# Post Installation Lean To Horse Run In



## AnitaAnne (Oct 31, 2010)

Hello. The Engineers charge so much because it is their license on the line. 

So, I am not exactly sure I understand the way you are planning to build this lean to. 

Will there be walls or only a roof? 

What type of roof do you want? A simple shed roof? Or a peaked roof? Or??


It sounds like you want to build a pole barn with the 6x6 as the poles. But what will the walls be made of, if you are planning walls? You need something to connect the walls to, and posts spaced 16' apart won't be close enough, thus you will still need vertical supports between the posts. 

Another thing to consider, roofs need to extend out from the walls at least a foot. 18" is better. 

If you just make 2 16x16 stalls, where does feed and hay and tack and things go? 

Personally I think 14'x14' is big enough. Have seen big warmbloods perfectly comfortable in that size. That would give you at least 4 feet to store something. 

Will the horses be closed up in the stalls or left to go in and out? 

I live in Alabama, and designed my (very simple) barn with half walls and 2x4 slats above spaced about a foot apart. I also put two doors on each stall (front and back) so no-one would get trapped inside. It isn't pretty, but it works!


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## Chevaux (Jun 27, 2012)

When we built our run in shed we put the posts (6 x 6) at 8 foot intervals so we ended up with 16 by 32 for a footprint (put an addition on later). Three sides were filled in with osb and metal siding along with the slant shingled roof. For the opening, which is the 32 ft length, we still put posts in at 8 ft intervals but did not put up any siding - it’s all open. There has never been a problem with the horses coming and going between the open posts. The shed has been up for ~ 30 years now and (touchwood) has survived some fierce storms.

Edit - with regard to trusses: we just used 2x4 and 2x6 construction on the roof with the 32 ft length of 2x6 (or maybe they were 2x8 now I think about it) set on edge to make a header at the opening, 8 ft in for the center support and 16 ft away for the back wall support. Our roof slope is roughly 10 ft at the front going down to 8 ft at the back.


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

Here's a pic of some lean to run in sheds, might help you some.


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

So, based on the size alone of your horses...
Closer spacing is stronger.
Based on that, I would not space further than 8' apart center to center.
If you are in Orlando, FL....
Once you cement those posts in the ground you lost your pole barn status and now as a permanent building status you might be required to submit stamped drawings to your building department for approval or...
You can be told to take it down and face a fine....all because of cementing those posts!
Water and electricity brought into, attached to that structure, do much the same thing of making it a permanent status structure...
Double check your codes and allowances...
A building of this size _*is*_ going to be seen so yes, the county scrutiny is going to be watching what you are doing...
Then again, if you are over a certain acreage size as you stated, it is allowed to do certain building with less oversight but more risk at the owners expense if not built to code as code is for a reason...safety & longevity.

Back to your project...
I also live in Central Florida.
I see no purpose or savings in trying to space as far apart as possible and then not have the stability that barn is going to need with Shire horses as occupants...
Your walls _will_ need extra supports or risk a shattered wall if someone leans against forget lands a kick..
If it were me I would rather those supports be part of the buildings structural support system tied together for strength and distribution of forces applied.
Forget the fact you would like this to withstand hurricane winds dealt with yearly and sometimes several times per season.... :|


I have a pole barn structure myself.
My posts are 10' spaced apart on center. 
My barn "interior" is 40' long...edge to edge on my steel roof is 44' with a 4' overhang behind and 18' in front of my stalls I then constructed.
Yes, I also installed extra support posts 8' on center and they tie into my overhead building support system.
All done to add support, stability and hopefully keep it in one piece and offer enough protection from hurricanes for my horses.
:runninghorse2:....
_jmo..._


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## omarroll71 (Aug 14, 2016)

Ok to make this clear for everyone who has answered. I was planning on building a 16’ x 24’ lean to using (3) steel trusses that go from the front post to the back post and uses 2 x 6 horizontally from truss to truss to build the roof, some people use metal but I will be going all the way and make it a shingled roof. The run in will have 3 walls. Back wall and the 2 side walls. I will be using 4 x 4 post between each 6x6 post to make it sturdy and hang my walls up of course it will have Horizontal 2 x 6 along back and side walls to form the walls. I will be using board and batten on the outside and as the kick wall inside will be using oak boards. I have all the materials on hand already so no changing that. I went personally to the permitting office and since I have an agricultural exemption I do not need a permit even if the post are cemented in. And if I didn’t have an agricultural exemption they said you still need a permit t build a run in therefore you cannot do them without cement as it is a code requirement. But my concern was since I only have 3 steel trusses and they go vertically from post to post would it be safe to build the roof 16 feet apart from truss to truss since it uses 2 x 6 boards and I will be using 4 x 4 post between the 6 x 6 to add stability on the walls.


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## omarroll71 (Aug 14, 2016)

@ Dreamcatcher Arabians , thank you I did buy a set of plans from icreatables but they don’t use the steel trusses so I was trying to find out how far to space the post that will be using the steel trusses. I actually emailed them so I’m waiting for a reply. They are really good at getting back quickly but is the weekend 😊. Thanks again.


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## AnitaAnne (Oct 31, 2010)

Ok, so that is a lot clearer. What size are the steel trusses and what is the load rating? Also what will you be using for a header? Steel or wood? 

The rest of the plan sounds workable...


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## Boo Walker (Jul 25, 2012)

With two Shires, make sure it's up to their code as well! One big butt leaning on a post for a good scratch could tilt the whole thing if it's built with a regular sized horse in mind. I have a collection of Preifert "bull" gates that our draft has bent just by sitting back on them for a rub during itchy shedding season.


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

omarroll71 said:


> But my concern was since I only have 3 steel trusses and they go vertically from post to post would it be safe to build the roof 16 feet apart from truss to truss since it uses 2 x 6 boards and I will be using 4 x 4 post between the 6 x 6 to add stability on the walls.


I got the building department, building codes and what you want to do...and not needing to follow code because of a ag exemption.
Now though go ask that department the question about "would it be safe"....the way you described it here.
_Ask to speak to one of their engineers_ not the front desk staff who many times think they run and know all the answers...they aren't engineers, period.
Someplace in that department is a certified and licensed engineer who can answer that question...
If you did not buy engineered drawings then they might not have been engineered to our state codes and climate concerns building...
You might have enough "strength" and you might not. :|
I can tell you that a homes roof is no 16' apart for rafter trusses ...
I think my barn is between 2 - 4 feet...somewhere around that number. I have a lot of trusses.
Purlins are not usually strung without good support underneath or the roof buckles when roofing material is applied.
Think about the weight of the wood and shingles attached...that roof is going to sag almost immediately and be a wind catch issue in a normal thunderstorm afternoon squall.
On top of that, make very sure you know how to lash that roof section to the barn frame as each county does have particulars in what they want dependent upon that areas wind predictions from past storms.
That keeps barn and roof structure a solid package deal.

I went looking for specific and generalized information and found..
_https://myrooff.com/roof-truss-spacing/
Designing Roof Trusses for a Pole Barn | CHA Pole Barns
https://answers.yahoo.com/question/...r apart are steel roof trusses on a pole barn_
The more in-depth I looked the more I found your design to be flawed in my opinion...
I'm not a builder, not a engineer but common sense and living in this climate and dealing with a afternoon thunderstorm with 50 - 60 mph wind and gusts higher makes me say..._no way no how at that width you want._
I found, looked at and read code for Orlando... Orange County...
It is specific and references wood or metal rafters, different building materials for roof and the underpinnings...

The more I went back and read your barn design idea the more I think you need some real guidance...
A barn offset in height like you describe would potentially place a uneven load on certain parts of the build..
You have so much to take into consideration and accommodate for...

As a thought...how tall are your Shire horses?
My horses are right around 16 hands and I was advised to go with a 10' minimum rafter height so heaven forbid we have a lift-off my horses heads would not strike the rafters.
This was asked and done by the company who made my pole barn kit.

I would hate to see your investment come apart in the first "storm" it encounters...what a waste of $$, time and effort.
I'm bowing out...
Ag exemption or not...there are humans and livestock that will be in and around this building and their lives need protecting by building correctly.
Good luck with your project. :wave:
:runninghorse2:....


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