The shelter thread got me thinking

[Jessey]

Hank really did used to go in the shelter a lot to lay down but with my current set up he doesn't have anywhere indoors to lay.

The shelters at the old yard were just dirt floors (the one time I decided to put a bed down for them in one of the shelters it became apparent very quickly it was just a latrine, they would walk from the other end of the field just to pee in there!) At the new place I have just let them have access to part of the barn which is great for me, but it has a brick weave floor so not so great for Hank to lay down in there and I'm loathe to put any bedding in there as I am positive it will quickly become a latrine.

He does sleep in the field, and there's some good spots with overhanging trees, but I'm not sure he'll be so happy with that once it get wetter. Am I being mean by not giving him indoor space to lay? I have the stuff to pop a shelter up for them, it's just a days graft and probably recruiting a second pair of hands to help.

 

[mystiquemalaika]

Tbh i would just keep an eye on him. You may find he picks a spot or 2 under natural shelter and is quite happy.
Alternatively see if you can pick up some of the heavy rubber matting and do him a section on the brick weave. Torin and Neala happily lay down on the rubber, Rhan prefers the field but Torin enjoys a good roll on the rubber as well as a lay down. My floor is uneven and they dont move like the eva type.

 

[Jessey]

Tbh i would just keep an eye on him. You may find he picks a spot or 2 under natural shelter and is quite happy.
Alternatively see if you can pick up some of the heavy rubber matting and do him a section on the brick weave. Torin and Neala happily lay down on the rubber, Rhan prefers the field but Torin enjoys a good roll on the rubber as well as a lay down. My floor is uneven and they dont move like the eva type.

Rubber mats is def a good option, I have some really good ones (not designed for horses) which are open cell so fluid drains through them, they are 5" thick though and I don't have enough to do the whole floor and I don't want them tripping up and down them all the time Does EVA move a lot then? after selling my solid rubber mats I swore I would buy something lighter next time!

 

[mystiquemalaika]

Eva will just keep shifting they aren't heavy enough to stay still. I have 12mm thick heavy solid rubber and they dont shift and thin enough so they dont cause a high rodge for tripping. FB often has 2nd hand ones going cheap if your able to collect. Not easy to move i know but i dont intend moving mine so the back ache was only the once getting then into the field!

 

[Jessey]

Eva will just keep shifting they aren't heavy enough to stay still. I have 12mm thick heavy solid rubber and they dont shift and thin enough so they dont cause a high rodge for tripping. FB often has 2nd hand ones going cheap if your able to collect. Not easy to move i know but i dont intend moving mine so the back ache was only the once getting then into the field!

That's what I had before, back in the days when I stabled I removed mine about once a month in winter to clean under them, they were git's to move

 

[newforest]

Can you put some sort of dirt down over the mats? We do put straw down but someone eats it!
Like you though we have natural spots and the horses are choosing a corner to sleep and lay.

Mine was standing by the shelter today with her buddy inside. When the buddy moved she popped in. ( felt sorry for her then as I rode her out in the weather she was sheltering from!)

 

[Cortrasna]

I do sympathise with the latrine problem - unfortunately my donkeys have done this up at the house when ever I leave a stable door open for them to get shelter - they bomb across the paddock do what they need to do and then go out again! so annoying isn't it? The fields they are in now they use only natural shelter and that works well, as there is plenty of it. Not sure what we will set up for them when we move - my ideal is a huge open ended walk in barn with deep littere and get a tractor in every 6 months to shift the shite. Well that is the dream anyway!

 

[chunky monkey]

I would get some heavy duty rubber mats then maybe just put a thin coating if shavings or straw to provide some cushioning.