Anyone keep their horse(s) on grass livery?

FestiveSpirit

FestiveSpirit

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How do you find it? I am considering doing it for 6 months or so as a cost cutting exercise, but I have calculated that it wont save me that much as I will still be feeding the same amount of hay until the grass comes through?

Any thoughts welcomed thanks
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I would also be interested in this.
The cost and hassle of livery yards sometimes seems too much.

If the horse has never lived out before do they adjust quite quickly.
 
He is a TB and is quite sensitive (he shivers when he is cold!) but he has got a very comprehensive range of turnout rugs so I am hoping he can cope
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I am viewing the yard this Saturday so will see how exposed/sheltered the fields are
 
I have both my tbs living out. It has been brilliant! It takes them a bit of time to adjust but once they have, my experience has been that it does them a world of good.

Especially my old boy. His mobility has improved no end! Although you have to poo-pick, I find that I have alot more time for playing and fussing them without the mucking out.
 
I put 2 of mine out 24/7 for the first time since we've had them (6yrs) at the start of this winter and was very worried to start with but we could only afford to keep one at a livery yard. They adapted very quickly and I don't think I'd go back to keeping them in
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...although having access to a yard, wash boxes, indoor school etc would be nice
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Where I help out has all its horses turned out 24/7 (unless they are ill then they come in!)

They have 2 TB's and one arab amongst others!!. . . they couldn't be happier!! Just wrap him up nice and warm!!!

Good luck!!
 
We have acquired a 19 year old arab x as a companion pony who in a previous existence lived in overnight and out by day in a fairly muddy field, so I can imagine he liked his creature comforts in preference to the turnout. We tried him in but because his new mate (hardy NF) was out he wanted to be out, and rugged appropriately, he seems to love it. Field is well drained so he's not standing in a sea of mud, and they have a plush field shelter but it's a well sheltered field anyway so more often than not they don't actually use it!
 
Mine live out 24/7 and they are very happy! They have a shelter to go in if they need it but don't use it much!

It will save you so much time, my 2 including poo picking, making feed, haynets etc take me 20-30mins.
Leaves more time for ridding
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Plus I find when they are out you are not tied to a routine it makes no differnce to mine if im there at 7.30am or 10.30am
 
my 3 live out 24/7 but have access to stable nights (its left open & they all snuggle in together) the only one ive had to rug was the welsh A (he hasnt got a thick coat this year for some reason.

they get ablib hay nights & a small feed eves just to get th garlic into them (big midge problems around here)
costs me £20 per week for 4 acres, with woodchip yard/2 stables. Hay is cut from the land.
 
Mine is at grass livery at a big yard (although he is the only one out 24/7 - long story). In the winter he is in a field next to retired/convalescing horses who live out.

In the morning it takes about 40 minutes to wheelbarrow his hay, feed and rug up to the field - long walk, change rug, feed and hay and then poo pick and get back to the yard.

In the evening, I wheelbarrow his hay up to the field and bring him down to ride (we have indoor school), feed and rug on the yard then take him back to field.

You get into a good routine. I wouldn't want to do it any other way.
 
We pay £17 per week in summer and £22 in winter as they have adlib hay and clean straw in the field shelter from November to April. The hay is on hard standing so they're not standing in mud. The pony has lived out 24/7 for 2 years and the new tbx which arrived in December had 3 weeks in at night and out during the day, then he was turned out well rugged in the same field as the pony in the midst of the winter snow and he loves it, he has permanent company and has stopped mooching at the gate. All 4 horse in the field get on really well and you can sometimes find all 4 in the field shelter at once, not because the weather is awful but just because that's what they have chosen to do.
 
I've also considered grass livery, not sure if my boy would cope well though as he stands and looks miserable if he's turned out in lashing rain etc.

Also not sure whether I could cope with no facilities! But it would definitely help my bank balance!
 
My loan pony lives out - he wouldn;t stay in!

He's out in a field with natural shelter, hay bales out and is fed every day. I'm actually getting free livery in exchange for riding my friends horses but if I did have to pay it would cost me £20 a week and hay on top (About £15 a week at the mo)

I hope all future horses I have can just live out now - they are happier, it is so much easier and must kinder on the bank balance.
 
My TB has been turned away in a field all winter, well rugged, with ad lib hay and one hard feed a day and he has never looked better condition wise. He's grown a lovely coat and has never been cold. I've just moved him so he now has access to a stable in his field which he can come and go into as he pleases - not been in once!!

IME as long as they are well rugged and there is plenty for them to eat then they are much happier out being horses. Its also saving me over £70 per month in livery alone, without taking into account the savings on bedding. Everyone's happy!!
 
Toast: Your picture is so nice at the bottom. I cant do things like that on the comp lol.

But anyways .. my mare used to be in a stable and on a diy yard before I got her. Then I moved her to full grass livery. I pay £30 a week and that is full livery. That includes hay, hard feed, rugs on rugs off. I have to pay extra for the farrier and vet etc like normal but I dont have to be there. Say if im working then the field owner will be there for her. We also have a TB that lives out and hes fine. Lots of hay and rugged up nice and well and hes fine.

A year ago I tried putting my mare into a stable and she just tried to jump out. Shes had a good taste of the great outdoors and I cant put her in a stable as she tries to escape/jump out haha.

Good luck xx
 
Mine lives out - first winter in doing so - he's alot happier, far more chilled, and always pleased to see me.

He's got plenty of grass, so not having to have ad lib hay.

Costs me £11 PW, but I don't have any facilities. He's moving soon to a livery yard, still out 24/7 with school and reasonable hacking for £45 pm.

Wouldn't change back to stabling him now unless I had to!
 
I share a rented field, saves time and money and horse is happy
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It works out as cheaper for me - field rent £15 a week, hay £10 a week. Where I am DIY livery before any extras is min £25, then hay and bedding etc.

The main thing for me is time saving. If I can't get to the field until 10.30 in the morning for some reason it doesn't matter as much as if he were waiting in a stable for me.

I love love love not being on a livery yard as can't cope with the politics and bitching. Downside is a lack of facilities, but I can rent a school down the road for £3, and hacking round here is great.
 
We pay £25 a week for grass DIY with access to a stable if we need it and as much hay and straw as we like. No facilities but we're in the New Forest so great hacking with hardly any road work. My pony is a hardy ho welsh cob and is out naked in all weathers but his field mate is a pansy gelderlander who is very happy out rugged up and fed twice a day.
 
Benji (tb x)is on DIY grass livery. Costs me a tenner a week for the field and a stable which he has access to when its really horrid ie horizontal rain which he thinks will shrink him. I'd say if you get a good field with some decent shelter then it'll be a good saving. Benji seems happy living out with his hairy friends. He wears a mediumweight rug in winter, has a token feed of Fst Fibre and some hay as and when necessary. (Have only just really started haying).
 
All mine are out 24/7 its cost me 7.50pw per horse plus hay. It is so much cheaper than them being in stables and they are so much calmer and happier.
 
I have 2 tbs. one an ex racer and the other one didnt race. They have both wintered out brilliantly. OK they have a field shelter where I put their hay, but they only go in it to eat and then straight out again. They dont even go in it to shelter when its torrential rain or snowing etc. They are not clipped and both wear rugs with a light filling in them. I have never seen them cold or bunched up once all winter, they are always relaxed and there is never any silliness which you get when turning horses out.

A lot of people think horses are warmer stood in a stable. When a horse stands still when stabled, the capiliary vessels in their feet shut, which slows or stops the blood circulating and the horse goes cold. Just the slight movement of grazing is sufficient to keep the circulation flowing and thereby keeps the horse warmer. Also if they have ad-lib hay they will keep warm as its the fibre in the hind gut which creates heat, not cereal feeds.

I would never willingly stable a horse, years ago the only ones which were stabled were the ones who worked hard and not horses kept for pleasure riders. They are much healthier and fitter kept out.
 
My 2 event horses are on grass livery. They've been on two 'proper' yards out at grass with access to all facilities but there was never enough grass to sustain them and I ended up feeding them a huge quantity.
They now live on a farm which has a stable I can use when needed but no menage etc. I can hack to use other facilities and the hacking is brilliant. I chose this option as there is plenty of grass for them all year round. They have September- December off as a break after the event season and it works really well.
 
We have 9 here that live out

2 x TB's (one 12 and one 25)
2 x ID x's (both 20)
1 x TBxcob (he is 37!)
1 x cobxID (he is 15)
3 ponies (shetland and a section A ans B)

They all do fine - if anything the oldies especially do better - less mobility/joint problems, no filled legs etc - I watched the 37 year old roll in the mud today and he was definately grinning!
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They all have access to the rest of the yard facilities ie wash box, school etc etc.
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Just have good rugs - most have only had their hw on for the snow as they grow better coats and manage their body heat better. We are lucky to have very good grazing but it is important that they get enough hay/haylage especially when frosty.

Mine have been in for not quite 2 months and will be out again 24/7 just as soon as the ground dries out. I live here at the yard and if you look out in the middle of a storm they are generally standing with their bums to the wind and grazing - hardly ever use the shelters but stand behind them or next to them.
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I have just moved to a wonderful little place (last Saturday in fact) and at the moment I do not have a stable, it has not been built yet.
However I could live without I reckon. It is half the price of my last livery and plenty of land, not that I need it with Seren.
There is running water on a meter, its got wonderful natural shelter all the way around,plus one field has a field shelter in.
There will be two stables built and a store shed, there are two stables there now which the only other livery uses for her two.

I am so pleased with it and Seren has really settled down over the course of the week.

Like you say, all your other costs are the same, but there is the potential saving on basic livery. I will be saving £50 a month, over the year, well that's a holiday isnt it!
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