Bored in field?

[frankieduck]

I’ve been thinking about this a lot recently.

I’ve moved my mare from sharing 11 acres with two ponies to a livery yard with individual paddocks of > 1 acre. You get two paddocks, one for summer and one for winter.

The yard is lovely and the horses seem settled and calm.

I just drove past her paddock, and she looks calm, picking away at the grass.

Echoing posters above, I think this set up is only really fair on horses in regular work. I wouldn’t accept this management style for a retired or turned away horse. I’m giving mine a few days to settle (and have her shoe which she lost put back on). Then, I’ll endeavour to get a piece of work into her every day - so she does have the headspace to see her ‘postage stamp’ as chill time.

It’s not ideal, but I think we all learn that finding a livery yard that offers every thing we want is not always possible.

I would rather this approach than say larger fields with restricted winter turn out.

My horses in work are on the postage stamp, individual turnout regime. It’s not what I’d have for them in a dream world, but we have to suffice with what most livery yards round here offer. I endeavour to work them regularly enough that they are happy enough to chill and mooch in the field. Like you, my yard offers 365 days a year turnout so it’s a compromise I make versus big fields in groups that get closed all winter.

I could sacrifice facilities for ‘better’ turnout but, perhaps selfishly, I wouldn’t own my horses if I couldn’t train and compete then. I think most horse owners have the same dilemma.