Mobile field shelters

[HashRouge]

Hi all, looking for advice from those of you who have/ have had mobile field shelters. I may (*touch wood*) have the opportunity too move my two to a field nearer to home, but it would need a bit of TLC first. Among other things, I would be looking at getting a mobile field shelter, but have a few questions first.
1. What size/ style of shelter do you have, where did you get it from and how much was it?
2. Did you assemble it yourself or did the company do it?
3. Have you ever moved too a new location and taken the shelter with you? I.e. full on house/ yard move, not just moving the shelter from one bit of a field to another.
4. Have you ever had any trouble with the shelter moving in strong winds?
5. Does it get hot in summer or is it relatively cool?

Thanks all!

 

[The Xmas Furry]

I have an Ascot stables one. It's 7 years old, v well made, lined, overhang, front gutter and side down pipe, side vents, on galvanised rolled skids with little a frame to tow it.
Cool as long as doorway is not facing sun at highest.
Never any problem in high winds. Neighbours cheap one got destroyed 2 years into use, it was about 30 feet away at the time...
Towed easily by decent tractor at any time of year. Never sunk into ground due to skids not being flat or wooden.
Well worth the dosh I spent at the time
When it arrived, was in sections, they put it up, all I did was open gate and point where to go

 

[antigone]

I have one 18x12, single opening, metal apex roof, 4' overhang, timber skids from John Goodrick. It cost about £1600 10 years ago. Well made and still going strong. They put it up in a couple of hours(!) I cannot remember whether the price included installation or not.

I also have a 12x12 single opening, onduline apex roof lined with osb, 4' overhang, metal skids from Redmire. It cost about £1800 including delivery from Warwickshire in April this year. my OH and his mate put it up in a day and a half. The instructions were good and Redmire were very helpful over the phone.

Never had to move one as you describe but I wouldn't fancy it unless it had been erected on a level solid base or it had only been up a short while.

Not had a problem with strong winds (we are on a hill two miles from the sea) but we do have proper ground anchors.

The Redmire one with the lined roof has stayed amazingly cool. The unlined metal roof is much warmer but not excessively so. Go for a lined roof if you can as condensation is a nuisance in the unlined one in winter.

The other things I learned:

bigger shelters for more than one horse need a minimum of two openings.

If the aspect allows, consider a shelter with a completely open front (not an option for us)

Horses love overhangs

Drainage/water management is very important we put in a French drain

internal dimensions can be significantly smaller than the size of the shelter - that is the external size

Check on the roof construction - the Goodrick shelter has crossbeams that, in my opinion, are too low for anything over 16hh. the Redmire has no cross beams and is very airy. Not sure if this is because it is just a little one

Check specifications carefully to see what you get for your money.

Redmire were very helpful, the wood is of very good quality and I would recommend them. I love the shelter - the ponies prefer this one too

 

[Fruitcake]

I have a 12x12 shelter with 12x12 haystore attached. It has one opening. (Our horses get on really well. When we had 3, they’d all squeeze in there together without a cross word!) it has galvanised metal skids which I’d recommend as wooden ones can rot.

We live in the windiest place on Earth so OH pegged it down with metal pegs and it hasn’t moved. We got it from a family company who made our internal stables and they erected it. It’s got kick boards to three-quarter height and is nice quality and very sturdy. (Some I’ve seen look a bit flimsy!)

Agree about overhangs being another positive. The little pony we used to have would often choose to stand under the overhang but outside the shelter. It tends to stay quite cool in the summer. The horses use it loads- both summer and winter. We’ve never moved ours but imagine it’d take the tractor to move rather than just the 4x4.

 

[GoldenWillow]

We've a 24' x 12' shelter with 2 5' openings, or that's how it started it's now modified into 2 stables! It has an overhang which is great, kick boarded and has 2 clear panels in roof. I wouldn't go for clear panels again that's about the only change I would make. It was from Saltire Stables 7 years ago.

Saltire assembled on site.

Have only moved it within the field, coped fine, it is on metal skids.

We are in a very exposed area with high winds and so far have had no problems. The back of the shelter is part Yorkshire boarding which allows the air through, it was one of the reasons we went for that shelter. It's sited next to a large hedge with the back to the prevailing wind and is staked in.

I've been really pleased in the hot weather we've been having how relatively cool it's stayed. It's helped by the hedge which also gives shade from 12pm onwards and it does have good airflow.