Arab and Spanish horse people

[LadyGascoyne]

Hello everyone

What is the general feeling re turning out at the moment.

It is forecast to snow intermittently this week, with temperatures as low as -6 here.

It doesn’t look too wet but the snow is annoyingly inconsistent - for example, tonight seems to have a 30-40% chance of snow between 10pm and 1am.

Both have ok coats and would be in heavyweight rugs but are not hardy native types and aren’t carrying excess weight. The grass is not brilliant anymore but the field is large and not terribly muddy, just grazed down very low.

To leave out or not to leave out...

 

[BBP]

Mine is out on hard standing and arena, but has a field shelter. Biggest thing for me with a field would be are there fetlock twisting ruts that will freeze solid. If it’s pretty level I would happily leave my PRE out, rugged and with plenty of hay.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Mine are out 24/7. I try to keep them out unless it is crazy bad weather (they stayed out for the Beast from the East) as they are definitely happier outside. They might get upgraded to rugs with neck covers for a bit of extra protection. They have a windbreak and a hay feeder.

 

[Flame_]

My arab is usually keener on going in than going out. He could withstand a lot, but he certainly wouldn't see why he should

 

[JoannaC]

In the last lot of snow mine stayed out with access to the barn but as my naughty little rescue pony is now barging through fences they will be staying in tonight as snow forecast and it's just easier. Having said which if it wasn't for the pesky pony I would probably have left the arabs out as normal with hay in the barn so they could choose to stay in there if they wanted.

 

[zaminda]

Mine live out 24/7 fully clipped and rugged up. They don't mind the snow and never have. Mine are known as run wild and run free. They don't like being stabled much, so wouldn't stay in happily at home. Strangely they have always been fine stabling at competitions!
These arabs are pretty tough!

 

[PurBee]

These dilemma’s of deciding whether to put out or in really did my head in when first having horses, so i joined up their shelter area with turnout area and gave them free access to the whole lot, so they can decide for themselves.
I’m less stressed and so are they!

But as we have this sharp change of eastern chill and snow coming, in your scenario, i’d rug up and give them a whirl outside in the daylight if its snowing, if not snowing, no rug turnout, then bring in overnight, just for the shelter. Id be likely to rug up overnight in stable as the lack of movement will make them colder.
You can sleep well knowing theyre sheltered and have plenty to munch on for warmth no matter what crazy weather happens overnight.
If theyre used to being out 24/7 and are rarely in overnight, i’d rug up and leave out, if field has sheltered areas, and given loads of hay. If field really exposed to prevailing yukky weather i’d do above, out in day and brought in at night.

 

[LadyGascoyne]

Thanks all.

Mimosa tends to be vocal about wanting to come in and the equally communicative about wanting to go straight back out again - but to be fair, that’s usually rain related rather than a cold issue. She’s the equine equivalent of a cat. Really, she’d just like me to have better control of the weather.

Milagra will be quiet and sweet regardless of what is asked of her.

These dilemma’s of deciding whether to put out or in really did my head in when first having horses, so i joined up their shelter area with turnout area and gave them free access to the whole lot, so they can decide for themselves.
I’m less stressed and so are they!

This is definitely happening next year!

 

[Hackback]

Mine's in. He likes to be in unless it's not raining and there's a lot of grass. Otherwise he stands by the gate and looks as miserable as he can. Lucky for him he's now got a get out of jail free card, as a previous horrendous mud fever means that he can't stand out on the wet/mud, both of which we have copious amount of of at the moment.

 

[PurBee]

Thanks all.

Mimosa tends to be vocal about wanting to come in and the equally communicative about wanting to go straight back out again - but to be fair, that’s usually rain related rather than a cold issue. She’s the equine equivalent of a cat. Really, she’d just like me to have better control of the weather.

Milagra will be quiet and sweet regardless of what is asked of her.



This is definitely happening next year!

lol mine also seem to think its ME that has made it rainy/windy/snowy - some of the looks i get from them when theyre wet is as if it’s my fault!
When they first saw snow, their whites of their eyes at me said “whats this?! DO something!” It was friggin’ hilarious!

We’re forecast some medium winds with the snow so i see it as rain and wind and act accordingly. Mainly they get more hay. Mine seem really happy with all temps, full winter coat unrugged, but they will soon drop weight when we are consistently below 0 degrees if on same forage, so i up the forage when its cold. It took a while to figure out what works well for them. Im amazed how hardy they are really. We humans worry too much. You’ll love the freedom of giving them choice between shelter or turnout. Bliss entered my life at that point! ?

 

[Meowy Catkin]

They're definitely individuals.

I will be pissing mine off next week (if the vet can make it down the lane *fingers crossed* for not too much snow) as they are booked in to have their vaccinations and teeth doing, so they'll have to wait in their stables for the vet to arrive etc... When they're turned out again, you'd think they'd been in for a week rather than a couple of hours the way they prance about! Sods.

 

[texenstar]

my Luso lives out with my natives unrugged but has access to shelter and 24/7 hay.

My old imported Arab that I used to have would have to be in several layers of rugs and as much food offered as possible. Like other have said, it depends on the horse

Generally, unless they are imported from really hot places or elderly they should be perfectly able to temperature regulate as long as they have access to forage and shelter

 

[Steerpike]

Mine were in today, bitterly cold, no shelter in their fields and no grass meant they would stand looking miserable, they will hopefully go out tomorrow as its supposed to be less windy, my Arab that was imported still hasn't grown a proper winter coat, this is his 2nd British winter, so is rugged up pretty well!

 

[LadyGascoyne]

Well I went out in the howling gale, to top up hay and was met by these two standing at the gate.



So they are now in.

 

[Pinkvboots]

Mine are in most nights now as Arabi has a bit of mud fever there quite hairy as the clips have grown out now so they are only in 50g rugs with a thin sheet underneath, they both felt warm though it's meant to snow overnight here and with the wind chill it feels freezing, both of mine are pretty tough unless they get completely soaked and then they can shiver if not rugged up enough but that doesn't happen often.

 

[LadyGascoyne]

Having been absolutely fine out except for a couple of nights during the week, the pair of twits got into the rested part of the field and threw a party.

The older one is stiff as anything this morning, and the young one has a hot, swollen hind fetlock although isn’t visibly lame.

?

 

[Cortez]

My 20 year old PRE is out unrugged, but he's got a coat like a polar bear and is a pretty tough boy. It does snow and get very, very cold, in both Spain and the desert.....

 

[LadyGascoyne]

My 20 year old PRE is out unrugged, but he's got a coat like a polar bear and is a pretty tough boy. It does snow and get very, very cold, in both Spain and the desert.....

Good to know. I must toughen up. And actually, Milagra has been fine over the last week. I think if it weren’t for the fact that we’ve had such a battle to get weight onto her since she arrived, I’d probably worry less.

Mim shakes like a leaf and gets big mournful eyes when she’s cold. It’s usually when she’s wet - she also gets rain scald very easily, so her face was very patchy when she was living out during a very wet patch at the end of October. Dry cold doesn’t seem to worry her so I wonder if it’s something about the water resistance of her coat.

 

[palo1]

Both our arab x are generally hardy though they don't carry huge amounts of weight. I treat them pretty much as natives generally. If our field wasn't solid frozen ruts with absolutely no grass then I would be turning out. Thankfully we have a large open yard and open barn so they are 'in' on the yard. My older horse definately appreciates home comforts and like Mimosa, he would actually just like to be able to control the weather to his personal preferences!! My little Welsh mare doesn't give a monkeys where she is as long as there is some prospect of food. Even though it is down to -7 here she is showing no signs of being remotely chilly!!

 

[NinjaPony]

I do think they cope better with dry cold like this than constant wet and windy weather. My Welsh A is a wuss who loathes wind and rain and always needs more rugs than he should to keep him happy. I was concerned about him in this extreme cold but with his liner on under his rug, he’s been absolutely fine and very keen to go out every day.

 

[LadyGascoyne]

You can see the marks on Mim’s face here, although they are filling in nicely now that it is drier. She has no issues under her rug or on her legs, just her face.

Apologies for the magnificent face she is pulling ?

 

[cauda equina]

Photos of Mim never need an apology, whatever face she's wearing

 

[ameeyal]

my 3 Arabs live out and don’t wear rugs , they do have a large barn to go into.

 

[LadyGascoyne]

my 3 Arabs live out and don’t wear rugs , they do have a large barn to go into.

What a stunning chestnut - my favourite colour.

Next year I’ll aim to do the same. I need to get the grass to a decent level through summer and open up the barn onto the field so they can bring themselves in.

 

[ameeyal]

What a stunning chestnut - my favourite colour.

Next year I’ll aim to do the same. I need to get the grass to a decent level through summer and open up the barn onto the field so they can bring themselves in.

it’s so much easier and I don’t worry about them being out in awfull weather,if they want to come into the barn it’s up to them. Thankyou for the kind remark about my chestnut he is a lovely lad

 

[Meowy Catkin]

it’s so much easier and I don’t worry about them being out in awfull weather,if they want to come into the barn it’s up to them. Thankyou for the kind remark about my chestnut he is a lovely lad

He's utterly gorgeous.