Choose a position that protects your horses throughout the year and remains safe and practical when you need to move the shelter.
The best position may change with the weather, ground conditions and how your horses use the field.
Look for a position that:
Start by identifying the strongest prevailing winds across your land. The direction can vary according to your location, nearby buildings, hedges and the shape of the landscape.
Position the enclosed back of the shelter towards the prevailing wind where possible. This helps protect the open front from driving rain and strong draughts.
Do not rely on a single compass direction. A south- or west-facing opening may receive more winter sun, but it may also face strong south-westerly winds. Observe how the weather moves across your field before choosing the position.
Existing hedges and tree lines can provide useful protection. Make sure they are safe for horses and do not block the access route you need to move the shelter.
Choose firm, free-draining ground that does not collect standing water after heavy rain. Low-lying areas can become wet and muddy, making the shelter uncomfortable for horses and difficult to reach with a towing vehicle.
Pay particular attention to the entrance. Horses entering and leaving the same area can quickly churn up soft ground. Moving the shelter before the ground becomes badly poached can help limit mud and spread wear across the paddock.
Avoid towing the shelter over saturated ground. A tractor or 4×4 may damage the field, lose traction or become stuck.
Permanent stables need a fixed base and involve different siting considerations. Our guide to choosing the best location for horse stables explains what to consider when positioning a permanent block.
Horses need protection from strong sunlight as well as wind and rain. During summer, position the shelter where it can provide useful shade during the hottest parts of the day.
Remember that natural shade moves as the sun crosses the sky. Observe the field at different times before relying on a hedge or tree line for protection.
Place the shelter close enough to safe trees to benefit from their shade, but do not position it directly beneath weak or overhanging branches. Falling branches and debris can damage the roof or frighten horses. Check that nearby trees and hedges are not poisonous to horses.
A mobile shelter allows you to change the position as the seasons change. You may choose a shadier area in summer and a sunnier, more sheltered part of the paddock in winter.
See how a Kent customer used a double mobile field shelter for three horses across separate summer and winter fields.
For more advice on managing horses during warm weather, read our guide to keeping horses cool in summer.
Before choosing the location, plan how you will move the shelter into and out of position.
You will need:
Check the ground and route every time you move the shelter. Conditions may have changed since the previous move, especially after heavy rain.
Inspect the skids, towing chain and fittings before towing. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions and keep horses safely away while the building is moving.
A mobile shelter gives you more flexibility when rotating paddocks and managing pasture.
Leaving the shelter in one position for a long time can create worn or muddy ground around the opening. Moving it can spread this wear and allow damaged areas to recover.
There is no single schedule that suits every field. How often you move the shelter will depend on:
Plan the next position before the ground becomes too wet for the towing vehicle. It is easier to move a shelter while the access route remains firm.
Position the shelter where horses can approach and leave without passing through narrow gaps or crowded areas.
The building should be large enough for the horses using it. The British Horse Society recommends providing enough shelter for every horse in the field.
Group dynamics also matter. A dominant horse may block a narrow entrance and prevent another horse from entering or leaving. A wide opening or more than one opening may provide safer access, depending on the horses and shelter design.
Keep water and feeding points far enough away to avoid congestion around the entrance. Observe how the group uses the shelter and move or adjust it if one horse regularly prevents another from accessing it.
At Chart Stables, we build strong timber mobile field shelters in a range of sizes and configurations. You can choose timber or galvanised metal skids, depending on the model, ground conditions and how often you plan to move the building.
Our mobile field shelters include a heavy-duty towing chain and can be tailored with features such as internal partitions, slip rails and different roofing options.
Explore our mobile field shelters, read about the cost of a mobile field shelter or contact our team to discuss your land and horses.
