Planning a Horse Field Shelter: Types and Siting in Switzerland

1. Short Answer: Which Shelter for Which Pasture?

For a field shelter, the catalogue offers three routes: the field shelter (Weidehütte; a shelter with a mono-pitch roof and back and side walls), the outdoor box (a freestanding single box with its own roof) and the stable tent (a tunnel tent kit or an arched hall). There is no ranking: which route fits depends on location, ground, number of animals and budget.

In legal terms, Art. 36 of the Animal Welfare Ordinance (TSchV) applies to domestic animals: if the animals are not stabled in extreme weather, natural or artificial protection with room for all animals at the same time and a dry lying area must be available. Whether your shelter needs a building permit depends on your municipality and your site.

What is meant here is the shelter on the pasture, not an open stable and not a horse trailer.

2. What the Animal Welfare Ordinance Requires for Weather Protection

The Animal Welfare Ordinance (TSchV, SR 455.1) regulates weather protection in Art. 36 para. 1. The provision applies to domestic animals in general, not only to horses, and it is tied to extreme weather. In essence (as of 1 February 2026):

For planning, this means: the protection must have room for all animals at the same time, and the lying area must stay dry. Art. 36 TSchV names no square-metre figure; it requires room for all animals at the same time. Whether your pasture meets these conditions depends on the number of animals and the situation. If in doubt, ask the competent authority in your canton.

3. Three Routes in the Catalogue: Field Shelter, Outdoor Box, Stable Tent

The three routes differ in construction and in the catalogue page where you find the products. The details follow the catalogue descriptions; technical details come from the manufacturers.

What guides the choice in practice:

• Location and ground: depending on the type of construction, the shelter needs its own ground preparation (see Section 6).
• Number of animals: the protection must have room for all animals at the same time. The field shelter and the outdoor box can be complemented in the catalogue with extension modules.
• Duration of use: the catalogue describes stable tents for temporary or permanent use.
• Building permit and budget: you clarify both before ordering (see Sections 7 and 8).

4. Field Shelter: Construction, Models and Extension

According to the manufacturer (Geert en Henk), the field shelter consists of a mono-pitch roof with a 1.20 m overhang, 32 mm plastic boards, and back and side walls made of horizontal boards. The catalogue lists four models; each has an extension of the same size. “Extension” means the add-on units available with the field shelter; the catalogue gives no construction details.

The following measurements are product measurements from the catalogue. They are not legal requirements and not a recommendation for a particular number of horses.

The catalogue also lists an extension with a feeding aisle (2.0 × 3.5 m).

5. The Stable Tent as a Shelter

The catalogue category "Tents" (stable tents, arched halls and pasture shelters) lists three products. They are tent and hall structures for temporary or permanent use, among other things as a flexible shelter for animals. The manufacturer is Tecno Engineering, an Italian manufacturer of PVC covers for agriculture and animal shelters; stallkonzept is the Swiss distribution partner.

• Tunnel tent kit DP-KIT: configurable online, either as "Roof only" or "Roof with side walls". Eaves height 1 to 3.5 m (in steps of 0.5 m), width 3 to 7 m (in steps of 1 m), length 4 to 30 m (in steps of 2 m).
• Front and back of the DP-KIT: each open, with a gable, closed, or as a sliding front including the gable (sliding front only from 2.0 m eaves height).
• Arched hall and double-girder arched hall: on request.

We will discuss with you personally which model suits your project.

6. Siting: Ground, Access, Weather Side

The siting helps decide whether the shelter works in everyday use. The following points are planning hints, not rules; the details depend on your site.

• Ground: as a rule, a shelter needs level, load-bearing ground. Whether a foundation is also needed depends on the type of construction and the site.
• Dry lying area: choose a spot where water can drain away, so that the lying area stays dry.
• Weather side: consider where rain and wind mostly come from at your site and where the sun falls in summer.
• Access: plan access for delivery and assembly.
• Room for all animals: factor the number of animals into your choice of model and extension; Art. 36 TSchV requires room for all animals at the same time (see Section 2).

If you want to expand later, leave room next to the shelter for an extension.

7. Building Permit and Municipality

Whether a field shelter needs a building permit depends on the situation. Whether and to what extent a permit is required depends on the canton, the municipality, the site and the land-use zone. Clarify this with your municipality before ordering.

The same approach applies to outdoor boxes; you will find more in our guide on indoor and outdoor stalls.

8. What Does a Field Shelter Cost?

There is no flat price. The costs are made up of several layers:

• Construction (field shelter, outdoor box or stable tent)
• Extension, options and special finishes, depending on the product
• Ground or foundation
• Assembly
• Transport
• Building permit, if required

As a guide, the catalogue lists from-prices. They are reference prices ("from"), indicative, non-binding and excl. VAT; they do not replace a quote.

• Field shelter 3 × 3 m: from CHF 3'290 (indicative, non-binding, excl. VAT)
• Field shelter extension 3 × 3 m, optional: from CHF 2'485 (indicative, non-binding, excl. VAT)
• Tunnel tent kit DP-KIT (Roof only, eaves height 1 m, width 3 m, length 4 m): from CHF 2'900 (indicative, non-binding, excl. VAT)

In each case these are the from-prices of the smallest variant; other models and configurations cost more. For all three prices, ground, assembly, transport and building permit are not included. Arched halls are on request. We will prepare a non-binding quote based on your details.

9. Checklist for the Quote

The more precise your details, the more concrete the quote. We need these points:

1. Number of horses that will use the shelter at the same time.
2. Site: municipality and location of the pasture.
3. Ground on site (for example grass or an existing surface).
4. Access for delivery and assembly.
5. Preferred route: field shelter, outdoor box or stable tent, and whether an extension is planned.
6. Status of the building-permit clarification with your municipality.
7. Photo or sketch of the pasture showing the intended spot.