Shipping Containers for the Equestrian Industry

Shipping Containers are proving increasingly popular with the equestrian industry. In this guide we detail some of the ways shipping containers have been put to good use at livery yards and some of the common questions and challenges we face when supplying shipping containers for the equestrian industry. Firstly we detail the popular uses with shipping containers for the equestrian industry. Further down we detail some of the more popular questions. Do you need planning permission for a shipping container? Can you deliver over grass? And we try to tackle some of the more difficult questions on shipping container security.

Please feel free to click on any of the links in this article to see more info on the item or service highlighted.

Shipping Container Feed Stores

Shipping containers offer excellent value, long term weatherproof storage. They can make excellent hay and feed stores as they will keep the weather out and they are also vermin-proof ensuring your horse feed goes to the animals you want it to!

Typically a lot cheaper than a similarly sized shed, a shipping container will be more secure and does not require any building or instillation. Depending on condition some containers can last for decades ensuring a virtually unrivalled lifespan.

When being used for feed storage, you may like to consider some anti-condensation treatment options. Its requirement may depend on how you storage and handle the food – it may be that it is not necessary for some customers. We would commonly recommended with a permanent insulation kit or a temporary dampstick solution depending on circumstances.

Shipping Container Tack rooms

With varying degrees of modification shipping containers can also be transformed into secure tack rooms with very little fuss. At the basic end we can simply weld some additional frames to the container corner posts and walls if needed to act as saddle holders. At the top end we can clad and insulate a container,giving it a smart external look as well as ensuring there is no risk of condensation build up inside the container. We also have excellent ranges of top quality heavy duty racking and shelving at unbeatable prices.

Obviously the contents of most tack rooms are very precious and valuable and we offer a number of additional security options to help.

Our standard security offering would be one of our heavy duty lock boxes (padlock covers) plus one of our insurance rated padlocks such as this squire lock. Ordinarily if you have contents insurance at the premises the container is situated, you will be able to add the contents of the shipping container tack room to your policy if properly secured with a lock box and padlock. When in place realistically it will take some form of heavy cutting gear to get inside your container and this is beyond the scope of your typical opportunist.

Beyond this we have in the past offered additional locking mechanisms, so if someone did come to your site prepared to break into the container they would need to defeat 2 very different locks for the container. We also offer our battery or mains powered GSM alarms, which as well as having a loud siren if activated, they can also notify up to 5 mobile phones the second the alarm goes off (Subject to suitable signal / reception)

Shipping Container Offices / Classrooms / Break & Rest Facilities.

Our range of versatile shipping containers for the equestrian industry goes way beyond basic storage containers.  Containerised offices are very flexible and as many are modified to order in our UK yards we can effectively offer a bespoke service. This involves fitting doors , windows and even electrical point where you want and not where our factory decides to put it. These can be designed around a specific space on your site and modified for very specific uses. It might be a tack room or feed store, but you may require a classroom, on site offices, welfare and break room facilities or even accommodation units.

Everything can be offered in a shipping container which is both portable and self contained. This means if your plans or setup changes in a few years time you can lift up and move you unit into a new spot, or you can sell it on easily if its no longer needed on your site.

The example pictures here is one of our new range of cladded cabin units. These self contained units can be built to order, lifted into place by our delivery trucks and its a 10-20 minute job to get it installed and ready for us. (Ensure its on a set of 4 even supports that keep it supported and level, get a qualified electrician to plug it in and you’re away! They are made from a used 20ft shipping container.

Shipping Container Field Shelters

And finally we were first sent in pictures from a customer who used their 20ft shipping container as a field shelter, But we have also since been asked to make field shelters from old shipping containers for other customers after good quality, sturdy and long lasting field shelters.

This example pictured was as smaller 14ft unit made from a spare section of shipping container in our yard. We’ve quite simply cut the side out, blanked off the open ends, given it a repaint and framed the opening with box section to ensure a smooth and strengthened opening without any rough edges.

Compared to wooden shelters, Shipping containers are a lot sturdier thanks a wooden shed. 100% Nibble proof, strong enough to withstand the biggest horses deciding that their field shelter is in fact a rubbing post.

We can very easily add hooks and fixings for hay nets as required, as well as battery or mains powered lighting.

Common questions from equestrian industry customers.

Do we need planning permission for our shipping container?

Shipping Containers will count as temporary structures and should not require planning permission, however special local conditions may be in  place and we cannot provide a blanket guarantee, – so we do recommend to check in advance with your local planning office if there is any doubt.
We have more detail on this in our article ‘do you need planning permission for a shipping container‘

Can you deliver a shipping container across a field / pasture / soft ground?

Our hauliers will not run over any soft ground where they fear they risk getting stuck, and they will always reserve the right to refuse a delivery (and change a cancellation charge) if a site is not suitable for a truck and if they risk damage or getting their truck stuck by continuing.

However with care and good planning it is possible to have a shipping container delivery across a field or similar ground. Typically this involves waiting for the summer months when the ground will  be very firm. The onus will be on you to check your ground and ensure you’re happy with is, and to book it with good enough notice that you can still cancel it if it rains just before your delivery.

There are lost of other ways to deliver a shipping container. if you have access to a tractor with large hay bail forks – one of these can lift and move a 20ft shipping container around and we have had many customers use their own tractors to put shipping containers in difficult to reach places.

This is only a very brief covering of the options. If this is something your looking at we do please suggest o get in touch – we will give you a lot more detail on what needs doing, your risks and responsibilities during the quote process, but please do highlight to us that this needs to go across grass or soft ground as this can only help us ensure this goes as smoothly as possible for you.

If access is going to be an issue we do also offer our excellent range of flat pack storage containers, offices and chemical stores. These units can have individual panels carried into position by 2 people so these don’t require access nearby for a very large truck in the same way a shipping container does.

How secure is a shipping container?

This is a very tricky question to answer. A shipping container is very secure, but if someone want to break into anything chances are they will. So how do you decide if this is secure enough for your needs, and what can you do to help the security if you’re worried about this?

Shipping containers for the equestrian industry are often used to store valuable goods in remote locations and when its at the very least an expensive hobby, or perhaps even your livelihood you need to be happy that your gear is safe and secure.

Firstly shipping containers are made from min 1.6mm corrugated steel on the side panels. This is way to thick for someone to cut through without power tools.

When secured with a high security lock box and one of our heavy duty padlocks – you are not getting past the padlocks and door mechanism andy faster than cutting through the sides of the container.

Shipping containers are also very anonymous. Looking at one you will have no idea whats inside. On farms and smallholdings quite commonly they are used to store a large volume of lower value goods and we very rarely hear of shipping containers getting broken into in rural locations.

We think this is because breakign into a properly secured shipping container will be beyond the scope of your average opportunist, and a professional who will plan top come out with heavy cutting gear to break into your container risks going to a remote location, spending a lot of time and effort (whilst making a lot of noise) to break into a shipping container that might just store hay or other low value goods that aren’t worth stealing. We suspect the risk / reward just isn’t there for the would be thieves when a lot of these sites require a lot of effort and risk to even get near to the storage container(s).

Do Shipping Containers Sweat and how can you deal with them?

All shipping containers will have some condensation form on the inside of the roof as the container cools overnight. The amount of condensation will vary a lot and will depend on this such as how full your container is (and how much free air is left inside the container), the humidity (how much water is in the free air inside your container) the speed at which the container roof cools and the temperate it cools down to.

In a lot of cases customer storing tools, machinery and low value items or items stored inside other protective cases (eg feed inside bins, pots of paints, a sit on mower or similar) then you might not mind if an occasional drop comes off the roof into your cargo space.

However if you are storing condensation and moisture sensitive materials any condensation build up may be an issue. This might be fabrics and textiles (sofas, curtains, clothes), leathers (saddles and bridles) Furniture, medicines, and more. Fortunately we have a wide range of options that can help including temporary and permanent solutions.

If you think a shipping container might solve your issues but you’re worried about condensation issues we have a number of options that can help. We’ve put a huge amount of detail into our ultimate guide to shipping container condensation treatment options. but there are some short and long term fixes we can offer, as well as at times advising you on some cheaper DIY options that you might be able to look at and if you’re willing and able to do some of the work yourselves.

How can i dispose of a shipping container once delivered.

Shipping containers will generally hold some value unless its starting to rust away to nothing, even if purchased as used to begin with.

In most cases we will offer to buy your container back from you even if it’s a few years after you purchased it. Shipping containers are a commodity whose value goes up and down over time so we are unable to fix a firm offer at the  time of purchase but we will always offer the best price we can given market considerations and our pickup costs.

Please note the more it cost us to pick it up from your address the lower our offer will be. If your delivery is very tricky or if you  are a long way from one of our depots we may find our offer is very low or even we may be able to accommodate a pickup. In these rare cases we can still usually offer ways to help you move a container onto a new home if and when you no longer want it.

Would you make use of a shipping container?

Budgetshippingcontainers.co.uk offer the UK’s largest online range of shipping containers for sale with a nationwide network of storage and conversion yards and crane equipped delivery vehicles.

If you need a shipping container feel free to browse our online range of shipping containers for sale. You can also call us on freephone 0808 1234 215 any time 9am – 5pm weekdays and our team will be happy to discuss your requirements. Alternatively, you can use our online shipping container quote form or request a telephone callback. In both cases we aim to get back to you within 1-2 working hours (may take longer for more detailed quotes).