are you're horses stabled or turned out at night?

pachypony

pachypony

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Question in the title really! my youngster came straight off a field where he had spent the first year of his life, when i got him in august he was stabled so we could get some handling done with him then we discovered the extent of his rotten feet my farrier advised just keeping him on the yard rather than in the field so they could recover. The yard i was on was a lovely little place, just me and 2 others (until the 3rd started taking the pi$$ but we wont go there today) the most major problem with the yard was that there was no winter turn out, we could use the sand school and a small corral (just mud basically) turn out on the fields was a big no no, i think the land owner just likes to look at his pretty fields rather than have horses on them. They have been stabled since october and with this weather at the minute if it rains you arent allowed to turn out because he didnt want his fields churned up, me and my friend decided we'd had enough as it was majorly unfair on our horses so we moved them last week, the new place (we've both been here before) is cheaper, you have a stable and a field that you can actually use! now my lad had become somewhat spoilt and got used to having a massive straw bed at night, since we moved them they have lived out, apart from the odd night in the stable, he is a gypsy cob so has plenty of hair and he does have a medium weight rug on (even though his bum hangs out the back hes ready for the next size!) i know he likes to have a lay down at night as ive often turned up in a morning and he's still been snoozing in his stable, i just feel so guilty leaving him out in this awful weather at night, i know he probably isnt bothered, is he likely to get down and have a sleep in the field or do they just stand about when the weather is crap? are you're horses in or out at night? and does anyone else feel like a bad mum if they are out or is it just me? x
 
Oh no, they are not out in this weather. They go out for a few hours every day throughout the winter in an all weather turnout. I hate horses standing around in mud. Sand is far better for their feet and keeps them really clean and in good condition. Plus there is no mud fever to contend with. The horses here would be thoroughly miserable if they were out 24/7 in this kind of weather. I have to look after and muck out all seven by myself, and so it would be much easier to just leave them out, but I couldn't do it personally. Can't wait until summer though when they will be out 24/7 and I get a rest! I think though that so long as horses have access to shelter, that they can live happily out 24/7/365. My ideal arrangement would be for them to have free access to the fields and the stables so they could come and go as they choose. Not possible here though, unfortunately.
 
Still in at night, out in the day for about 7 hours on the winter paddock. THere isn't enough grass for them to live out in there at the moment. Once the summer paddocks open they will be out 24/7 and I can't wait! My boy is so much more relaxed about life when he is out 24/7. If we had the land and shelter to support it, that would definately be my preference.
 
My cob is out as she lives on air and if i stabled her shed be the size of a house within weeks or my stable or would be destroyed with her kicking it when her tricklenet runs out :o

My oldman and the TB are out for a few hours with hay during the day and in at night. During the summer they are out 24/7 (grass permitting) although this year with us having more horses the TB and the oldman may come in at night and cob will go into bare paddock with a tricklenet overnight to let us take her muzzle off, will see how it goes :)

there is no harm in out during the day and in at night no matter what the time of year although my preference is to have them out 24/7 the weather over the past few years both summer and winter has been exceptionally wet and there is only so much the ground can deal with :(
 
Mine swap round depending on the weather, some days in during the day (if it's pouring down) and other days in at night (also rain dependent). Their feet need to dry out (IMHO) and I wouldn't want to lie in a swamp so I don't see why they should. They also trash my fields when it's so wet (we're on heavy clay soil)

As soon as it dried up they will be out 24/7 - can't wait
 
When mine were youngsters (warmbloods) they lived out full time until they were 5 and in work. However I do have a large barn they could go into whenever they wanted. They tended to come into it to eat ther hay and then wandered back out whatever the weather. I would often see them lying out in the field so I wouldn't worry too much about your youngster especially as spring is supposedly just around the corner. I would prefer to have a youngster out rather than stabled 24x7
 
I have 2 rising 2yr old fells and they are out 24/7 all year round. They do get soggy ground when it rains, but they are one sandy soil so they don't end up knee deep - just about hoof deep around the gateway but the rest is ok. They lie down, roll, sleep, generally do everything a pony should do, and have been in only 1 night this winter, when it had rained for so long constantly that I wanted to dry them out and get their feathers re-oiled properly. They have natural shelter in hedges and the odd tree, and get hay in their feeder every day. Surprisingly their feet are still rock hard and sound as if they are shod when walking on the roads.
 
My TB is out during the day (8am-4.30pm) but there is no way I could put her out longer with the state of the field at the moment. Ideally, I'd love year round 24/7 turnout out but it is just not possible where I am now :(
 
Mine do as they like but they spend 99% of the time out(not many horses live in caves that's where the preditors hide out!)
 
HI PP I don't think going out at night will do a young healthy cob any harm at all as long as you manage his feet and check for thrush, frog issues etc. Now you have moved you can take the time to consider what you want and what will suit you both longer term. In the interim a bit of in and out wont matter.

Mine in the past have been out, in at night if older, out in summer and out at night in summer to avoid flies. With each system they settled and were happy. I can't really do out at night in winter as mine are older but may consider that if I had to and my horses were younger.
 
All of ours live out 24/7.
1 x 22yr old Welsh A, 2 x middle aged Cobs (lightly rugged because
of been clipped), 1 x yearling Cob.
They have a big field shelter
(12'x48') with a concrete floor, which we put hay in so it stays
dry and doesn't blow around the field. Once they've eaten their hay they don't use the shelter, they prefer to stand outside, rain or shine. There are some trees and hedges they use as windbreaks.
 
Mine would be out 24/7 ATM, although he is in at night through the bulk of the winter. However he is on box rest for the next two weeks at least and I can't say he's bothered, caught him having a cosy afternoon nap lying down today lol, all snuggly in his uber thick straw bed, I'm quite jealous of it! :D
 
Mine are out most of the time - they only come in at night if the weather is rubbish (like this weekend of rain and snow) but I do have a huge, mud less field surrounded by natural shelter so are fine out. Would have thought a young healthy cob will be fine out with adequate shelter and forage.
 
i brought him in tonight, it has hammered it down all day yesterday, all last night and all day today, his rug was soaked (think he must have either rolled or had a lay down as it was caked in mud as well) rinsed his legs off and he's spending the night in his bedroom :D he looked pretty happy with his big straw bed and fat haynet after his tea, it was still raining when i was at the yard, im so glad i brought him in for a night out of the awful weather as i looked out of the window not so long ago and realised its been snowing! :eek: he'll probably go back out tomorrow night, i just like to bring him in once or twice a week especially if the weather is bad x
 
Mine live out but I'm so sick of mud and their rugs are sopping, times like this I would bring them in as will do them no harm to dry out! I so wish I had a bit of mud free hardstanding to put hay on, I only have hedges and and trees really but its not as muddy as some and they are hardy types :-)
 
Mine have been out all winter purely because the barn was being converted, but the last week since we had all that horrible snow and wind we have been able to bring them in. Was just in time really as the trash paddock is a bog and shetland is up to her knees in it, and I was worried they'd start pulling tendons and stuff.

I kept them in for 24hrs and then sprayed Milton on their feet before turning them back out for a few hours but I don't particularly want to leave them out in the mud when they're only standing around in it looking miserable, they might as well do that inside and dry their feet off while they're at it. A few hours a day while I muck out and faff about is all they're getting til the swamp dries up.
 
jinglejoys said:
Mine do as they like but they spend 99% of the time out(not many horses live in caves that's where the preditors hide out!)
Click to expand...

I've heard it all now! Every day I see a lot of traumatised horses stabled at night thinking they are in a cave about to be attacked by a bear. :D

About as natural as standing in a foot of mud in a small field with little shelter where they would find it difficult to get away from any predator.

Mine is in at night (a WB that is prone to mud-fever) and we don't have the option of 24hr t/o at our yard in any case.

OP perhaps the current weather is not the best to reintroduce 24hr turn-out especially given your cobs previous foot problems. Don't be a slave to the 24hr turn-out brigade IF it doesn't suit your horse at the moment. Personally I would introduce when the weather gets better and by next winter they will be used to it.
 
In at night and tbh if its really awful in during much of the day also. I'm not happy about this but with flooded clay paddocks they actually seem happier in. As soon as its dried up they will probably be out.
 
Out in the day in at night. Partly cos high risk grass sickness area , partly cos old horse stops eating and gets colic if he decides he's been out too long :-)))

But in nice weather in summer they do go out 24x7 just coming in for 1 hours to eat hay to reduce G S risk
 
Our gelding is out 24/7 so he doesn't count but my mare is out at night and in during the day. Never not put her out at night over the last 3 years. Works well for us both.
 
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