If you have a large pasture for your horse to roam in, you may want to build a couple of horse shelters so your horse can get shade and rain protection when they're away from the barn. When it comes to the lumber supplies you'll need, you'll probably want wood rather than metal siding since metal could cut or hurt your horse. However, a metal roof would be a good, inexpensive choice.

You need to be choosy about the lumber supplies you pick out because your horse could kick the wood and break it apart or chew it up. Here are some good wood options for horses and some choices to avoid.

Good Wood Selections For A Horse Shelter

Tigerwood is a type of Brazilian hardwood. It gets its nickname from the black stripes in the wood that make it attractive. The best thing about this wood species is that it's so durable. It doesn't soak up much moisture, and it's hard enough to withstand kicks from a horse.

It stands up to rot and insect damage, so the wood won't need many repairs. A horse shelter made from tigerwood could last for many years. However, this wood has a downside, and that's the cost. With the cost of lumber fluctuating, you may find tigerwood too costly for building your horse shelter.

Southern yellow pine is actually a softwood, but it's one of the hardest softwoods, so it's suitable for use around horses that might chew or kick the wood. Being softer than tigerwood, you may find it easier to work with when building a horse shelter yourself because it's easier to drive nails through the boards. This wood may not last as long as tigerwood, but it's less expensive to buy upfront.

Pressure-treated lumber might work in some cases. Some advise against using pressure-treated lumber around horses even though arsenic is no longer used as the insecticide. You may want to ask your vet about whether this lumber is suitable for your horse shelter. When it's used to build stalls, the pressure-treated lumber is generally just used on the bottom part of the stalls that's close to the soil and where insects are the greatest risk.

Types Of Lumber To Avoid For Horse Shelters

Cedar has oils in it that could potentially bother your horse's respiratory system or cause allergies. However, one of the main downfalls of cedar is that horses seem to like nibbling on it. If your horse takes a liking to the cedar, they may cause a lot of damage to the shelter over time. Even though cedar has desirable qualities and an attractive appearance, you may want to avoid it so your horse doesn't destroy your shelter.

Black walnut could be toxic for your horse. Leaves and shavings for bedding may be a bigger threat, but to be safe, you probably don't want any wood to be used in your shelter that could potentially be dangerous to your horse.

Contact a lumber supplies company to learn more. 

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