Am I the only one who thinks a horse should go out daily

my vet told me that my boy is not to go out for more than 2 hours a day until the end of winter because he's prone to injury otherwise. horses for courses.
 
What makes me chuckle is people harp on about horses having to have routine yet they think it's perfectly acceptable to turn their horse out one day and then decide to keep it in for a couple of days (or longer) because of the weather/snow etc etc.

No wonder some horses play up and do injure themselves - they don't know when they're next going to be allowed some freedom!
3 of ours are out 24/7, 2 come in at night because they are fully clipped (although not much point seeing as we can't get out to ride or compete at the mo! Lol). The oldest of the lot (26) who is out 24/7 decided yesterday to have a nice kip flat out in the snow in the sunshine - ooh yes he must HATE being out in the cold.............!
 
here here dolly, i mean seriously sedaline for the poor horse- turn it out!!! it is natural and yes if it goes out daily wont go mad when turned out, horses like a routine as we all know and become accustomed to the way we keep them. What a shame, just because its cold or frosty there is no reason they should not go out. If i was on a yard that prevented turn out on cold days i would certainly find somewhere else fast!
 
Well ours have been in since the weekend but we have finally managed to get them out today. The path to the field is a slope and it became an ice sheet,we slip up and down it trying to get to the yard so the horses would have had no chance. We have now moved some of the fencing and put a gate in just so that we can get them out.

Having said that we do have a large school where they were all going for a leg stetch 2 or 3 times a day.
 
Another vote here for out whenever possible, even if it is only for a few hours to stretch their legs and have a bit of social interaction. In the snow last week on Thursday the yard turned them out in turn in the small paddock next to the yard while they were mucked out as the path to the rest of the fields was treacherous. However, on Friday they all went out as normal, although there were in earlier than usual as they were all queuing at the gate by 2 pm!
 
The funny thing is when looking for a livery yard t/o was my main priority I sacrificed other things like security, quality of an arena for it but hadn't bargained for people not using it.

I don't know if people have been conditioned to keep them in or if it is a case of projecting human feelings onto horses.
I am not the most hard core person by any means but really fail to see the logic in horses staying in when the yard has adequate land to accommodate them.

Most horses far prefer to be out in some cases it is not always that straight forward. My friends horse is 5 came over from holland and isn't that keen on going out during winter but she recognises that its best for him to be out during the day and makes sure he goes out daily.(He probably wasn't turnout before she got him. But neither was mine and he loves to be out).
 
Horses should be allowed to behave like horses - bit obvious but simple and true.

Good for their limbs, wind and mind - oh and never forgetting ..... our pockets!

Mine are out at least 12 hours a day - if I could (restricted by yard rules) I would leave them out on all but the absolutely worst nights. We do, however have fantastic grazing and will probably not have to hay at all this winter so perhaps if we did turn out all the time we wouldn't have that luxury - swigs and roundabouts I suppose....
 
coen said:
So why do people think their horses are happier standing still in a stable?
It would be great to hear from someone with a opposing view.
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I dont disagree with you, infact i agree with you and think in an ideal world horses should be out at the least all day every day.
We have restricted turnout on my yard in winter. If we ride they dont go out, if we dont ride they do go out for about 6 hours or so.
This is because of limited grazing. Whilst its not perfect and if i still had my arab it would be a no go as he would go mad if i was an hour late turning him out in the morning! But with my TB it doesnt seem to be an issue.
There was only one day during the snow when we didnt turn anything at the yard out due to ice more so than the snow.
However....i think its horses for courses. My arab had to be out all the time.....my TB that i have now is a complete sod regarding turnout. Even when out 24/7 in the summer, she hoons around like a loony bucking, leaping, skidding and general pratting about. Its not excited pratting about....she does it alot!!
She does the same in the snow/ice etc and seems to have no self preservation when doing it (at 16yrs old you would think she would know better). This numptying about is not due to limited turnout as she does it when she is out all the time. so on snow and ice she is a bit of a liability to herself and having had 2 tendon injuries in the past that have come right we have to be a little bit careful. I did have to get her in off the snow/ice as she went over once and came close a second time.
Also the little madam seems to HATE going out at the moment. Even with calm company she gallops up and down the fence and prats about at the gate squeeling and squeeling untill someone gets her in and is generally miserable. As soon as she comes in she is happy as larry. Luckily she doesnt crash through the fences like another horse on our yard who also hates going out at the moment and every time she is turned out brings herself in destroying the fences in the process!
Riding wise she is calm and sane and to handle. she doesnt get silly from being stabled.
As long as she has a leg stretch daily whether its ridden or turn out and she is happy then i am not worried that she is in a bit more.
We are lucky that there are 18 horses in our barn all with bars in between the stables so all the horses can see everything thats going on and they can look out at the school etc. There are people around all day and the radio is often on so they are never short of things to look at or listen too!
(I hope i wont be shot down in flames for not being worried about my horse being in a bit more...if it was a perfect world all horses would be out daily....but with mine...she really is happier to come in)
 
Mine goes out every day as long as it's safe. So I don't turn out if the yard is too icy to walk across safely, or if snow has settled on top of frozen, rutted ground (on the basis she can't see where the ruts are). That said, she does enjoy the occasional "duvet day", YO says she just chills in her stable, munches hay, and looks out to see what's going on :D

She's going to be 30 in January, and I've had her for 15 years, so I must be doing something right!
 
If I can safely get mine to the field they go out, even if it's only for an hour. I'm lucky in that mine run as a herd (small herd! 3 of them) in a large shed so if they can't get out they have a 30x40metre shed to roll around in. Mares legs used to fill in a traditional stable so this system works better for her and my old man, at least they always get moving. But I'm absolutely in agreement they should and need to go out daily!
 
I think a lot of people aren't worried about snow, it's the ice. For example;

This morning an elderly horse on our yard slipped over on the icy path on way to his turn out. Took 2 hours, fire brigade, vet, dismantling fences, every scrap of rock salt on the place and a special ops crew to get him up again. Thankfully, the horse got up and will recover from his ordeal but I bet it was no fun for anyone who was there.

Our horse has gone out every day for at least part of the day but my heart has been in my mouth when she's walking across the yard from her stable to her field, what happened to that old chap could have been much worse and despite all the precautions we have made it could have happened to any horse up there.
 
Two of mine live out 24/7 all year round. My gelding is stabled over night and I want him out everyday. In this weather he is wanting to be in around 1 but I just pop hay in and leave him out. They are outdoor animals.
 
My horse lives at home, the field is frozen ruts and he's an idiot that likes to hoon about. I'm turning him out for a couple of hours a day on my back lawn and have been for a few days. He's happy cos he's out and can get to the hay in the barn, OH says it's the worlds biggest haynet. :D

I'd rather roll and re-seed the lawn in summer than the vets bills putting him in the field.
 
IMHO horses should only be in stables if there's a medical need and should be out otherwise. Actually think it's better to have them stuck in a field than a stable and really think it's mad to mess with the routine by keeping them in on certain days and not others. Rugs now come in a variety of weights and are very good so no reason to remove a horse from its herd and keep it in overnight.

Thankfully my yard offers all options and right now my lovely girly is out in a field 24/7 with her herd. Being delivered haylage twice a day (which is done by the yard) and a feed from me. Normally I'd take her to the yard for feeding/grooming/riding etc but the track is a bit slippy so I'm not bothering jsut popping her out of the gate. She's very happy and relaxed although perhaps a tad bored and I think would probably like to go for a ride. Then again maybe that's just me.....
 
Unless there's a serious reason not to, absolutely they should be out. Both mine were in at night last week when it was snowing, but since the weekend my cob has gone back out 24/7 and is toasty warm. My TB is in at night but always goes out during the day. If there's a blizzard I'll put off turning out until there's an improvement but will always try to get them out for as long as possible!
 
My boy was in for two days last week and when I turned him out on Saturday he went mad. I think it is better and less of a risk if you turn out daily. If it is really cold just add another rug. The only weather I don't turn out in is the really wet weather as horse hates it!
 
My lot have no 'in' to go to! They live out 24/7 (unrugged mostly too :eek: ) and are perfectly happy. In fact they're much happier than the ones along the road who are stabled when it snows (that would be for 3weeks now:()

I can understand restricting the grazing when it's massively muddy but I really can't understand why they don't get plenty of time out when it's so deep in snow/frozen? It protects the fields. If mine were stabled they would spend more time in when it was warm but wet but be out 24/7 with a bale in the snow!
 
I think a horse should have turnout and being in a stable is not a natural environment. Yes some may hoon about but I've always turned mine out during the day. I was looking at yards for the new neddie and drove past one with fantastic facilities at reasonable rates but last weekend none of the horses were out. That I can't stand. I had a horse who weaved and hated being in so I suppose it stems from that really.
 
Ours are out 24/7 365 days a year. They have access to stables as field shelter (and I like to have them in case of emergency) but they don't use them much.

I do understand that it depends on the horse but we've never had a horse or pony which wasn't happier and healthier living out. Ours (touch wood!) very very rarely injure themselves and never suffer from mud fever or anything like that. Some of our ground is quite rutted but they are very careful walking over those parts and I know they would be worse off if I shut them in and then turned them out afterwards.
 
My exracer TB has been out every day so far. We moved yards the day before the snow started and thankfully at the new yard, they are fed hay in the field - we weren't allowed to do this at previous yard. He is quite edgy due to moving so feel it is really important to keep his routine as normal as possible. He goes out at 8 and is in around 4and is well rugged. As I haven't been able to work him due to the heavy snow and ice, the turn out is keeping him sane. However I did lunge him last night and he was so grateful! He didn't go mad, but just needed to have his rugs off and canter round and clear his mind!! Thawing a bit so fingers crossed we will lose snow in arena and be able to work them, even if it does go cold again.
 
Skint_Santa said:
I think a lot of people aren't worried about snow, it's the ice. For example;

This morning an elderly horse on our yard slipped over on the icy path on way to his turn out. Took 2 hours, fire brigade, vet, dismantling fences, every scrap of rock salt on the place and a special ops crew to get him up again. Thankfully, the horse got up and will recover from his ordeal but I bet it was no fun for anyone who was there.
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Do be careful in the ice guys, a friend of mine had her colt pts after he sustained very serious injuries after falling on the ice on the way to the field.

It's interesting that everyone is saying they t/o whatever the weather, but nobody else does....So where are all these people who keep their horses locked up all day? Obviously not on HHO! :D
 
I have two ponies at home who live out 24/7 and they are very happy. They have loads of grass, access to a field shelter, are unclipped and rugged up. They were out in all of the snow and were fine, we gave them hay when the snow was really deep, although they still preferred to search for the grass under the snow! :rolleyes:

My two boys are kept on part livery at a yard with limited turnout in the winter. The YO only lets them go out when we have had a frost/it has snowed because she doesn't like the ground getting cut up. I hate it when they don't get to go out, I believe they should be allowed to go out for at leas a few hours everyday whatever the weather. One of my boys, also becomes very fresh to ride when he has been kept in, but is much more relaxed when he has been out. I am putting up with it atm because next winter they will be at home and out everyday. :)
 
Well mine has been staying in the reason being he had Laminitis for the first time this summer. And their is so many conflicting stories about eating frosty grass and standing in the cold snow i'm not prepared to risk it. He goes out for an hour while I muck out, but he's spent that much time on box rest this summer he just stands waiting for me to bring him back in.
 
mines been in since last tuesday....i hate it!. On a livery yard, so have to do what yard owner says...shes been having turnout in the arena, ridden most days..shes fine in, but shes started to get grumpy now & she stands staring at her field (see it from her stable). Im hoping as weve has some sunny weather they can go out on saturday!! I would love to see her have a canter about and enjoy herself! Plenty of hay & water & shes quite happy!!
 
I do agree

But my horse is not a lover of goin out in the field at all will jump out (over a 5'6 gate!!) of the field to come back in!! At the moment my field is like blades of glass where the mud was churned up and frozen not safe at all to me its not worth the risk!!

He has been goin out for a walk in hand to try and keep him sane!! He seems more happy to be in his stable with his haynet!!

Shoot me if you want lol But each horse to there own he he!!
 
Ours get out nearly every day but at the moment our yard is still too icy (speaks the one who said "hey its thawing" before falling flat on my a**e. The yard girls did clear "paths" in the yard so instead of getting on out on my 2 I had the lovely job walking them in hand for 15 minutes in the school (and being jumped on by my boy!).
 
Trust me if i can get mine out they go out...... but our yard is on a slope.... we have cleared paths but when the snow melts it runs down and you cannot stand up on the ice... i got my boys out everyday when the snow was on the ground... my problems started when we had a partial thaw on Sat - i managed to get them out on Sunday for half a day, mon and tue were no goes - yesterday i got them out for an hour... and i was scared to death bringing them back in - they were as good as gold, but they held me up and we had to do tiny tiny steps, today i did not have the stomach for it and those that have never had a horse go down on them on ice need to watch how they judge those that keep the horses in. My Gingerwitch went down on ice in Jan, i thought she was dead or had at least broken her neck and legs - if i am honest i think it was the start of the end for her - so those folks that choose to leave in on icy days as long as they cut out the hard feed, make sure of plenty of hay and water i will never moan about them.
 
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