Any tips on wintering out???

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belly

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Having become somewhat finacially pinched this year, plus the fact that the stables are a 20 mile round trip I have reluctantly decided to let our 14.2 welsh d xthb winter out this year.
The fields are not the best but they are given complimentary haylage 2ce a day. I would be goiong up every day to ride/feed and groom. Any tips for when the weather gets really cold and wet and also whats the genearal consensus on clipping whilst living out. We usually have to give her a neck and belly because she gets to sweaty in work otherwise.
 
Good quality rug x at least two. Plenty of adlib haylage, and a good bucket of hard grub a day and I bet your little horse will thrive. Shelter is also really important.

Personally don't like to see a clipped horse out 24/7 - but that's just me. And I'm sure that they will suffer no ill affects if you are only doing a neck and belly clip.
 
Shelter isn't brilliant where she is at the mo but hoping they will be moved into next field where there is an old raf building for shelter. Have a couple of good rugs and also have a rambo underug lying around somewhere (prob a bit small, but as its just like a duvet I guess it wont matter)..thanks amymay
 
My lass lives out with a full clip (leaving legs and 1/2 head on). she copes absolutely fine, she is rugged from ears to tail, so doesnt get cold and has hay ad-lib.
the reason that she is clipped is because she is competed throughout winter and gets sticky, but she has to be turned out as she gets stressed and destructive when stabled overnight.
she was kept like this last year and she has never come out of winter looking better, and only needed the one clip - which shows she didnt feel the cold. i make sure that i am at the yard morning and evening to adjust the weight of her rugs according to temperature, and to check and feed her.
I am sure that your horse will be absolutely fine - mine has never been happier.
Sarah
 
mmmmm im glad that this question has come up, as my mare will be living out this year and she is starting to sweat when ridden, and would like to give her a bid clip but wasnt sure coz of her living out. but seems it would be ok.
 
I have 3 living out 24/7 all year. A MW ISH mare who is a total wuss but can't be stabled for prolonged periods, a hairy NF x Welsh and a TB x Connemara. ISH is getting full clipped today and will be in a HW Rambo Wug with a hood and under layers as nessecary, the small hairy one is already clipped and in a HW combo and the TBx is unclipped and rugged. They get ad lib GOOD quality haylage, lots of shelter (solid stone walls and big trees) and a good feed each night. They always look fab and are much happier than if they were in.
 
Clipped horses EASILY live out nowadays with all the excellent modern rugs. Some of mine get hunter clips (ie. everything except legs!) over the winter and they all live out 24/7 very happily! They are all obviously very well rugged in heavyweights (full necks, with stable rugs underneath on really nasty days), get good feed, loads of hay and access to shelters / stables all the time. As long as they have this then ANY horse can live out. Ive kept a warmblood, TB's, Anglo Arab's etc. all clipped outside all winter with no problems at all.
 
I would ditto what evryone else has said. Good rugs and plenty of grub they will be fine. I have two TBx's living out and they thrive. No experience of clipped horses living out, but mine only have 200g rugs and are plenty warm enough with those and are often rugless through the day if the sun is out as they sweat. Guess with warmer rugs than mine (eg 400g) clipped horses would be fine.
 
My horse contracted a virus last winter which gave him a cough and snotty nose. He was fully clipped, out during the day and in at night. The vet said the best thing for him would be to live out 24 hrs in the fresh air with his head down grazing to get all the snot out.

I must have looked a bit shocked, as he said, don't worry, horses regulate their temperature very well, much better than us, and they don't feel the cold in the way we do. With rugs, shelter and good food, he would be fine.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to leave him out as no-one else at the yard was willing to do the same, and mine would not stay out on his own. The snot lingered on for a lot longer than it otherwise would have done!

I think yours will be fine.
 
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