WHAT IT TAKES
Time: 1 hour each
Skill level: Beginner
Some horses have a shelf and some fold up, but this design combines both features. Plus, these horses are fun to build. To make a pair, you’ll need a 4 x 4-ft. sheet of 3/4-in. plywood, one 8-ft. 2x6, one 8-ft. 2x4, two 12-ft. 2x4s and eight hinges.
After cutting the top 2x6 to length, cut both sides of each leg at a 15-degree angle. Make sure the angles are parallel. Fasten hinges to the ends of two of the legs, then attach those legs by fastening the hinges to the top piece. Attach the other two legs with 3-in. screws.
Cut the 2x4 that supports one side of the shelf. Mark a line 8 in. up from the bottom of the leg, line up the bottom of the 2x4 with that line, and attach it with two 3-in. screws on each side. Cut the shelf to size and notch the two corners using a jigsaw. Fasten the hinges to the shelf, then use two 11-1/8-in. blocks of wood to temporarily hold the shelf in place while you fasten the hinged side of the shelf to the legs. Cut a 23-3/4-in. x 1-1/2-in. strip of plywood to overlap the 2x4 shelf brace. Attach it with wood glue and 1-1/4-in. screws. You may have to trim it a bit before fastening.
Cut two blocks of wood to temporarily hold the shelf in place while you fasten the hinged side of the shelf to the legs.
