24hr Turnout

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weefilly88

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Advice please :)

Ive not had my boy long and hes still in a paddock on his own. He has neighbours and he seems very happy with them.

He is currently one of only 2 horses that come in at night. Everyone else on the yard leaves theirs out overnight. Usually when he sees me walking towards his field he goes biserk and does a little hoolie around his field as if to say hurry up, hurry up lol.

Well ive been thinking that maybe its time to leave him out along with the others (he is touching distance from 7 horses over fence). I feel (please correct me if i am wrong) that the fact that last night when i called him to come in he took one look at me and walked off to the other end of the field when he normally greets me at the gate.

He is my first horse and im worried sick that if i leave him out at night he will get himself into a state and panic, ending in him hurting himself???

xx
 
To changeover to 24 turnout with a horse I don't know well, I bring in as usual in the eve for feed/hay etc, then turn back out half an hour later.
 
Jeeve is right. Let him be a horse. Don't make a big thing of it with him. Just check him from a distance the first evening (four legs, not lying upside down!) walk away, and he'll be fine.
 
Bring him in as normal groom, ride or whatever and then turn him back out, he'll soon settle when back with his mates.

I can't agree with checking from a distance as injuries can be missed if not examined close up all over including underneath, a friend of mine missed a serious injury to her's years ago by just looking over the hedge and learnt her lesson the hard way:(
 
Most horses do prefer to be out 24/7, and the weather has been lovely recently so he should enjoy it! I'd personally bring him in (so that he doesn't learn to assume that coming in = work), give him a quick check over / groom, little feed if he has it, then pop him back out.
Then become a sneaky detective and hide behind the hedges and watch him for a while, or drive back later and creep about to see how he's doing - should be absolutely fine though if he's out with his friends next door.

One of mine hates being outdoors (:confused:!) and hates having any changes to routine, unfortunately the other day he couldn't come into his stable at night (the wood had been treated and it stank!) so he had to stay outside - without any prior preparation! I brought him in for a groom, his dinner and a cuddle, then put him out again.
He walked up and down the fence for about an hour while I watched him through the window, then realised I wasn't coming back and went off to eat with everyone else - he was perfectly happy the next morning. So if his highness could cope with the great outdoors, I'm sure your boy will :) The others who actually do like to be outside were all fine with their random change in routine and seemed to really enjoy staying out x
 
Mine live out 24hrs all year, Shetlands to WBs and TBs (mares and geldings). Only the TB is rugged in the roughest weather. Do it gradually though if yours has been used to coming in. I have good natural shelter from hedges/trees in all winds and 7 acres for 3 horses and 2 ponies. Nothing beats seeing them early morning in a herd, most asleep and one on watch, watching them grooming each other and heels up galloping, bucking and playing together. I feel sorry for the liveries on the other side of the valley in individual paddocks, no shelter and no natural behaviour.
 
starryeyed said:
Most horses do prefer to be out 24/7, and the weather has been lovely recently so he should enjoy it! I'd personally bring him in (so that he doesn't learn to assume that coming in = work), give him a quick check over / groom, little feed if he has it, then pop him back out.
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I agree with this! Living out rules! and I hate the all over film of filth you get mucking out and sweaty in hot weather! Poo picking in the sun gets you a much better tan :-)
 
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