can any horse live out?

[SarahRicoh]

I mean 24/7,all year round? With rugs or without with natural shelter and water and feed and hay?

Can any horse or will some horses just not cope?

 

[Capriole]

mine live out all year very happily with natural shelter and rugs if they need them, but I dont think ALL horses can/would cope, it depends on the horse itself IMO

 

[Tinsel Trouble]

Theoretically yes they can with adequate protection from the elements and access to grass/ forage and water.

On a case by case basis some horses just don't like it, of those, some will 'man up' eventually though!

 

[RubysGold]

Not all can.
I tried with my girl, with rugs hay and feed. She was miserable and stood by the gate all the time, she also lost weight. We moved yards end of that November so she had a stable
She was 15 back then, and think shes just too used to the luxury of a stable.

 

[becca1305]

One of my TBs won't. He was out on loan to a girl and she lived him out, on the recommendation of my instructor I agreed he would be okay to do so as long as there was good natural shelter and he was well rugged as he's a solid type TB. She brought him in every day for a few hours and he had plenty of hard feed and was maintaining weight. But she went on holiday for 2 weeks during which time he was fed his hard feed in the field and didn't come in to be ridden etc, he became thoroughly miserable and so stopped eating properly and became ill dropping a huge amount of weight in a very short period of time. I immediately took him back had the vet out to look at him and managed to get weight back on him slowly. He's quite happy now turned out in the day and in at night but I would never let him be lived out again. There was no physical reason why he should not have been able to live out with shelter and rugs but mentally it made him terribly miserable.

 

[coss]

Depends on every horse's background. If all started off that way then i suspect the majority would be fine. When I had two horses both were out in that very cold winter with lots of snow - I liked the idea of them coming into the shed at night out of the elements but the snow was so deep that there were thousands of sheds collapsing under the weight. For that reason alone, they stayed out and thrived! Our shed didn't collapse but it was too much of a risk. They had tracks through the snow and got into a different routine. At the time my older horse was 33years old. Worst thing that happened was her cutting her lip on some ice trying to break the ice in the water (water was freezing very quickly as it was -20 at the time)

 

[coss]

One of my TBs won't. He was out on loan to a girl and she lived him out, on the recommendation of my instructor I agreed he would be okay to do so as long as there was good natural shelter and he was well rugged as he's a solid type TB. She brought him in every day for a few hours and he had plenty of hard feed and was maintaining weight. But she went on holiday for 2 weeks during which time he was fed his hard feed in the field and didn't come in to be ridden etc, he became thoroughly miserable and so stopped eating properly and became ill dropping a huge amount of weight in a very short period of time. I immediately took him back had the vet out to look at him and managed to get weight back on him slowly. He's quite happy now turned out in the day and in at night but I would never let him be lived out again. There was no physical reason why he should not have been able to live out with shelter and rugs but mentally it made him terribly miserable.

Is it the fact he was out or the lack of attention he was getting from lack of work etc while they were away on holiday though?

 

[SarahRicoh]

Thanks guys... Horse in question.is a 14.3hh 11 yr old irish sports horse... Hes a goid doer and before i got him he was out 24/7 but with a manmade shelter

 

[StormyMoments]

taz could if i fed him even more than he already gets and is rugged up to his eye balls but september this year he was stood at the gate waiting to be brought in.... and he did that until i finally did in november poor horse always looked a bit confused when i turned him back out after riding he much prefers his nice warm stable to the rain... oh well

 

[becca1305]

The winter turnout i think as he was fine whilst she was stabling him for a few hours a day. And hes fine now when hes not been ridden for a couple of weeks and doesnt even particularly want attention- grumpy man ! I think he just cant cope without some time in a warm stable tbh.

 

[coss]

The winter turnout i think as he was fine whilst she was stabling him for a few hours a day. And hes fine now when hes not been ridden for a couple of weeks and doesnt even particularly want attention- grumpy man ! I think he just cant cope without some time in a warm stable tbh.

gotta love how all horses have their little ways

 

[SarahRicoh]

Thanks guys its interesting how some just dont like it

 

[Lexie81]

Mine live out 24\7 with rugs and a manmade shelter. 2 little welshies ( one trace clipped one unclipped) and my oldenburg x selle francais who is unclipped and well rugged. They are fed and hayed daily and have thrived so far this winter especially my big mare she has kept her condition brilliantly and looks great. She is super laid back now she lives out compared to when she was stabled. They do use the shelter in the rain although to be honest its our old boy welshie who pretty much stays in there all the time, my girl is usually in the middle of the field munching in all weathers!

 

[TigerTail]

Yes - with correct rugs and feed they can.

The other biggie is an informed owner and enough land that they arent up to their knees in mud.

Ive got 3 out on 8 acres, split in half so gets rotated. 2 have never lived out before, one is a 16 yr old tb known for dropping weight in winter, the other a tb x arab. All are fine and owners cannot believe how improved their temperments are.

Most saying 'oh he just cannot cope without a stable' havnt got the nutrition right, and that doesnt mean a massive bucket feed twice a day, or are anthropomorphising - projecting their human needs/likes/dislikes on to the animal.

I have no doubt yours would be fine out.

 

[ladyearl]

Yes - with correct rugs and feed they can.

The other biggie is an informed owner and enough land that they arent up to their knees in mud.

Ive got 3 out on 8 acres, split in half so gets rotated. 2 have never lived out before, one is a 16 yr old tb known for dropping weight in winter, the other a tb x arab. All are fine and owners cannot believe how improved their temperments are.

Most saying 'oh he just cannot cope without a stable' havnt got the nutrition right, and that doesnt mean a massive bucket feed twice a day, or are anthropomorphising - projecting their human needs/likes/dislikes on to the animal.

I have no doubt yours would be fine out.

I agree with this - it's a management issue.

 

[SarahRicoh]

I agree too.. Where my boy came from was a little field that was v muddy and no company.. I think in company and with a big enough field hed be fine.. Although he was fine without company!

How do people find having just two ponies? Ie when u take one away...

 

[tracyandtokyo]

My horse wouldnt! he feels the cold, (im not being soft, he really does!) and he likes to come in after a couple of hours out to strech his legs (no grass!) to a big haynet and nice warm pj's! then a big dinner another big haynet

 

[caramel]

Mine wouldn't.He doesn't like the cold or rain, gets fed up after an hour or 2! He loves it if you bring him in early or take him back down cause there's no horses out there (can't be left on his own). He doesn't like going out in the dark, and loves his home comforts! He just wouldn't survive He comes in just before 2 and that's plenty long enough.

 

[SarahRicoh]

Haha i think.mine would be okay cz he never wants to come in lol

 

[shoo]

My TB is currently out 24/7 with two native ponies ( this is the first christmas she has ever been out 24/7 ) and she loves it no rugs, or field shelter only hedges and trees,
hay and feed at night - she seems to think it is great!

 

[SarahRicoh]

Thanks guys giving me hope

 

[mulledwhine]

I do believe that they all can , as long as warm and fed, but as in my reply to a previous post, new pony hates being out at night, so to keep him happy he comes in!!'n

If he was not so cute and I could ignore his sad eye, them he would be out, but he has always been in , so I keep him that way, little lord fontleroy

 

[lottie940]

Depends on the horse. If they are used to being brought in then suddently being thrown out in a field 24/7 may make them utterly miserable and vise versa. My boys would not live in now, they are too used to staying out. The older one stands weaving and shaking his head up and down if you shut him in and my youngster is a door kicker if left for too long. All horses are individuals!!

 

[kezimac]

well my 16hh ISH lives out - she has a shelter but doesnt really go in it much, she is fully clipped inc head, is rugged and has adlib haylage, is in work 7 days a week - medium work schooling elementary. She is fine. She wont melt and if she is cold she can move round - they cant in a stable. She has enough rugs and fibre for warmth. She is on pure feeds and looks amazing!!!

The other horse i have is on loan and she is a 15.1hh KWPN dutch warmblood - she has no field shelter and is rugged well as feels the cold - she prefers to be out, has big pile of hay and looks really well! - she is also in work most days.

 

[Jesstickle]

I think so yes. Providing the needs for shelter, forage and possibly rugs are met I see no reason why any horse can't live out. I expect it is probably better for if not all, the vast majority of horses as well.

I can't wait for the day that I manage to sort mine out somewhere they can be out all winter as well as all summer!

 

[SarahRicoh]

Kezimac-thats really nice to hear them doing well as mostly hear that bout hardy types. Especially as theyre clipped as iv just given my boy a trace clip.

I know horses are domesticated now but in general i believe being out is better for them then in and more natural

 

[MagicMelon]

IMO yes the massive majority of horses can (and should) live out. I think there are very few reasons why a horse should be stabled (ie. veterinary etc. is fine but so many people just think their horse 'prefers' it which it doesn't, its just its routine).

I dont think all horses can live out well unrugged though with no shelter. My own horse shivers at the sight of rain but then he was imported from a hot country and now lives in NE Scotland so I guess he has an excuse! He is therefore rugged well. As long as horses are rugged according to their needs (if required at all), are fed plenty of hay/haylage and provided with permanent shelter then any horse IMO can live out very happily.

A lot of people stable purely out of habit or tradition, or perhaps it makes them feel better themselves I dont know. Yes, of course if a horse is used to being in and then its chucked out it'll look miserable for a while but that's purely because its a change of routine (mine would be like this if I took them in!). You'll often hear people say their horses are standing at the gate waiting to come in coz they hate it outside, when actually its likely because there's a nice big haynet and a bucket of feed in there (which could be easily given in the field)!

 

[pennyturner]

All mine live semi-feral. Barefoot, unrugged, natural shelter etc. Over the years I've had an arab that loved it, and a couple of natives who spent several months 'learning' to eat thistles and wade into the stream to get the best bits before they got the hang of it.
Only one loan horse hated it. He was TBxpony. From day 1 he just planted his face in a hedge with his tail between his butt-cheeks, and put his ears back at anything that went near him. Had to go back to find someone with a stable!
Some had significant issues (COPD, hock problems, shoulder injury), which were helped greatly by moving around 24/7.

 

[smellsofhorse]

I think yes.
But it does depend if the horse is looked after correctly.
Say a fine tb, would need plenty of food, hay and rugs but also the land needs to cope, you don't want them.droid in mud and to get terrible skin conditions.
The reason most horses don't live out is the land just isn't big enough!

 

[pottamus]

When I first got my Welsh D he was used to being stabled and rugged heavily so I had to be pretty careful about rugging him on time when the weather turned or he would become downright nasty to deal with or just pace up and down the field for hours on end. He grew hardly any decent winter coat in those early years but I managed to get him down to just a mw rug after a while.
Over the years I have managed to get him a bit more used to things and have (nicely and carefully) weened him off rugs altogether. Last winter he did fab in the severe cold we had and was very happy and content being out.
This winter he is even better, even in the wind and rain he is stood out in the field not bothering to go in his field stable and perfectly happy eating all the time. His coat has grown massive, thick and long and even in the worst rain weather where it persists all day, the underneath layers of his coat are bone dry next to his skin and only the top layer is wet.
My lad though has access to a field stable at all times and comes in at night because I need to keep his weight down due to previous laminitis, but he has changed and adapted behond recognition really. So it can be done, it depends on the horse and how they are managed.