Can horses just NOT like going out?

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MrsMagoo

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POSTED IN BREEDING ASWELL;

Ok further to my post the other day about Ron being a donkey and very slow etc (to catch up as this post was in breeding, Ron is 15months old and last week or so started to come in at nights, very laid back almost comatozed lol and when leading out in the morning pretty much have to drag him out) - this morning it took me 15mins to get him to the field, kept stopping, would walk as slow as he could etc.

BUT when I go to get him in later he walks in lovely nice and forward etc. Could it be that he just doesnt like going out???? Are some horses like that?

He is having his feet done Friday to check them and I may also get the vet to pop up and have a check over but there is just something not quite right....
 
In my personal opinion, yes, most definitely.

This has caused many a heated discussion on here on both sides. For me my experience is this....

My mare used to live our 24/7, seemed perfectly happy, didn't like to use her shelter and adapted to living out very well. Last July we moved yards and she is now stabled at night. SHE has now decided that if I put her out in the sunshine that is fine BUT if its cold/wet/windy then she will tank round and round her field, totally trashing it, skidding to halts, falling over as she is going so mad, screams her head off, rears, bucks, farts until someone comes and gets her. The moment you put her lead rope on she settles, calms and is happy again. How she has not injured herself badly I don't know, she has had many cuts on her legs though. Now if it is raining she is left in. She is ridden every day so does get excercise and taken round to graze in hand a couple of times a week. She is more than happy indoor, in her jim jams with a big haynet.
 
Not sure about your horse but my friends horse doesnt like being out she hadnt been turnout out for the first 8 years of her life so when my friend bought her and put her out she wouldnt settle. They are 7 years on now and although she goes out over night in summer and does settle in the field she really is at her happiest when she is in her stable.

So in answer to your question i think some horses do prefer to be in although i only know that one and both mine love to be out. The difference with this horse is that she was conditions to stay in as a young horse so maybe it isnt her nature making her like her stable but the fact that humans interfered.

Sorry just read it back and it doesnt help you much. :D
 
Thanks for reply - now see Ron doesnt do anything once he's out in the field (which is prob abnormal aswell) very quiet and just mooches about. Part of me does think it would be better for him to stay in if thats what he want's but then on the other side he is only young still so should be out getting excercise and stretching his legs...
 
Lol thanks - well Ron has lived out 24/7 since being born (apart from once for weaning) so in theory he should be used to it, but since I started bringing him in thats it....in the morning its like dragging a dead weight to the field lol
 
MrsMagoo said:
Lol thanks - well Ron has lived out 24/7 since being born (apart from once for weaning) so in theory he should be used to it, but since I started bringing him in thats it....in the morning its like dragging a dead weight to the field lol
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Maybe he is just not a morning horse and wants a lie in...:D:D
 
i have had horses that if it is cold/windy/raining they would rather be in.

i could turn them out and they would just stand at the gate waiting for me to bring them in, different story on a sunny day though
 
Ask your vet if its possible that hes 'sick' in the mornings, maybe hes not processing his food properly, now im making this up as I go along but im just thinking about the woman on the activia advert with her 'bloating' but grass might be ok for him so by the time he comes in from the field its workedthrough his system and hes OK again. Maybe hes not reluctant to go out in the mornings, he just feels a bit full and queezy.
 
What field companions does he have? Is he a playful type?
Is there much to eat for him out there? If the grass is sparse and he likes his hay, then give him some in the paddock.
I'm a firm beleiver in letting youngstock live out 24/7 with others and be a little wild for a couple of years. But understand that it's not always possible.
 
Yes most definitely!

I have 2 horses that won't go out or stay out in winter. There are also a few livery horses that hate being out in winter. It really annoys me when people don't treat them as individuals and think they HAVE to go out.

What's he like when he's out? Does he stay by the gate or pace?
 
Could just be he's a bit lethargic in the mornings. Or maybe a little bit stiff from standing in all night possibly? Ours will all stay in if needs be although they are out 24/7 normally with free access to their stables. If they are shut in they are always keen to get back out again whatever the weather.

Just like people all horses are different so whatever works for you and your horse is the way forward.

Someone we know has an ex-racer who will not stay out if it is remotely windy and most definitely not if is raining or snowing.
 
tricksy said:
In my personal opinion, yes, most definitely.

This has caused many a heated discussion on here on both sides. For me my experience is this....

My mare used to live our 24/7, seemed perfectly happy, didn't like to use her shelter and adapted to living out very well. Last July we moved yards and she is now stabled at night. SHE has now decided that if I put her out in the sunshine that is fine BUT if its cold/wet/windy then she will tank round and round her field, totally trashing it, skidding to halts, falling over as she is going so mad, screams her head off, rears, bucks, farts until someone comes and gets her. The moment you put her lead rope on she settles, calms and is happy again. How she has not injured herself badly I don't know, she has had many cuts on her legs though. Now if it is raining she is left in. She is ridden every day so does get excercise and taken round to graze in hand a couple of times a week. She is more than happy indoor, in her jim jams with a big haynet.
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This is EXACTLY what happened with my Welsh D, always lived out 24/7 until he came to me and now, in winter he will not go out or stay out :p So he is in 24/7 from November-March, but is out of his stable 3 times per day, once on walker, once to be ridden and once grazed in hand. Luckily he goes out 24/7 in summer :)
 
My ex racer has been stabled for 2-3 years 24/7. When she came to me (she is only 4) she thought that going out was like Christmas everyday!

However, she is the same, sunny = fine, cold but warm in rug = fine. Rain = BRING ME IN!
She never makes a fuss about going out, but I can tell when she is out that she isn't happy and she shivers like mad in the rain even with a rug on!

Not sure how I am going to play it this year. Think drizzle is ok, but constant rain she will be in all day. She is very happy in her stable looking out the window checking everything out.
 
ISH - this is what I was wondering and always watch how he is walking, have booked the vet for Friday now to come and give him the once over and poss take a blood sample to check his levels are all correct....

As someone above said about digestion - i do wonder about this also, his belly is very noisy and rumbly?
 
I can totally agree and understand that with a young horse you don't want to have him like this if you can prevent it. There are lots of reasons why horses prefer to be in

Remember he has only just found out there is a choice so he is deciding. You need to figure out why he is not wanting to go out

He might like coming in and think once he is out again he has to stay out all the time like he was before, if this is the case the penny will eventually drop and he will realise he will come back in


As others have said he may just not be a 'morning person'

My last horse had EPSM so the cold and wet made him sore

He might be unhappy with field mates

More food in the stable (put hay in field) I would carry a hay net with me to the field see if he happily follows the food
 
MillionDollar said:
Yes most definitely!

I have 2 horses that won't go out or stay out in winter. There are also a few livery horses that hate being out in winter. It really annoys me when people don't treat them as individuals and think they HAVE to go out.

What's he like when he's out? Does he stay by the gate or pace?
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He doesnt pace or anything - just slowing mooches around the field and will graze. Grass is ok in the field and it's a couple of acres just for the 3 of them. Hay will be going out to them in the next few weeks..
 
My youngster is the same...to the point that when leaving the barn he will refuse to walk if it's rainy, windy or even too cold...even a carrot can't tempt him. He drags me back to his stable and will quite happily go back and munch on his hay all day.
Days like today (Wet, cold & windy) he's in...I offered him the option of going out and he refused.
People think I'm mad and until they see it for themselves but i don't see the point of forcing the issue and if he's happy in then he stays in.
He has 2 field friends one of them he hates and the other loves and plays/grazes next to all day. When he's out he doesn't hang around the gate and just mooches off to graze and then play. When it's time to come in i get the loudest whinny whilst galloping from the middle of the field. Even if he's out by himself he doesn't stress.
There is plenty of grass to munch on and as soon as the sun comes out he bounces out of his stable so i know it's not a field issue...He just loves his stable.
 
Sedgemoor - I am glad its not just mine then, this is exactly how Ron is, wil graze quite happilly once i've dragged him to field but as soon as I turn up to get him in he couldnt move fast enough lol. Maybe he does just love staying in then....
 
We had an elderly ShirexClyde who would want to go out when the others did and then if it was bad weather, it was almost as if she said 'Right I've stretched my legs, let's go back now'. Sister found her lying down in the stable in a patch of sunlight one day. She refused to get up and sis was quite worried, until she forced her to get up and found that all was well, she had just been enjoying the warmth.
I also had a TBx who hated going out in the dark. She blinked fiercely all the way to the field. Unfortunately unless I was going to be late for work, she had to go out at that time.
I have known others be reluctant to leave a stable with hay to go out. I'd make sure, if all your vet checks are ok, that there is plenty to eat in the field.
 
Lots of youngsters are like this MrsM.

Keep putting him out - and as he get's older, and learns to lead better you won't have such an issue.
 
I wouldn't say ours dislike going out of a morning, however they are always waiting to come in of an evening, and get cross if we don't bring them in :p. Strange creatures.
 
I had an agrophobic horse once that would panic when out for more than half an hour and used to stay where she could still see her stable! She had come from Ireland originally so I would imagine had lived out but once stabled decided that's what she wanted!
 
I knew a horse once that didn't like being out for very long at all. He would jump over the gate and put himself back to bed thank you very much. Lovely horse, very sweet, hacked alone/ in company etc but just didn't want to go out and play in the field with the others. He wasn't bullied or cold, plenty of grass in the field so he wasn't hungry he just liked his stable thank you very much.

Mine sometimes refuse to go out on really nasty mornings. But then I am evil and they are still living out 24/7 despite one of the shetlands begging to come in.

Each to their own I guess.
 
QR
My WB totally hates going out in anything less than 60 degrees, no wind or rain is allowed! We live in Cumbria and when we had all the snow last year he was in for nearly a month, our yard just never defrosted and it was like a skating rink, finally YO managed to "acquire" (don't ask) some grit. All excited the other horses went out. Cappy planted his feet and refused point blank to leave the barn, try as we might he would not leave. He does not do cold, wet or windy. He will remove a gate to take himself back to his stable, so yes I believe some do not like being out if the circumstances are not right.

FDC
 
I think it's sheer laziness. They can't be bothered to graze.

I've had hardly any grass all summer so have had to feed hay/haylage.

Eventually it grew so I put them back out on it. My Shetland tucked in, but the two welsh cobs for days, seemed to stand at the gate, wanting to come back into my bare paddock (they all live out) where I've got 2 tractor tyres that I fill with hay.

The sods can't be bothered to go and pick the food themselves!
 
MrsMagoo said:
Hi yes he has another young colt and an older boy out with them - those 2 stay out while Ron comes in now. They seem quite happy together and he is pretty much the leader of the pack...
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Is there any reason why he can't stay out too then? :)
Although, to me, it doesn't sound like there is anything wrong with him, a look over by the vet will put your mind at ease.
If you've ruled out anything physical, then I would personally start thinking about teaching him to walk on when being led. Otherwise he will start to get in the habit of dragging his feet when he doesn't want to do something ;)
 
My elderly arab doesn't DO weather.

He refuses to go out with a turnout rug on. He believe that if it's rug weather - he should be in. He will stay by the gate all day if I force him.

If I am leading him to the field and he doesn't want to go out, he will keep stopping and look at me as if to say, "Are you insane, woman?"

In bad weather he prefers to walk around in-hand and eat the verges.

He was 'normal' when he was young.

I am not sure it is healthy behaviour in a young horse though.
 
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