically got a stable and a shed in one. I would also get another log and put that in the ground upright so they have a really sturdy bum scratcher (think they would like that and take their mind off their tent).

 

[Millie82]

Someone had one at my yard and it blew away taking out the fence with it. Disaster. Banned from my yard now!

 

[Enfys]

I forgot, we have this one as well, this is 20' x 40' . Not pretty particularly and sticks out like a sore thumb in summer (camouflaged in winter though) It is the same basic arch design as the field shelters.

Thank God we don't have to faff about with planning permits, can't see a local council liking this very much, I just build shelters where I want to within reason, the coveralls go behind trees out of sight of the road because I think they are an eyesore. A British Planning Committee would have a collective hissy fit if they saw my neighbours coverall shed, 120 x 60, red and white panels and on top of a hill!!!

 

[moana]

Someone I know had one, and it worked very well, and withstood the strongest winds. It did not last many years though.