Are your horses kept in during Winter?

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Bigproblemo

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Can I hear from people whos horses are kept in over Winter? Is it awful? I know it's not ideal but can you share you experiences please. I might be looking at 8 weeks in at worst.

Finding a yard is proving difficult and the best I have found spends time in over the Winter.

Can I have specific info from those who winter in whether you found it awful or not.

Thank you.
 
Yep mine come in the end of October and don't go back out til the fields allow normally end of April, they all get exercised daily and turned out in the school, they would rather be in warm and dry with a haynet then out in the wet and cold. And I dont want broken bones in the frost.
 
Mine come in from October to April. Although the yard offers winter grazing (restricted times and length) I don't use it. I have always wintered my horses in. The boys get exercised every day and turned out in all weather turnouts each day. I have not had a horse that didn't seem to accept this. They get fed three times a day to break up the time.

I have known this routine for thirty years and have never known a horse that really struggled.

I know some people will think this is horrendous but in my experience the horses do not seem to worry.
 
If you can exercise daily, if they have company and can be trickle fed hay then not really a problem--its how hunt horses are kept, some get an hour or two in the field to walk off any stiffness after a days hunting but most are not turned out at all over winter.
 
Hi, how exactly do you mean "is it awful?"

For the horses - they generally get used to a routine, in at night, out for whatever turnout/exercise they get. As long as they have sufficient turnout, company, food to fill their bellies and suitable accomodation then - no, it isn't awful.

For people - clock watching, mucking out, filling nets, getting wet, getting cold, getting muddy - also not awful. You get into a routine too.

Mine live out, my choice, I have a barn with 10 empty stables and I like it that way. I loathe having to plan my day around feed/turn out/bring in blah, blah, blah. They stay out in everything, wind, rain, blizzards, ice...

kirsty: [And I dont want broken bones in the frost.]

horses that live out are far less likely to be pratts and injure themselves on a bit of ice. None of mine ever have. It is the ones that are itching to have a leg stretch and a good roll that come to grief.

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Each to their own, some horses enjoy being indoor horses, some don't, ditto owners. :)
 
Enfys said:
Hi, how exactly do you mean "is it awful?"

For the horses - they generally get used to a routine, in at night, out for whatever turnout/exercise they get. As long as they have sufficient turnout, company, food to fill their bellies and suitable accomodation then - no, it isn't awful.

For people - clock watching, mucking out, filling nets, getting wet, getting cold, getting muddy - also not awful. You get into a routine too.

Mine live out, my choice, I have a barn with 10 empty stables and I like it that way. I loathe having to plan my day around feed/turn out/bring in blah, blah, blah. They stay out in everything, wind, rain, blizzards, ice...

kirsty: [And I dont want broken bones in the frost.]

horses that live out are far less likely to be pratts and injure themselves on a bit of ice. None of mine ever have. It is the ones that are itching to have a leg stretch and a good roll that come to grief.

404600_226750660736713_1256218695_n.jpg


Each to their own, some horses enjoy being indoor horses, some don't, ditto owners. :)
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well said
 
Bigproblemo said:
Can I hear from people whos horses are kept in over Winter? Is it awful? I know it's not ideal but can you share you experiences please. I might be looking at 8 weeks in at worst.

Finding a yard is proving difficult and the best I have found spends time in over the Winter.

Can I have specific info from those who winter in whether you found it awful or not.

Thank you.
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I think you answered your own question. There are always compromises to take when keeping your horse in a livery yard. If this is the best one then go for it. Horses usually adapt. You are a responsible owner who will make it the best for your horse given the circumstances it is in.
 
Depends what you mean by kept in? Do you mean in at nights but still getting some turnout during the day? Or do you mean the horses are in the stable at all times except when ridden/exercised?

I don't think the latter situation is ideal, but some horses do seem to cope with it, but you do need to be committed to either riding the horse every day or paying someone else to do so. Plus every effort needs to be taken to minimise the time the horse is in the stable, using a horse walker, turnout in sand school, hand grazing etc. However, I have known some horses not cope with this situation at all, and become spooky and explosive under saddle, or develop stable vices such as weaving and cribbing (even if given ad lib forage).

If your horse has never been in that situation before, it is difficult to predict whether he will cope or not.
 
Mine were wintered in, from october/november they were in on a night (out at 11/12 and back in at 5) but for about 1.5 months they were in with no field turnout, this is an ex racing thoroughbred and a cobby pony if your wondering.
They had haylage and two feeds of coarse mix, sugar beet and chaff (tb got oats too, cob got a token amount of coarse mix)
 
Enfys you have a photo for every occasion! I love looking at them, i am sure you had one of them with icicles on their fur too?

I like mine to be out as much as possible even in winter, none are ridden so it would be a case of just standing around humming. They do enjoy it although they do come in at night now in the worst of the weather. I agree with Enfys too, they have never come to harm outside and in summer fly down the hills, in winter when icy, tippy toe down slowly.
 
Damn phone!
they were turned out in the outdoor if not too icy or they were in the indoor rugless for a roll and a hoon whilst all of the yard jobs were done i.e muck out, hay, water so they had maybe 1-2 hours out.

And to answer someones comment, 'did they tell you this?' well mine certainly did! They were happy to go in the arena for a leg stretch but after 30 mins they were at the gate shouting to be back in. If left out for longer than 2 hours they (soft tb especially) would steam train back in, to the point that we had to lead back to the stables in bridles. Mine MUCH prefered to be in!
and I prefered them to be in, what with muddy fields and a tb with extreme mud fever (if unmanaged to the point where it would bleed and she would lame) and a cob with more feather than a supreme champion they were not going out in all of that mud.
The ice and snow is another danger that I didnt want to risk, especially considering whilst leading the tb calmly across the grass to her stable she caught some ice, went tumbling down on top of me, had there not been snow for me to smush into I would have been in plaster!
 
kirstykate said:
Yes they do, they stand at the gates shouting to come in, do you think a horse standing all hunched up with its bum to the wind and rain is a happy one?:):)
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But they only stand there because they know they are coming in. Horses that live out don't do that. At the yard I keep my mare at all horses live out TB, oldies, eventers, dressage horses ... most of them clipped. None of them stand by the gate and shout even in the morning which is when they come in to be fed. I think my mare prefers to be out and she was a hunt horse who was fully stabled before I got her but I would never presume to state that on her behalf! she doesn't really have the wherewithal to make an informed choice.

I personally think they are better off out as long as they are well rugged (and ours don't stand hunched in the rain) but I do think people try and put human emotions/ feelings onto their horses and they don't feel the same way about the weather as we do!

At the end of the day most horses are very loved and looked after by their owners so whether kept in or out are fine. A lot of people seem to think it is wrong to keep them out all year though and in my experience they seem happier and healthier out. I wouldn't keep a horse in all the time but there are many horses who survive quite well like this!

I wasn't having a go at you. Just had this image of the horses sitting you down and saying ' well mum we've been having a think about what we'd like to do this winter...'
 
hoggedmane said:
But they only stand there because they know they are coming in. Horses that live out don't do that. At the yard I keep my mare at all horses live out TB, oldies, eventers, dressage horses ... most of them clipped. None of them stand by the gate and shout even in the morning which is when they come in to be fed. I think my mare prefers to be out and she was a hunt horse who was fully stabled before I got her but I would never presume to state that on her behalf! she doesn't really have the wherewithal to make an informed choice.

I personally think they are better off out as long as they are well rugged (and ours don't stand hunched in the rain) but I do think people try and put human emotions/ feelings onto their horses and they don't feel the same way about the weather as we do!

At the end of the day most horses are very loved and looked after by their owners so whether kept in or out are fine. A lot of people seem to think it is wrong to keep them out all year though and in my experience they seem happier and healthier out. I wouldn't keep a horse in all the time but there are many horses who survive quite well like this!

I wasn't having a go at you. Just had this image of the horses sitting you down and saying ' well mum we've been having a think about what we'd like to do this winter...'
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They do sit and tell me this:p:p:p:p:p Didnt you know I speak to animals:rolleyes: I am doctor dolittle:eek::eek:. But seriously I have one I have to drag out of my shed when its raining;)
 
Mine stay in at night (usually 6pm till 6.30am) from Dec to march, mild years it can be late Dec till mid Feb. Mainly cos mine is a wuss in the cold, & decides herself when to start staying in & going back out, & daughters pony follows her. Field has good natural shelter, always has dry standing & forage, & I think the long turnout is part of the reason why at 23 she is showing no signs of stiffness or age. Only horses I've ever dealt with who prefer 24/7 stabling are those who become mentally conditioned by it, either from boxrest or because they don't know different. And I find once slowly built up to being out they often are left with a dislike of stabling, which says a lot imo. And agree with enfys, those out lots rarely injure themselves, its those who only get a mad half hour that damage themselves ime.
 
this winter two of mine are living out and the other one goes in at night to save the fields a tiny bit shes 7 and likes living in so she doesnt mind, and of the two living out 1 will only be rising 2 so doesnt get ridden and not been stabled before although he does go in a stable and the other one -my 4yo- has lived in previously bt shes had UFP (upward fixation of the Patella/locking stifles) so its better for her to be out plus the baby needs company.

last winter i had the 4yo with me on a wp position and lost our grazing begining of december so she had to come in at night and out for a few hours every other day which she adjusted to well although i did notice a differerence in her behaviour. she was worked most days and went on the walker twice a day but she was getting quite naughty and argumentative - this was either the lack of turn out or some different methods used with her i dont know but since coming home and using my old instructor shes been a pleasure again :)

i dread winter weather the horses are in or out! if they're in its endless mucking out and feeding and hay bills are extortionate and if they're out - theres wet mud everywhere - rugs constantly need changing and hay bills are extortionate!
 
I'm going to have this problem this winter too but this yard has a lot more pro's to outweigh it so unfortunately we moved! YO said on hard ground days they can go out for a bit and on others they can go in the indoor whilst jobs are being done and the other big pro are the miles of off road hacking we can safely go along (weather permitting) I will just stock up on small holed nets, swedes and licks! And like others said break feeds up and tie on the yard to groom the others for a bit of stimulation. Life isn't always ideal, sometimes its just making the best out of what you've got and thanking them when you've got good Summer grazing x
 
I am lucky to have my own facilities so mine do have daily winter turn out from approx 7am - 4pm up until Xmas, then find them wanting to come in earlier as the weather worsens, so Jan - April are out from approx 7am - 2pm.

I agree that it is not natural for a horse to be stabled 24/7 in the winter, but having had liveries in the past, appreciate that some horses really do only want to go out for a couple of hours, then back in.

The problem then comes if you have horses like that and the owners can't excercise them everyday - I had 2 ex racers in last winter that got progressively worse to handle as the winter went on, but if tried to leave them out any longer than 2 hrs, would risk my life trying to bring them back in! The owner worked full time so I ended up loose schooling them daily which did help take the edge off them.

If you have access to an all weather turn out area or horse walker, and can excercise every day that to me is an acceptable compromise.
 
kirstykate said:
They do sit and tell me this:p:p:p:p:p Didnt you know I speak to animals:rolleyes: I am doctor dolittle:eek::eek:. But seriously I have one I have to drag out of my shed when its raining;)
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They are all different! I had a TB who would take his rug off and then stand at the gate. My current mare gets fed up of being in half way through her feed and just wants to go out again no matter what the weather, I think she thinks they are having a party without her.
 
Yep, brought in from september until the weather was warmer and fields drier. Rugged up competley when clipped in around october/november.
Turned out for approx 8-10 hours unless it is too icey to get to fields or snow covered fields then they just stay in with hay and water and straw beds.
 
hoggedmane said:
They are all different! I had a TB who would take his rug off and then stand at the gate. My current mare gets fed up of being in half way through her feed and just wants to go out again no matter what the weather, I think she thinks they are having a party without her.
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Mine chatter when they want out, but they keep quiet when they want to stay in, so I suppose they do talk!!!! The weather is pretty rank up here though:):)
 
They will be fine as long as you have the time to work them hard enough give them lots hay , a play in the school for a roll daily some days work twice if you can it's the reality of life for lots of horses in winter just make sure you have a plan for if you get a virus or something thats the main thing you cant have an off riding day and you need a plan to cover if you are ill.
 
Mine come in from sometime in November or December - usually when I've got fed up of poo-picking & checking wet soggy animals in the dark before & after work :rolleyes:

In at night from about 6pm till 6am on my workdays, a little later out & earleir to come in on non work days & back out 24/7 in Feb or March - when the fields can take the clattering again & its light enough to see at 1 end of the day or the other :)
I like a dry horse to put my saddle on too & dry legs to check shoes :D
Mine know the routine & bring themselves in when I open gates on a wet winter night & they put themselves in the right stables :D
I enjoy the yard work for around 4-6 weeks & then get all wistful about them being out again in spring :o

My winter paddocks can be horrible under foot if the weather is very wet, so them being in 50% of the time helps alleviate too much poaching. They are very sheltered tho, so great if v windy or cold :)
 
my two were wintered out until last year when we moved yards, because of the limited grazing they were just ripping up the fields.

from my experience the horses seemed happy enough to be in, they'd get let out 2 at a time in the school for an hour at night to stretch their legs unless the weather was horrendous. My 2 year old tends to get a bit bored and hyper but that was expected, she has loads of stable toys for the winter now and they keep her happy. My 21 year old would just drop all her weight if she was out during the winter and ends up miserable so she's quite happy to stay in.

They usually get out to graze for a few hours on a saturday and sunday and we hack most weekends and/or we work with them in the school.

in my opinion it's not terrible, just a bit more work mucking out for us but the horses don't seem to mind, it all depends on your preferences and what you're horse is like being kept in. :o
 
Enfys said:
Hi, how exactly do you mean "is it awful?"

For the horses - they generally get used to a routine, in at night, out for whatever turnout/exercise they get. As long as they have sufficient turnout, company, food to fill their bellies and suitable accomodation then - no, it isn't awful.

For people - clock watching, mucking out, filling nets, getting wet, getting cold, getting muddy - also not awful. You get into a routine too.

Mine live out, my choice, I have a barn with 10 empty stables and I like it that way. I loathe having to plan my day around feed/turn out/bring in blah, blah, blah. They stay out in everything, wind, rain, blizzards, ice...

kirsty: [And I dont want broken bones in the frost.]

horses that live out are far less likely to be pratts and injure themselves on a bit of ice. None of mine ever have. It is the ones that are itching to have a leg stretch and a good roll that come to grief.

404600_226750660736713_1256218695_n.jpg


Each to their own, some horses enjoy being indoor horses, some don't, ditto owners. :)
Click to expand...

*like*



Mine are wintering out for the first time this year....i cant wait. they are thriving living out and i hope to god to never have them livin gin again - theres no need for it!



Sometimes i feel bad they are out with just a field/water and loads of feed if they want it (they get one good meal a day, and haychop and hay in winter)!.....what else do they need? they are horses

Two people so far have sounded horrified when i said my once stable kept, pampered mare who HATES mud is living out in winter in good rugs and nothing else....

enfys - great pic - i hope i can post the same of a happy horse living out :) as theres no way on this planet would i be shutting my horse away for a full 4 months with no turnout whatsoever!!! :o
 
kirstykate said:
They do sit and tell me this:p:p:p:p:p Didnt you know I speak to animals:rolleyes: I am doctor dolittle:eek::eek:. But seriously I have one I have to drag out of my shed when its raining;)
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I have one like that now:) he still lives out but he is like a turtle, head sticking out of his shed surveying his world. Mostly at the first flake of snow or drop of rain he's thundering across his pen and back to his metaphoric man cave give him a couch, slippers and TV and he would be the happiest of boys.
 
Enfys said:
I have one like that now:) he still lives out but he is like a turtle, head sticking out of his shed surveying his world. Mostly at the first flake of snow or drop of rain he's thundering across his pen and back to his metaphoric man cave give him a couch, slippers and TV and he would be the happiest of boys.
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This has me smiling:):):) The turtle horse, how cool:cool::cool:, just love it. Dont forget his house coat and pipe!!!:D:D:D
 
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