Adequate shelter is a fundamental welfare requirement for horses and ponies kept at pasture. Field shelters protect animals from adverse weather, reduce physiological stress, and form part of the Five Freedoms obligations of horse keepers.
The welfare significance of appropriate shelter provision is often underestimated. Horses and ponies kept at pasture experience thermoregulatory stress from rain combined with wind, which strips body heat far more effectively than temperature alone. Young horses, elderly animals, those in poor condition, and fine-skinned breeds are most vulnerable. Natural shelter - dense hedgerows, tree lines, and hillside features - can supplement or partly substitute for man-made structures. Where natural shelter is absent, field shelters are essential. Group dynamics significantly affect shelter access: dominant horses may monopolise a single shelter, leaving subordinate animals exposed. Multiple shelters or a single large open-fronted shelter with multiple exits reduces this bullying effect. Regular inspection of field-kept horses in adverse weather is a basic keeper responsibility.