When it comes to portable shelters, we usually jump to the conclusion that they are for inanimate objects, especially considering the need to protect lawnmowers, vehicles and other items that simply won’t fit in your house. Weather conditions can be damaging to these products and they need shelters to act as a shield. However, farmers use shelters for the protection of a totally different reason – their horses and livestock.

The most common way of sheltering horses and other livestock on farms from adverse weather is inside their barns or stables. This may seem obvious, but it raises an interesting point – how do these animals get the exercise and fresh air that they need to be healthy. Luckily for these animals, portable horse shelters allow animals to get outside without being totally exposed to any harmful weather like sleet or torrential downpours.

The features of these shelters are impressive, especially when you consider the lifelong benefits for your livestock. Not only do they provide enough head room for comfort, but the open areas of the enclosure allow for movement and ample ventilation.  Portable horse shelters are also wonderful for the farmer, particularly when the shelter needs to be moved to a different location. The easy-to-install shelter is also a breeze to relocate.

Run-in sheds are also a wonderful way to provide your animals with the ability to move around outside in nasty weather. If it is getting really hot outside, it can be detrimental to your animals. Setting up a run-in shed with a food and water source is one way to help your horses stay healthy without the heat bearing down on them. A primary element of run in sheds is your horse’s ability to move freely in and out of the shelter when it needs shade or needs sunlight.

If you are using a run-in shed or portable horse shelter as a semi-permanent residence for your horse or livestock, make sure there are gates that will keep your animals inside for extended periods of time.

Pets being outside is all fine and good, but the weather is getting awfully cold outside, so you shouldn’t just keep your dogs and cats outside, even if they want to be. Of course, taking them outside to do their business is par for the course, but putting them in a portable shelter or other such place in the cold isn’t safe and would probably be considered cruel. Just think of how cold it gets in November, which was weeks ago.

For instance, this article from Northland’s Newscenter talks about Minnesota’s tough laws on doghouses and kennels during the winter months:

“Minnesota law says if dogs are kept outdoors between November 1st and March 31st…their shelter needs to be waterproof and windproof. If your dog starts to pick up its feet a lot outside, that is a sign their paws are getting too cold.”

If an animal shelter needs to be waterproof and windproof in the winter, it would probably just be best to keep your pet inside, if at all possible. The winter can be particularly difficult for everyone, especially the smallest members of your family. If they start picking up their paws when outside, think about bring them inside.

For the former, buildings as large as industrial shelters can store various pieces of farm equipment, as well as tools, seeds, and animal feed. If an object or supply needs protection, it can generally be stored in one of these shelters. Manufacturers like Shelterlogic carry barn-shaped portable sheds, which are essentially a variation of peak-style storage buildings with all-around coverage. But even rounded roof shelters provide sufficient coverage and, for more protection, some of these buildings are built with metal doors instead of polyethylene roll-up doors.

Aside from equipment, animals can be protected by these shelters, as well. While one of these structures won’t become a permanent stable, they’re often used as a run-in shed. A run-in shed is used for horses but other livestock like sheep and cows can use a similar shelter. One of these larger rounded roof shelters is ideal as a run-in shed, which, when placed outdoors in a pasture area, allows livestock to run through it and use it as shelter during the day. At night, they can be placed in a proper shed or stable.

Rounded roof portable shelters generally give coverage all around without needing additional sides, and, for livestock shelters, this is the preferred design, without front and back panels. Like all portable shelters, these can be sized according to your needs and can be used for horses and livestock like cattle. For horses, this type of structure is often referred to as a run-in shed, as horses can run in and out of the shed during the day and, at night, they can be kept under the shelter.

Aside from larger animals needing shelter, another possibility for these portable shelters is use as dog kennels. Although dog kennels can be bought individually, one of these portable dog kennels can have all of the dogs together in one place. Much like a portable garage on a smaller scale, one of these portable dog kennels has a powder-coated steel frame and a polyethylene canopy for a roof. Dividers can be added to split up the space for multiple dogs. To accommodate various sized dogs, these structures come in various heights and sizes. In addition, doors are added so that you, the owner, can put food and water in the kennels and take the dogs out to go for walks.