I see all kinds of horses running in sheds on the internet and in magazines. There are plans to build them out of wood and kits to build them out of steel pipe, boards and angles. I’d like to go over the pros and cons of some of them.
There are many horses fresh out for the winter with just an occasional bale of hay. I guess the horses, if they had a choice, would rather you spend your money on hay rather than shelter. I hate to see them standing in the rain with their backs bent to the wind. A shed in the shed may cost a bit of money that we all hate to part with, but a shelter could be a good investment. If a horse is in the rain and wind, it has a good chance of getting sick. Too much sun is bad too. If they get sick, it will cost you to get the vet and medicine out. Not only that, but you lose to what the horse has in the first place. Pleasure to ride it. Young foals don’t have time to build up much of their immune system and it would be a shame if something happened to one of them. I’m sure we all know. It’s just something that happens that we don’t like.
Now if the wife convinces him to part with money, what should he buy? Most people tend to buy something that is too small. We all have a boss horse and he’s going to take over most of the shelter, so you need something that will give the boss about two-thirds of the room and then the second will take the rest. For two horses, you need a 10 x 20 or 12 x 24. It may seem large and some wasted space. But it is a shame to buy or build something that is too small and have a horse outside looking at the boss inside the shed.
Build vs. Buy a kit
Many of us think we are carpenters and would like to build a horse shelter and save money. It’s not that easy to end up with something that is strong and tight enough to withstand a good windstorm. You could end up with something you want to keep horses away from in a storm.
Wooden corral in sheds
There are companies that advertise a shed kit made from pre-cut lumber that is ready to nail on the internet. Looks good, you probably need a machine to set up some of the 6x6s. It’ll probably take a couple of men a couple days to put it together. The price is almost as much as some of the metal kits and the labor is three times that. You will also need a backhoe to dig the corner post holes. Being anchored in that way to the tax collector might also be interested in it.
One of the negative aspects is its wooden construction. Do you have a horse that has a habit of sifting? It may not look so good in the spring.
Metal execution in shed kits
I have noticed a couple of metal runs on shed kits on the market. One is made from 2-inch metal tubing and the other from 3-inch angle iron. Can’t figure out pipe thickness or weight, but the angle iron is 3/16 and the frame kit weighs over 600lbs and 1200lbs when finished. I would like to compare the weight of the tube. The liner for tube one is bolted to sliding clips on the tube and the angle iron kit has the liner bolted to the angle iron. Both of you have the ability to bet it in case you are in a windy area. Both look better than wooden ones. Either way, I’m sure the horse will appreciate it.