Design the ultimate horse shed with shed designer.
Design a custom horse shed online. Feed, tack and stable bays under one roof. Free quotes from ShedSafe accredited dealers using BlueScope steel.
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What is a horse shed?
A horse shed is a steel-framed multi-purpose building that combines feed and hay storage, a tack area, and one or two stalls under one roof. It is the most common first build for small-acreage horse owners and hobby properties: too small to need a full stable block, too important to leave to a tarp and a bit of bush. ShedDesigner's horse shed templates are designed around the day-to-day routine, with the hay dry, the saddle clean, and the horse out of the weather when it matters.
Bay layout is adjustable on every template: open feed bay, walled tack bay, one or two stalls.
Sizing a horse shed
Three numbers anchor a horse shed that works on small acreage.
Footprint. Most Australian horse sheds run 6 to 9 m wide and 6 to 12 m long, with a 3 to 3.6 m eave. A 6 × 9 m shed gives you one stall (3.6 × 3.6 m), a tack and feed bay (2.4 × 3.6 m), and a small open hay bay. A 9 × 12 m shed gives you two stalls, a walled tack room and a separate hay storage bay. Above 9 × 12 m, the build is closer to a horse stable block and a different template fits better.
Stall size. Even on a small horse shed, the stall has to clear the welfare code. The NSW Animal Welfare Code of Practice No. 3 sets a hard minimum of 12 m² per horse and 9 m² per pony under 12 hands, with a minimum stable height of 2.5 metres (NSW Department of Primary Industries, Animal Welfare Code of Practice No. 3, Horses in Riding Centres and Boarding Stables). The standard practical build is 3.6 × 3.6 m (12.96 m²) for thoroughbreds and stock horses, or 4.25 × 4.25 m for warmbloods.
Eave height. 3.0 m is the working benchmark for a small horse shed. It clears the 2.5 m code minimum, gives you airflow above the horse's head, and lets a tractor or quad with a small loader drive into the hay bay. A low eave traps heat and ammonia and limits what loader you can use.
If you want the broader open paddock-shelter angle (no walls, multi-horse), see also our horse paddock shelters and covers page. For the larger gable shape with a raised centre and hay loft, see horse barns under our barns category.
Layout, ventilation and fit-out
Three trade-offs worth getting right at design time.
Open feed bay vs walled storage. Most horse sheds run an open-front hay bay on the long side and walled tack and feed bays on the back. Open-front airflow is what keeps hay safe (NSW DPI hay-storage guidance). Hard-walled storage suits feed bins, supplements and chaff, where rodent and weather control matter more than airflow.
Air changes per hour. Industry working target for any closed stable bay is 6 air changes per hour (range 4 to 8 ACH) (Penn State Extension, Horse Stable Ventilation). On a small horse shed, ridge vents and gable louvres do most of the work. Plan them at design time, not after the cladding is up.
Cool roof colour. BlueScope's published Solar Reflectance Index data shows Surfmist at SRI 81, Pale Eucalypt at SRI 51, and Monument at SRI 27 (BlueScope, COLORBOND® steel solar reflectance properties, ASTM E 903-96, 2022). On a small horse shed where the roof line is low and the horse spends time inside, a lighter colour materially reduces summer heat load.
Before you get quotes
A horse shed sits in the weather for 30 years and works every feeding, every grooming, every wet morning when the horse needs to come in.
100% Australian-made BlueScope Steel. Across structural framing and Colorbond® cladding. BlueScope's COLORBOND® steel cladding for sheds and garages carries a warranty of up to 15 years against corrosion to perforation, with the exact period set by location and application (BlueScope, Garages & Sheds Warranty). Check your build on BlueScope's online warranty estimator.
ShedSafe accredited dealers, no exceptions. Every dealer on ShedDesigner is third-party assessed under the Australian Steel Institute's ShedSafe programme, which checks dealer design and engineering against the National Construction Code and AS/NZS 1170.2 wind loading.
One design, multiple quotes. Your horse shed design goes out to dealers in your region. Every quote prices the same shell, with the same internal layout, to the same engineering, so the quotes you get back are directly comparable.
Browse the broader range on our Equine Designs page.
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From barns, garages, covers to 1, 2 or 3 vehicle garages the design options are limitless.
Frequently Asked Questions
What size horse shed do I need for one or two horses?
A 6 × 9 m horse shed fits one stall (3.6 × 3.6 m), a tack and feed bay, and a small open hay bay. A 9 × 12 m horse shed fits two stalls, a walled tack room and a separate hay storage bay. Above 9 × 12 m, you are usually better served by a dedicated horse stable block layout. Plan the bay split before you set the dimensions, because the stall position drives the door and window placement.
What's the minimum stall size in a horse shed?
The NSW Animal Welfare Code of Practice No. 3 sets a hard minimum of 12 m² per horse and 9 m² per pony under 12 hands, with a minimum stable height of 2.5 metres (NSW DPI). The standard practical build is 3.6 × 3.6 m (12.96 m²) for thoroughbreds and stock horses, or 4.25 × 4.25 m for warmbloods. Build to the larger spec if your horse is a warmblood or a draft, because 3.6 × 3.6 m is too tight for the breed.
How tall should the eave be on a horse shed?
3.0 m is the working benchmark for a small horse shed. It clears the 2.5 m welfare code minimum, gives you airflow above the horse's head, and lets a tractor or quad with a small loader drive into the hay bay. Below 3.0 m the shed traps heat and ammonia, and a tall warmblood can hit a low eave with its head up.
Should the horse shed be open-fronted or walled?
Most small horse sheds run an open-front hay bay on the long side, with walled tack, feed and stall bays on the back and ends. Open-front airflow keeps hay safe (NSW DPI hay storage guidance). Walled bays suit feed bins, supplements and chaff, where rodent and weather control matter more than airflow. Most buyers end up with a mix.
How much ventilation does a horse shed need?
The industry working target for any closed stable bay is 6 air changes per hour, with 4 to 8 ACH considered the safe range (Penn State Extension). On a small horse shed, ridge vents and gable louvres carry most of the load. Plan them at design time, not after the cladding goes up. Per-stall wall vents are worth adding above the head height.
What roof colour should I pick for a horse shed?
For a horse shed where the roof line is low and the horse spends time inside, a cool-roof Colorbond® colour like Surfmist (SRI 81) reflects materially more solar load than Monument (SRI 27) (BlueScope, ASTM E 903-96 2022 data). On a 38 °C day, the difference inside the shed is real. Pale Eucalypt (SRI 51) is the popular middle-ground for owners who want something closer to a paddock-tone finish.
What's the difference between a horse shed, a horse stable and a horse barn?
A horse shed is the small multi-purpose build for one or two horses, combining feed, tack and stall under one roof. A horse stable block is purpose-built for four or more horses, with a breezeway, wash bay and tack room. A horse barn is the larger gable shape with a raised centre, often a hay loft, and may include stalls, storage and machinery cover under one roof. Many buyers price more than one before deciding.
How much does a horse shed cost in Australia?
Most Australian horse sheds sit between $12,000 and $30,000 supplied and installed for the steel structure and roof, depending on size, wind region, eave height, internal walls and door spec. Slab and concrete usually add another 25 to 35% on top. Internal fit-out (kickboards, matting, tack-bay storage) is on top again.
Other Equine designs
Horse Paddock Shelters and Covers
Three-sided run-in shelter for horses in the paddock. Welfare-tuned, BlueScope steel, sized to your herd.
Horse Dressage Riding Arenas
Covered riding arena designs for dressage and training. Large spans with clear interior space.
Horse Stables
Boxes, breezeway, tack and wash bay built to the NSW welfare code. ShedSafe accredited dealers, BlueScope steel.
Horse Float Storage
Steel sheds sized to a horse float, with the eave height that actually clears the door once the roller drum is in. Optional tack and feed bays.