ideas for providing shade??

jackessex

jackessex

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hi as in the title really?
we have our horses out 24/7 but we have no trees ect in the fields(old ag land)the hedges that we planted round the edge are not big enough to give shade as yet,i wondered if any one else has this prob and what you have done to privide shade???i was even wondering about putting a cheap gazzebo up,but thought it would blow away when windy:) im sure i saw something about a 3 sided thing you could move about but i cant find it now!
 
Seems a bit overcast here in Essex already.

Supposed to pee down from 7pm.

I have heard for people using gazebos but not sure how you could prevent them blowing away!
 
This is something I see a lot, for shade, we don't worry over much about rain.

Posts sunk in the ground, basic frame around the top to hold it together then ginseng netting over the top, basically any sort of shade netting, cam net will do very nicely too. Cheaper than a shed. If the jobsworths moan then it is no great shakes to dismantle before the ink is dry on the paper.

Gazebos are too light weight and will disintegrate when horses decide it is a good scratching post!

Jackessex : http://www.fieldshelters.net/
 
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we drove 4 fence posts into the ground & then erected the gazebo frame, walked into position & gaffa tapped the poles to the frame, it withstood all the wind we had at the end of last year, but the snow ruined the plastic roof so we replaced that in december with those willow screen panels you get from garden centres.
worked a dream.
 
Enfys said:
This is something I see a lot.

Posts sunk in the ground, basic frame around the top to hold it together then ginseng netting over the top, basically any sort of shade netting, cam net will do very nicely too. Cheaper than a shed. If the jobsworths moan then it is no great shakes to dismantle before the ink is dry on the paper.

Gazebos are too light weight and will disintegrate when horses decide it is a good scratching post!

Jackessex : http://www.fieldshelters.net/
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I'm liking this idea! Last week we made a hay shed by using 4 large posts and a frame top and bottom, Its not even sunk into the ground so moveable if need be.
We used old corrugated tin that someone had dumped in the field as lower walls and a roof. I thought yesterday sitting in it what a nice cool shelter it would make but we had no tin left.....netting of some sort i hadnt considered!
 
Those portable shelters look ok for the odd use. I couldn't get the price pages to open though - anyone know what they cost?

Net would be great in hot weather as it would let the breeze through.
 
lol enfys great idea for the "normal" horse but it would take my chap all summer to get used to it!and we would be into winter by the time he would go in it!!!:)
like the netting idea tho will get poor henpecked hubby on that project straight away!!!:)
 
We have the same problem and we sunk 4 metposts with 4" posts into the ground and attached 15ft tall 4 x 3" rails and a surround frame up the top and added a sunsail 3m x 3m using those thumbturn buckles and carob clips. You can just see one in the pic. we made 3 - 1 in each paddock and a couple have field shelters in. Big tip - we also sunk a really thick scratch post near each one with a scratch mat attached to discourage them rubbing and knocking down the structure and so far so good ...they use the scratch post!:D They were cheap to make around £80 each - incl wood metposts and sun sails


IMAG0107.jpg
 
jackessex said:
yasandcrystal-love that idea!!!without sounding stupid whats a sunsail? :)
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It's a material square or triangle made of UV resistent weatherproof material that lets water through so it doesn't sag in the rain, but provides a great shade area beneath it. They have a tough metal fixing at each corner for fixing to whatever you want to. I got them that size on ebay for £20 each and I also bought a 5m x 5m one to use to cover our water IBCs as we don't have running water at our paddocks and to stop it turning green in the sun.

the sails
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Sun-Sail-Flex...den_Structures_Fencing_CV&hash=item3368e91677

these are the accessories (cheaper in Screwfix!!)

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SAIL-SHADE-SU...Patio_Covers_Heating&var=&hash=item7dbccea863
 
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The posts thingy looks a good idea but I bet the jobsworth's around me would still have 40-fits at it not being mobile!! Now in the new National Park!
I was thinking about getting a wind-break for mine - they are at the top of the south downs near a trig point (uup high!!) 500-600 ft above sea level (ish)... anyway it gets quite windy which is fine if its northerly or southerly or westerly but easterly is not covered and the wind whips up the valley to my boys. I thought I might stack up some large straw bales and did discuss it with my haylage/hay/straw suppliers, who used a similar system for their calves but I never got round to doing it - just rugged them better instead. The problem was what to do with the sodden bales at the end of the winter! (not swearing just stating that they would have got quite wet over the winter). :)
 
LazyS said:
The posts thingy looks a good idea but I bet the jobsworth's around me would still have 40-fits at it not being mobile!! Now in the new National Park!
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Well I figured that it's no more than posts really having no sides and a highly easily removable roof/sail! I hope the planners don't come down on me!
 
YasandCrystal said:
We have the same problem and we sunk 4 metposts with 4" posts into the ground and attached 15ft tall 4 x 3" rails and a surround frame up the top and added a sunsail 3m x 3m using those thumbturn buckles and carob clips. You can just see one in the pic. we made 3 - 1 in each paddock and a couple have field shelters in. Big tip - we also sunk a really thick scratch post near each one with a scratch mat attached to discourage them rubbing and knocking down the structure and so far so good ...they use the scratch post!:D They were cheap to make around £80 each - incl wood metposts and sun sails


IMAG0107.jpg
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No really sure that is the ideal solution really. Minimal shade as the sun moves round lower (good at midday) and far too open in the winter. Mind you my experience of horses is that they do shelter from sun but are not overly bothered by rain.
 
In Australia a lot of the sun protection is similar to YasandCrystals. Just uprights with a roof. They're great for the intense midday heat and in the evening's or morning's it's not as essential for them to stand in the shade. I like the sunsail idea - really clever. I think the OP is just looking for shade solutions rather than weather protection as well.
 
I have a bottom rubber who would rub these ideas into the ground unfortunately I even electric fence all the back/sides of one of our mobile field shelters to stop him.

We even were looking at getting a farmer to drive ie 4 cut telegraph poles into the ground so that we could roof it with suitable roof panels ie onduline(but onduline needs a lot of support or it will sag in the rain).
I have Hawthorn hedging on the side the sun comes round in one field but ideally would like to have another shelter.

I have a double mobile shelter but it was about £2.7k..which is a lot of money when you would like another one
 
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