How to Build a Horse Barn Lean-To

Horses don't have to have enclosed barns to live in. Most would rather be outdoors, even in the rain and cold. However, horses like to have a place to get out of the sun in hot weather. A lean-to is a simple solution that can be added to your existing barn. It can be your horse's place to eat, rest or shelter in during bad weather without being locked in a stall.

Things You'll Need

  • Level
  • Post hole digger or auger
  • Four 4-by-4 posts, 16 feet long
  • 2-by-4 lumber
  • Saw
  • Tin
  • Plywood
  • Fast-setting concrete
  • Nails or screws
  • Hammer or drill
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Instructions

    • 1

      Locate the best side of the barn to build the lean-to. Place it away from doors and preferably away from windows. It should be located against a flat wall, which will be used as the rear or side of the lean-to. The lean-to roof will be extending from the roof of the barn, so make sure the roof can be extended here.

    • 2

      Plan the exact size of the lean-to. The most common size is 12 feet by 12 feet. The roof should extend from the barn's roof, dropping no lower than 12 feet. The sides can be open with only the barn wall and a roof, or it can be enclosed with three sides. If enclosed and made of tin, the inside should be lined with 1-inch thick plywood (preferably treated) from the ground up to about four feet. Horses can't kick through plywood as easily as they can kick through tin.

    • 3

      Level the ground if necessary. The floor of the lean-to should be level and elevated higher than the surrounding ground. Horses will be able to walk in and out freely, and the entrance will become worn and low, and hold water. Build the ground up so that water drains away from the lean-to, not into it.

    • 4

      Place a 16-foot long, 4-by-4 post in each corner of the lean-to. Dig a 4-foot hole with a post hole digger or an auger. Mix the fast-setting concrete. Place the posts in the hole, and make sure they are reasonably level (the tops will be cut later). Fill the hole with concrete and allow to set for a few hours. Use the level to mark a slight angle on the top of each post, falling away from the barn. Use a saw to cut the angle. This angle gives the lean-to roof a slight pitch so that water drains off of the side. The angle can be very slight, but all four posts should be angled to the same degree.

    • 5

      Use 2-by-4 lumber to build a frame for the roof. Make a square by nailing a two-by-four (four in total) between each post. Nail four pieces of 2-by-4 lumber across the middle, three feet apart, running from one side of the lean-to to the other. This makes the structure sturdier and supports the tin roof.

    • 6

      Attach the tin or other roofing material to the top of the lean-to by starting it under the edge of the roof of the barn. This keeps rain water draining off the barn roof, then onto the lean-to roof and down to the ground, rather than inside the lean-to.

    • 7

      Add any walls that will be built onto the lean-to. Nail a 2-by-4 piece of lumber a few inches from the ground on each side of the lean-to that will have a wall. Nail another 2-by-4 on the same side, but about halfway up. Attach the siding material, either tin or plywood, to these boards to finish the walls.