Ruto
Active Member
LOL
LOL.
It's a sand arena.
Cotton Wool Horses!
- Thread starter Ruto
- Start date
LOL.
It's a sand arena.
blood_magik
Well-Known Member
mine is both mollycoddled and wrapped in cotton wool
he's clipped, rugged, stabled over night and gets a hard feed
he's clipped, rugged, stabled over night and gets a hard feed
Ruto
Active Member
mine is both mollycoddled and wrapped in cotton wool
he's clipped, rugged, stabled over night and gets a hard feed
Once again, this is not what I mean by 'wrapped in cotton wool'.
haras
Well-Known Member
I actually agree with most of whats written in the original post. However, I do not agree that they do not need to be seen every day. I have 4 horses and they are all seen at least twice a day. Horses get in trouble so fast.
Mine do all live out (arabs and welshies) 24/7. The ones that need rugs have rugs, but I do not over rug, it causes more problems than it solves. They have ab lib hay, small feeds, mainly to carry a vit/min supplement and are so much happier than they were when I stabled at night. That said I do have one mare that would happily stand in a stable 24/7 with the door open, but I hope to solve that problem by next winter by getting her a field shelter!
I know its not possible for everyone to let their horses live in a natural way, and mud can be a problem. My winter fields are very small, but fairly dry, but with access to round bales of hay, its not a huge issue to be honest.
Mine do all live out (arabs and welshies) 24/7. The ones that need rugs have rugs, but I do not over rug, it causes more problems than it solves. They have ab lib hay, small feeds, mainly to carry a vit/min supplement and are so much happier than they were when I stabled at night. That said I do have one mare that would happily stand in a stable 24/7 with the door open, but I hope to solve that problem by next winter by getting her a field shelter!
I know its not possible for everyone to let their horses live in a natural way, and mud can be a problem. My winter fields are very small, but fairly dry, but with access to round bales of hay, its not a huge issue to be honest.
Holly Hocks
Well-Known Member
The horses on our yard which go out everyday are the TBs, TBx and the arab. The ones the owners mollycoddle are the natives some of which don't go out "cos they'll get muddy!" of "it's raining".
We have some natives which have barely seen the field since about October. According to the owners, they "don't mind" being in. More like they've just given up caring!
I'm currently looking for a field to rent which I can put a decent shelter in as I have a youngster and one off work long term, so as far as Im concerned I would rather they lived out all the time. At least with a decent shelter, they can choose where they want to be.
We have some natives which have barely seen the field since about October. According to the owners, they "don't mind" being in. More like they've just given up caring!
I'm currently looking for a field to rent which I can put a decent shelter in as I have a youngster and one off work long term, so as far as Im concerned I would rather they lived out all the time. At least with a decent shelter, they can choose where they want to be.
DragonSlayer
Well-Known Member
^^^^^Like very much, this is what we did, never looked back...
rockysmum
Well-Known Member
Ruto
Active Member
Wagtail
Horse servant
In a word, yes!
Even though you quickly back peddled and said that actually someone else checks him.
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Fii
Well-Known Member
CobSunshine
Well-Known Member
Horses like routine! so they will stand at the gate waiting for there owner to take them to stable for feed. All horses are different, supose it depends on breed and owner. My boy is happy being out so i let him stay out. But he is lucky he has 250 acres of split grazeing. As long as your doing whats best for the horse and not what is the most conveniemt for you.
milesjess
Well-Known Member
I never really get involved with other liveries unless the horse is ill, injured etc... Despite trying to keep to myself my one bug bear is people still feel the need to voice their opinion when it comes to my horse... Which really irritates me.
For example. 'Is he getting hay today' - no he doesn't need it, he lives out!
'Is he coming in tonight?' - no he lives out!
'Getting new shoes?' - no he's barefoot!
'Have to take it easy on that feed' - obviously!
'Im glad he's coming in today, he was really struggling in that weather' - good job he has a rug on eh!
And so on...
I've been criticised by someone from a vets about him being barefoot saying he won't cope. 3 months on he is perfectly fine.
Non horsey people constantly telling me I'm cruel for leaving him out... All this when they've never even stoked a horse.
But worse still when other liveries feel the need to come upto you and bitch about other liveries and how they keep their horses! Why?! Go and tell them not me! It makes me wonder what they say about me behind my back haha.
I wish we lived in a world where if people had a problem they'd come to your face and discuss it with you, not ever other person. I don't ever justify how I keep my horse as its no one elses buisness but instead of going round the houses people should just ask.
I'll get off my rant box now
For example. 'Is he getting hay today' - no he doesn't need it, he lives out!
'Is he coming in tonight?' - no he lives out!
'Getting new shoes?' - no he's barefoot!
'Have to take it easy on that feed' - obviously!
'Im glad he's coming in today, he was really struggling in that weather' - good job he has a rug on eh!
And so on...
I've been criticised by someone from a vets about him being barefoot saying he won't cope. 3 months on he is perfectly fine.
Non horsey people constantly telling me I'm cruel for leaving him out... All this when they've never even stoked a horse.
But worse still when other liveries feel the need to come upto you and bitch about other liveries and how they keep their horses! Why?! Go and tell them not me! It makes me wonder what they say about me behind my back haha.
I wish we lived in a world where if people had a problem they'd come to your face and discuss it with you, not ever other person. I don't ever justify how I keep my horse as its no one elses buisness but instead of going round the houses people should just ask.
I'll get off my rant box now
MochaDun
Well-Known Member
I agree with the above. A horse on our yard went down with colic in the field one morning and if it hadn't been for other liveries going in and out the field with their horses or to check theirs he wouldn't have been spotted. Sadly was not a happy ending but the same also applies to injuries overnight or caught in rugs, fencing etc. I'm a morning and evening see my horse person for all those reasons whether he's stabled overnight or not. The amount of rugs I've had to remove or sort straps of for other horses and calls I've had to make to people about their horses due to being found lame in field etc has grown over the years...
trina1982
Well-Known Member
Although not a horse owner (yet), in an ideal world i would strive to give the horse freedom of choice.
This blog post is really interesting (and a fantastic system for keeping horses) and indicates how given choice, horses will choose what they feel best for them...
http://rockleyfarm.blogspot.com/2012/01/nothing-is-quite-as-simple-as-it-seems.html
Trina x
This blog post is really interesting (and a fantastic system for keeping horses) and indicates how given choice, horses will choose what they feel best for them...
http://rockleyfarm.blogspot.com/2012/01/nothing-is-quite-as-simple-as-it-seems.html
Trina x
Sarah1
Well-Known Member
At the end of the day if you're listening your horse will tell you if he/she is happy - for instance, the last few nights the weather has been really mild here so on Sunday when we brought the boys & M'lady up to bed them down for the night they had their feeds & then stood at the doors instead of going to their haynets as they normally would.
We wondered if they would rather be out so put loads of hay in the fields and turned them back out & they all went off & happily starting munching their hay! They told us they didn't want to stay in! Now last night it was colder and guess what, they all went to their nets after being fed...
Normally they'd be in around November time & not go back out until about February but it's been so mild at night why not let them enjoy a few nights under the stars?!
I will say the plan originally was to leave them out all year 24/7 but we've had fencing issues & some of the paddocks can't be used so the fields are really taking a hammering - they'd be useless come spring if we left them out all winter
There are loads of horse owners I wouldn't let look after my horse if they were the last human on earth because of they way they wrap their horses in cotton wool - my boy would be miserable - but hey, what they do with their horses is their business!
I do have a funny-ish story though - years ago we were on a livery yard with an older lady who had a lovely looking cob gelding - the horse was a complete brute because he was spoiled and allowed to get away with everything & anything. One day she announced that she was going for a hack & would be gone 'for hours' - we all inwardly smiled as we knew that if the gelding didn't fancy it that day we'd be seeing her in about 15 minutes time - sure enough 15 minutes later she careened back into the yard declaring that her horse was lame/ill! He was as sound as a pound he just didn't fancy going very far that day! That IMO is molly-coddling to the extreme!
We wondered if they would rather be out so put loads of hay in the fields and turned them back out & they all went off & happily starting munching their hay! They told us they didn't want to stay in! Now last night it was colder and guess what, they all went to their nets after being fed...
Normally they'd be in around November time & not go back out until about February but it's been so mild at night why not let them enjoy a few nights under the stars?!
I will say the plan originally was to leave them out all year 24/7 but we've had fencing issues & some of the paddocks can't be used so the fields are really taking a hammering - they'd be useless come spring if we left them out all winter
There are loads of horse owners I wouldn't let look after my horse if they were the last human on earth because of they way they wrap their horses in cotton wool - my boy would be miserable - but hey, what they do with their horses is their business!
I do have a funny-ish story though - years ago we were on a livery yard with an older lady who had a lovely looking cob gelding - the horse was a complete brute because he was spoiled and allowed to get away with everything & anything. One day she announced that she was going for a hack & would be gone 'for hours' - we all inwardly smiled as we knew that if the gelding didn't fancy it that day we'd be seeing her in about 15 minutes time - sure enough 15 minutes later she careened back into the yard declaring that her horse was lame/ill! He was as sound as a pound he just didn't fancy going very far that day! That IMO is molly-coddling to the extreme!
Vixen Van Debz
Well-Known Member
The horse owner that dictates their horses life by steadfast rules that they have chosen themseleves and which they refuse to ever bend (e.g. always barefoot, never bitted) is the horse owner that fails to listen to what their own animal is trying to tell them. THAT is where true danger lies, and is not the definition of a truly caring owner in my opinion.
FanyDuChamp
Well-Known Member
JFTDWS
Well-Known Member
In all my years of horse ownership I can honestly say that I don't think I've ever stoked a horse either
VVD's post is the clear winner today.
MagicMelon
Well-Known Member
It does annoy me that so many people just automatically stable their horses, its like they need a reason to turn their horses out which is odd IMO - should be the other way round! I think its tradition more than anything. It does really pee me off though when people who stable their horses say theirs are the "best kept" and "live in luxury" because they are kept immaculately clean etc. Its ridiculous. IMO the happiest horse is one who is kept out 24/7 which is natural for it. People almost frown on me at events because I have a fluffy, grubby grey horse who clearly lives out - they look at me from their stabled-all-winter, clipped-to-death horses as if I'M the cruel one!
rhino
Well-Known Member
It appears to me that people really spend far too much time worrying about
(a) other people's horses and how they are being looked after
(b) what other people think about the way they look after their horses
Just my opinion Either I'm heartless, or oblivious, but honestly I don't really care. Unless it clearly becomes a welfare issue, obviously
Please. Go and spend some time with your lovely horses and ponies and stop worrying about what other people think It's a lot less stressful although maybe not so entertaining to read about on HHO.
(a) other people's horses and how they are being looked after
(b) what other people think about the way they look after their horses
Just my opinion
Either I'm heartless, or oblivious, but honestly I don't really care. Unless it clearly becomes a welfare issue, obviously Please. Go and spend some time with your lovely horses and ponies and stop worrying about what other people think
It's a lot less stressful although maybe not so entertaining to read about on HHO. OFG
Well-Known Member
I give my horses the choice on whether to be in or out during the day (they are stabled either at night in the winter or day in summer due to heat / flys and because it's a good way to limit amount of grass for 2 fatties and also because the other one is an elderly gent who deserves some pampering in his dotage). I am lucky enough to have direct access from my stables into the fields. I leave the field gate open onto the yard area and leave the stable doors open.
More often than not when I go up to do stables in the evening they haven't been in at all during the day, even if the weather has been rain / wind / snow etc.
Where there are times when i think I should leave them in I have to remind myself that 2 are natives and the other is well rugged. If they were miserable then they would have gone into the stables for shelter.
diamondrockharvey
Well-Known Member
rockysmum
Well-Known Member
My last thought on this subject
What about the comfort of the owners, dont we count at all
I once tried keeping a horse out in a very large field with others. Trying to find it in the dark, wet, cold and windy weather was a nightmare. You daren't take treats or they all mugged you. Then checking for injuries (if you could see them under the mud) and pick up wed filthy feet and legs by the light of a torch YUK.
The good farriers wouldn't come unless the horse had been in overnight and was dry.
I only tried it once, the field shelter was useless for doing any jobs in and I cant image wanting to try to clean it up and ride.
Fortunately it was only for 9 months when I was pregnant and just after my baby was born (21 years ago, still own the horse) and only spring, summer and autumn, I would never have got through a winter.
I thought we had horses for pleasure, thats was not a hobby it was torture
What about the comfort of the owners, dont we count at all
I once tried keeping a horse out in a very large field with others. Trying to find it in the dark, wet, cold and windy weather was a nightmare. You daren't take treats or they all mugged you. Then checking for injuries (if you could see them under the mud) and pick up wed filthy feet and legs by the light of a torch YUK.
The good farriers wouldn't come unless the horse had been in overnight and was dry.
I only tried it once, the field shelter was useless for doing any jobs in and I cant image wanting to try to clean it up and ride.
Fortunately it was only for 9 months when I was pregnant and just after my baby was born (21 years ago, still own the horse
) and only spring, summer and autumn, I would never have got through a winter.I thought we had horses for pleasure, thats was not a hobby it was torture
GeeGeeboy
Well-Known Member
In a word, yes!
Even though you quickly back peddled and said that actually someone else checks him.
No Wagtail, my point was that just because I personally dont check him every day does not mean that he is not checked by others. People always seem to assume the worst and judge too quickly. Horse ownership is not black and white. Thanks for you're input though!
Wagtail
Horse servant
No Wagtail, my point was that just because I personally dont check him every day does not mean that he is not checked by others. People always seem to assume the worst and judge too quickly. Horse ownership is not black and white. Thanks for you're input though!
You made the post specifically to give that impression and were trying to stir the pot.
GeeGeeboy
Well-Known Member
You made the post specifically to give that impression and were trying to stir the pot.
No i wasnt but once again, thanks for your input.