Are your horses going out in the snow?.

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Amber...

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Are your horses going out in the snow? My yard owners keeping all ours in. My poor boys climbing the walls. His legs and sheath have filled up and he's rather grumpy :( x
 
Yes I am

One is out 24/7 with mountains of haylage and good feed the other s out from 0600 - 1600 with small feed and haynet.

Both very happy!
 
Mine would be if both werent lame and also had mud fever

Dying to let them out even for an hour - think thats all they would want!

;-(
 
Are you allowed to walk him out in hand at all just to give him a change of scenery?
All ours are out from about 7:30am to 8pm (with regular food and water top ups) - the boys are sensible and just wander about munching on their haylage, my mare turns me into a nervous wreck as she explodes out of her stable every morning, skates about like bambi on ice and hurtles round the field every morning :eek: The combination of the exciting fluffy white stuff and her having a week off when she's usually ridden every day has turned her nuts! I hate turning her out and watching while she chases around but she'd just go insane if I kept her in. She does settle after about 5 minutes but I don't breathe until she's stopped running! x
 
My poor boys driving me crazy. He hates bring in. He's started biting everyone when they walk past. I try sneak him out for a bit early in the morning but it doesn't do him much good. He needs to be out for most of the day. Even thinking of moving yards if anyone knows anywhere in huddersfield :( x
 
I walk him out for 15 mins in a morning and he gets schooled or lunged at tea time everyday. It helps but he's a typical trakhner. Full of energy! X
 
Arab, cob and two shetlands all out in snow- they love it- just Bringing Arab and cob in to feed as otherwise the little ones get to fat!
My Arab loves the cold and the snow- its the wet he hates. Also riding out on the bridleways- barefoot so no balling problemes and ground soft under the snow
 
We have our own yard so aren't restricted by any YO dictating what to do. However, I have chosen not to turn ours out. I've walked the fields every day to check and there are so many frozen deep ruts below the snow, particularly in the gateways, that I really struggled not to fall over. Decided it was too risky. Have turned them into the school individually for half and hour each which they found quite exciting on day 1 but pretty boring since. They seem quite content staying in munching hay/haylage all day and playing with decahedrons. They do have adjoining doors in pairs so can play bite fighting and scratch each other. Bring on the thaw!
 
I wish my lad was content being in. he's got loads of toys and licks but He won't even eat any hay when he's in. Not even aloud to turn out in the arena for half an hour :( x
 
Yes.

Mine are out from approx 9am - 1pm, with haylage to munch on as the snow is quite deep to get the grass through.

The snow is 'balling' in their feet quite badly so am keeping a close eye.

They seem quite happy.
 
No, because he's on box rest . . . but even if he weren't, I'd err on the side of caution b/c snow does ball up in his feet rather badly and I really can't be doing with him being on "stilts" and then being silly (which he is). Praying for the weather to sort itself out so that he can go out soon (stitches came out yesterday so he can go out from tomorrow weather permitting).

P
 
out from 6pm till 10 am with limited hay as they are all too fat-only coming in as my daughter fully clipped (think bald) her ponies legs just over a week ago and i dont want the skin to chap and lead to mud fever
 
Ours could go out but one of them is nearly 8 months pregnant and no way risking her falling over so they're both in until it thaws ... last time I let her out she tanked off down the hill (on the ice) jumped about a bit then came and stood at the barn door demanding to come back in :rolleyes:
 
Mine would normally be out all day & in at night.
However, as I'm a bit incapacitated since mid dec with a cast on & cannot get to yard, they are out in separate paddocks, each with a good field shelter in, where their hay & feeds are put in.
All seem happy, with the 2 big boys spending much of their time in their shelters, and TF bouncing around in her patch as usual :)

When I get my cast off & can drive, they'll be in at night again as am sure I wont be up immediately for the barrowing/poo-picking across the paddocks.
 
Amber... said:
Are your horses going out in the snow? My yard owners keeping all ours in. My poor boys climbing the walls. His legs and sheath have filled up and he's rather grumpy :( x
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Yes all liveries and my own ( except box rest ones ) are out as normal from 7 am till 3 pm (we don't put hay out though) would not have it any other way. I would not make horses stay in unless box rest, they need to get out stretch legs - yes we find balled up clumps in field but strangely no horse has come in on stilts. I have always been the " a horse is made to be out and to move about as nature intended" type and 9 times out of 10 only illness - x mas day/new years day or box rest makes a horse stay in on my yard.
 
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Yes from 8 -2pm as I ensure my path to field has been cleared each day and gritted to stop ice forming.


The yard dont turn out and TBH dont understand why half the time ! It was safe enough when we had snow - granted when it forms to ice its more challenging, but can walk on grass parts etc and footing fine for most access.

Gateway yes very rutted but but chap is sensible and danders off up field a bit anyway to find a morsel or 2 of grass................

I hate it when folk say they cant get out - yet do nothing about it. Think even last few winters I have had 2 days in total when never got out and then would allow him half hour in indoor school to loosen off freely
 
Scottish_Miss said:
Yes from 8 -2pm as I ensure my path to field has been cleared each day and gritted to stop ice forming.


The yard dont turn out and TBH dont understand why half the time ! It was safe enough when we had snow - granted when it forms to ice its more challenging, but can walk on grass parts etc and footing fine for most access.

Gateway yes very rutted but but chap is sensible and danders off up field a bit anyway to find a morsel or 2 of grass................

I hate it when folk say they cant get out - yet do nothing about it. Think even last few winters I have had 2 days in total when never got out and then would allow him half hour in indoor school to loosen off freely
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I am like you "life finds a way" yes our gate ways are rutted too but the horses pick their way through the worst bits and wander off to find things to nibble, I wont put hay out , as for one thing every time i look out heads are out munching or looking to munch .
 
I'm getting rather fed up. They don't go out in the rain, wind, frost or snow. We think its more the yard owner can't be bothered to put them all out. Once my lad is out he will just stand and eat :( my other half even dug the yard and gritted it for her so it isn't even icy!
 
Yes, mine are out as normal - 7am - 4pm. YO prefers everything to go out whatever the weather (unless on box rest/vets orders). Her point being that if you keep in, when you do eventually turn out they go nuts and churn up the field. Ours are out with hay.
 
Yes mine are out all the time with access to stables. Although they are spending most of their time hanging out at the stables until there is no hay left. I like them to stretch their legs a bit and as they are out all the time they don't go crazy!
 
Fri-Monday went out for a couple of hours in the morning and came back in, mainly because no grass under the snow. Cannot put hay out as there are a couple who would guard it despite number of piles. So after a couple of hours out they were back at the gate again. On Monday I went up a 3 to muck out and ended up bringing them all in as they were neighing at the gate.
 
I wouldn't turn out in a blizzard, but they have been out since day 1 of the snow. I turn them out later than normal so they can get filled up with hay and then get them in at normal time, around 4.30 p.m. Luckily although the ground is covered in snow, there hasn't been a deep frost. The only really frosty day I was able to put down some sand and was careful where I walked them across the yard.

Trouble is, if you keep them in on day 1, and then again on day 2 and there is no sign of a quick thaw, when DO you turn them out. By that time they are bored from being in and excited by the snow and far more likely to be silly and gallop and race around. Mine haven't galloped around at all. Apart from a roll in the snow, all they do is push the snow off the grass and eat.
 
Mine are out everyday. I play be ear, if they look bored by lunch time they come in but today they were still eating the hay I chucked for them so I topped it up and left them til 5. When it thaws though they will have no choice but to stay in a bit as my paddocks are trashed as it is.
 
Why are you not allowed? As YO I'm just leaving it up to the liveries, their choice if they turnout or not. Although I'm not offering bring in with the snow as too dangerous. The majority are keeping theirs in but mine and the Part liveries are out for 6 hours per day. We are lucky that we have horse walker, round pen (can turnout in there too) and an Indoor arena, so we can ride still and all the horses are perfectly happy.
 
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