Just because turned-out horses might not use run-in sheds often does not mean these structures are not an important part of husbandry, says Camie R. Heleski, MS, PhD, a Michigan State University instructor and researcher with an interest in studying horse behavior and welfare . Heleski and her colleagues recently completed a study in which they examined daytime shelter-seeking among horses.

"Even though horses don't necessarily use shelters to a high degree, they are an important resource, especially for horses that are out 24/7," said Heleski, whose research group watched more than 50 horses in different pastures for more than a year to see when they would use a shed.

Not surprisingly, horses were most likely to seek shelter, or at least use it as a windbreak, during cold, windy, and rainy weather.

"The same sorts of weather that make us shiver and dread going outside were exactly the conditions where our horses were most likely to seek shelter, or at least get close enough to the shed so it provided a windbreaker," she said