Other Uses for Mobile Field Shelters and Stables

What Else Can You Use a Mobile Field Shelter For?

You can use a mobile field shelter or stable for:

• Other livestock
• Temporary tool and equipment storage
• Outdoor repair and maintenance work
• Pots and gardening equipment
• Log storage
• Hay or feed storage, with the right precautions

The right use depends on the building, its location and whether it has doors or an open front. 

Before repurposing it, check whether you need planning permission.

Livestock Shelter

Mobile field shelters can house more than horses. Depending on their size and design, they can provide shelter for ponies, donkeys, alpacas, llamas, sheep or goats.

Make sure the building suits the animals using it. Consider their size, number and behaviour, and provide enough room for them to enter and leave without crowding.

Our guide to field shelters for different animals explains which Colt buildings suit different types of livestock.

Log Storage

A mobile field shelter can provide a covered place to store logs. Its open front allows air to circulate, while the roof protects the wood from direct rain.

Choose a dry, well-drained position and raise the logs off the ground. Do not stack them against the timber walls or overload the building.

Keep stored wood away from horses, electrical equipment and sources of heat or ignition.

Temporary Tool and Equipment Storage

If you need extra storage, a mobile stable can provide a covered place for tools and equipment.

A building with doors will offer more protection than an open-fronted field shelter. However, mobile buildings don’t normally include a floor, so choose firm, dry ground and keep anything that could be damaged by moisture raised off the surface.

Don’t leave valuable tools unsecured or store sharp objects where animals can reach them.

A Covered Area for Outdoor Jobs

A mobile field shelter can provide a covered area for jobs around your property.

For example, if you need to repair or replace a fence, you could move the shelter closer to the work area and use it to keep tools and materials nearby. Once the job is complete, move the building elsewhere or return it to its usual purpose.

Keep the space clear and do not add permanent power, water or other services without checking how this could affect the building’s safety and planning status.

Garden and Potting Storage

If you enjoy gardening, you could use a mobile stable or field shelter to store pots, compost and hand tools during the spring.

Keeping your equipment closer to the garden can save you from carrying it across the property each day. When the growing season ends, you can clear the building and use it elsewhere.

Bear in mind that a mobile field shelter is not the same as a finished garden room. It doesn’t have a floor, insulation or permanent services.

What Should You Check Before Repurposing the Building?

Before giving your mobile stable or field shelter a new use, check that:

• There is enough space
• The entrance suits the new use
• The ground is firm and dry
• Stored items will stay dry and secure
• Animals cannot reach tools or dangerous materials
• The new use does not create a fire risk
• The building remains movable
• The change will not cause planning problems.

Planning permission may not be needed for a mobile building, but this can change if you move it to a different location or use it for another purpose.

There is no rule saying you must move it at set times. Your Local Planning Authority will consider whether the building can still be moved, where it stands and how you use it.

Read our guide to planning rules for mobile stables and field shelters and check with your Local Planning Authority before changing its use.

Choose a Mobile Building That Works for You

At Colt Stables, we make pressure-treated timber stables and field shelters that you can move and use in different ways as your needs change.

Choose the size and design that work for your animals, land and plans. We offer installation across the UK, or you can save money with one of our DIY kits.

Explore our mobile stables and mobile field shelters, or contact the Colt team to discuss your options.