I have two suckling colts right now. They were born six days apart but one lives in MD and the other in PA. I have a month and a half to two months to figure out how to make this work after they are weaned. Right now they aren’t costing anything because they are still with their dams. Unless my two “race horses” actually start racing and making some money one of them has to go. Finding him a home is already taken care of but of course I would rather keep them both if financially feasible. The fact that they are both colts and both the same age seems like fate for them to stick together during their youngster years.
I can pasture board both of them for less than the cost of keeping the one at the barn he is at but there is no shelter. I do not own the property so I can’t afford or even justify spending thousands to save hundreds. Any ideas in the say $700 or less range? Thanks!
You can get one of those Eagle carports for $695. For $40 more you can get the height a foot taller - important if you keep using it as the colts get taller. The first one we put in is +1 foot which makes it 6-7 feet at the eaves. We bought rough cut oak boards and enclosed the end toward the NW and both sides. It was a stinking job - each board had to be measured and cut for the end. Sides not so much problem…but as the wood shrunk, the spaces between the boards got wide enough that it was not a winterproof shelter. So we ended up covering the north and west sides with painted metal (for looks sake) and warmth. The second carport we bought same height but with ends and sides enclosed - MUCH easier for us!! Then we put 4’ rough oak (a cheap wood product if you are near a saw mill.) up to 4 feet high all around the interior. I think the metal sheets they use would be dangerous if a horse were to kick and put a foot through the thin metal. The three sided enclosed shed with oak lining cost us about $1600. Another plus is that because it is built on skids, it is not “real estate”. If you move you can take it, or sell it- maybe to the landowner ofr someone else. A two car size makes an awesome shelter!! Even big enough to put in two stalls for separation and/or feeding. It’s about as cheap a “real” shelter as I know of.
Or you can go to walmart and put up one of those portable ones-for less than $200. the canopy’s that you see at the camping areas.
Good idea about the carport. Maybe some T-111 siding would be easier to install, although it may not be cheaper. Cut out some panels for ventilattionn in summer that you could plug in winter either with plexiglass or plastic sheeting.
A pipe frame is usually cheap. You get the pipes and hardware and a plan on how to put them up and then buy and attach your own wood. The frame has connectors to screw the wood onto it with.
They usually run aboout $500 I think for a regular run-in sized shed. You should be able to get inexpensive wood for it too.
And they’re easily portable…drag them, flatbed or just take it apart and bring it somewhere else.
Something like these:
http://www.klenepipe.com/store.asp?pid=17994
Thank you for the suggestions, I will show them to hubby and see what makes the most sense.
One other thought…check your local CL or newspaper for sheds too.
My neighbor got a new run-in delivered last summer. Her old one was fine, but she wanted a slightly larger one and new to match her newer other outbuilding. She advertised her old one for $250 as a “come and take it.” It was a pole barn built type…someone came and using a chainsaw cut the poles at ground level and winched it onto a flat bed and drove off with it. :eek:
The new owner of the shed said he was going to add rings and spike it into the ground at his place for his cows.
I never would have thought of that had my neighbor not done it. Maybe someone near you has a shed they’re not using?
Or a shipping container? Those can have a side removed or just leave it like a tunnel as a nice solid run in. You can buy them used cheap, lots of folks use them as outbuildings, hay storage, tractor garages, etc. I’ve seen ones at local machine auctions as low as $400.
Check out local ads for used building materials and knock up a pole barn.
The ironic thing is I have a gazebo for lack of a better word in my backyard that I would be more than happy to get rid of if I could figure out how to do it. It would take some modifications, namely widening the door or just taking the whole front off and making it 3 sided. Its your basic rectangle, maybe 15X10 off the top of my head. Also it has windows the whole way around it starting about 3 feet up, going as high as the ceiling. I guess we would have to take them out and put boards in instead. I don’t know how I could get it out of my fenced backyard and over to the farm without dismantling the whole thing and/or the fence.
There was recently an ad on craigslist for run in shed and shed row barn, you haul, in Carroll County, which is not far from you. I dont know how much they were asking.
also, Farmtek has various portable options.
You could probably take that gazebo apart and put it back together as a run-in. You may have to buy nails though !
Have a demolition cookout and a barn raisin’ !
Ok Hubby said no to the gazebo. I guess its pretty much falling apart already. How about this? I wonder if he will negotiate the price? How the heck would I get it to my farm?
What is this thing made of? Think it would work?
[QUOTE=Laurierace;4900504]
What is this thing made of? Think it would work?
http://baltimore.craigslist.org/grd/1746800841.html[/QUOTE]
I would NOT go for this option. I got one of these in a pinch when I hade to QT a horse and the cover tore in several places just from average wind in Forest Hill, MD. Then we had a bad thunderstorm and it ended up across the pasture in a mangled mess and I had to toss it (after I spent hours taking it apart). I even had it anchored to t-posts and cement blocks. It’s just too light and really catches the wind. Plus, you can get the 12 x 24 for under $300 at Pep Boys, so this dude is asking too much.
My friend got one for her car and had the same problems.
Thanks for nixing that for me. How about the other one?
The place I board at has something similar for their boats. Theirs is not round though, more the shape of the other one, but made out of the same or similar metal. They have had no problems with them at all and really like them. I think it was like $800 for a 10 x 12 maybe? I think if you anchor the one in the ad properly it could work. I can ask how they anchored theirs if you want.
This is what they have, with sides
http://www.opentip.com/Home-Garden/Homier-Metal-Carport-Steel-p-1339671.html
Sent you a PM.
I paid a decent amount for my run in, stall, tack room combo and I don’t own my property. The guy who sold it to me said to call anytime and he’d move it for free (it was delivered in one piece on a truck).
I built 2 8x10 stalls for $800. I also built my stallion an 8x10 run-in shed for $350.
You can get one of those Carolina Carports for $1095…I see them advertized everywhere.
then add sides…T111, whatever you want.
Many folks in the south use them as run ins, and up in the north, many use them as garages.
I WOULD NOT GET one of those pop up canopies from walmart…they break in any kind of wind.
In my mind, if you are going to spend 3,000 do up a proper pole run in…not that metal thing.
I am in the process of putting up a shelter logic garage that I bought at Tractor supply for 349. Its not for horses, but lawn equipment, tractor, etc.
Although some use it for horses too. I just don’t think I feel it is secure enough.
