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  Discussion on Cover-all type run-in shelters?
Author Message
Member:
srobert

Posted on Tuesday, Aug 4, 2009 - 12:14 pm:

Hello All: Its been a while since I've posted - nothing has gone wrong lately in my equine world I guess (knock on wood).

Anyway, I have a traditional barn that our horses go into at night in the winter and during the day in the summer. (They are bug-freaks) I need some sort of shelter that they can access on their own when I can't be there to protect them from the big bad bugs.

Has anyone had experience with the shelters that are covered with cover-all type fabric? I like that these shelters are open and airy - and open at both ends so boss mare can't push anyone into a corner. Any comments?
Member:
erika

Posted on Tuesday, Aug 4, 2009 - 1:29 pm:

After seeing Sara Wolff's coverall arena, I was impressed how cool it was inside. It didn't trap heat at all and was shady yet bright inside.
I really liked it!
Erika
Member:
canter

Posted on Tuesday, Aug 4, 2009 - 7:43 pm:

Hi Shari,

Once a year for the past several years, I haul my mare to a show that has the coverall indoor, and coverall barn. This has always been in August, and hot and humid each time. With the flaps up, I have been really impressed with how airy and bright both the barn and arena are.

Being in MI, I asked the owner how it was in the winter. She admitted that it can be brutally cold as there is no insulation and since their farm is located out in the open with no wind breaks, she said some horses do freak out at the slight movement of the walls and the noise it can make (Last year, despite the heat, 1 of the show days was VERY windy and I personally didn't notice any noise or spooking horses, but again, because of the heat, the flaps were all rolled up).
Member:
mrose

Posted on Tuesday, Aug 4, 2009 - 8:03 pm:

We love our Cover-All. The only times I've had enough noise to bother horses was when heavy snow slid off the roof, when it hailed, and when Lonnie was mowing right next to the side of the arena I was riding on and the mower threw a rock against the side of the building.

This past winter, our first with the Cover-All, it was cold inside, but no colder than outside and we were out of the wind. By afternoons, if it was sunny, it warmed up quite a bit inside.

btw, we have fans but have only used them once in the winter to draw out moisture. You can get heaters, but we don't have any. Used as a run-in you won't have the moisture problem, but we found last winter that if we watered the arena without lifting the doors at either end at least part way, the arena collect moisture which dripped down as we were riding. I've had this happen in metal roofed arenas also.
Member:
blkmgc

Posted on Tuesday, Aug 4, 2009 - 8:32 pm:

Wow! We were considering installing an indoor arena, but were undecided as to what kind to get and where to start looking. Is it appropriate to ask how much these arenas cost? I realize that cost varies with size, as well as any extras that are installed. However, if someone could give a description of what has been built and the cost associated with it, that would at least give us a ball park number and would be a tremendous help. We are a 501(c)(3) and, in the past, were involved with Special Olympics when we lived in CA. We are thinking of starting a similar program where we now live in AZ. But, first, we would need an indoor arena.
Member:
majoda92

Posted on Tuesday, Aug 4, 2009 - 9:33 pm:

We put up a 60ft. cover all round pen about 2 years ago. It has been a huge asset to our lesson program. It's much cooler in the summer, and is useful when it is raining (but not pouring!) The cost of the roundpen was about $16,000 just 2 yrs. ago. I think it's up to about $21,ooo now, but it might go on sale once in a while. We put it up ourselves, but it wasn't an easy project to say the least. It does get a little noisy when it's windy, as the cover billows up a little, but all but one of our horses don't seem bothered by it at all. It was definitely worth the investment for us. There was no way we could afford a real indoor arena! We also use it for turn out when we get a new horse in or if a horse needs to be kept seperate for any reason. We have pictures of it and videos of lessons being taught in it on our website, if anyone cares to see it. www.majodastables.com
Member:
mrose

Posted on Tuesday, Aug 4, 2009 - 9:56 pm:

Our arena is 70' x 145' and was put up this past winter at a cost of approx. $100,000 including 3' cement walls the top sits on, 4 cement pads in corners (with pipe panels around them.) Price included the extra large roll-up garage doors on either end, one "people door", vents on the ends, lights and fans and construction costs.
Member:
kpaint

Posted on Wednesday, Nov 18, 2009 - 4:05 pm:

Sara, how did you like your Coverall arena in the summer? Was it hot at all?
Member:
mrose

Posted on Wednesday, Nov 18, 2009 - 4:38 pm:

It was cooler in there than out in the sun. I LOVE IT!!!!
Member:
kpaint

Posted on Wednesday, Nov 18, 2009 - 5:20 pm:

Did you all get the Legend (igloo) series or Titan series? Do you have side curtains?
Member:
mrose

Posted on Thursday, Nov 19, 2009 - 2:10 pm:

Side curtains? Do you mean the walls? I'd have to look at our paperwork or ask Lonnie what our model is called; I think Titan, but not positive. It's set on a 3' concrete block wall all the way around. There are some pictures of it on HA. I'll see if I can find them. Don't remember which heading I used to post them.
Member:
mrose

Posted on Thursday, Nov 19, 2009 - 2:14 pm:

Vickie, got to Members - Lounge - General Interest Questions - Utah Clinic and you'll see a picture of the inside of ours. I think if you do a search for arenas, you'll see some of when it was being built and just finished which show the entire thing.
Member:
kpaint

Posted on Thursday, Nov 19, 2009 - 2:37 pm:

Thanks Sara, I did see it under Utah Clinic. It is a Titan series. If it's 30' tall at center, it is the lower profile Titan II, and if it's taller in the center, it is the Titan. It sure is nice! Some models (don't know if it's Titan series) have a "curtains" along the long wall and they will roll up like a tent flap for ventilation. Can be hand pulled or electric. I'm glad you are happy with it.

Did you have a Coverall in California or a metal building for indoor?
Member:
mrose

Posted on Thursday, Nov 19, 2009 - 3:40 pm:

We suffered in CA; no indoor. We'd always planned to cover the arena, as it the barn was built in a 'U" shape with the arena in the middle, but never got it done. Snow load there was a major factor, and to meet engineerng standards, it was just too expensive. Had never heard of or seen a Cover-all type building then.

Our zoning wouldn't let us have anything higher than 30' which limited us on size. Also, it's leagally a "hay shed and equipment storage area." The building inspector, also a horse person, said he'd pass it if we called it that and not an arena, as an arena is illegal. Don't ask me why, as we're out in the county in a rural area. Silly.
Member:
stek

Posted on Thursday, Nov 19, 2009 - 5:11 pm:

Shari I wonder about using something fabric-sided as a run-in, the ones that are used as barns always have wooden walls where the horses are. Would you do something like that to protect it from horse bites and kicks and whatnot?

Diane I LOVE your stone barn!!
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