# Round Pen made of Pallets



## K.C. Lunde

I'm a bit of a hippie, okay, A LOT of a hippie






I've seen some cool looking turn outs made of pallets with supporting beams, and seen them as stalls. I think this idea is totally awesome if a person can get their hands on some fresh pallets!

I think a round pen made of pallets would look very sharp and pretty in my yard-- has anyone made a *round pen out of *pallets? Do you have pictures? How many did you use-- are you happy with the outcome?

In fact.. Why doesn't everyone share their pallet pictures


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## Cupcake

Not mine but I saw this online and I think it looks great and would make a perfect roundpen!


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## chandab

thank you for posting that, I was trying to find it, but couldn't.

I think it looks great.


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## Reignmaker Miniatures

Cupcake said:


> Not mine but I saw this online and I think it looks great and would make a perfect roundpen!


One issue I see with this pen as a round pen is the corners. If I were building one of these I would make it as close to a proper circle as I could get. Round pens are round because horses tend to want to stand with their faces into any corners and 'hide' themselves. They feel safer because the predator (you) can't get at their head/neck and they can defend themselves with the rear end. It wouldn't be too hard, just a slight turn every pallet or 2 would keep the corners open enough to work.


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## Cupcake

Well as I said, not mine just an idea of how to build it, of course as a roundpen you would set them up as you would panels.


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## Magic Marker Minis

We haven't made a round pen from pallets, but he made shelters with paddocks for the stallions(when we lived in CO). Also made shelters for the goats. Work perfect. My business partner is always looking up ways to build things with pallets.


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## chandab

Magic Marker Minis said:


> We haven't made a round pen from pallets, but he made shelters with paddocks for the stallions(when we lived in CO). Also made shelters for the goats. Work perfect. My business partner is always looking up ways to build things with pallets.


Just Google building with pallets or similar wording and you'll get tons of hits on making things with pallets from storage sheds to barns to dog houses. I even ran across a place where the guys had built a machine to take apart pallets.


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## Marty

Welcome fellow Hippy.

I've had all kinds of round pens in my life. Honestly, if you want simple, easy and cheap.....Get 1 X 6 planks and have a ball. Curves easily for a radius.


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## Cupcake

They have a lot of ideas with pallets on pinterest, mostly furniture but cool looking stuff.


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## Leeana

My father is a kentucky raised man, he could build you a house out of pallets. Just give him a bunch of pallets and a coffee can of rusty old bent nails and a hammer and he can build you anything you heart could desire.

I actually think we may try this with the pallets for a nice roundpen to work yearlings in..............


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## BSharpRanch

I will be the negative one on this. It looks really nice, however I would worry about their hooves becoming trapped between tha spaces of the boards should they kick out. Just a warning. But it does have a good look to it.


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## Jill

Our round been was made with oak posts and boards. And we put the boards on the far side -- because I thought that looked better, and I didn't know better... HOWEVER, if I had to do it over, we'd do cattle panels and oak posts... That is a very economical way to create a round pen and is the basic construction of our paddocks.

Are those pallets treated? I like the pictures, but if they're not treated, it could be a dangerous situation......................... and it could be that some pallets are, and some are not? I don't know, but just would like to voice a little caution just in case.


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## rabbitsfizz

Added to which, pallets are rarely smooth. I think if I were going to be looking at a recycling project I should dismantle the pallets, plane them and use the wood, rather than do something as in the picture. I actually do not care for the look at all- it looks like someone took a load of pallets and made a pen out of them....oh, wait...


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## AngC

I thought the photo was kinda’ cute (if you don’t peer at it too closely and if you can get over the idea that it was designed as a hog pen.) I don’t know if you care, but I’m dubious that a pallet pen would add much resale value to your property. Maybe you could sand and paint to make it look better? Sorry, no offense, but for my aesthetic dollar, the idea ranks right up there with making lovely flower planters out of old tires.

If you’re trying to get rid of pallets, they work well if you need to burn stall bedding. We throw a few down, pile on the straw/shavings, throw a few more pallets on top and light it off. As long as the pallets are dry, they crank up the fire so we don’t smoke out the entire valley.


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## rabbitsfizz

Oh I can think of a hundred things I would do with pallets before I would burn them- unless I had a wood burning stove, of course!


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## Merogsrha

I LOVE recyclying pallets! I take them by the truckloads! While not aesthetically pleasing to most; I like the rustic, unfinished look



Sure, a coat of paint would make it more uniform - and in the idea of LONG term use, I would do just that. BUT, at the moment, my pallet fence is temporary, and I inspect it daily for any broken/loose boards. Of coarse there is an injury risk- but isn't there ALWAYS when it comes to horses? To date, I have used pallets to make a winter paddock, and in my stall construction - will try and attach pictures here



Keep in mind this is all temporary, so "looks" do matter- stability and ability to keep the horses enclosed is the priority 



Although I WILL be using recycled pallets to build my barn this summer



Just have to keep piling them up





View attachment 12870


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## Merogsrha

This is the new fence line I am working on for the two new rescues I've got coming this Saturday. Again, this is only a tempory winter paddock fence- but it sure does show how useful pallets can be!


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## BSharpRanch

My cousin (who could boil water in a beer bottle) made a goat pen and house out of pallets. Funtional, kept Carlotte and Sweety confined and they had a nice dry house.


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## susanne

Pallets are a great resource -- you just need imagination. Here's a video with some great ideas...some of these could easily be adapted for horses:



I like many items built with pallets, but there's a fine line between rustic charrm and tackiness.

I personally would NOT paint. When left natural, they are what they are; add paint and they look cheap and jerry-rigged. If posible, I would get well-built pallets from a single source so that they are consistent in size, number of boards and wood used. One thing that can make pallet fences ugly is not having them straight and true -- if they don't line up, they just look sloppy and be an eyesore. This is also important for safety. The pallets are free, but there's a ton of work in getting good, usable results.

As for property values, few things related to horses will increase the perceived value, since many potential buyers have little use for them. Many people spend a great deal into their horse properties only to get little return on their investment. Not that you shouldn't create your ideal farm, but do it for yourself and your needs and don't expect to get it back.If you decide to ell,you might want to tear this down -- no harm, no foul.

The key is: pallet are free, and if your choice is a pallet round pen or nothing, I'd go for it. If you then decide to sell or the money becomes available for something nicer, you are out little but your time.


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## Lady Lavender

I'm new to the mini world, I never would have thought of using pallets. What a great idea! I need a mini sized indoor stall for really cold nights, I think I just found the perfect way to get it done. Thanks!


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## rabbitsfizz

I agree with Susanne, don;'t paint. If they are going to be permanent you might stain, so long as you use something that is horse and environment friendly and you let it dry well, but those ideas are great and indoors I think these would work fine. The only thing that really bothers me about pallets is their weight- you do need to make sure they are strongly supported.


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## Boss Mare

I think if done properly with uniformity they would work well and not look too bad. Never thought about using pallets for livestock needs. I did once use a few to make an area for composting.

Thinking back, years ago My Dad made a nifty and not too bad looking hut for our goats..


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## susanne

With either a stall or round pen or whatever, be certain that your horse cannot get a hoof caught in the pallets. If there is any way they can, they will. Also be certain that no nails or screw are exposed and no boards are missing. You can also use the pallet for framing and then panel it with plywood or siding.

Here's how one guy used pallets and plywood to build a shed that could easily be used as a run-in shed.

http://www.oklahomahistory.net/palletshed.html


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