How to Manage Your Field Shelter During Winter

When winter is about to knock at your door, you will naturally want to prepare your home with all that is needed to keep you cosy and comfortable. Well, your dear four-legged equines deserve the same treatment! Winters in the UK are often accompanied by rain, cold winds, frosty temperatures or even snowfall. You need your fixed or mobile field shelters to be sturdy and functional enough to withstand this seasonal variation. In this blog, we will provide you with useful tips and advice to enable you to successfully prepare and manage your field shelter during the colder months.

Challenges Faced During Winter Weather

Freezing Temperature

Freezing temperatures can make the areas around the shelter hard because of frost. This, in turn, makes the surface slippery enough for the horses to hurt their ankles and prohibit them from moving around comfortably. In such a situation, if you have a mobile field shelter, it is advisable to relocate to a dry flat land before the frost sets in. If your shelter is fixed, you may want to add a layer of sand, gravel, or rubber matting on the ground around the shelter to improve traction. Good drainage to minimise ice buildup is also a must. Plus, regular clearing or snow or ice and using salt can also make the surface safer for horses (and their carers).

Relentless Rain

When the field shelter is located near a body of water or is in a sloped area, heavy rains can cause challenges for your sheltered animals. Even in case of mild rain, the area becomes inappropriately slippery and dangerous. Therefore, you need to move them to a raised and dry area of land in advance.

Snow And Winds

If heavy snow or wind is forecasted, you need to move your field shelter to a safer zone. If not done timely, heavy winds can erupt the roofs of your shelter, causing hazards to nearby infrastructure, if any and the horses too. If you are unable to move the shelters position, you will need to use reinforcements. Secure the roof with additional fastenings to prevent wind damage and ensure the shelter is anchored properly to the ground to withstand fierce winds and avoid structural hazards. Installing windbreaks, such as fencing or natural barriers like trees, can go a long way in shielding the shelter from high winds too. Try to regularly clear any snow from the roof to prevent overloading.

Accessibility Issues

Just because the weather outside is vulnerable, you cannot miss feeding your horses. Ensure that the path to your horse’s field shelter is always accessible and safe.

How To Prepare The Shelter for The Winter Weather

Abiding by the above-mentioned words of Don Mc Pherson, we have crafted a few preventive measures that will safeguard your field shelter from the perils of rust, fungi, etc. Remember, even the best of the treated timber field shelters needs regular care and maintenance to have a prolonged and functional lifespan. Here are the tips to safeguard the field shelters during winter:

Roof Inspection

Look for cracks or broken sheets on the roof caused by wind. If you have translucent sheets, check them more often, as they are prone to wear and tear. If minor cracks are not mended immediately, these might increase in size and become an easy passage for twigs, dry leaves, and rodents to enter the shelter.

Manage Excessive Ground Water To Avoid Poaching

Excessive water on the ground because of winter rains leads to poaching. Poaching is the most undesirable situation for your horses, as the land becomes excessively slippery, making it difficult for them to move around for food and navigate safe passages to the entranceway. Poaching is caused by the hooves of the horses on the soft soil, forming deep craters.

Gutter Inspection

You need to check the entire gutter system of the field shelter, including the brackets and downpipes, for any clogging or damage. Replace the pipes if needed and unclog the pipes by cleaning out the accumulated debris.

Proximity To The Trees

If the shelter is located near the tree, ensure that the branches are trimmed regularly so that they do not damage the roof or walls of the structure. Shedding of leaves during winter and autumn season may block the downpipes and gutters. Blocked pipes might prevent the smooth flow of water, which will turn into ice during freezing temperatures.

Check For Any Loose Fittings

It is advisable to conduct a close check of the doors, windows, hinges, and latches of the shelter to see if there are any loose fittings. Loose fittings will affect the warmth and insulation of the shelter. Tighten and oil all the loose bolts and hinges.

Thorough Check Inside The Shelter

Before the onset of winter, you should clean all the dirt and cobwebs found inside the shelter. Replace the damaged kickboards, make use of chew strips etc.

Relocation Of The Field Shelter

Relocate your mobile field shelter to a place near your residence, as you will be required to keep a regular check on your horses during their long indoor stay in winter weather. Likewise, reposition to shield from wind if necessary.

Because it is easy to move the position of mobile field shelters during winter, as well as the fact they do not normally require planning permission to build, mobile field shelters are often considered the preferred choice for many horse owners. If you do not have a mobile shelter yet, you can contact National Timber Buildings to find out more about their mobile stables.

Final words

Now that you have been provided with all the tips and tricks to manage your field shelters during winter, you should prioritise implementing all the essential tips. Your shelter will have a long and stable life if it is taken care of with regular maintenance and repair. Winters mean your horses inside the shelter should have all the warmth, access to their food and ease of movement for a comfortable stay. For more information, feel free to call the experts at National Timber Buildings.