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Horses need room to escape each other when they all want to be in the shed. A good general rule is to allow two horses per equivalent stall size of about 12-by-12 feet (i.e., a run-in for four horses would have 12 by 24 feet of space).
Here’s what to do:
Run-in sheds—small three-sided buildings where pastured horses can find shelter from the weather—are simpler and less expensive to build than larger barns. Free-choice access to a run-in shed means that many horses can be left outside in all seasons, saving the expense and labor of using bedded stalls in a barn.
Yet another suggests space should be calculated as 60-80 square feet per 1000 pounds of horse. At Horizon Structures, we generally tell people that a 12’x18′ run-in horse shed is usually adequate for 3 average sized horses (about 15 hands) that will share their space without fighting.
Pros: Opening a shed to the east is by far the most common choice. As a general rule, very little weather comes in from the east. This will mean that goods stored within your east-facing shed will be very well protected from the elements.
Horses need constant access to a dry, safe, comfortable shelter to protect them from rain, wind, and snow. In warm and sunny weather, the shelter you supply will provide your companion with much needed shade and relief from biting insects.
A stable is a building in which livestock, especially horses, are kept. It most commonly means a building that is divided into separate stalls for individual animals.
Your loafing shed should be oriented to block sun in summer and cold winds, which usually come from the west and north, the rest of the year. The ultimate orientation will be a compromise between the two. The average run-in shed is about 12 to 14 feet deep, with about 12 running feet for every 1-2 horses.
The most basic type of communal stabling in shared stalls. Large (16×16 or larger) stalls can be shared by two individual horses who are already established “friends” and who demonstrate an ability to get along well without scuffles during daytime turnout.