THE START OF THE multi-use, “put ’em in here in case of Emergency” SHELTER.

As you all know, when we moved here in July, there was nothing for the horses except 10 acres. Not even fencing.

I’ve been fighting the elements for the past year, which ended up being a good thing because I learned all about what happens where – during whichever season… but it was tough… not having everything in order for all of those challenges. So I told myself, once I have a job here, I am going to make it better.

I finally got a job that lasted for 3 months! (I’m freelance). And that job has paid for tons of fencing, the new trees and now this, in the works, multi-use shelter!

I’m so excited!

You can see the 6 steel posts are in the ground.

THIS IS HOW IT WILL WORK.

I would love a nice, wood barn like the Grass Valley house. But, we don’t have much level ground and I just couldn’t afford it this year. But I still needed to come up with a way to secure two sick horses with paddocks, add a shelter and create more shade for Norma Jean and Dodger (and maybe Gwen, we’ll see…).

So, I purchased a 27 x 18 shelter – but I added an extra purlin and two extra posts. This will give me the ability to create two stalls. The shelter will still have open cover for two other horses to get out of the rain or sun. So I think 4 horses (2 big, 2 little) could easily have cover from the elements with this building.

I can leave the stalls open if they aren’t being used as stalls – which would be airy and nice during the summer.

The left side will be the back of the shelter. In between, I will put 3 shade trees. That’s Gwen looking on.

SEPARATE QUARTERS

The other nice part about this shelter is that I can partition off Dodger and Norma into the shady dog-leg of the paddock, should I need to bring in a sick horse. So this paddock is essentially 2 paddocks or one large paddock. It also opens into the lower 5 acres when it is their turn to graze in the open.

I can close the red panel to keep Norma and Dodger in the shady dog-leg of this paddock. In this way, if I have a sick horse, he can be alone in the new shelter and paddock – if need be.

Norma and Dodger hang out in the dog-leg all the time, so it is no big hardship to be in there.

MORE TREES!

During the last fencing operation here, I added a 48′ fenced area which will act as the back of the shelter (I can add wood to make a wall against the sun/rain) and it will also house 3 new trees! I’m putting in 2 Mulberry and 1 Poplar.

Things are looking up!