# Horse lean to!



## HarleyWood (Oct 14, 2011)

We are building a lean to! finally so i wont have to bring them into the barn and put them in stalls, they will be able to stay out and not be cranky being inside. I believe its 13'W x 27'L x 7'H not 100% sure as we are having builders do it. we are thinking about spiting it into two so i can have one side for my hard keeper and so we can give him his extra stuff without waiting for 2 hours for him to finish it. Plus if my friend decides to come out with her horses they will have a side and my boys will too. We will be building it up and adding sand all around it, and probably be using straw in it for the winter so they have a place to lay out of the snow.

I will be putting my hay feeders in it, and want to add some type of storage in it. i cant deiced weather to put corner storage like a tack box, or to put it in the wall that will split it some how or even both. Im planing to put their blankets, a few halters and leads, grooming supplies, and other little things and maybe keep some premade grain buckets so its easier for us when we get busy.


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## Woodhaven (Jan 21, 2014)

Sounds like a nice lean to for your horses and a good idea to be able to divide it. A couple of thoughts, if you put the tack storage on the divider wall you might some day decide to open up the lean to and it might be harder to take down that divider and then you will have to put the tack storage somewhere else.
It's a good idea to make up the grain ahead of time for busy days but make sure you have a good lock on your storage so your horses can't get at the grain by themselves, they can be pretty motivated sometimes.


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

I removed my hay feeders. One horse will often dominate and not let the others eat. Now they eat outside near the shelter of trees. When I had boarders I'd have two big rounds brought in and spaced a hundred feet apart. The bully would drive the others away so they'd head for the other bale. When he tho't better of being alone he'd head over there, move them away so they'd just go back to the first bale. Whether setting out rounds one bale per two horses. If square bales, drop them in flakes so there are more mounds of hay than horses. If the other horses aren't in the shelter, the hardkeeper will likely pace and holler rather than eat. A friend solved this by building a pen with 3 corral panels in front of the gate. Her old horse could eat in peace yet easily see the others.


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## HarleyWood (Oct 14, 2011)

I dont plan on removing the center I was planning on having a gate on the fence line that separates the two sides to open it up but still have it able to close it in case its needed. They will be able to see each other the whole time. they will also have a round bale, that they all will eat off of. but it will make sure that my Hard keeper will have access to the lean to and hay with out being bullied and that we can feed him anything extra that he needs, Alfalfa, grain, treats, or salt. We are building a tack room too, we are moving everything out of the arena so ill actually have a nice place to ride. so the tack area will just be halters, leads. treats, blankets and such. 

The hay feeders inside would be for small bale feeding. and to feed grain to my hard keeper as it take him a half hour to eat a scoop of grain. the other two eat great together and will have two feeders to eat out of. or it will be opened up all the way for 4 feeders for the three together. my boys all eat well together they can all eat on the same bale with little issues.


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## Cynical25 (Mar 7, 2013)

How fun and exciting! As mentioned above, make sure your grain & tack are tightly secured, to prevent the horses from accessing it. Personally, I'd look into an 8ft ceiling, as 7ft seems dangerously low if there were a squabble over feed/space. If finances allow, some sort of lighting will be greatly appreciated in winter when it's dark at both morning and night feedings.

My two horses share a 15' deep x 33' wide run in shelter off the back of my storage barn. There is a divider that cuts it into one 15x18' area which is plenty big for two horses to hang out, but I'm very thankful the other 15x15ft area can be closed off into a stall if my old mare needs extra time to finish her meal. They are still grazing the last of the TX pasture, but I've been hanging slow feed hay nets at either end of the shelter as well as one over the center divider, so there are plenty of peaceful eating options to protect my old girl from my bratty young'un. I don't put down bedding over the loose sandy-dirt that exists, as wind/horses tracking it in and out would make it a waste of my money. 

Make sure you grade the land to slightly slope down away from the long wall, so that rain/urine will drain away instead of pool inside.


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