Converting my horse to outdoor living..

Laura-Maybe-IV

Laura-Maybe-IV

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Hi all :)

My horse has recently been diagnosed with arthritis in her hocks and stifles, so my vet has advised 24/7 turnout.
I've never had a horse fully turned out, mine have always been in, in the winter and out during the summer. However with my current horse she's always been in at night our during the day which I hate.

Being a thoroughbred she is a bit precious bless her :p but I rode her tonight and put her back in the field and didn't seem bothered about coming in.
My YO is funny about putting them out so looking for another place to keep her.

Also does anyone have any tips for winter too? That would help keeping her comfortable and happy in the summer and winter months! :D
 
She will surprise you. I asked much the same last year. Mine was diagnosed with DJD so I moved him to somewhere he could live out. He coped brilliantly and he is 7/8 TB and has always been on livery yards on limited turnout. I've kept him fairly well rugged all winter with plenty of hay and he looks the best he ever has.
 
Copperpot said:
She will surprise you. I asked much the same last year. Mine was diagnosed with DJD so I moved him to somewhere he could live out. He coped brilliantly and he is 7/8 TB and has always been on livery yards on limited turnout. I've kept him fairly well rugged all winter with plenty of hay and he looks the best he ever has.
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Thank you :) yeah I think she will cope much better living out with a good field shelter I've been doubling up on rugs in the sales :D so that if one gets really wet she can have a clean dry one to wear :)
Yeah that's what I was thinking of giving her plenty of hay with feed as well :)
 
I done the same with my mare when she got to 18, had just had her hunter clipped and it was suggested that i should leave her out 24/7 because she used to get really stressed in a stable, not to do with injury!

i just made sure that i had 2 of each weigh turnout rug in case one got wet through and 10 years on she is still out 24/7, and actually started refusing to go in a stable door once she was used to being out! managed to get her in the first stable in october for the first time in about 6 years!!! but that was just a day trip to the vets!
 
My ISH has been turned away for a month now ( he has osteoarthritis in his sacroilliac and neck) and he has put on weight!When he was stabled he had three feeds a day, 4 / 5 hours turnout and 3 huge nets of haylage and always looked skinny!

He has a range of rugs so isnt too hot or too cold and I can dry one. I am feeding him twice a day and he has hay out twice a day.

The feeds are high in oil since they include linseed and a dollop of vegetable oil.

He did used to look at me driving away and I imagined a sort of wistful look - now he just mooches back to the hay and his mates.

Health wise he is less stiff and less tense.
 
Thanks for your reply KerrieBerry, oh no what worse timing but I am pleased to hear that your mare took to it so well :)
I am hoping that she will take to it well, and it'll help keep the costs down and I am looking to get another one! I must be mad :D
 
coffeeandabagel said:
My ISH has been turned away for a month now ( he has osteoarthritis in his sacroilliac and neck) and he has put on weight!When he was stabled he had three feeds a day, 4 / 5 hours turnout and 3 huge nets of haylage and always looked skinny!

He has a range of rugs so isnt too hot or too cold and I can dry one. I am feeding him twice a day and he has hay out twice a day.

The feeds are high in oil since they include linseed and a dollop of vegetable oil.

He did used to look at me driving away and I imagined a sort of wistful look - now he just mooches back to the hay and his mates.

Health wise he is less stiff and less tense.
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Wow that's great news! :) yeah that's what I was going to do with maybe give her two feeds a day and plenty of hay. I am also going to invest in a good fly rug too :) she's is currently fed a fibre diet of hard feed with baileys lo cal, so I might have to change her chaff to Alfa a oil. I am hoping that it will chill her out a bit too, she is normally ok but can be quiet stressy!! Also it should help her DJD too :) thank you for your tips though :)
 
My Arab mare and my sister's Welsh gelding have lived out a lot this winter and have taken to it like ducks to water! My mare is arthritic and is so much better when she is out 24/7 :)

Our field is very exposed, right on top of a hill, and the only shelter comes from dry stone walls, so we do stable them when it is particularly bleak. When it is windy everywhere else, it is usually 3 times worse up at the farm! But the rest of the time they are fine -even when it is well below freezing they much prefer being out. And I've had to rug them up a lot less than I expected - last night is was breezy and -3, possibly less, but even my Arab was only in a medium weight rug. So long as they have enough to eat they are fine :)
 
HashRouge said:
My Arab mare and my sister's Welsh gelding have lived out a lot this winter and have taken to it like ducks to water! My mare is arthritic and is so much better when she is out 24/7 :)

Our field is very exposed, right on top of a hill, and the only shelter comes from dry stone walls, so we do stable them when it is particularly bleak. When it is windy everywhere else, it is usually 3 times worse up at the farm! But the rest of the time they are fine -even when it is well below freezing they much prefer being out. And I've had to rug them up a lot less than I expected - last night is was breezy and -3, possibly less, but even my Arab was only in a medium weight rug. So long as they have enough to eat they are fine :)
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Oh that's excellent! Yeah mine has arthritis and is getting stiff from being stabled so being out with suit her, oh that's good about not rugging them up so much :) mine is currently been out in the day even when freezing in a medium weight combo so she should be ok :) but I have a under rug too should she get cold. They sound really hardy and well cared for well done you :) and thank you for your tips :)
 
Mine has put on weight living out too. And it's a fab excuse to buy loads more rugs so you always have spares :) He was so happy and chilled I recently moved my other horse from livery to live out with him. Even when it was freezing he was warm and he's fully clipped. They never use the field shelter but prefer to stand by the hedges for shelter and munch their hay. The one with DJD I retired but after 6 months of living out he's looking ready to come back into work.
 
Copperpot said:
Mine has put on weight living out too. And it's a fab excuse to buy loads more rugs so you always have spares :) He was so happy and chilled I recently moved my other horse from livery to live out with him. Even when it was freezing he was warm and he's fully clipped. They never use the field shelter but prefer to stand by the hedges for shelter and munch their hay. The one with DJD I retired but after 6 months of living out he's looking ready to come back into work.
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Ohh excellent :D I am looking forwards to doing some more rug shopping for her us horse owners just can't help ourselfs ;) :D
Yeah I will have the field shelter so she has the choice of weather she wants to go in or out she can decide then :)
Excellent about your boy with DJD my mare has it in both hocks currently I am just turning her out as much as possible and she gets walks in hand or ridden out gently at the moment, so she will do more work when the ground dries up :)
Can't wait to turn her out though, no more mucking out! :D
 
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