Horse Lean-To's: In-Depth Cost & Breakdown

If you’re looking to buy a horse shelter on a tight budget, a horse lean-to is a great option. While not extravagant, it is also not a simplistic run-in. A horse lean-to is a great fit for a horse shelter that keeps your horses protected from the elements, but at the same time does not break the bank with extravagant horse stalls, a center aisle, etc. Let’s start by introducing the basics of a lean-to horse barn. 

What is a Lean-To for Horses?

In simplest terms, a lean-to for horses is basically a run-in shed + a large overhang. A lean-to for horses is typically 4-sided (just like a shed row barn) with a long overhang, typically supported by wooden posts. The overhang’s purpose is primarily to protect your horses from the elements, such as rain, snow, etc.

There is a bit of unclarity between lean-to horse barns and shed row barns. To further distinguish what a lean-to for horses is, we’ll show the differences between 3 common (and similar) types of horse barns: shed row barns, horse lean-to’s, and run-in sheds. 

How Does the Cost of a Horse Lean-To Compare to Other Horse Barn Styles?

To best analyze this question, we’ll show you where the horse barn lean-to’s compare to 5 other styles of horse barns that we offer here at Fisher Barns. 

What is the Cost of a Horse Lean-To?

The cost of a horse lean-to will vary depending on custom options and size. Here’s a list of some of the main custom options and sizes that would affect the cost of a horse lean-to.

Fisher Barns offers horse lean-to’s in these sizes.

We hope you now understand what a lean-to for horses is. With that in mind, let’s continue on to the dimensions of a horse lean-to. 

Keep in mind that you’ll also need to invest in a quality foundation for your horse barn.

At Fisher Barns, we do require a concrete pier foundation to be built before we install a lean-to horse barn. Foundation piers will cost an additional $2,000-$3,000 to your horse barn project, depending on the horse barn size and location.

What are some Standard Features of a Horse Lean-To?

Because we can’t speak for other companies and what features they offer for their lean-to horse barns, we’ll list for you our horse lean-to standard features:

• White Pine Board & Batten Siding (Paint Optional)
• Lifetime Architectural Shingles
• Oak Kickboard 4′ High
• Powder Coated Steel grills on Partitions
• 1 Door & 1 Window per Stall
• Available in sizes from 10×12 to 12×48.

Photo Credit: KT Custom Barns

How Tall is a Lean-To for Horses?

A lean-to for horses is about 8 ft. tall at the back and slopes up to around 10-12 feet at the front. A horse lean-to should typically be several feet taller towards the front to keep your horse from rearing and hitting his head on the ceiling.

At Fisher Barns, our lean-to sheds for horses range between 8’-10’ tall at the eave, meaning the back of the horse lean-to’s start at 8’-10’ tall and slope up so that the front is generally several feet higher than the back. 

Bottom line is that your horse lean-to should never drop anywhere less than 8 ft. It’s actually better to set the bar even higher and choose at least a 10’ stall height. Ideally, the taller and more spacious your lean-to horse barn is, the better. Here are 2 reasons why a taller lean-to horse barn is better than a lower one:

1. Air Space

The lower the roof, the less air circulation will be in the stall. A healthy respiratory system is critical to a horse’s well-being. Therefore, a higher ceiling height provides better air circulation and ventilation.

2. Head Safety

Sudden noise, patting your horse, hand or bucket-feeding–these are all triggers that could spook your horse. If a horse becomes spooked in his stall, a common reaction is rearing up on its hindlegs. This is especially dangerous if you have a low ceiling height because your horse could easily injure his head on the ceiling. Therefore, keeping a higher ceiling height also keeps your horse farther from injury. 

How Do You Build A Horse Lean-To?

If you’re a DIY’er and enjoy the challenge of a new build, a horse lean-to is a great project that would save you from having to pay a contractor to build the structure.

Here’s a great video that further explains how to build a horse lean-to.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWhlvpSG8AM

How Big of a Lean-To Horse Barn Do I Need for 2 Horses?

A space of 10’x10’ or 12’x12’ is a good and safe stall size per horse. So for 2 horses, you would need a lean-to horse barn that is at least 12’ wide by 24’ deep.

Like we said, figure on just adding 12’ per horse. Here’s a list to quickly analyze how big of a horse lean-to you’ll need for the number of horses that you have, based on a space of 12’ wide by 12’ deep per horse.

What a Horse Barn Lean-To Looks Like

They say, “A picture is worth a thousand words” so here is an example of what a lean-to horse shelter looks like from Fisher Barns.

To get a better understanding of what a lean-to shed for horses consists of, we’ve put together a list of the structural details of the lean-to horse barn featured above. 

We’re not trying to force you to buy our products, but we thought this breakdown would be helpful in understanding and visualizing what a quality lean-to horse shelter looks like, including the specs and details. 

Here are two takeaways from the question, “How big of a lean-to horse barn do I need for 2 horses.”

• To be safe, figure 12’x12’ of space per horse.

• Add 12’ of length to your horse lean-to drawings, per additional horse.

How Deep Should A Horse Lean-To Be?

A horse lean-to should be at least 12’ deep in order to give your horse enough of space to move around freely. We’ve got more on the proper dimensions of a horse barn lean-to above.

Why Is A Lean-To Shed Beneficial?

A lean-to shed is beneficial because it is affordable, simulates an actual horse barn, and gives your horse(s) protection against the elements (unlike run-in or shed row barns). 

Affordable

A lean-to shed is especially beneficial due to its affordability. When compared to Trailside or Monitor horse barns, a lean-to shed is only a fraction of the cost.

Simulates Horse Barn

A lean-to shed is also beneficial because it simulates an actual horse barn. While an actual horse barn might be decked with a center aisle and stalls on each side, a lean-to shed for horses has one side of stalls and an overhang to cover the “center” aisle. 

Protection Against Elements

Another reason why lean-to horse barns are beneficial is that they offer sufficient protection from the elements. We’ve talked about this already, but let me remind you that a lean-to shed supplies an overhang that covers the walkway adjacent to the stall fronts. This allows you to feed, visit, and talk with your horses in peace, even on a rainy day.

We Offer Horse Lean-To’s

We are happy to say that we offer horse lean-to’s. Here’s an overview of the specs and details of our horse lean-to shelters. Keep in mind that you can always design your own lean-to for horses in our 3D Horse Barn Designer…for free!

First off, here are the general specs and details. 

Here are the structural details for a Fisher Barn horse lean-to.

We do require a concrete pier foundation to be built before we install a lean-to horse barn.

To Recap…

Well, that’s a lot of info on horse-lean to’s! We hope you learned more about the cost, size, benefits (and more!) of lean-to’s for horses. As we mentioned earlier, we’ve got a 3D Horse Barn Builder where you can make free horse barn designs…and save them for free! 

Or, you could request a quote on a horse lean-to, and we’ll get back to you ASAP! And if you want a broad overview of our best horse barn styles, read our guide. Thanks for joining!