What Size Mobile Field Shelter Do I Need?
Choose the right mobile field shelter size for your horses using their number, size and behaviour, along with current BHS guidance.
What Size Field Shelter Does my Horse Need?
For an average-sized horse, the British Horse Society recommends a field shelter that is 3–3.65m (10-12ft) wide and 3.65m (12ft) deep.
Add around 1.5m (5ft) of width for each additional horse.
Field Shelter Sizes at a Glance
- One horse: 3.6m × 3.6m (12ft × 12ft)
- Two horses: 5.4m × 3.6m (18ft × 12ft)
- Three horses: 7.2m × 3.6m (24ft × 12ft)
- Four horses: 10.9m × 3.6m (36ft × 12ft), depending on their size and behaviour.
Larger horses or animals may need more space.
What Else Affects the Size You Need?
- Their height and build
- How well they get along
- How much time they spend in the shelter
- Whether every animal can enter and leave safely
- The available space and ground conditions in your field.
A shelter that is too small can become crowded, and one horse may block the others from entering. A little extra room can make it safer and more comfortable for the whole group.
However, a larger shelter will cost more and may be harder to move. Choose a size that gives your animals enough space without being bigger than you need.
How Many Openings Should a Field Shelter Have?
A single wide opening may suit one horse or two that get along well. Larger groups may need more than one opening so a horse cannot block the only way in or out.
Colt field shelters have 2.4m (8ft) openings as standard. We can change the layout and number of openings to suit the building and the animals using it.
How Tall Should a Horse Field Shelter Be?
A field shelter should provide 60-90cm (2-3ft) of clear space between the horse’s ears and the eaves when it stands normally.
Choose the height based on the tallest horse that will use the shelter.
Colt mobile field shelters are 2,235mm (7ft 4in) high at the eaves and 2,845mm (9ft 4in) at the ridge. Ask the Colt team whether these dimensions suit your horses, particularly if you own a very large breed.
Is a Field Shelter the Same Size as a Stable?
No. A stable is an enclosed box for an individual horse, while a field shelter is normally an open-fronted building that several animals may share.
The sizing works differently. A field shelter needs enough shared space and safe access for every animal. A stable box needs enough room for one horse to stand, turn and lie down comfortably.
Read our guide to horse stable sizes if you are choosing an enclosed stable rather than a field shelter.
Choose the Right Colt Field Shelter
Colt mobile field shelters give your horses a strong, practical place to escape the sun, wind and rain throughout the year.
Choose from four standard sizes and tailor the layout and number of openings to your horses.
Our shelters are made from pressure-treated timber and mounted on skids, allowing you to reposition them as the weather, grazing pattern or ground conditions change. We offer nationwide installation, or you can save money by choosing a DIY kit.
Explore our mobile field shelters, or contact the Colt team for help choosing the right size and layout.
Frequently Asked Questions
What size field shelter do two horses need?
An 18ft × 12ft Colt shelter is the closest standard size based on BHS guidance for two average-sized horses. Larger horses may need more room.
What size field shelter do three horses need?
A 24ft × 12ft shelter is a good starting point for three average-sized horses. Choose a larger size if they are particularly big or do not share space well.
Can a field shelter be too big?
A larger shelter gives the animals more room, but it costs more and may be harder to move. Choose a size that comfortably fits the group without being larger than you need.
Do ponies need a smaller field shelter?
Ponies may need less room than large horses, but they must all be able to enter, leave and use the shelter safely.
Does every horse need its own field shelter?
No. Horses can share a field shelter if it is large enough and they can all get in and out safely.
