24/7 turnout - How would you manage it

[Jayzee]

Hello,

Looking for some previous experiences of having horses out 24/7 and having them in full work. I am moving my 3 horses back home (one old retired girl, highland and an ISH). We do have a couple of small stables at home but I think they are a bit too small for the ISH therefore I was thinking about the viability of keeping them all out 24/7. We have 11 acres split into 4 paddocks, one is slightly smaller. If anyone thinks that it is possible to keep all 3 out how would you manage the fields and routine. I have only ever kept them in for part of the day (in at night over winter and visa versa for summer). We do have 2 field shelters which could be moved into the fields and 2 of the fields have a good thick hedge line.

Any ideas/tips/ suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[be positive]

I think the only issue may have is keeping the weight off if they are good doers 11 acres is going to be very generous so I would hope to make hay next summer from some of it, would in an ideal world set up the shelters on hardstanding and allow access to them all year round, keep the driest or nearest paddock for winter to help reduce trudging through wet fields, plan the rotation to work for your needs although it may take 12 months for you to really know the land and what works best.

I would also make sure I had somewhere under cover, the stables could be suitable, where you can take them to groom, tack up, clip, allow the farrier, vet etc to work in a dry place.

 

[TheMule]

You'll find it far easier- you gain a huge amount of time through not having to muck out!

 

[{97702}]

Granted he doesn't have 11 acres but now my boy is out 24/7 I manage him in just the same way? Look daily at his weight, feed according to exercise levels, only give hay/hard feed as necessary - just as I did when he was stabled during the day

Poo pick his paddock daily, replenish water as required and celebrate how easy it is

 

[SEL]

Until I moved to my current yard mine were out 24:7 although I had access to stables if it was really grim. If I'd had decent shelters then I'd never have had them in.

An area for physios, vets etc to work under cover is helpful, plus storage for hay etc to keep it dry. It's handy that you do have 2 stables in case you need to keep in for injuries etc.

I agree on keeping the winter paddock close by. Winter 2016 I had a 10 min walk to / from [in the mud] and it was a PITA!

 

[tda]

It's okay but do not underestimate the mud ! As it's your own place I would really consider making a yard / corral area where they can stand away from the mud, horses will not be bothered but your fields will be, especially around troughs etc, and you then can easily get to them. Have only one water source then at least they have to travel to drink, helps the waistline ☺

 

[Mule]

Keep the paddocks as they are. You can rest the land when you rotate the paddock you keep the horses in. I presume you have an area of hard standing as you have stables. You'll need that for farrier visits in winter.

Also, if they get mud rash you will need to keep them off the field until it heals. Having stables is very useful for keeping an eye on them if they're sick. Also for storage.

You can feed them hay on an area of hard standing. Get a sturdy container to put it in or they will pull it around and waste it be peeing and pooing on it. You can give them hay in the field but because they spend so much time in the area where the hay is they will cut up the ground and you will have mud rash to deal with. You could also put hay on a hard standing area.

You won't need field shelters when you have two stables. The horses will choose to share a stable or take turns in them. Shelter from the wind is more important to them. I leave my stable doors open the whole time so they can go in when they want. Ideally you would have the stables beside the paddock they're kept in during the worst of winter and set it up so they can come in to the stable area as they want.

My soil gets water-logged because it's clay but other than having to be careful about mud rash having them live out is much easier. Each paddock you have will be roughly 2.5 acres. You don't need to poo pick fields of this size. It's a lot if unnecessary work, especially as you have enough land to rotate where they're kept.

If you are bringing one to a show you can keep its legs clean by keeping it on hard standing the night before.

Also, to avoid mud rash, don't overwash their legs. Let the mud dry then brush it off.

 

[soloequestrian]

I have 8 acres and three sports-horse types. In spring, 5 acres is left to grow and then cut for haylage. Once cut, I strip graze those fields in turn using a track system around the edge and then gradually moving in. This has kept them going until Christmas on grass for the past two years. I suspect this year won't be as good because the grass didn't grow back in the hot summer, but I'll get a fair way into the winter. Once the grass is 'finished' they go on to the haylage. I have a hardcore area with a sheep feeder on it that holds that haylage. It has partial walls but no roof. I'm lucky that my mud isn't bad and because the haylage sits next to the stables they don't tend to hang about in the gateways anyway (they come in briefly in the evening for a hard feed and check over). I haven't had to buy in any extra forage for several years now.

 

[MagicMelon]

Depends on the horses and if they're good or bad doers but generally Id probably aim to only use 2 paddocks over the winter (the ones with the best shelter) and totally rest the other two to be used come spring (then potentially strip graze it depending how long it is).

 

[hihosilver]

Its the best thing I ever did! my ISH is out 24/7 along with his companion. He events at BE 100 no problem and is a very happy horse! the only thing I would say that feeding round bales is a must as that way they have forage ad-lib. I love it too! so much less work and they are horses after all!

 

[emilylou]

All the horses at our yard are out in herds 24/7. We have retired horses to eventers. Mine are ridden 6 days a week and do really well living out. We do have the advantage of about 60 acres of well draining turnout and the YO is amazing at managing the ground. Its harrowed and rolled every spring, hay is cut off 1/2 the land in the summer and sheep are cross grazed to keep grass down and manage worm burdens.
We have a covered american barn yard with 12 stables but they arent used unless really hot in summer or we have to look tidy the next day so keep in overnight. Its a pretty dreamy set up really, but I think ground management is key.

Interestingly, in the almost 10 years I have been here nothing has gone lame for anything more serious than an abcesss. I am sure that the 24/7 turnout has a part to play in that.

I previously kept my horses on 10 acres of rented land. We took hay off it but it wasnt harrowed/rolled or cross grazed and the quality of the grass declined over the years, despite there being fewer horses on it overall. We only had a shelter and shed so it was tough in winter with no hard standing and no boxes if we needed to box rest something- thankfully we never needed to.

I'd reccomend good ground management, gravel all gateways and create a stable block/ hard standing area where you can get out of the weather. Even if the horses are always out you will appreciate it enormously for your own comfort.

 

[Jayzee]

Thank you for the replies, feeling slightly more positive about the idea!

 

[ester]

You won't need field shelters when you have two stables. The horses will choose to share a stable or take turns in them.

Can you tell our two that . They aren't safe to be allowed free access to their stables .