Portable Horse Shelter - Need Ideas

[bigballer]

I need to make some shelters (12x12 each) for a few horses, now that we're getting into the rainy season I want to be able to leave the horses out all day while I am away. I haven't fully configured the pasture fencing yet so putting something in the ground permanantly is not really an option I want to consider at this point so I am tossing around the idea of building a wood-based shelter that I can move around if needed on sort of a skid-like base. I have seen the steel framed shelters that are covered with tarp-like poly or even frame kits where you provide the metal roof and sides and am considering something like that but would prefer to make it myself if possible. Has anyone out there done this with wood or seen something that could work? Possibly due to potential shifting while moving this is not even feasible but wanted to throw it out there for opinions from those with some experience.

cheers,
bigballer

 

[PepeLoco]

The ones I have seen have metal in them to hold them together better (than wood) when you move them between pastures. They have skids on the ground, usually made from metal, though some I think were old wooden posts. Sheet metal for the sides and roof.

I have seen another one that the fella would push on it's side to move between pastures. It was 8 feet tall, and I think 12 x12. He would use a loader and lift up on the open side until the back wall was parallel with the ground. The skids were at the back wall at the floor and roof, on the outside of the structure.

You could possible make one that you breakdown with pins.

Wood is going to be very heavy and not very forgiving when you move it several times through pastures.

 

[Defective]

wroughtn_harv posted about building a rather nice portable shelter a while ago...but I can't seem to find it...

 

[tenacrewoods]

Hello! BigBaller
I know this doesn't directly solve your problem but I biult my horse fence
out of PT landscape timbers over 6yrs ago and it's still standing. (see pic)
the guy before me biult the run in shed with the same timbers and notched the top of an 8ft timber and added 6 more feet by using long nuts and bolts
that gave him 10ft post & a few 2x4s 3 on each side and 1x4s on top to hold tin. Neighbors said it's been there over 15yrs. If you built a shed like this and added a 12' x 12' pen on front with a small gate you could easily addon or reposition pen later. Landscapetimbers are $3.00 each and it only take three
and a half to make a 8ft section, 2 post sunk 2ft in ground and split in half for rails.It would cost you $18 in timbers plus 1x4s for shed and pen w/rails
would cost $13.50 plus screws for each 12ft section plus gate.Don't concrete post in ground just tamp back down with dirt you took out of hole.
Very cheap but works great.Put rail on inside,horses wont push loose that way eventhough mine never did. If you would like to know more just PM me.

Good Luck!

 

[wroughtn_harv]

I'll be building a twelve by twenty four two stall next week. I'll also be building a twelve by twelve one stall for a stud pen. Here in north Texas we get storms from the north during the winter. In the summer we get southern sun and storms occasionally from the south. So it's advantageous to be able to move the sheds so that they provide shelter during the different seasons.

The client will be training a stud for one of his clients. My client has four mares. So I'm building a stud pen with eight foot gates at each end. The stall will be on the outside and will be able to be moved to which ever end it's needed.

I have two twelve by twenty four portable stalls at a clients in one pasture. In a couple of weeks they will be moved to another pasture so this one can be disced and planted for winter.

I use pipe and they can be covered with wood or metal. I prefer metal with wood sheating inside.

 

[vmarc]

The US Gov. printing office has tons of booklets on horse stuff.I have a booklet with plans for tack trunks ,feeders, saddle racks jumps, barns ,and a real nice portable stall built on skids.

 

[Mike120]

Chinook Stalls in the Calgary area rents and sells temporary show stalls that have a good design. You might get some ideas from them: Chinook Stalls - Portable Horse Stalls

That's a good idea Harv, you won't get taxed on them either. I looked at doing something like that but didn't want them turning into kites during hurricane season.

 

[gsganzer]

Here's what I have in my pasture. It's made using 2" square tubing, measures12' x 12' and has pipe welded to the bottom to act as skids. Is pulls around the pasture easily. You also want to make sure you put plywood around the lower section on the inside. A horse will kick through the R-panels and get a real bad injury if you don't. My plywood is secured with 2" x 2" angle, so the wood is easily replaceable if it starts to rot.

Here's a picture of the front, back and lower detail. Let me know if you need any other pictures.

 

[Timber]

Wow there are some great Ideas hear, That just what I need New Projects

 

[daTeacha]

How portable does it need to be? Could you just park a stock trailer out there and leave the door open? I'm not a horse person, so I don't know if they can turn around in one or not -- guess it depends on what kind of horses you have. Belgians wouldn't, but Morgans might.