24/7 Winter turnout/grazing - Pro's & Cons!!

BorgRae

Well-Known Member
Joined
10 September 2010
Messages
461
Location
Lancashire
Visit site
Hi all,

Ok, so I know we are coming into summer and i'm asking about winter, but I'm trying to prepare myself and neddy, and need your honest opinions and experiences about Winter 24/7 turnout/grazing as I have never done it and am considering it...

I moved to a new yard that has this option in winter (summer is 24/7)...

1) 24/7 turnout,
2) A couple of hours in a turnout sand paddock for a run about and a play, but no actual grazing.

I would ideally prefer him to be out for half of the day on grazing, but that isn't an option. So the question is, what are your HONEST pro's and cons for both horse and owner of winter turnout 24/7?

Many thanks!!!

Cakes and pies all round!!! :D
 

noodle_

Well-Known Member
Joined
29 October 2010
Messages
5,084
Location
Earth...
Visit site
its more natural!

id love mine out 24/7/365 :)

i would point blank refuse to be on a yard where the horses get a "run around in sand" an hour a day in winter - totally unacceptable!
 

MagicMelon

Well-Known Member
Joined
6 November 2004
Messages
16,174
Location
North East Scotland
Visit site
Definately out 24/7 all year round IMO. I'm very lucky in that I keep my horses at my mums place but I would never put my horses to a yard that didnt offer at LEAST full day grazing during the winter. 2 hours in a sand paddock sounds terribly dull and totally unatural that they basically get no grazing at all for a few months. Goes against everything they are designed for IMO.

Honestly, I dont get people who choose to stable at all, let alone all over winter.
 

BorgRae

Well-Known Member
Joined
10 September 2010
Messages
461
Location
Lancashire
Visit site
Definately out 24/7 all year round IMO. I'm very lucky in that I keep my horses at my mums place but I would never put my horses to a yard that didnt offer at LEAST full day grazing during the winter. 2 hours in a sand paddock sounds terribly dull and totally unatural that they basically get no grazing at all for a few months. Goes against everything they are designed for IMO.

Honestly, I dont get people who choose to stable at all, let alone all over winter.

I completely agree, which is why I chose to move to this yard.

I hate that he only gets a couple of hours which is why I am going to see if he can go out 24/7. She has a few other horses that are on grass livery only, so am going to ask if i can do that instead, but wanted to see the pro's and cons to prepare myself first...

I'd like to hear about your experiences - What I should expect... is the mud a nightmare? Or not that bad? How many rugs do I need? Do you let them have winter off if they're out? How often do you groom? Do you need the farrier more or less? Bare foot or shod? etc etc.

It is something I am going to do, but need some advice :eek:

Thank you!!
 

mightymammoth

Well-Known Member
Joined
7 May 2011
Messages
2,952
Visit site
out 24/7 is easiest. Mine has lived out all winter even in the snow he does come in for 3-4 hours every morning for a feed to eat hay and to be checked over.
 
Last edited:

mightymammoth

Well-Known Member
Joined
7 May 2011
Messages
2,952
Visit site
some pros are no mucking out so saves money and time and its more natural for the horse. Cons are Mud and also need decent (sometimes expensive) winter rugs.
 

BorgRae

Well-Known Member
Joined
10 September 2010
Messages
461
Location
Lancashire
Visit site
When I go on the 24/7 winter turnout, he won't have a stable at all (unless he falls ill) as it will be grass livery only (but will have use of facilities). Do u think this would be a problem? Does anyone else have this?

What do u have to do to prepare the horse? If anything? And is there anything I should have on hand to help? Any magic remedies or routines? :)
 

noodle_

Well-Known Member
Joined
29 October 2010
Messages
5,084
Location
Earth...
Visit site
it wouldnt bother me ^^ as long as i knew it was a yard and it was secure :)


theres NO siutable grass livery here in north cheshire - id happily throw her out 24.7.365 but thers nothing suitable!
 

swampdonkey

Well-Known Member
Joined
20 January 2009
Messages
573
Location
warwickshire
Visit site
I have the option of 24/7 turnout all year at my yard and I started to bring m boy in about 5 to come in for the night, turnout around 8 and although for me it was lovely to see him all tucked up in bed he started to plant and refuse to come in.
I decided to try him out 24/7 and just bring him up for hay or to ride and the planting stopped.
He was rugged lightly (unclipped) I found the mud no worse than coming in at night, still going in and out of same field.
He never looked particularly pretty over winter (hairy, mud monster) although he is a grey but was happy and kept weight too well if anything.
I did miss having him in a little but also appreciated the lie ins at the weekend and when the weather was snowy and it was too slippy for him to walk around the yard it was nice to be able to take a bucket to the field and feed him just outside.
He was warm and well all winter, I'm sure yours will be fine and you might find yourself with a little extra time and money next winter
 

starryeyed

Well-Known Member
Joined
12 October 2011
Messages
3,568
Location
Shropshire
Visit site
I'd definitely go for 24/7 turnout over a run about in a sandpit! Much more natural and in general horses are much happier being outside than being cooped up.
The mud depends on what kind of ground you'd be on, how many acres and how many horses are on it. When ours have been out 24/7 the mud has never been an issue but that's only because there was a big enough area for them to be on which meant they could charge about without destroying the fields, if they were in smaller paddocks then you might have an issue with it but not necessarily - also depends on how active your horse is!
When there's been little grass we've given them hay throughout the day to make sure they have something to munch on.
Rugwise, completely depends on the individual horse as some will feel the cold more than others, some may not need a rug at all (but you might prefer a light one to stop your horse getting so muddy if you intend to ride it through the week without it being a mud monster!) and others might need a heavier one if they're sensitive and feel the cold. Last winter our ones who were out wore medium weight rugs and were perfectly happy in them - one was a TB and one was an oldie. It's probably a good idea to have a spare rug though incase the one your horse is wearing gets soaked through/damaged.
We've always keep ours in work over the winter wherever they are sleeping overnight, kept the farrier coming round as normal and have never had problems with them losing shoes in the field or anything like that. We haven't changed whether they have shoes on or not depending on where they are kept, if they're shod for riding work then they keep them on, if they're barefoot then they stay that way. Hope that's helped a bit! :)
 

L&M

Well-Known Member
Joined
7 March 2008
Messages
6,371
Location
up a hill
Visit site
If those were my only options I would also go for 24/7 turnout, but would be careful to check the quality of grazing and hay/haylage availablity.

Also I would want to be happy in the knowledge that the horse was not prone to mud fever or any other winter related condition, and that a stable could be made available in an emergency.
 

abitodd

Well-Known Member
Joined
28 August 2011
Messages
731
Location
Exmoor
www.musicfordressage.net
I have not stabled my horses for 5 years now. Life is SO much easier and my horses seem happy,relaxed and healthy. They smell lovely too,and I no longer smell like manure! These pros far outweigh the cons,but here are some cons.
1) I like mine to have ad lib hay. If you are on a yard and sharing grass livery with others to ensure your horse has company you may find ad lib hay is not an option. Or you may find it annoying when you are the only one putting hay out and poo picking. So do talk to the other owners and YM and work out a solution.
2)becasue of the above horses can end up without company.
3) If the winter is wet and the land not well drained you might get sick of MUD!My horses are barefoot so I don't have to worry about them losing shoes in the mud. It is also very unusual to find mud fever in a barefoot horse.
4) Your horse may not be as smart as everyone elses!Mine are unrugged as well,so if they are plastered in wet mud I don't ride. Dry mud brushes off easily,but the resultant dust might turn you a funny colour.
5)Novemeber-Feb are the hardest months if you are trying to do your horse before a 9-5 job. You will be trudging through the mud in the dark.

Not having a stable is inconvenient,but not really a problem. As long as you have somewhere to tie up and somewhere to keep your tack. I did several years without the above and it was a pain to cart my saddle and the feed and hay from home and then tack up out of the back of the car with nowhere to secure my just-backed warmblood.:eek:

Cannot think of any more cons and as I said,the pros far outweight them all anyway.:)
 

MerrySherryRider

Well-Known Member
Joined
23 September 2004
Messages
9,439
Visit site
When I bought my last mare I viewed her wearing 3 stable rugs in an indoor barn. she was a thin stressy thing. Chucked her out 24/7 through the following cold , snowy winter and she blossomed. A finely built WB X TB, she chilled out, put on weight and as unclipped, wore only a M/W classic neck rug. Most of this winter she was unrugged except in heavy rain.
She was shod the 1st winter but snowballing wasn't a problem as the herd stood on hay eating from a round bale for much of the time. Last winter she was unshod, which was easier for riding on wet roads.
Grooming was the same really as when she was stabled, our fields drain well and weren't very muddy.
We have stables but don't tend to use them much, most grass liveries on our yard don't bother having one.
The key thing was having good land, good hedges and trees, and round bales of hay in the field which kept them warm.
We also have large barns they can wander into but they only use them in summer to escape from flies.

For myself, I did miss the cosy feeling of tucking them up on a deep straw bed on a winters night, but they were extremely happy being out with their mates and kept fitter and didn't get stiff standing in all night. No coughs from dusty stables either.

So, no disadvantages at all really. Plus, I had more time and more money.
 

BorgRae

Well-Known Member
Joined
10 September 2010
Messages
461
Location
Lancashire
Visit site
Thank you all so much for your detailed replies. It has really put my mind at rest. I'm a bit of a worry guts and just wanted to make sure I was as prepared as possible before diving in.

My lad is very active and does hate winter (being in anyway) so think he would seriously benefit from being out.

I will invest in good rugs and boots and let u know (in 10 months or so) how we get on.

Thank you again, I really appreciate your time :)
 
Top