What style corral panels?

[froglander]

We are looking at purchasing a 5 acre property that is not set up for horses. It has some perimeter fencing, unfortunately some of it is barbed-wire There is no enclosed area as yet to keep a horse so I am exploring options and costs as we hopefully head towards closing on the property.

I am currently looking to get a Behlen shelter kit and I am pondering setting up a small sacrifice area made of panels attached to this and then expand out with electric fence as we get more cleared (need to spray for creeping indigo and clear out a few bad trees).

I know it is safer to use “square top” panels rather than the rounded ones but I was wondering if anyone had input on the type of feet/leg/supports on them. The Behlen brand ones are kind of an angled loop, I have seen others that are just a U-shaped loop, and others that are straight legs.

Thanks

[Frog_Pond]

I have a 7+ acre non-horse-developed property that I put a modular barn on last year, and my first paddock is a 70’ round pen made of Behlen panels. They’re 5’x12’ with square tops and have that angled loop foot you describe. I’ve got them chained together, and have five 5’ t-posts around the perimeter to anchor it. I also had to wrap it in 2"x4" welded wire fence to keep out neighborhood dogs & coyotes, and that is attached with heavy duty, UV resistant zip ties. It’s temporary, in the sense that I expect it to last a year or two, and it’s doing great.

I have a big horse & a mini in this set up and I feel it’s safe for them. You definitely have to anchor the fence in some way, because even a mini rubbing his butt can move it. When my big guy got pissed off about being left out in the rain last year in a neighbor’s round pen, he grabbed the panels in his teeth and bounced it around like Godzilla – it stayed together, but he dented it with his choppers. So, some sort of anchor is good!

I would have preferred a straight leg at the bottom, but couldn’t get them in my area. The Behlen’s are big and open, and I think they’re safer than the more common, smaller opening u-shaped loops – more room to extract a leg that might go through.

I like the shelter – my one concern is the wind rating. Is 90 mph sufficient for where you are in Florida?

I’m using Horseguard tape to expand my pasture as I clear the land and I love how easy that is to install, too. Best of luck getting started!

[jeniloohoo]

I have had corral panels for about 15 years for our sacrifice area. They are not the square ones, but rather the rounded. We had our fence guys drive 8’ cedar posts into support them, as well as the gate. It has been fantastic and while they are now looking a bit worn and rusted, I plan on spray painting them black when we move them to our new property next week. I am planning on getting 9’ posts at our new place, and throwing up a strand of electric on the top to make them 6’ high, since the horses are sometimes standing above them when we getting heavy snow.

I would buy the square ones, as you are doing. One of my horses was a silly arab, and although he never did get hurt on the panels, I used to worry a bit about it.

Good luck!

I am moving to a new property that had a big ole barn, but no fencing, stalls, water, etc. I have a 10k budget that includes a used 4 wheeler and plow. I am going over budget about $1k as I chose a few luxuries like an extra frost free hydrant and a hay steamer (used for my horse). I spent about $3,200 on our stalls. If the barn had not been there, I would have spent that on as big a run in with storage as I could have built with my husband. We are doing 660’ 3 rail Cenflex fencing from Home Depot with a line of electric on the top and bottom, and have someone coming to dig the posts. I found practically new stall 4 x6 rubber stall mats on Craigslist ($350 for 45 of them). Craigslist has been awesome. It has allowed us to get a really nice setup for a reasonable investment.

Good luck!

[GotMyPony]

I have a dry lot area made out of Priefert brand panels, 5’ high. We’ve been using it for about 13 years and is still in excellent shape.

Like Frog Pond, we also have extended into the adjacent pasture using Horse Guard and are really pleased with that, too. Bonus is that the brown Horse Guard T-Post covers almost exactly match our brown Priefert panels so it actually looks like we had a plan.

[froglander]

I wonder if there is any way I can secure the roof better just in case the weather gets nasty.

I had been looking at Horseguard fence and Electrobraid and I think I have read enough reviews and stories that I am going to stick with Horseguard.

I have reached out to Noble Panels to see what options there are for freight to ship one of their shelters and some corral panels out here (sometimes I really miss the PNW!!)

http://www.noblepanels.com/12xpens.htm They also list 90mph winds, might ask them if there is any way to make that stronger…

Thank you for all of your advice

[SouthernYankee]

Not sure what kind of budget you are working with but when I was boarding I acquired a 10x20 carport that’s got 7’ tall sides. It’s since moved with me to my farm and is now a run-in/stalls. It’s been there 2 years now and is holding up very well.

Keep in mind it isn’t super warm, but works well as a wind block. It does stay cool in the summers.

Picture of the carport attached to 2 stalls.

[Frog_Pond]

I like that setup, Southern Yankee. OP, wildlifer posts on here a lot and has her own blog – We Are Flying Solo – and she has a nice looking Carolina Carport set up (pretty sure that’s the one!).

[froglander]

Those are some good ideas too, thank you!

If the detached garage didn’t have so much pavement in front of it I would just convert that, but there is a 20x24 bit of pavement right in front

It’s too bad, garage is 20x20 and I could probably convert it nicely, lol.

[BEARCAT]

OP, could you share pricing on the Belhen shelter?
I am in the market for a couple of shelters before winter and I have looked into the Noble one, but the snow load is not sufficient for my area.

[SouthernYankee]

[QUOTE=froglander;8279823]
Those are some good ideas too, thank you!

If the detached garage didn’t have so much pavement in front of it I would just convert that, but there is a 20x24 bit of pavement right in front

It’s too bad, garage is 20x20 and I could probably convert it nicely, lol.[/QUOTE]

It may be cheaper to buy stall mats and place them on top of the concrete? Then screw them into the concrete so they don’t move? Or you could frame in the concrete slab and put gravel/screenings on top of it?

My stalls aren’t ideal, but we worked with what we had instead of building a new building. They are safe and my horses stay out 24/7 so all I really needed was something to feed them in and something they could use in bad weather if they chose.

[froglander]

[QUOTE=SouthernYankee;8279727]
Not sure what kind of budget you are working with but when I was boarding I acquired a 10x20 carport that’s got 7’ tall sides. It’s since moved with me to my farm and is now a run-in/stalls. It’s been there 2 years now and is holding up very well.

Keep in mind it isn’t super warm, but works well as a wind block. It does stay cool in the summers.

Picture of the carport attached to 2 stalls.[/QUOTE]

I was able to go to a place today that sells Carolina Carports. They seemed quite nice and sturdy! The price isn’t all that bad either.

So many decisions to make!

[froglander]

[QUOTE=BEARCAT;8280335]
OP, could you share pricing on the Belhen shelter?
I am in the market for a couple of shelters before winter and I have looked into the Noble one, but the snow load is not sufficient for my area.[/QUOTE]

The quote I got on the Behlen shelter kit was for the “Shelter Kit #1” that is just panel sides and was $1,549.09. The store I got the quote through also suggested corner foot pads to prevent the panels from sinking and those were 38.89 each (times 4).

Meanwhile, a Carolina Carpot in a 12x21 size, 7’ sides, upgraded to a 12 guauge frame which has a 20 year guarantee against rust would run $1,245.

[poltroon]

I like straight legs and square tops. No loops at all.

Shipping steel is expensive; thus, IME, I can get better quality panels from local fabricators than from the national brand names. That is, for the same price, the local fabricators use heavier steel and thus create more durable product. Here in California, there are many such local fabricators of pipe panels; it may not be so in Florida.

Our local people also make shelters.

Whatever shelter you get, you can anchor it down with some strategic spot concrete and bent rebar.

[froglander]

[QUOTE=poltroon;8281609]
I like straight legs and square tops. No loops at all.

Shipping steel is expensive; thus, IME, I can get better quality panels from local fabricators than from the national brand names. That is, for the same price, the local fabricators use heavier steel and thus create more durable product. Here in California, there are many such local fabricators of pipe panels; it may not be so in Florida.

Our local people also make shelters.

Whatever shelter you get, you can anchor it down with some strategic spot concrete and bent rebar.[/QUOTE]

The only local stuff I have been able to find has those little loop legs that don’t seem very safe and often the rounded corners. Noble Panels /used/ to be somewhat local to me (I am originally from WA state) so that is why they came to mind during all of this.

Haven’t come across any locally made shelters either

So…with the options I have been able to find, I am choosing between Noble Panel shelter, Behlen shelter, or Carolina Carport.

[Hermein]

SouthernYankee, you did a great job integrating your carport with your barn.

[froglander]

[QUOTE=SouthernYankee;8279727]
Not sure what kind of budget you are working with but when I was boarding I acquired a 10x20 carport that’s got 7’ tall sides. It’s since moved with me to my farm and is now a run-in/stalls. It’s been there 2 years now and is holding up very well.

Keep in mind it isn’t super warm, but works well as a wind block. It does stay cool in the summers.

Picture of the carport attached to 2 stalls.[/QUOTE]

How hard was it to move?

[SouthernYankee]

[QUOTE=Hermein;8286951]
SouthernYankee, you did a great job integrating your carport with your barn.[/QUOTE]

Thanks! The middle stall where the roof lines but against each other leaks a little when it rains a lot. The height and pitch aren’t the same so there is a gap but the ground slopes and I have matts in that stall so it drains very well and not too much rain comes in. Eventually we will extend the roof off the ‘store’ (barn) and make permanent stalls… but that’s a few more years down the road, you know how it is having a farm $$ and all.

@froglander;8287094

How hard was it to move?

Pretty easy. We got the carport for free and have moved it three times since then.
1- We set it up at the boarding barn in an afternoon.
2- We took it down, loaded it on the trailer and reset it up at the farm. When we bought the farm there was one 1/4 acre fenced lot that used to be a dog yard, so we had to make due until we could build real stalls and get the pastures fenced.
3- Fence got done and we decided to move it 200’ to it’s current place. Instead of taking the whole thing apart we jacked it up and loaded it on the 16’ flatbed trailer and moved it.

Putting the roof on was the hardest part. The tin has been taken off and screwed on so many times that there are holes in the roof that I’ve patched with caulk. And the sides aren’t ‘professional’ by any means but it’s safe for the horses and does it’s job. We do have it on a gravel pad and that keeps it from getting muddy.

I wouldn’t hesitate to buy another carport. It’s made out of galvanized steel so it won’t rust. It goes together very easily and has a great wind rating. It hasn’t caused any horse injuries.

[froglander]

Thank you Southern Yankee

Trying to figure out a good option that my husband won’t end up considering an eyesore since it will be in front of the house (property is long and skinny with the house in the middle).

So many decisions! On the plus side, looks like we will close on it in a week and a half! So I’ll have 3-4 weeks to get things set up for my horse