Anyone have horses in when they could be out?

[JFTDWS]

Mine live out with forage and natural shelter, and I wouldn't choose to bring them in.

With absolute free choice over what I would do, I would invest the time and money that would be spent on facilities for bringing them in (on stabling, bedding etc) on mud control mats / other surfacing and a well fenced track system, with access to some shelter and enrichment - rolling pits, undulations, poles/logs, scratching areas etc. I'd also invest in a nicely surfaced area for tacking up as getting tacked up and on board in the mud is pretty soul destroying in winter.

 

[Birker2020]

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It depends on your circumstances and how much land you have. Most of mine are out 24/7. The ones that are in are in for various reasons that require it.

And also if you are on a livery yard too. Most yards don't have horses out 24/7 or at least not in the winter, probably in part due to acreage and whether the land could support such a thing.

 

[Ouch05]

I would 100% leave out unless the horses were stood around for long periods, movement is key. Great post about movement https://www.facebook.com/milestonee...2rwFQVjbiD5VAeGe4j7joZsBNakYai54fdAMysvUZsiHl

That was the article I was referring to

 

[greenbean10]

Thank you so much everyone this is all really helpful and has definitely eased my guilt

 

[HappyHollyDays]

Although I have free choice I chose to stable my two at night in winter as we are on clay and my Connie loves his stable. Unfortunately for him they are out 24/7 from March to October on a track around an acre with a 40x20 surface for rolling and while I love it they have to be fed hay all year round.

 

[Squeak]

Depends on the field set up I think. If have enough grass / hay, friends, decent shelter from wind and rain, and somewhere can be out of the mud, IME most horses will prefer to be out.

But if field is muddy / windy / no shelter from rain / lacks somewhere to sleep and somewhere to get out of the mud / there isnt enough grass or hay, then many horses want to come in.

This completely. The key part for me would be whether they have some part of the field that isn't mud. Lack of shelter can be negated by putting on rugs and lack of grass by putting out hay but I've seen some really, really miserable looking horses standing in thick mud and at that point I'm not sure it's beneficial for them to be out 24/7.

 

[Tarragon]

I think the comment about where they are happy to sleep is a good one. I think that if they feel safe enough and content enough to be able to sleep in their field, than, assuming all else is OK, then field kept 24/7 is by far the better option. But if they really only relax enough to sleep in their stable, then coming in for a spell every day is kinder.
I have a feeling that it depends how "institutionalised" they are. My two moor-bred Exmoor ponies will tolerate a stable but would definitely prefer to be out, but other horses that have had a different up-bringing will see it differently. I know of a stallion that used to hate being turned out, but only because he had spent so long in a stable, it was where he felt safest! It was kinder, at that point, to keep him in the routine he liked.

 

[saalsk]

Interesting topic. I had my old guy and youngster on DIY livery, and despite being told that turnout was available all year, although they would be in at night in winter (fair enough, I was happy with that) reality was very different and essentially they were in 24/7 for at least 4 months over the winter. It drove them, and me, mad. We moved 7 years ago now, to our own property with land, and stables. I worried they would miss the mixed (more horses, not gender) herds, and the busy yard. They didn't. The old guy is no longer here, so young one (now a teen !) has a young friend, and they have had the last 5 years as a pair, living out 24/7 - 365. I bring them in daily for an hour or so for a hay net, groom, and (depending on waistline) feed, and for whatever work they are doing that day. They have the option of shelters, hedges, and coming in. They have rugs. They always choose to go out, and on really bad weather days, even once in for a haynet and feed, they are fed up after 2h and want to go back out. The younger one has never had a stable routine, the older one has but didn't like it. Maybe that is why they are happier out. I wouldn't object if they wanted to stay in - some horses like it - is it a preference due to weather/cold/mud/food etc ? or just a routine they have become accustomed to or institutionalised to - who knows. Whatever it is, I would always go with what they prefer - it isn't like they always hide their preferences ! I will add that I am very very lucky and have 30+ acres with just 2 horses ( and a small sprinkling of sheep), so grazing is never muddy, and there is always something to eat, even if that means the young chubby one has a grazing muzzle in the summer, if he isn't in a smaller field within the bigger ones, with little grass (he is better with a muzzle, thinking he is eating loads, than he is with seeing lush grass the other side of the fence, and taking the zap to get to it !)
I always think the best thing we can do is to try to keep them how they seem happiest - whatever that is.

 

[spotty_pony]

Depends on so many things - severity of weather; the field, what soil you are on, amount of grass, type of horses… the list goes on. Mine have only had a handful of nights in this winter when it’s been raining or very windy - we have been lucky. They come in most days for a sleep for a couple of hours but we have lots of land and they are happiest out so they stay out as much as possible. I don’t care what everybody else does, I do what’s best for my horses.

 

[Goldenstar]

It’s about space have you enough acreage for the horses not be spending winter knee deep in mud .
Mine are out all winter now I have lovely stables and they come in every day for work and some forage I don’t put forage in the fields and apart from very frozen weather except Fatty ( who has lost some of his front teeth ) they have been muzzled the whole time most of the winter and they have been working .
For me realisation that they can’t have free access to grass in winter without gaining weight was sad it’s similar to when I realised I can’t do add Lib forage when stabled with out having fat horses .
Mine will move again next week onto a field that will last into May

 

[ycbm]

When i had them at home, I could have given my horses free choice to be out 24/7 but I chose not to because I like to ride in the morning and I don't like walking down and back up a very steep hill to fetch them in, or to have them soggy and muddy to put tack on.

I also don't like horses to have wet feet 24/7 for weeks on end in winter.
.

 

[2 Dragons]

Mine came in over night when it started snowing in December but went back out full time at the weekend. They both have small paddocks attached to their stables and when they were in they seemed to spend most of the night in their gardens. They have moved to a field with better shelter from the wind. Seem happy to be out as long as dinner arrives by 6pm

 

[Winters100]

I don't have strong views either way, but I definitely don't think that you should feel guilty about doing something just because others do it differently.

 

[irishdraft]

My horses are generally out 24/7 unless the weather is bad, then I bring them in overnight or in the day whatever the weather is doing. I'm lucky I have plenty of grazing so they do not have to stand in mud & they have plenty of grass. They do spend a fair amount of time just standing at the fence next to each other dozing or staring into space but all their needs are met so I don't necessarily think they are miserable or bored it's just what they do x

 

[Auslander]

All my lot are out 24/7, bar one, My fields are very muddy, although I have hardstanding pens attached to most of them, and hardstanding gateway patches, so they won't sink without trace. They hang around by the gates at feed time, and when they know that hay is coming - but other than that, they're off down in the grassy bits grazing and snoozing. Except for the very posh dressage bred colt - who likes to sleep flat out in the deepest mud he can find!

I have 5 stables which barely get used, as their occupants are far happier out, and 1 who is in because he is 22, and he has come in at night all his life - so thats what he wants to do.

 

[Toby_Zaphod]

My horses are out first thing & brought in later & spend the night in their stables. I've never had them out 24/7. If the weather is bad, raining heavily, they either are only out for a short time or they stay in. It's what I've always done. When it's raining heavily they stand by the gate waiting to come in, and as for strong wind, they charge around cutting up the paddocks seeing all sorts of gremlins after them in the wind. I try & manage my paddocks so that they have grass almost all year round. When the paddocks are soaking with rain I keep them off it because they can reduce a paddock to mud in minutes. Once it's turned to mud it will stay like that until the spring. Horses are creatures of habit and routine & perfer it that way. They appear to be happy with the way e keep them, they are riden daily but have a day off each week.

 

[Cherryblossom]

My two have been on two paddocks of about 1.5 acres total all winter. There’s hardstanding and they can make their way into the stables which I leave open and with hay in it at all times. They chose to stand outside in their field at all times, so definitely prefer being out!

 

[SEL]

2 of mine get the grumps if they have to be in overnight (usually just days of heavy rain). The 3rd is a small fat native with the coat of a polar bear who loves her stable. She's the easiest to box rest and I've told her to come back as a pampered thoroughbred in her next life.

Sleeping in the mud by the hedge is the favoured spot. There are lots of non muddy areas by the hedge but the mud is comfy.

I think we like the thought of them tucked up nice and cosy in a stable, but most horses would rather be out mooching

 

[whizzer]

I could leave out if I wanted to but now the grass has gone my mare loves to come in. She was out 24/7 until Xmas time,used to come in a few hrs a day quite a few days a week but she'd suddenly had enough about a month or so ago so I started bringing in every night & will do until at least when the clocks change. She does genuinely like to be in & I'm fairly sure this time of year she'd probably happily live in a lot of the time! Complete opposite of my old horse who hated being stabled at all & lived out quite happily for the last few years of his life.

 

[Surbie]

The 3rd is a small fat native with the coat of a polar bear who loves her stable. ... Sleeping in the mud by the hedge is the favoured spot. There are lots of non muddy areas by the hedge but the mud is comfy.

Pics?

 

[Auslander]

I'm not sure how this one is going to feel about living the competition horse lifestyle! He has made it very clear that sticky horrible mud is infinitely preferable to the dry areas of his field!

 

[LadyGascoyne]

Mine are in at night for the first time. The drought was really hard on our fields and I need to give the land a bit of a break. One of them is really hard on land, she fence walks terribly if she wants to come in.

Usually, they’d be out 24/7 but the land has to sustain everyone so I need to prioritise. They are now out early morning until about 7pm most days.

 

[SOS]

Last year I could choose to bring in or leave out. I stabled a little in November and then every night from before Christmas to March.

My horse gets mud fever quite badly so needed him in for relief from that. I also was starting to see him drop weight, and as he was drag hunting around 3x a fortnight I needed him to stand in a bit more and eat good quality forage rather than use energy pulling through the mud and eating grass with little left in it.

All my horses not in work, regardless of their past, have been turned away during winter and always coped fine.

 

[Boughtabay]

If I’d wanted to keep mine in work over winter I’d have been brining in at night just to avoid my ridden one becoming a puffball/mammoth

 

[Goldenstar]

I'm not sure how this one is going to feel about living the competition horse lifestyle! He has made it very clear that sticky horrible mud is infinitely preferable to the dry areas of his field!

View attachment 107454
View attachment 107455

He's going to need the precious Horse 101 when he grows up covering things like fear of puddles, reacting to the mounting block being moved two inches and finally the strong saddle cloth preference nodule.

 

[greenbean10]

If I’d wanted to keep mine in work over winter I’d have been brining in at night just to avoid my ridden one becoming a puffball/mammoth

This is also what I'm struggling with! I know they are meant to be horses but they just get so disgusting in the field

 

[honetpot]

Once upon a time I had five at DIY livery, and had one stable used for emergencies and early starts for shows or hunting, hunted off grass. I now have two lovely Loddon stables, which everyone is impressed with in a barn, they are never used, I can not remember the last time something was in over night.
Winter they have a thrash paddock, a bale of straw to lie on or eat, hay, water. They have never had mud fever, done a leg or had cough in thirty years. They are not in work, if they were, they would have a chaser clip and rugged but still be out. If its a nice day they sleep in the sun, if it's raining the young ones just play more.

 

[Annagain]

Ours have to come in overnight in winter (usually first week of Dec to first week of April but it depends on the weather) but can stay out 24/7 for the rest of the year. I'd rather have them out (Archie does get a little bit stiff overnight, especially if it's very cold) with lots of hay as their field has very decent natural shelter (although the only time we ever see them under the big tree is escaping the sun and flies) but even if they were allowed to stay out, we're not allowed to put hay in the field (the winter grazing is ok for daytime only but not 24/7 without being supplemented) so they'd have to come in to get enough to eat. As it is, they're out from 7am to 6pm (8-5 at weekends) every day no matter the weather. They're just as keen to go out in the morning (if not more so considering there's no food involved) as they are to come in in the evening. I think the feed and a bellyful of hay is what they really want rather than coming in to stay. They do hang around the general gate area for about an hour before coming in but they're not just standing there, they're usually grazing until they see someone arrive, then they go to stand right by the gate.

 

[Sossigpoker]

I tried keeping mine out over night but he kept going through fences. He's much happier coming in for the night and is settled during day time turn out.
I feel zero guilt over it , he seems happy and well and settled and isn't running around or going through fences.
Each to their own.