Thu. Mar 28th, 2024

In order to protect your horse from the sun, wind, and rain, you can either build a horse shelter for him or provide him access to natural protections like a hedge, trees, or a slope.

Some individuals think that a horse’s shelter needs to be met with the same level of importance as its dietary and hydration requirements. However, appropriate shelter is not often the main consideration when building a new facility for a horse or upgrading an old one. 

A horse’s existence can be made unbearable if it is left unprotected from the elements, such as wind and sun, at any time of year. Further, it may endanger the wellbeing of our horse friends.

Therefore, the following five factors concerning shade and pallet horse shelter should be carefully considered.

1. Prevalent wind and rain patterns

When planning the placement of horse fencing or shelter, it’s crucial to think about the prevailing wind direction and how a summer or winter storm might arrive. This data is easily accessible, and you can get it by researching the local weather record and consulting with locals.

In most cases, shelters that provide cover from these directions will prove to be quite handy.

It is advised that you investigate the surrounding area because isolated systems can affect weather patterns far away.

2. Utilize the preexisting landscape and plant life

Take advantage of the cover provided by natural elements on the site, such as ravines, hills, trees, and plants. 

However, these topographical variances come with their own set of problems, especially in the winter when snow accumulates on the lee sides of hills and makes them uninhabitable for animals. This is true all year round, but it really hits home from December through March.

The presence of cattle can damage the vegetation and may even lead it to disappear completely, despite the fact that shrubs and trees can provide a great deal of security. The caragana, however, is among several exceptionally hardy varieties that will hold up well. Having a caragana hedge already in place on the site might be quite helpful when planning the pasture’s layout.

3. Damage Control

A shelter built to withstand strong winds requires careful planning and use of robust materials. If the only way in or out of the shelter is at the front, it will look like a massive parachuting apparatus when the winds pick up. 

When the storm is exceptionally powerful, such during the summer or during a snowstorm in the winter, this force can be strong enough to lift and flip very huge and heavy structures.

Thus, it is recommended to provide a considerable clearance above the side and rear walls for ventilation purposes. Think about whether or not it’s absolutely necessary to build a wall on all three sides; if the structure’s only function is to provide shade, you might choose to leave some or all of the sides open. 

I have a simple roof over my head to protect me from the elements (the sun, rain, and snow).

4. Horse Shelter Portability

Having a shelter that can be easily packed up and moved to a new site is a huge convenience. Having this ability means you can move it to the most secure location at any time. Moving the shelter farther from the manure as it builds is another approach to lessen the time spent cleaning. 

The optimum material for these shelters is metal, and they should be mounted on 3- or 4-inch diameter metal pipe skids. If you need a drill stem, a used one is your best bet. Corrugated steel panels are the suitable covering for the roof and walls.

5. Cost

For as long as it serves its purpose, the cost of construction is secondary. It is doable to use recycled materials. Inexpensive recycled materials that can be utilized to build shelters include discarded plywood cement forms, used power poles, old barn siding, and retired steel grain bin panels.

You can save a lot of cost by making your own cheap DIY horse shelter by following this tutorial.

For the frame and rafters, rough lumber measuring 2 inches by 6 inches can be used, with a maximum of 2 feet between each piece. This rough lumber is stronger than comparable finished lumber because of its larger size. 

Beams supporting the roof should be laminated and attached to the pole legs for maximum structural integrity. The framing, rafters, and beams must be either brand-new or have passed a stringent quality inspection. Instead of trying to exclude potential hiding places with a fence, you may try enclosing them with something like a hedgerow or a row of mature trees.