Mini run in idea / questions

[4maresfarm]

So we finished fencing in a new paddock for the two miniature horses and we need to figure out a shelter. They will only be in this area about 10-12 hours a day max. The paddock is a dry lot about half the size of a large dressage arena.

The paddock has a shed attached to it that we currently just use for some odds and ends like tools that can go into our garage that we just cleaned out. It has two windows and a big door to walk in (plenty of ventilation). It is probably 12? feet high and the space inside is 14 feet x 10 feet. The issue…it has a wooden floor. They are large 1.5 inch thick boards and obviously are in dry great condition. So my question is…is this possible? We have no problem replacing the boards if needed as we go and will check often. Would you put tarps or something down, then stall mats, then shavings or just go with wooden floor and thick shavings? Is it just a stupid horrible idea? Maybe quarantine has been thinking way to much!

If this is a no go, then we can build something for them. It would be nice to have this area for bad weather for them too, as it frees up a real horse stall and they can have their mini bachelorette pad

[fourfillies]

I’ve not done it but there have been a number of threads extolling the virtues of wood stall floors. I’m a worrier and I’d mat it (nail heads?) bed it and let your ladies rock and roll.

[avjudge]

For a couple of winters when we had use of a neighbor’s barn we used the first 12’ of the barn aisle as a run-in - we put a gate across the aisle (actually 2 chains with clips at the ends) and opened it at mealtime to let them through to the stalls. It was an old New England horse barn, probably late 19th century, and had a wooden aisle floor. It worked fine. We didn’t bed it; we just picked any manure and swept it out daily.

(12x12 is small for a run-in for 2 horses but the two we had got along well and we had no problems.)

[cayuse]

I have minis and have had big horses. My stalls have wooden floors and mats and I use shavings for bedding. Without the mats the wooden floor gets slippery sometimes, possibly that is from the type of wood used.
I never put a tarp down under the mats, I just make sure that the mats are fitting tightly together.

[ladybugsbw]

I would add maybe a waterproof sealer to the wood first

[4maresfarm]

I think we are going to go with well fitting mats and go from there! Thanks you all

[Weezer]

I’ve never tried this, but you could paint the floors with the rubbery sort of paint that is used to make a water feature in a wood box. It’s easy to get in large hardware stores.