Anyone Others Still Living Out?

3Beasties

3Beasties

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Having a wobble!

My horses are out 24/7 at the moment. They have been for a while so it's fairly normal for them but I don't know if I should now be bringing them in now the weather is so bad!

2 are clipped but well rugged. TB is being fed 3 warm wet feeds a day (he's actually put weight on over the last week or so!) And the two fatties having warm wet fibre based feeds twice a day (they think its Christmas!).
Keeping their water topped up with warm water which they are definitley drinking.
Big bale of hay in the field.

The unclipped one was naked until yesterday when I gave into pressure and put a 100g on her - she actually felt colder this morning so think this may have been the wrong move! She had icicles on her rug this morning!

They could come in but it would mean bringing them 100 yards down a snowy road and I wouldn't want them in 24/7 as TB will seize up. Plus I haven't got enough hay in the barn for endless days in!

They are at home so no worry of me not getting to them and I am obviously keeping a close eye on things. More snow due later!

So is it really bad that I've left them out? Are yours still out?
 
Mine are out with only big hedges for shelter. Plenty of haylage being fed morning and evening, fresh water daily and checked to see if they feel warm. I'm sure, like us, they will be glad when the temperature rises a little but they are fine.
The wind chill is the worst part but it would be more of a worry trying to get them in now than it is to leave them where they are. It should only be a couple more days as the day time temps are forecast to rise above freezing in the next day or so.
 
mine are out-I must admit I'm a bit worried as I cannot get to them right now. I know they have hay and water, and they are natives but we have 60mph winds and like most of South Lanarkshire (and other areas in the Central Belt) am completely cut off by drifting snow. even the tractor guys are getting stuck as there are 4-6ft drifts-none of the back roads are passable and most of the A roads are blocked in parts. farmer tells me they are fine and I expect they are but feel bad.

OP I feel they are better out than in if there's a question of a)not getting back up there b) your supplies being dangerously depleted. They can move about, dig for grass and they have hay and water.
 
Millie and her buddy are out... they have lots of hedges and a field shelter, huge coats and warm rugs. I won't get to them today but OH is going in the quad to take them some more hay, and the neighbours are good about keeping an eye out in between times. They'll be fine :) Better off than the stabled ones who I can't get out of their boxes because of the drifts!
 
Mine are still out. No shelter but big rug and adlib haylage. They are auto water troughs but its been a nightmare because it keeps freezing over. So far no problems getting to them. We are forecast a lot of snow later though so fingers crossed that doesn't happen. Mine can't be stabled so I have no option but to leave her out due to her arthritis.
 
Thank you all! I know really that they are fine but can't help worrying, especially when so many are not letting there's out at all!
 
Mine are all out. I was supposed to have moved them nearer where I now live months ago, but they are still over an hour down the road. The farmer I rent from rang me yesterday to say she would go and feed them, they have ad lib hay anyway, so hopefully they will be all right! They have natural shelter and rugs, and have lived out for 10 years plus, so are used to it!
 
Well I don't think I'd let the stabled pair out now even if I could, but mainly because the ground is so bad under the snow and it's 4 feet deep in places, and about an inch deep in others so really patchy underfoot. They've been in for 3 days now so likely to get a bit daft and I don't want them hooning about.

The outside ones are just pottering about sensibly as they've had the freedom to do so throughout so I'm not worried at all :)
 
This is quite often an unnecessary evil among horse owners, even I myself am guilty of worrying too much about my pony and she is as native as can be and should be able to withstand any weather thrown at her yet I rug her up when it drops below freezing rather than let nature take its course, she's also kept outside 24/7. Fact is we do more damage than good by behaving like this, there are many articles regarding the reasons for why over rugging and stabling horses is a bad thing. My advice to you is; try not to worry too much. Unless your horse is trimmed for events and/or a bag of bones, which I doubt anyway, I honestly wouldn't worry about providing any artificial warmth or cover. Have faith and allow nature to take its course and just keep an eye on your horse as you are, perhaps take regular temperature checks to make sure they're ok.
 
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Stop worrying, dont conform and dont follow the rest of the sheep. The horses sound absolutely fine so leave them out. They can walk around to stay warm, eat hay when they want, you are feeding them and they are drinking lots of fresh water. You have nothing to worry about :)

Doesnt even enter my head to bring my two in (they arent at home at the moment so I couldnt stable now anyway) They have access to a big brick built double garage type building which has a big bale of haylage for them 24/7 ... where do I find them yesterday ... standing by the fence watching the world go by (morning, lunch and afternoon) toasty warm.

Where do i find them this morning ... by the gate leaning over foraging for moss in the most exposed part of the field, lol!
 
mine are out med wt rugs field shelter which they are ignoring. ad lib hay. the only issue is keeping the water accessable it keeps freezing over.
 
Mine are out. Both had rainsheets on until Wednesday but have 100g's on now as they've no natural shelter at all but there's not enough stables and the very old pony and the very poor doer had to take priority. Could take them down the road to someone with an american barn but afraid to as it's downhill the whole way and there's cars sliding all over the place.
They have tons of hay and am sure will be totally fine. Both had frosted fur so are obviously not losing much heat!
 
Ours are; they're very well rugged and fed with natural shelter don't appear to have a care in the world. We have no choice but to leave them out, we live 7 miles from the yard and the roads are closed/blocked. We are very lucky to have friend who lives very close to the yard and she is feeding for us.
 
Mine are out 24/7 with access to their stables, which they haven’t used at all. My warmblood x has a mediumweight on but my native is naked. They’ve found the most sheltered place in the field and are hanging out there, digging through to the grass despite having hay. My biggest problem has been the waters freezing, and access being cut off, so I’ve been dragging a container a mile across country every day. I think I’ve lost more weight than they have!
 
My sport horse youngstock and BMs are out ,no rugs . I actually gave in yesterday and gave them hay as it was snow covered . Guess what they havent touched it !
 
I actually turned two out off the sheltered yard that turns to sheet ice in this weather, and they are very happy in the field.
 
To balance the thread, my two who normally live out with access to field shelters are currently coming in at night and are very happy to do so! They relish the break from the bitter wind and rock hard ground.

I am not a sheep, btw, I just assess the horses in front of me and assess their needs.
 
MotherOfChickens said:
I climbed up to the top road with my binoculars -my ponies are in the middle of the field grazing so I feel a lot happier!
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When I went out to feed some hay yesterday, my 30+ year old Dartie was out in the middle of the field with a huge mouthful of grass from the bare patch which he'd carefully wuffled clear with his big snow-covered whiskery nose. He was clearly enjoying himself, and didn't even want my hay. I think he was showing off!
 
pennyturner said:
When I went out to feed some hay yesterday, my 30+ year old Dartie was out in the middle of the field with a huge mouthful of grass from the bare patch which he'd carefully wuffled clear with his big snow-covered whiskery nose. He was clearly enjoying himself, and didn't even want my hay. I think he was showing off!
Click to expand...

lol, I know they'll be fine but they are my responsibility and I hate not checking them -usually up there twice a day. plus I am missing out on snow pics :D
 
Stable doors open which they have access to, contains bedding, hay and water - they have not been in, its exactly as I left it
Field shelter - 1 of them had a poo in it but no other sign of life or any of them using it
They are all happy out digging up the snow
I used a sledge hammer and a shaving fork on the ice on the water troughs in the paddocks

1 is on box rest and he is the only one who seems miserable and desperate to be out even though he has room service + a wagtail has moved in with him to keep warm :)
 
mine are drinking much less water.
must be a `mother nature coping in the wild` thing.
hauled a big container up,broke the ice and emptied it in,when they realized the container didnt have food in it they just wandered off without drinking.
 
pennyturner said:
When I went out to feed some hay yesterday, my 30+ year old Dartie was out in the middle of the field with a huge mouthful of grass from the bare patch which he'd carefully wuffled clear with his big snow-covered whiskery nose. He was clearly enjoying himself, and didn't even want my hay. I think he was showing off!
Click to expand...

That's what I normally find, I am having major wobbles about my two oldies in particular, but they have always lived out, in slightly higher conditions than they are now, and today they are fluffy eating and drinking and very warm to touch.
 
Tiddlypom said:
To balance the thread, my two who normally live out with access to field shelters are currently coming in at night and are very happy to do so! They relish the break from the bitter wind and rock hard ground.

I am not a sheep, btw, I just assess the horses in front of me and assess their needs.
Click to expand...

I don't blame you, I'd be bringing mine in for a break if I could.
 
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